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Esselte Enters Equity and Licensing Agreement with Swedish Technology Company - PrintDreams

Strategic partnership sets the stage for groundbreaking new product development initiatives for creative and business consumers

STAMFORD, Conn., USA and STOCKHOLM, Sweden; February 14, 2006 - - Esselte, a leading global office supplies company, has announced a strategic partnership with the Swedish company PrintDreams. PrintDreams developed the RMPT™ Lite (Random Movement Print Technology) used in the newest product introduction from Xyron, part of Esselte’s Creative Division. The Xyron® Design Runner™, a first-of-its-kind, cordless, hand-held, portable digital printer, was introduced in October 2005 and represents the first commercial application for RMPT Lite since its inception in 2003.

The Esselte-PrintDreams partnership includes a minority equity position for Esselte in PrintDreams as well as a license agreement for the RMPT Full technology, which will be used in the development of innovative new products for Xyron and Esselte’s office supply brands, Pendaflex® and Leitz®. Financial terms of the partnership were not released.

"This collaboration with PrintDreams is an extension of Esselte’s commitment to identifying and securing innovative, ground-breaking technologies," commented Gary Brooks, president and CEO of Esselte. "With each new product introduction – for our office, home office, craft, hobby, art and education markets - we look to simplify complicated, cumbersome processes and make the consumer more productive. With go-forward partners like PrintDreams we are sure to reach new heights in these areas."

The partnership will extend and expand upon the successful introduction of the Xyron Design Runner. This revolutionary portable printer is the first and only print device on the market that allows users to add printed elements to virtually any project, without wires, computer connections or an electric power source. The battery-operated Xyron Design Runner can print on nearly any substrate as well – paper, fabric, ribbon, clay, and myriad other surfaces – and uses a series of proprietary Design Discs that offer image, WordArt, texture and alphabet options.

"Our vision at PrintDreams’ is to establish a global de facto standard for truly portable printer devices," stated Alex Breton, chairman and CEO of PrintDreams. "RMPT technology is the foundation that will allow us to do just that. And with partners like Esselte we are sure to expand on the success of the Xyron Design Runner and provide real-time, portable printing solutions to consumers in a variety of markets."

Esselte expects to introduce new and innovative digital printing products incorporating the RMPT Full technology beginning in late 2006 and early 2007.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
To speak with representatives from Esselte or PrintDreams please contact Amy Romano at +1 (480) 607.6333 or via email at a.romano@xyron.com.

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About PrintDreams
PrintDreams is a Swedish high technology company that develops, markets and sells license rights for innovative technical solutions, primarily for the printer industry. The company has developed among others, RMPT™, which allows the manufacturing of truly portable printer devices suitable for mobile applications. Another advantage of RMPT (Random Movement Printing technology) is that it is highly flexible; allowing printing on almost any type, size or format of surface. Additionally it is very cost effective because the hundreds of mechanical parts common in traditional printers are replaced by an intelligent software-based control system. PrintDreams has also developed the world’s foremost accurate optical navigation sensor called OptoNav™. This sensor has applications in more advanced printer products that the company is currently developing together with its partners. To get to know more about the company and its technologies please visit www.printdreams.com

About Esselte
Esselte, with executive offices in Stamford, Conn., USA, is a leading global office supplies manufacturer with annual sales of approximately USD 1 billion, subsidiaries in 33 countries and approximately 5,000 employees worldwide. The company develops innovative solutions that simplify the modern home and workplace. Esselte sells more than 20,000 different office products in over 120 countries; its principal brands include Esselte, Leitz, Oxford®, Pendaflex and Xyron. More information about Esselte can be found by visiting www.esselte.com