News Releases

Xyron Contact: Amy Romano 
Lexmark Contact: Barbara Leary

Xyron, a division of Esselte Corporation, and Lexmark International, Inc., today announced the industry’s first handheld printer for the creative market.  The result of the new product development partnership, the Xyron® Design Runner™, is a first-of-its-kind handheld printer that bridges the gap between digital and traditional crafting.

“Xyron and Lexmark are committed to bringing innovative products to the consumer market,” stated Xyron’s president Chuck Ensign. “Together, we have developed a truly revolutionary product that will change the way creative consumers add decorative accents to craft and home décor projects.”

Using Lexmark print technology, this cordless, portable printer fits in the palm of a hand, giving consumers the ability to print directly on a variety of materials.  With just the touch of a button it is now easier than ever before to print custom designs on fabric, wood, polymer clay, wallpaper and other surfaces. Consumers no longer need to purchase special printer adapters for odd-sized papers or use multi-step heat-based image transfer processes. The Xyron® Design Runner™ also features a LCD display with a built-in guidance system for easy and accurate design selection and alignment.

“Lexmark continues to develop technology that makes it easier to print in the home,” said Najib Bahous, Lexmark vice president and president of its Consumer Printer Division. “The Xyron® Design Runner™, using Lexmark technology, is another example of how Lexmark continues to provide cost-effective products that are easy to use and readily accessible to consumers.”

Pricing and availability
The Xyron® Design Runner™ will begin shipping in December 2005 with a suggested retail price of $139.99. This pricing includes the hand-held printer, a protective docking station, a complete 40-design sample Design Disc, one acid-free black inkjet cartridge, and two 9-volt batteries.

Optional features
Consumers may also choose from the following supplies to take full advantage of the creative versatility of the Xyron® Design Runner™:

• 12 Themed Design Discs – each containing 40 different embellishment, shape, phrase, border and texture designs;
• 4 Font Design Discs – each containing a complete alphabet (upper and lowercase), numbers 0-9 and select punctuation; and
• 2 additional ink cartridges - Cherry Red and Forest Green – each capable of printing up to 5,000 inches per cartridge.

All of the Design Runner™ Design Discs have a suggested retail price of $29.99; ink cartridges have a suggested retail price of $39.99.

The Xyron Design Runner will debut at booth #1201 at the 2005 Memory Trends Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 10-12, 2005.

About Xyron
Founded in 1996 in Scottsdale, Arizona, Xyron has grown within the creative marketplace to become a world-class provider of transformation tools for both creative home users (general crafters, scrapbookers, paper crafters, and others) and creative professionals.  For the creative home user, Xyron develops and sells disruptive, game-changing products into craft, hobby and stationery departments of specialty and mass retailers worldwide.  These products include award-winning adhesive tools, all-inclusive scrapbooking collections, unique handheld dispensers, and patented cold-lamination products that require no heat, batteries or electricity.  Beginning in Fall 2005, Xyron will also offer the industry’s first collection of PC-connected and free-standing digital cutting tools for customizing shapes, letters, titles and more, as well as a one-of-a-kind hand-held font, shape and design printer.

For more information about Xyron, visit www.xyron.com.

About Lexmark
Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) makes it easier for businesses and consumers to move information between the digital and paper worlds. Since its inception in 1991, Lexmark has become a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of printing and imaging solutions for customers in more than 150 countries. Lexmark reported $5.3 billion in revenue in 2004, and can be found on the Internet at www.lexmark.com.

Note to editors:  To speak with representatives of Xyron or Lexmark or to request high resolution images or product samples of the new Xyron® Design Runner™ please contact Amy Romano at 480-607-6333. 

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