Light Source Introduces Ofoto v.2 for Color Image Scanning

Assures Accurate Color Printing and Adds Image Improvement Tools

Larkspur, CA, January 6, 1993--Little more than a year after announcing
Ofoto one-step image-capture software, Light Source Computer Images, Inc.
will ship Ofoto Version 2 which will now handle 24-bit color as well as
grayscale images and line art, and optimize images for any printer. Ofoto
v.2 is included with Apple Computer's Color OneScanner and will be sold
separately for $395.

"With the increasing accessibility of color and superior grayscale laser
copiers and scanners, we're on the verge of a revolution in the
integration of images into all kinds of documents," said Michael D.
Solomon, president and co-CEO of Light Source. "But image technology,
especially color, has been intimidating. Ofoto now makes image management
automatic and accurate to an unparalleled degree."

Ofoto--winner of MacUser's "Breakthrough Technology Product of the Year"
award for 1991--is best known for ease of use and the ability to assure
print results that are true to the original photograph. In Version 2,
Ofoto goes beyond digital representation of the original and gives users
tools to correct images to better match the original scene, compensating
for differences in film or paper. The Balance Exposure command in Ofoto
v.2 automatically corrects exposure problems. The Focus command corrects
out-of-focus photos.

Ofoto v.2 can create CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color separations
of images from digital RGB (red, green, blue) data to the TIFF CMYK and
DCS color separation) image formats. In fact, Ofoto can be used to create
more accurate color output of digital images from any source--not just
Ofoto scans.

Like its grayscale predecessor, Ofoto v.2 transforms both the quality and
ease of image scanning through its Adaptive Calibration technique in which
the user merely prints a test chart, then scans it. With this information,
the software creates a reusable calibration file for that particular
combination of application, printer and paper type. Since the output of
individual printers can vary widely and be affected by choice of paper or
the printer's age, Ofoto's calibration method is more accurate than
generalized device profiles or characterizations commonly found in color
management systems. Ofoto v.2 can calibrate supported scanners with any
combination of output devices--including ink jet, laser printer,
Linotronic, dye-sublimation printer and offset press without the expense
of additional device profile software.

Users can trust Ofoto to consistently produce the truest-to-the-original
final image within the capacity of each printer. From this true-color
baseline, the user can easily export digital images to an application such
as Photoshop to add special effects.

Ofoto is one of the first applications showcasing the advantages of Apple
Computer's new ColorSync system software extension which allows Ofoto
images to display more accurately (according to the monitor's calibration
rather than the printer's) and allows delaying the printer choice until
the time of printing. Ofoto can also use its own printer calibration
Ofoto's true color is due to Light Source's innovative approach to color
management, the Appearance Equivalence (AeQ) model of color, which is
based on advanced research into human vision rather than on the widely
used CE colorimetric model developed in the 1930s.

"Many computer users would be interested in adding images to their
documents, especially color images, if they didn't have to decipher the
disciplines of image-capture, color correction and separation: Ofoto makes
that possible," said Solomon. "At the other end of the user spectrum,
graphics industry professionals can let Ofoto do the work of handling
pre-press proofs and automatically get the best possible results."

Though the world of color image capture and printing is far more complex
than that of grayscale, Light Source has preserved Ofoto's ease of use.
With a single click of Autoscan, Ofoto v.2 automatically scans and
classifies the image as line art or photograph, color or grayscale and
sets the resolution and bit depth to optimize the resulting print. Then,
Ofoto straightens, crops and sharpens the image, yielding an accurate scan
in one step.

A faster method, Prescan, allows more experienced users to perform a quick
low-resolution scan, then make any desired adjustments in the image, and
scan again at high resolution. The software then assures that all the
edits are efficiently made and the optimal data is acquired at the time of
scanning.

Grayscale scanning performance is also significantly improved in Ofoto v.2,
most notably by extending its ability to reproduce the dynamic range from
black to white. Light Source will continue to offer Ofoto (grayscale) at
an entry-level price.

Ofoto v.2 will be available in early February with Apple's Color
OneScanner, and at the same time for other Macintosh-compatible scanners
for $395. Registered Ofoto users can upgrade for $95 and Apple OneScanner
owners can upgrade for $75. A Windows version of the product will be
forthcoming, but no date has been set.

Light Source, Inc. was founded in 1989 to integrate and advance computer
and photographic technology. Light Source is at 17 East Sir Francis Drake
Boulevard, Suite 100, Larkspur, Calif. 94939, phone 415/ 461-8000, fax
415/ 461-8011.

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