Adobe Systems Announces PageMaker 6.0; Major Upgrade Adds 50 New Features.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 1995--Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the shipment of Aldus PageMaker 1.0, Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:ADBE) today announced Adobe PageMaker 6.0 for the Apple Macintosh/Power Macintosh and Windows 95 platforms, a major upgrade that adds more than 50 new and enhanced features to the world's leading professional page composition software.

The first major upgrade to the program since the merger between Aldus Corporation and Adobe Systems Incorporated, Adobe PageMaker 6.0 offers a range of powerful new features emphasizing versatile color publishing, flexible page design, expert printing and prepress controls, extensibility via plug-ins, and enhanced compatibility and integration with other Adobe products as part of the Adobe publishing solution. In addition, PageMaker 6.0 features new technology for creating publications in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) and authoring Hypertext Markup Language documents (HTML) for electronic publishing on the World Wide Web.

"Version 6.0's new professional features and electronic publishing tools keep Adobe PageMaker at the forefront of publishing technology," said Mike Peronto, vice president of Adobe Publishing Products. "And, with its tighter integration with Adobe's other world-class graphics and publishing products, PageMaker is uniquely positioned to be the product of choice for creative professionals."

Versatile Color Publishing

Appealing to high-end publishing professionals, Adobe PageMaker 6.0 adds nearly a dozen new color features. Among the most significant color publishing enhancements in version 6.0 are: the Kodak Precision Color Management System (CMS), complete Photo CD support with auto-sharpening capabilities, RGB-to-CMYK TIFF conversion, and expanded PANTONE color libraries -- including the PANTONE Hexachrome libraries.

The Kodak Precision Color Management System helps PageMaker 6.0 users ensure accurate and consistent color from scanning to on-screen manipulation, proofing, and final output. Automatic sharpening and color-management of imported Kodak Photo CD images in PageMaker streamline the workflow of the production-focused user. Expanded PANTONE color libraries allow the specification of inks such as metallics, fluorescents, and pastels directly in PageMaker, while support for such advanced printing technologies as the PANTONE Hexachrome libraries extends the gamut of process color printing by permitting the use of more than the four standard process colors.

"The fidelity of PMS colors on the screen is greatly improved," said Jim Dornbos, beta tester and owner of service bureau Dornbos Press. "By supporting high-fidelity color, PageMaker gives us the tools and flexibility to print the expanded color gamuts customers want. Adobe keeps providing more and more reasons to use PageMaker instead of the competition."

Page Design Enhancements

New page layout features, designed with substantial input from PageMaker users include: multiple master pages, grouping and ungrouping, a new Table Editor, position locking and unlocking of elements, polygon drawing, a zoom tool, the ability to mask text and graphics, automatic alignment and distribution of objects, user-definable grids, improved automatic kerning, and the ability to move selected elements forward or backward.

"PageMaker's multiple master pages are great, especially for creating catalogs and magazines," said beta tester Doug Lidster, owner of catalog publisher Woodsmith Corporation. "Adobe has added a lot of power without making the product foreign to longtime users like us. All the new features are intuitive."

Expert Printing and Prepress

New printing and prepress features of Adobe PageMaker 6.0 include integrated automatic color trapping with sophisticated trapping controls, such as the ability to specify trap width, trapping thresholds, black attributes, and the ability to auto-overprint black text, lines and fills. Print Fit view displays the relationship between the page and paper or film to ensure a proper fit, while reader's spreads allow for printing of two-page spreads. PageMaker 6.0 also offers the option to designate objects as nonprinting, which can speed output and allows users to make production notes directly on the page.

Enhanced Compatibility and Adobe Product Integration

Adobe PageMaker 6.0 has several new features that enhance compatibility with other Adobe products. PageMaker users can apply Adobe Photoshop special effects from Adobe Photoshop plug-ins, such as Kai's Power Tools and Gallery Effects, to images directly in PageMaker. Additional compatibility includes hot links to Adobe Photoshop, the ability to save publications in PageMaker 5.0 format, and OLE 2.0 client support.

Electronic Publishing Features

Anticipating the transition of print-based publishing to on-line delivery, Adobe PageMaker 6.0 provides new tools for the electronic distribution of publications. The Create Adobe PDF plug-in enables PageMaker documents to be saved seamlessly in Adobe's Portable Document Format, complete with automatic hypertext links, bookmarks, and article threads. PDF files can then be distributed electronically, including on CD-ROM or the World Wide Web. PDF files can also be viewed and printed across Macintosh, Windows, DOS, and UNIX platforms. PageMaker 6.0 includes new templates for on-screen design, making it even easier to design interactive, on-line documents. The HTML Author plug-in lets users convert PageMaker publications into HTML format for distribution on the World Wide Web.

