Adobe PostScript Extreme Helps Professional Publishers Save Time and Money

New Flexible and Reliable Digital Workflow Improves
Management of Printing and Publishing

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Since the introduction of Adobe(R)
PostScript(R) technology over a decade ago, people have looked to Adobe
Systems for innovation and leadership in the development of printing
technologies. Now, Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE) is delivering
a flexible, new implementation of its high-end printing architecture,
called Adobe(R) PostScript(R) Extreme(TM). Adobe PostScript Extreme now
leverages Adobe's experience with digital workflows to provide a
streamlined printing process that saves prepress and commercial printing
professionals time and money.

"The high-end commercial printing market's number one concern is for print
jobs to get done correctly and in a timely manner," said Randy Spurrier,
vice president of marketing, Adobe Printing Technologies. "Adobe's use of
PDF (Portable Document Format) and Portable Job Tickets in PostScript
Extreme ensures that this complex printing process is manageable, from the
start of a print job to the finish, with consistent and reliable output."
In addition to supporting professional publishers with multiple-RIPs for
speed in high-volume printing, Adobe PostScript Extreme now incorporates
advanced prepress capabilities. The flexible Extreme architecture uses the
Adobe PDF and the award-winning Adobe PJTF (Portable Job Ticket Format) to:

* automate prepress processes, such as imposition and trapping to reduce
printing and publishing costs

* provide distributed digital workflow processing for trapping, preflight
and imposition

* enable the opportunity for last minute edits to PDF page content and
print parameters

* provide multi-RIP support for high speed engines

* ensure the final output looks exactly as the designer intended

Profiting from the benefits of Adobe PDF and Adobe PJTF, professional
publishers can more easily and cost-effectively manage complex printing
processes through the Adobe PostScript Extreme digital workflow.

"Through the use of PDF technology, Adobe PostScript Extreme's digital
workflow has the potential to help us eliminate costly errors late in
production and ultimately manage the entire printing process more
efficiently," said Bob Schaffel, manager of emerging technologies, RR
Donnelley & Sons.

Adobe PostScript Extreme digital workflow

The flexibility of the Adobe PostScript Extreme system enables professional
publishers to use their current applications to submit PostScript or PDF
files to the Extreme digital workflow. When these elements enter the
system, the page content is converted to PDF jobs assembled by an attached
Adobe Portable Job Ticket. This Adobe PJTF sits transparently behind the
Adobe PDF and holds all the data associated with the Adobe PDF file,
including time spent on changes or prepress activities, page size and print
parameters. Once created, the Adobe PDF with job ticket resides in the page
store and, from there, can be viewed, edited and managed according to the
individual prepress requirements. The job itself can be edited, pages can
be replaced, templates modified and print settings changed, all up to the
last second before going to press. Finally, the file is sent through the
renderer where it is assembled into printer sheets and sent to the
designated output device.

OEM Development

Adobe works closely with its OEMs to customize the Extreme printing
solution to the specific needs of their customers. In this respect, Adobe
PostScript Extreme exists in a variety of implementations - one OEM may
utilize a minimum feature set from Extreme, while another may utilize the
full Adobe PostScript Extreme architecture. However, regardless of the OEM
implementation, a product must meet specific Adobe guidelines to qualify as
an Adobe PostScript Extreme product that exemplifies the respected quality
of Adobe certification. The Extreme technology also is extensible, and
handles third-party plug-ins for such features as color calibration and
imposition for optimal printing performance. This flexibility and
automation eliminates the need for numerous individuals to perform these
specific prepress functions, thus minimizing human error while saving time
and money. Adobe OEMs will be announcing Extreme-based products starting
August 31, 1998 at Seybold SF and continuing into 1999.

About Adobe PostScript

Since its introduction in 1985, the Adobe PostScript language has become
the printing and imaging technology of choice for corporations, publishers
and government agencies throughout the world. Today, 75 percent of
commercial publications are printed using Adobe PostScript language
devices. For more information about Adobe Printing Technologies and Adobe
PostScript, see http://www.adobe.com/print on the World Wide Web.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Based in San Jose, Calif., Adobe Systems Incorporated develops and supports
products to help people express and use information in more imaginative and
meaningful ways, across all print and electronic media. For more
information, see Adobe's home page at http://www.adobe.com/ on the World
Wide Web.

Adobe, the Adobe logo, Adobe PostScript, Extreme and PostScript are
trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.