Press Release

Agfa Monotype Announces eBook Font Pack for the Palm Reader

Exceptionally Legible Fonts Provide Optimal On-Screen Viewing at Comfortable Reading Sizes

January 2, 2002

WILMINGTON, Mass.--Agfa Monotype Corporation, a major provider of fonts and font technologies worldwide, today announced the availability of the Agfa Monotype eBook Font Pack for the Palm Reader(TM), Palm, Inc.'s award-winning eBook reader. The pack contains high-quality, hand-tuned fonts that optimize legibility when reading eBooks with the new Palm Reader Pro software.

Three font styles are included -- serif, sans serif and condensed -- for both the Palm OS and Pocket PC versions of the Palm Reader software. The Palm OS version includes four sizes for each bitmapped font, while the Pocket PC version includes a scalable TrueType font for each font style. This provides users with a versatile selection for displaying eBook fonts in different styles and sizes based on their personal preference and resolution of their handheld devices.

"We're pleased to be working with the Palm Digital Media group to create fonts that will enhance the reading experience of Palm Reader customers," said Bill Davis, vice president of Agfa Monotype. "Special hinting technology has been applied to each character to meet our specification for Enhanced Screen Quality(tm) fonts -- fonts that have been engineered for superior on-screen quality for low-resolution devices."

"A choice of fonts is one of the most requested features from users of the Palm Reader, and one that is a clear advantage for the Palm Reader," said Mike Segroves, director of business development for Palm Digital Media. "We expect it to be a big hit with customers."

Palm Reader

Available for handheld devices running Palm OS or Pocket PC, the Palm Reader is an intuitive and powerful program for viewing eBooks from Palm Digital Media. Palm Reader Pro, announced today, includes an option for users to change the font used when displaying eBooks.

Enhanced Screen Quality (ESQ) Fonts

Agfa Monotype offers a growing range of ESQ fonts that have been designed specifically for optimal on-screen display and reproduction on low-resolution devices. Far surpassing typical TrueType and PostScript fonts in clarity and readability, ESQ fonts can also be modified for special applications, multi-language support or other custom needs.

Agfa Monotype eBook Font Pack Availability

Available immediately for the suggested list price of $14.95, the eBook Font Pack can be purchased directly from Agfa Monotype at http://www.fonts.com/ or Palm at www.palm.com/ebooks. The font pack is also available from Palm software e-retailers at http://www.palmgear.com/ and http://www.handango.com/.

About Agfa Monotype Corporation

Agfa Monotype Corporation is a major provider of digital content for graphics professionals. The company is a recognized leader in fonts and font technologies and an innovator in color and screening technologies. Agfa Monotype is a wholly owned subsidiary of Agfa Corporation and is part of Agfa's Graphic Systems business unit. Agfa Corporation is part of the Agfa-Gevaert Group, one of the world's leading imaging companies, headquartered in Mortsel, Belgium. Agfa develops, produces and markets analog and digital systems, primarily for the graphics, medical imaging, non-destructive testing and consumer imaging and photography markets. Worldwide, sales for 2000 were 5.26 billion euros. In the U.S., Agfa is headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J. and employs approximately 4,000 people. Additional information about Agfa Monotype and its products can be found on the company's Web sites at http://www.agfamonotype.com/ and www.fonts.com.