RIT to Install 600 Seats of InDesign to Prepare Students for Careers in Printing and Publishing

San Jose, Calif. (August 14, 2000) (Nasdaq:ADBE)--Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) School of Printing Management and Sciences is standardizing part of its curriculum on Adobe® InDesign® software to prepare students for careers in printing and publishing. Over the coming months, more than 600 Apple Power Mac G3 and G4 computers in labs across the RIT campus will be loaded with InDesign software as part of the standardization initiative. RIT, a college committed to innovation and giving students real-life experience, was named America's "Most Wired University" by The Wall Street Journal and is listed in Yahoo! Internet Life's Top 100 Wired Universities.

"InDesign is emerging as the dominant professional publishing program," said professor Frank Romano, chairman of RIT’s School of Printing Management and Sciences. "It contains the graphics, color, and document tools that RIT students need to use in order to succeed before and after they graduate."

RIT's School of Printing Management and Sciences runs labs containing the latest printing presses, production tools, and electronic publishing software, giving students unparalleled exposure to the cutting-edge technology used in the workplace. InDesign joins Adobe Photoshop®, Adobe Acrobat®, and other Adobe products as one of the lab's core software tools. Curriculum committees are currently incorporating the program into a wide range of courses. And training is underway for software instructors, lab managers, and some 200 faculty members.

Easy Repurposing, Easy Compatibility

Using InDesign, students can easily repurpose content, to create a print magazine ad, a 100-page book, an interactive Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) file, and a Web page. InDesign enables students to bring multiple creative elements together in one application, and then to output pages directly in virtually any print or electronic format, including Adobe PDF and HTML.

Another reason for the switch to InDesign is its seamless compatibility with other Adobe programs, particularly Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator®. The programs share the same tools, commands, palettes, and keyboard shortcuts to promote quick learning and efficiency. That integrated environment enables photography students, for instance, to create portfolios of their work, and design students to create and document corporate logos and identity systems.

"It's obvious that Adobe listened to the industry when developing InDesign. From the precision type controls to the shared Adobe technologies, the program reflects a thorough knowledge of printing and publishing," said Romano. "InDesign represents a whole new way of thinking about page layout and design. The atmosphere and work space provide a friendly, savvy approach to how human beings interact with computers to create interesting visual communications."

"In today's publishing world, it's paramount to have the tools and skills that bring ideas to life on the Web as well as the printed page," said Susan Prescott, senior director of professional publishing solutions, Adobe Systems Incorporated. "As a college committed to innovation and giving students real-life experience that helps them succeed after graduation, RIT's selection of InDesign is significant."

About Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign software is an award-winning, state-of-the art page layout program created for high-end graphic designers, production artists, and prepress professionals that delivers unprecedented creative freedom, productivity, and precision, while integrating seamlessly with Adobe's other leading design programs. InDesign is based on a new, open, object-oriented architecture that is highly extensible, enabling Adobe and its industry partners to deliver powerful publishing solutions. Adobe InDesign for Mac OS 8.5, 8.6 or 9.x, Windows® 98, Windows NT® 4.0 and Windows 2000 has an estimated street price of US $699 for both platforms with volume pricing available.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Founded in 1982, Adobe Systems Incorporated (www.adobe.com) builds award-winning software solutions for Web and print publishing. Its graphic design, imaging, dynamic media, and authoring tools enable customers to create, publish and deliver visually rich content for various types of media. Headquartered in San Jose, California, Adobe is the third largest PC software company in the U.S., with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion.