Astro-Med reports fiscal 1996 results.

WEST WARWICK, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 1996--Astro-Med, Inc., (NASDAQ:ALOT) reports that net income from operations for the year ended January 31, 1996 amounted to $1,328,000, equal to 26 cents per common share, on sales of $43,941,000.

Net income during the prior year was $1,923,000, equal to 38 cents per share, on sales of $38,233,000.

During the Fourth Quarter, the company earned $179,000, equal to 4 cents per common share, on sales of $11,375,000. During the corresponding period of the prior year, the Company had net income of $179,000, equal to 4 cents per share, on sales of $11,368,000.

Commenting on the results, Albert W. Ondis, Chief Executive Officer, stated: "Despite rising sales of the SUNDANCE, our digital color printer, along with improvements in sales of our bar code printer products, and a solid increase in export sales, Fourth Quarter results were flat compared to last year because of weakness in core product and Grass sales. For the year, sales increased by 15% due to the inclusion of Grass sales for the full 12 months. Grass Instrument Company was acquired August 1, 1994. "Profit margins were affected by the unfavorable mix of product sales, currency exchange losses, and especially by start-up expenses of our SUNDANCE marketing program. Digital color printing, as exemplified by the SUNDANCE, is an exciting new technology with tremendous potential because it makes full color printing possible without printing plates, bringing fast speed and low cost to short run printing. These benefits are important to both manufacturing plants and print shops, especially quick print shops. But because the technology is new, potential customers have to be educated to its advantages. Although this is a slow and costly process, it is enabling us to establish a strong base in this new and growing field. More than 100 SUNDANCE systems were sold during the fiscal year, most in the Third and Fourth Quarters.

"An important highlight of the year occurred during the Fourth Quarter when we introduced the AstroDAQ, a purely digital data acquisition system. We expect this product to open new markets as well as contribute to gains in sales to our existing data recorder customers.

On March 11, 1996, directors of Astro-Med declared the regular quarterly dividend of $0.03 per common share, payable April 3, 1996 to shareholders of record on March 22, 1996.

Astro-Med, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high speed specialty data printers and related electronic equipment employed in the aerospace, industrial, medical, scientific, and educational fields. -0-

                                 ASTRO-MED, INC.

                    Fourth Quarter Ended       Fiscal Year Ended
                  January 31,  January 31,  January 31,  January 31,
                     1996        1995         1996         1995

Net Sales          $11,375,000  $11,368,000  $43,941,000  $38,233,000

Net Income         $   179,000  $   179,000  $ 1,328,000  $ 1,923,000

Earnings Per Share $       .04  $       .04  $       .26  $       .38

Weighted Average
 Number of Common
  and Common
   Equivalent
    Shares
     Outstanding     5,088,128    5,110,582   5,095,661    5,099,004

CONTACT: Asto-Med, Inc.

Albert W. Ondis

Chief Executive Officer

401/828-4000

401/821-5314 (fax)