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Americans increasingly rely on the Web as a key source of news and information, but printing from the Web is an exercise in frustration, according to a survey sponsored by Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK).

The survey reveals that while people are accustomed to turning to the digital world for a wealth of information they still want to transfer some of that information to paper.

What People Print: Survey Highlights
• Men have no problem seeking driving directions -- so long as the only "stop" they have to make is on the information superhighway. According to the Lexmark survey, 79 percent of men will print out driving directions before embarking on a road trip, compared with the 19 percent who say they would rather stop and ask for help. 

• When it comes to getting their news in hardcopy form, there's good news for newspapers -- for now.  Seventy-seven percent of respondents say they still would rather read a newspaper than download news pages from the Internet. The preference for downloading and printing news from the Internet increases markedly among younger generations. Of respondents in the 18 to 34 age bracket, 28 percent prefer printing their news from the Web, compared with 13 percent of respondents aged 55 and above.

• There are no generation gaps among women when it comes to choosing America's "most printable" actor.  George Clooney collected almost three times as many votes as runner-up Brad Pitt. Even among women aged 18-34, a bevy of Hollywood ‘It’ boys like Jake Gyllenhaal, Matthew Fox and Terence Howard (each received 2 to 3 percent of the vote), posed no competition to Clooney’s classic looks.

• For the most part, Americans are practical about Web printing. The most common reasons they cite for printing hard copies of electronic documents are for step-by-step instructions or directions (55%), for personal records (46%) and out of fear of losing the electronic copy (36%).

Lexmark Toolbar Solves Web Woes
“The Web has great information but consumers told us that printing from the Web can prove challenging,” said Najib Bahous, Lexmark vice president and president of its Consumer Printer Division, explaining that Lexmark has developed free software to help consumers solve their Internet printing problems.

Among the reasons survey respondents said they are often frustrated when they print from the Web:

• Lengthy advertisements are printed
• Words or images are cut off
• Unwanted images are printed
• Pictures can’t easily be printed separately
• Paper and ink or toner are wasted

To alleviate the frustration of printing from the Web, Lexmark has developed the Lexmark Web Toolbar*. The toolbar makes it quick and easy for users to print what they need from the Web. With a few simple clicks, users can:

• Print text only, eliminating ads and other unwanted images
• Print the entire Web page without cutting off images or text
• Print only in black
• Print borderless photos from Web sites
• Preview their selections before printing

Instead of wasting supplies and time, Lexmark users can download the Lexmark Web Toolbar for free from toolbar.lexmark.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 $5.2 billion in revenue in 2005, and can be found on the Internet at www.lexmark.com.

*The Lexmark Web Toolbar was designed for use with Internet Explorer version 5.5 or later. For more information on system requirements, see toolbar.lexmark.com. The toolbar’s functionalty, capabilities and features may be limited by the capabilities of the user’s specific printer.

Lexmark and Lexmark with diamond design are trademarks of Lexmark International, Inc., registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.