Microtek Press Release 13/02/04

Microtek ScanMaker i900 Delivers Powerful Imaging Features for Print & Film

For under $600, the ScanMaker i900 Offers Dual Media design, Emulsion Direct scanning, and PictuRescue with DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology & ColoRescue

Las Vegas, NV (February 13, 2004)—Microtek announced at PMA today the availability of the ScanMaker i900, a 3200-dpi, Dual Media, multiformat film scanner offering a host of exclusive and superior technologies including DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology, automatic color correction, glassless film scanning with Microtek’s exclusive E.D.I.T. system, and a robust software package - all for under $600.

Designed for graphic artists, photographers and publishing professionals who require greater productivity in today’s demanding business environment, the ScanMaker i900 is the first professional scanner to integrate Microtek’s exclusive PictuRescue system featuring DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology, which dramatically decreases the time to reconstruct surface-damaged photos. With the ScanMaker i900, cracks, tears, creases and scratches can be fixed automatically at least 10 times faster than manual techniques.

“The ScanMaker i900 high-resolution flatbed scanner is another extension of our uniquely differentiated product lines,” said Sam Samimi, vice president of sales and marketing for Microtek. “For the first time ever, a highend scanner with DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology for photo reconstruction is available to the market segment that uses these tools as an integral component of their business. The ScanMaker i900 increases workflow productivity, expands the market segment, and favorably impacts the bottom line. With our photo reconstruction and restoration family of scanners, we have effectively opened this previously untapped market.”

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. Today, Microtek scanners with DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology such as the ScanMaker i900 are the new benchmark for reconstruction of surface defects in photo prints.

Microtek ColoRescue? punches up faded colors and SilverFast 6.0 adds even more value
Besides offering DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology, the PictuRescue system also includes ColoRescue?, Microtek’s automatic color recovery system that punches up faded colors in both prints and film to their original vibrant tones. ColoRescue takes the guesswork out of restoring colors that have turned dull or become faded over the years from either exposure or neglect, applying an automatic algorithm to bring colors back to their original saturation levels, luster, and brilliance.

Used individually or in combination, DIGITAL ICE and ColoRescue work together to permanently change the landscape of photo repair and reconstruction. What normally would take hours of painstaking work to clean up dirty or scratched images now only takes minutes for the ScanMaker i900, with the scanner able to provide touch-up color restoration if needed ? all achieved in a one-click, automatic operation that involves no hassles and is perfectly transparent to the user.

Rounding out the ScanMaker i900’s arsenal of superior productivity software is SilverFast Ai 6.0 from LaserSoft Imaging, with its renowned film-handling capability for photographers. SilverFast offers features such as dust and scratch removal, selective color correction, grain and noise elimination, and superior negative film scanning as provided by NegaFix? to optimize the handling of color and black-and-white negative film.

Superior hardware for powerhouse performance
As the next-generation model of the popular ScanMaker 8700, the ScanMaker i900 packs several impressive hardware features to deliver solid, powerhouse performance, including:
? 6400 x 3200-dpi optical resolution
? 48-bit color depth
? 4.2 maximum optical density
? FireWire and Hi-Speed USB connectivity
? Legal scan bed size of 8.5” x 14”
? Dual Media scanning, with an upper bed to scan reflectives and a lower bay to scan film and transparencies
? Multiformat film scanning, with included SnapTrans? film holders for easy batch scanning of various film types, including 35mm mounted slides, 35mm filmstrips, medium-format film, and 4"x5 film

Taking productivity to the next level, the ScanMaker i900 offers Emulsion Direct Imaging Technology (E.D.I.T.), a patented system built into the lower bay of Microtek’s Dual Media scanners. E.D.I.T. ? or “glassless scanning” ? allows the scanner’s CCD to directly read the emulsion side of the film during scanning without any interfering pane of glass, effectively eliminating any of the problems associated with normal glass transparency scanning such as Newton Rings and surface imperfections. The end result is clear, distortion-free images with more accurate color values.

Premier software for unsurpassed value
With its robust, comprehensive software package, the ScanMaker i900 offers unparalleled value and higher productivity. The software bundle includes:
? Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0
? LaserSoft Imaging SilverFast Ai 6.0
? Adobe Photoshop Album SE (PC only)
? ABBYY FineReader Sprint OCR
? Ulead PhotoExplorer
? Kodak Digital Science Color Management
? Microtek ScanWizard Pro scanning software, with LANShare scanner-sharing utility for PCs
? Microtek Scanner ICC Profiler, plus IT-8 reflective and transmissive calibration targets

Availability and Pricing of ScanMaker i900
The ScanMaker i900 has an estimated street price of $599.99, and will be available by the end of March 2004 through Microtek’s global distribution channels that include 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
Aside from the ScanMaker i900, Microtek offers a formidable line of photo reconstruction scanners to meet all needs and budgets.

The new ScanMaker i320 features 48-bit color, 6400 x 3200-dpi optical resolution, Hi-Speed USB connectivity, the LightLid 35 slide and filmstrip adapter, and 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. The ScanMaker i320 has an estimated street price of $149.99, and will be available at the end of February 2004 in retail.

The award-winning ScanMaker 6800 was the world?s first flatbed scanner with integrated DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology. 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"x5” 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, the company continues to provide a wide range of desktop imaging solutions with its ScanMaker and ArtixScan lines for home and small office users 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 at the Web at www.microtek.com.