Creo Adds Processless Plate for Direct Imaging Presses to Portfolio of

    Business Editors

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 13, 2005--Creo Inc. (TSX:CRE) (NASDAQ:CREO) announced today that the Clarus(TM) WL waterless polyester plate for direct imaging (DI) presses is now available commercially, following the successful completion of vigorous field-testing by customers around the world. The Clarus WL is the latest printing plate - and the first chemistry-free plate - to be released as part of Creo's rapidly expanding digital plate portfolio. Creo is the fourth largest digital plate vendor worldwide.

    With the introduction of the Clarus WL plate, Creo has presented customers with a welcome choice of plates in a market previously dominated by one supplier. "I switched to Clarus WL waterless plates from Creo because they are more scratch-resistant and deliver excellent quality print results," said Jerry Haapanen, owner of Haapanen Burkett, Inc. in Gurnee, IL. "High-quality printing is critical to our large client base in the pharmaceutical industry. Clarus WL plates also save my company time as they are easier to clean," he added. "It was simple for us to make the switch, as they are a drop-in solution that required no changes to our existing press configuration. Better plates, less money - what's not to like?"

    The Clarus WL waterless polyester plate is an affordable, easy-to-use, chemistry-free plate suitable for use on direct imaging presses such as the Heidelberg Quickmaster DI, the Ryobi 3404 DI, and the KBA 46 Karat. It is drop-in-compatible, meaning that customers can start using it without having to change their existing press settings. Suitable for run lengths from 100 up to 30,000 impressions, the Clarus WL plate yields consistently high-quality results. These higher sensitivity plates also reduce overall energy consumption by allowing lower power output from the laser imaging unit.

    Customers interested in the Clarus WL product are encouraged to call Leigh-Anne Cook at Creo +1.877.387.2736 ext. 2731 to discuss the benefits of Creo waterless plates.

    Creo launched its digital plate business in September 2003 and, after only one year, has a broad and highly competitive plate portfolio for commercial, newspaper, book, insert, and packaging printers in nearly every region of the world. These plates include the Creo Positive Thermal Plate for commercial printers, the Fortis(TM) PN for newspaper, book and insert printers, and Mirus(TM) PN for the commercial and packaging printers, as well as the new Clarus WL waterless plate. The company currently has 18 million m2 in wholly-owned capacity in its two plate manufacturing facilities - one in South Africa, the other in West Virginia - as well as contracted capacity in Europe and Asia. Creo recently announced expansion plans for its West Virginia facility and the construction of a new plate-manufacturing plant in Europe in order to meet the rapidly increasing demand for Creo plates.

    This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described under the caption "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" and elsewhere in our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2004, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and which are incorporated herein by reference. We do not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this news release.

    (C) 2005 Creo Inc. The Creo product names mentioned in this document are trademarks or service marks of Creo Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Other company and brand, product and service names are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Data subject to change without notice.

    About Creo

    Creo Inc. is a global company with key strengths in imaging, software, and digital printing plate technology. The leading provider of prepress systems, Creo helps over 25,000 customers worldwide adopt digital production methods which reduce costs, increase print quality and allow them to serve their customers more efficiently. Based on a solid foundation of intellectual property, Creo has an unmatched range of technology solutions that address the needs of commercial, publication, on demand, packaging, and newspaper printers, and creative professionals. Creo product lines include software and hardware for computer-to-plate imaging, systems for digital photography, scanning, and proofing, as well as printing plates and proofing media. Creo also supplies on-press imaging technology, components for digital presses, color servers and high-speed digital printers.

    Based in Vancouver, Canada, Creo reported fiscal 2004 revenue of US$636 million. Creo trades on Nasdaq (CREO) and the TSX (CRE).

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CONTACT: Creo Inc. Rochelle van Halm Media Relations (Headquarters) (604) 676-4526 Email: rochelle.van.halm@creo.com OR Creo Inc. Tracy Rawa Investor Relations (604) 419-4794 Email: IR@creo.com Website: www.creo.com

KEYWORD: NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ADVERTISING/MARKETING COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS PUBLISHING SOFTWARE PRODUCT SOURCE: Creo Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2005