EFI Premium Proofing Media Earns IDEAlliance’s SWOP and GRACoL Certifications

Distributed by Chromaticity, EFI Validation 250 Premium Satin Awarded Industry’s “Gold Standard” for Ink Jet Proofing Media

GRAND RAPIDS, MI/FOSTER CITY, CA—Feb. 26, 2007—Chromaticity, Inc., the recognized leader in distribution and deployment of color management and inkjet technologies, and EFI (Nasdaq: EFII), the world leader in color digital print servers, superwide format printers and print management solutions, today announced that standards organization IDEAlliance has awarded SWOP® and GRACoL® certifications to EFI™ Validation 250 Premium Satin ink jet proofing media for the graphic arts and design markets. Chromaticity is the authorized distributor of EFI Validation proofing media in North America.

Validation 250 Premium Satin from EFI is a 250 gram/square meter premium grade proofing media designed for use with Epson UltraChrome K3™ and similar ink sets. This media features a white point and gamut capacity that meets the requirements of high-end commercial proofing as defined by GRACoL(General Requirements and Applications for Commercial Offset Lithograph) 7 (G7™), the latest guidelines for quality color printing. Currently being applied to many types of printing, including commercial, publication, newsprint and flexo, G7 is the new IDEAlliance proof-to-print process based on principles of digital imaging, spectrophotometry, and computer-to-plate (CTP) technologies.

“Gone are the days of the $400 roll of 24” media,” says Bruce Bayne, president of G7-certified color management training and solutions consultancy Alder Technology. “With EFI Validation media, my customers hit G7 specs on proofs easily and consistently – especially with the EFI Colorproof™ XF ink jet client/server-based proofing solution. This represents a quantum leap in cost savings and quality.”

IDEAlliance SWOP (Specifications for Web Offset Publications) certification of EFI Validation proofing media assures graphics, publishing and production professionals that their color output represents consistent and accurate color to match the appearance of certified press proofs used in publication production.

Chromaticity is the authorized distributor of EFI Validation proofing media, including the Validation 250 Premium Satin media as well as the Validation 155 offset media, in North America. EFI Validation 155 Offset Premium Proofing Media is a competitively-priced, 155 gram premium offset proofing media for use with both pigmented and dye-based inksets. This media offers the look and feel of an actual offset press stock while demonstrating sufficient gamut to accurately proof commercial and publication print. EFI Validation proofing media provides users with simplified installation, improved productivity, increased profitability and ease of use – all with the consistency and reliability sealed by SWOP and GRACoL certification and the support of EFI and Chromaticity.

All grades of EFI Validation media offer customers an unprecedented price/performance combination. While being priced competitively with stock media, EFI Validation meets the industry’s most stringent quality and consistency requirements.

“Reliable and consistent color remains a critical issue and, despite rapid changes in our industry, we’re committed to providing our customers with products of the highest standards,” said Ian Mackenzie, Chromaticity’s vice president of marketing and business development. “SWOP and GRACoL certifications are the gold standards in our business and we’re proud to offer EFI Validation proofing media to our dealers, partners and customers.”

“Our customers greatly benefit from interoperability among the solutions they use, so EFI is a driving force for industry standards adoption,” said Stefan Spiegel, general manager, Graphic Arts Solutions, EFI. “EFI Validation proofing media earning SWOP and GRACoL certifications affirms its high caliber and underscores the fact that EFI consistently delivers state of the art solutions.”

Validation joins several EFI products Chromaticity distributes to the North American graphic arts reseller channel, including EFI’s industry-leading, color management software Color Profiler Suite, pre-press workflow solutions and the scalable and versatile client/server-based ink jet proofing solution driven by Bestcolor® Technology, EFI Colorproof XF.

About GRACoL
In 1996, a graphics arts task force was formed by the Graphic Communications Association (now IDEAlliance) to develop a document containing general guidelines and recommendations that could be used as a reference source across the industry for quality color printing. Since that time, the GRACoL Committee has developed, maintained and published printing guidelines that have since become de facto standards on many pressrooms. The mission of GRACoL is to improve communications and education in the graphic arts by developing best practices that reflect the influence and impact of new technologies in the workflow of commercial offset lithography. Learn more at http://www.gracol.org.

About SWOP
Specifications for Web Offset Publications (SWOP) was initiated in 1975 as a response to the printing industry’s need for uniform specifications and tolerances to ensure consistency and quality of material in publications. In 2005, SWOP merged with IDEAlliance in order to support print media through the coordinated development of standardized specifications and guidelines, certification programs, software tools, educational seminars, and peer support networks. SWOP, Inc. now operates as a Program within IDEAlliance.

About Chromaticity
Chromaticity, Inc. is a value added distributor specializing in providing best in class print technologies. Chromaticity provides it reseller channel with integrated solutions that are supported by a comprehensive sales and support organization. For more information about Chromaticity, please visit www.chromaticity.com or call (616) 361-7773.

About EFI
EFI (www.efi.com) is the world leader in color digital print servers, superwide format printers and inks, and commercial and enterprise print management solutions. EFI’s award-winning solutions, integrated from creation to print, deliver increased performance, cost savings and productivity. The company’s robust product portfolio includes Fiery® digital color print servers; VUTEk superwide digital inkjet printers, UV and solvent inks; industrial inkjet printing systems, print production workflow and management information software; and corporate printing solutions. EFI maintains 23 offices worldwide.