HELIOS News 16 July, 2003

HELIOS ImageServer creates previews of Adobe and Quark documents

Garbsen, Germany -- July 16, 2003 -- HELIOS Software GmbH, a leading provider of network and prepress server software, announced that its ImageServer 2.5 server software now creates preview files of QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesign documents. Utilizing these previews, local and remote users can preview and control InDesign and QuarkXPress documents from creation to final output, without needing access to the applications, documents, fonts, or images.

This new capability is enabled by HELIOS ImageServer Plug-ins for Adobe InDesign 2.0.2 or newer for Windows, Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X, and by ImageServer XTensions for the Windows and Mac OS 9 versions of QuarkXPress 4 and 5.

Support for Adobe and Quark documents underscores the powerful, server-based image transformation, document conversion and repurposing capabilities of HELIOS ImageServer 2.5, which delivers full, automated conversion of image file format, resolution, color space, and compression for web and print needs. HELIOS ImageServer 2.5 also provides OPI image replacement, server-based ICC color management, color separation, and proof printing capabilities.

Key features of this ImageServer update include:

• Auto-creation of document previews during file "Save"
• Preview properties easily set via Preference settings
• Previews are saved as bitmap files at selectable resolutions (144 dpi default)
• Multi-page documents get previews for each page
• Optional ImageServer Script Server "Action Scripts" when preview is saved
• Action Scripts can direct output to specific archive, conversion, print queues or other customized workflows
• Preview conversion supports all major file formats
• TIFF, EPSF, DCS1, DCS2, ICS, Scitex-CT, JPEG, PICT, BMP, PNG, Photoshop native
• Web Server CGI is included to publish directories with InDesign/QuarkXPress document previews

Innovative companies are already using this new feature to enable vastly streamlined document production workflows:
Neckermann, one of the largest mail order catalog companies in Europe, recently produced their Fall catalog, featuring over 70.000 products. The new HELIOS ImageServer document preview capability was used for content verification of its 1400+ pages. "The instant previewing allowed significant time savings" according to Neckermann Versand AG, Mr. Thomas Mockenhaupt, Managing Director of Mockenhaupt, Inc., in charge of customizing the HELIOS ImageServer and integrating it into the company-wide systems architecture.

HELIOS ImageServer document previews and superior image conversion capabilities are also utilized by many Digital Asset Management applications to provide thumbnail and other views of InDesign and QuarkXPress documents on HELIOS servers. Canto Cumulus with HELIOS Companion, and BrighTech MediaBeacon are two prominent examples. The ImageServer document previews also make document metadata, such as a list of OPI-linked images, and their positions on each page, available to these solutions.

Visit the HELIOS web site for a live test drive at: http://www.helios.de/cgi-bin/docpreview.cgi

ImageServer* 2.5 is part of HELIOS' 4th generation family of network and prepress server solutions. HELIOS ImageServer, PDF HandShake and PrintPreview deliver reliability, efficiency, and advanced capabilities to design, prepress and printing operations, while HELIOS EtherShare and PCShare provide integrated cross-platform networking for Macintosh and Windows clients. Together the HELIOS suite of network and prepress servers offers the industry's most advanced file, image and print server services, with easy remote server administration.

*formerly HELIOS EtherShare OPI

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HELIOS products run on powerful and scalable servers including Apple Computer Mac OS X, Hewlett-Packard HP-UX and Tru64 UNIX, IBM AIX, SGI IRIX, Sun Solaris, and Linux on Pentium based systems. HELIOS products provide reliable cross-platform support for Macintosh, DOS/Windows and UNIX-based clients.

Distributors sell HELIOS products worldwide to value-added resellers who provide complete networking solutions to customers. HELIOS also works with many strategic partners that incorporate HELIOS server software to provide powerful third party archive, asset management and workflow solutions. HELIOS software products are also available as part of OEM solutions by many major vendors in the prepress industry.

For U.S. Sales:
European MikroGraf Corp.: 916-923-3520; E-mail: sales (at) ugraf.com; www.ugraf.com

Editorial contact:

Germany
Helmut Tschemernjak, HELIOS Software GmbH, Steinriede 3, D-30827 Garbsen, Germany; Tel +49-5131-709320 Fax +49 5131-709325;
E-mail: mktg (at) helios.de; Internet: www.helios.com

U.S.A.
Thomas Hallinan, HELIOS Software GmbH, 209-827-2760, mktg (at) helios.de
Bill Gram-Reefer, WORLDVIEW, 925-215-8463, reefer (at) worldviewpr.com