Windows 95 Compatibility

Adobe Systems has worked closely with Microsoft Corporation to ensure that PageMaker 6.0 will be one of the first major applications released for Windows 95. A 32-bit program, PageMaker 6.0 will take full advantage of the new user interface, performance enhancements, and memory management promised by Windows 95. PageMaker 6.0 for Windows will be shipped with Win 32s dynamic linking libraries (DLLs) to enable users of the 16-bit Windows 3.1 to use the new features in version 6.0.

Extra Value CD-ROMs

Adobe PageMaker 6.0 is shipped on floppy disks, as well as on a Deluxe CD-ROM. The Deluxe CD contains technical information and thousand of dollars' worth of software, including: the Adobe Acrobat Distiller and Reader, Kodak Photo CD images, Straight Talk technical white papers, and a multimedia presentation of new features. A second CD-ROM includes Adobe Type Manager and Adobe Type On Call 2.0 with 220 free fonts that can be unlocked upon registration of the Type On Call CD.

Pricing and Availability

In the United States and Canada, Adobe PageMaker 6.0 for the Apple Macintosh and Power Macintosh is scheduled to be released in the summer of 1995. The Microsoft Windows 95 version is expected to be released in the fall of 1995. The suggested retail price for PageMaker 6.0 is $895 (U.S.) for Macintosh/Power Macintosh or Windows. Registered users of any version of PageMaker can upgrade to version 6,0 for $149 (U.S.). Customers who purchase PageMaker 5.0 after June 17, 1995 in the United States or Canada are eligible to receive a free upgrade to version 6.0. For more information, customers can call Adobe at 1-800-42-ADOBE (23623). Localized language versions and support and upgrade polices for other countries will be announced later.

System Requirements

Power Macintosh System Requirements: A Power Macintosh with 16 MB of RAM (10 M available to PageMaker), Apple System Software 7.1.2 or later, 20 MB of free hard drive space for installation, and a 9" (PowerBook ) or 12" or larger monitor (640 x 840 pixels).

Macintosh System Requirements: A 68030 or greater processor, Apple System Software 7.1 or later, 16 MB of RAM (8 MB available to PageMaker), 20 MB of free hard drive space for installation, and a 9" (PowerBook) or 12" or larger monitor (640 x 840 pixels).

Windows 95 System Requirements: An Intel486 processor, 12 MB of RAM (8 MB available to PageMaker), Microsoft Windows 95, 24 MB of free hard drive space for installation, a VGA display card, high-density disk drive, and a mouse or other pointing device.

Windows 3.1 System Requirements: An Intel486 processor, 16 MB of RAM (10 MB available to PageMaker(a)), DOS 5.0 or later, Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later running in enhanced mode, 24 MB of free hard drive space for installation, a VGA display card, high-density disk drive, and a mouse or other pointing device.

(a) On the Power Macintosh/Macintosh, RAM requirements comprise 6 MB/8 MB for the PageMaker application and a total of 2 MB for color management and OLE libraries. Under Windows 95/Windows 3.1, RAM requirements comprise 6 MB/8 MB for the PageMaker application and 2 MB for color management. -0-

Adobe Systems Incorporated was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California. Adobe develops, markets, and supports computer software products and technologies that enable users to create, display, print, and communicate all kinds of information. The company licenses its technology to major computer, printing, and publishing suppliers, and markets a line of applications software and type products for authoring visually rich documents. Additionally, the company markets a line of powerful, but easy-to-use, products for home and small-business users. Adobe has subsidiaries in Europe and the Pacific Rim, serving a worldwide network of dealers and distributors. Adobe's 1994 revenue was approximately $598 million. -0-

Note to Editors: Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Type Manager, Aldus, Gallery Effects, PageMaker, and Type On Call are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated or its subsidiaries and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Apple, Macintosh, PowerBook, and Power Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. PANTONE is a registered trademark of Pantone, Inc. Pantone, Inc.'s check-standard trademark for color reproduction and color-reproduction materials. All other brand or product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Adobe Systems Incorporated

Peter Card, 206/628-2368

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