Applied Science Fiction Announces Digital PIC Digital Dry Film Process Technology.

Business/Technology Editors

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 2001

Innovative Digital PIC(TM)technology demonstrated

for the first time in the United States 

Applied Science Fiction, Inc. (ASF(TM)), the leader in digital image enhancement and correction technology, introduces their unique Digital PIC (Process & Image Capture) digital dry film process (DFP) technology to the U.S. market at the PMA trade show today.

Digital PIC is a dry, environmentally friendly process that provides real-time digitization of exposed but undeveloped 35mm black-and-white or color film directly into an RGB digital format. Consistent photographic quality prints are obtainable from the process in addition to prints produced from Digital PIC's unique Extended Range Digital Negative(TM) (XRDN(TM)). Of course, multimedia and broadband/Internet distribution is facilitated due to the digital nature of the film development process - without the need for plumbing.

Responding to the increasing demand for digitization of photographic images, this "film in, bits out" technology takes advantage of the high quality images produced by traditional photographic film, allowing traditional and one-time-use cameras to function as digital cameras. Once images have been developed using Digital PIC technology, they can be saved in any standard image file format (e.g., TIFF, JPEG, BMP). Digital PIC output can be directed to different media, such as printers, electronic archives and other storage and distribution channels including storage disks (CD, DVD, floppy, Zip(TM)), Flash Memory, and palmtop devices.

"Our Digital PIC process is a 21st Century technology," said Dan Sullivan, ASF's president and CEO. "The idea behind Digital PIC is to provide a means for millions of consumers to participate in the digital imaging market without giving up their familiar cameras and film. We believe that Digital PIC will actually contribute to the growth in the digital imaging market as well as the film market. Digital PIC technology provides consumers the level of quality and reliability they've come to expect from film in a unique process that offers digital imaging benefits never before possible, all in under seven mintues."

Digital PIC Process

Applied Science Fiction's Digital PIC technology develops 35mm film directly into an RGB digital format in one quick step. In the Digital PIC process, micro-amounts of a proprietary developing agent are applied to a roll of exposed but undeveloped film as it is fed through the processor's image-capture engine. The environmentally friendly Digital PIC process requires no water, generates no hazardous effluents, and makes complete silver recovery possible. Next, the Digital PIC system makes a digital record of each image. Once the image data is captured, color data and exposure settings are established on a pixel-by-pixel basis for each element of every image. Complete roll-image development is accomplished within approximately seven minutes of the film being fed to the image-capture engine.

Once a roll of film is developed using Digital PIC, a unique Extended Range Digital Negative (XRDN) is produced on a CD. The XRDN offers consumers tremendous flexibility for communicating with images. Consumers can choose to receive their images as photographic quality prints, in e-mails and through Web sites. Digital PIC allows for consistent image quality, and is Internet and Broadband ready. Possible configurations for Digital PIC technology include photo kiosks, microlabs, backoffice workstations, backlabs, quick print stations and develop and print kiosks. ASF expects that Digital PIC will be released for commercial use by the end of 2001.

About Applied Science Fiction

Applied Science Fiction develops proprietary technologies for the imaging industry that link traditional photography with the digital age. ASF licenses its branded technologies through Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that provide products for the professional and consumer imaging markets.

In addition to Digital PIC, ASF's product portfolio includes Digital ICE(TM) (Image Correction & Enhancement) for defect correction in film and prints; Digital ROC(TM) (Reconstruction Of Color), which restores the color quality of film or prints; Digital GEM(TM) (Grain Equalization Management), which reduces film graininess to greatly enhance the visual impact of resulting scanned images; and Digital ICE3(TM) suite, the combination of these three film applications. More information can be found on ASF's Web site at www.asf.com.

Digital ICE, Digital ROC, Digital GEM, Digital ICE3, Digital PIC, Extended Range Digital Negative, XRDN, ASF and Applied Science Fiction are trademarks of Applied Science Fiction, Inc. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

PMA 2001 Visit Applied Science Fiction at Booth #3659