Microtek Press Release 13/02/04

Microtek ScanMaker i320 Surges with High Resolution & PictuRescue System

New ScanMaker i320 Offers 3200-dpi Scanning and Photo Reconstruction with Digital ICE, plus Color Restoration for both Print and Film

Las Vegas, NV (February 13, 2004) - Microtek announced here at PMA today the availability of the ScanMaker i320, the next-generation model of the ScanMaker i300 and a 6400 x 3200-dpi flatbed scanner that packs Microtek’s exclusive PictuRescue, a first-to-market system for photo reconstruction and restoration of prints and film.

PictuRescue incorporates Kodak’s DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology and Microtek’s
ColoRescue, the twin pillars of an integrated hardware and software combination providing the world’s only automatic photo reconstruction solution. With DIGITAL ICE, physically damaged and blemished photo prints that are torn, creased, cracked, and scratched are restored to like-new condition. And with ColoRescue, automatic color recovery and control can be achieved for faded photos and film originals, restoring them to their original vibrant colors.

With the addition of the ScanMaker i320, Microtek now offers a family of three photo reconstruction and restoration scanners, including the new professional-class ScanMaker i900, as well as the previously launched ScanMaker 6800.

DIGITAL ICE & ColoRescue offer automatic solutions to photo reconstruction
The photo reconstruction and restoration market was previously limited to costly and timeconsuming methods implemented by skilled, specially trained professionals. Now with the ScanMaker i320 and DIGITAL ICE, consumers can automatically reconstruct surface-damaged photos in only a few minutes and rebuild their invaluable photos quickly and easily.

In addition, the ColoRescue system restores faded, dull photos and film to their original hues, saturation and brilliance in an automatic, one-click process that involves no learning curve or hassles.

?With the ScanMaker i320?s automatic photo reconstruction and restoration system, Microtek adds a new dimension of utility and simplicity to desktop scanning,? explained Mary Ann Whitlock, executive director of Marketing at Microtek. ?Using the scanner, consumers can rebuild their heirloom invaluable prints quickly and economically at home, realizing significant time savings ? often at least 10 times faster than manual photo reconstruction techniques, depending on the extent of damage. In addition to reconstructing surface-damaged photos, consumers can scan color-faded photos and film, restoring them to their original colors ? in one simple step. With the ScanMaker i320, Microtek continues to deliver substantive added value to imaging with PictuRescue by being the first to offer a one-step photo reconstruction and restoration combination package. When consumers see the PictuRescue and Digital ICE Photo Print Technology logos, they can be assured they are getting a complete photo repair solution.?

Sam Samimi, vice president of sales and marketing at Microtek, added: “We have established yet another benchmark in the consumer flatbed arena with our ScanMaker i320 ? truly the best-value scanner in the consumer market; there isn?t another flatbed scanner that provides consumers a complete and automatic print reconstruction solution. PictuRescue?s Digital ICE Photo Print Technology component is the only sufficiently robust solution to automatically reconstruct prints at the touch of a button, removing the ambiguity in the image correction market. And PictuRescue is the only system that reconstructs a print image to undamaged original condition without user intervention.”

Today, Microtek has successfully evolved the Digital ICE technology from its status as the de facto standard for digital minilab and film scanner automatic dust and scratch removal, to being the industry benchmark for reconstruction of surface defects in photo prints. Unlike software-only applications, DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology’s integrated hardware and software automatically rebuilds prints without any user intervention. By creating a defect map to identify the precise locations of physical defects or visual “noise” on a print being scanned, and working with differential shadowing technology and proprietary software algorithms, DIGITAL ICE automatically eliminates defects, producing an image that closely resembles the undamaged original.

The Microtek ScanMaker i320 also offers 48-bit color, 6400 x 3200-dpi optical resolution, Hi-Speed USB connectivity, the LightLid 35 slide and filmstrip adapter, and an 8.5 x 11.7-inch scan area. Seven Smart-Touch buttons on the front panel, along with a convenient Power button, automate frequently performed tasks such as e-mail, scan, copy, and OCR. Furthermore, Microtek?s exclusive EDGE design packs CCD-quality scanning into a more efficient form factor.

With an estimated street price of $149.99, the ScanMaker i320 includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 (PC/Mac) and Photoshop Album SE (PC); Ulead PhotoExplorer (PC/Mac) and Ulead DVD PictureShow (Mac); ABBYY FineReader Sprint for Optical Character Recognition (PC/Mac); Microtek’s Scan, Color Copy and Scanto-Web utilities; ScanWizard? 5 scanner controller software; and USB 2.0 cable. The ScanMaker i320 is compatible with Microsoft XP, ME, 2000 and 98SE, as well as with Mac 10.1.3 and later operating systems.

The Microtek ScanMaker i320 with PictuRescue featuring Digital ICE Photo Print Technology is now shipping to Best Buy and will be available in March 2004 through Microtek’s global distribution channels including Ingram Micro, Tech Data, distributors of photographic equipment and supplies, system integrators and value-added resellers, and other direct mail and full retail channels.

Other ScanMaker scanners with Microtek?s PictuRescue system featuring Digital ICE Photo Print Technology and ColoRescue
The ScanMaker i900 is a high-end, professional-class scanner offering Dual-Media scanning with a legal-size 8.5 x 14-inch upper bed for reflective scanning of photos, pre-printed material, text pages and three-dimensional objects. It also has a unique pullout transparency bay for scanning multi-format film up to 8 x 10-inches. The Dual-Media design highlights Microtek?s exclusive E.D.I.T? glassless, emulsion-direct film scanning for distortion-free digitized images. Other features include 48-bit color, 6400 x 3200-dpi optical resolution, FireWire and Hi-Speed USB connectivity, and a set of SnapTrans? templates for scanning 35mm slides, filmstrips, 4 x 5-inch transparencies and medium-format film.

The ScanMaker 6800 was the world?s first flatbed scanner with integrated Digital ICE Photo Print Technology, and now includes PictuRescue for combined photo reconstruction and restoration. With a new street price of $299.99, the ScanMaker 6800 has 4800 x 2400-dpi optical resolution, 48-bit color depth, FireWire and Hi-Speed USB 2 interfaces, plus an integrated 4 x 5-inch transparency adapter with FilmView.

About Microtek
Microtek is a global leader in designing and manufacturing desktop digital imaging products that help improve communications and digital workflow efficiency. Known for its first-to-market scanning technology with over 100 patents worldwide, Microtek continues to provide a wide range of desktop imaging solutions with its ScanMaker and ArtixScan? lines - to users ranging from the mass market, to high-end professional desktop publishers, printers and pre-press service providers. Founded in 1980, Microtek International, Inc. is headquartered in Science-based Industry Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan. The company has a strong global presence with major operations and distribution channels in 53 countries around the world. Microtek Lab, Inc, the North American subsidiary of Microtek International, Inc. is located at 16941 Keegan Avenue, Carson, CA 90746. Information about Microtek can be found on the Web at www.microtek.com.