Lectra and X-Rite/Pantone Sign Partnership Agreement to Deliver Integrated Color Technology for Enhanced Design Workflow and Seamless Color Communication

Paris, January 29, 2010 – Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials—textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composite materials—, is pleased to announce the signature of a new partnership agreement with X-Rite, the world leader in color management, measurement and communication technologies.

X-Rite, and its subsidiary Pantone, develop, manufacture, market and support innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services. They have extensive expertise in inspiring, selecting, measuring, formulating, communicating and matching color, which translates to better quality and reduced costs for users in a range of industries.

Lectra and X-Rite will provide fashion companies with a seamless solution for color management—a challenge that many customers face. This partnership will enhance Lectra’s value-added solutions, including Lectra Fashion PLM, the only fashion-specific product lifecycle management solution on the market, Kaledo®, the leading fashion and textile design suite, and Modaris 3D Fit, Lectra’s 3D virtual prototyping application. X-Rite technologies that will be highlighted in Lectra solutions include ColorMunki™, an all-in-one color solution for selecting, creating and controlling new colors and PANTONE® FASHION + HOME color references, and CxF (Color Exchange Format) a file format designed to accurately and unambiguously communicate all commercially relevant aspects of color across devices, applications and geographies. Through the ColorMunki’s compatibility and PANTONE FASHION + HOME directly integrated into these Lectra’s solutions, creative, development and production teams can easily and accurately manage and communicate colors both internally and with external partners and suppliers.

“We are delighted to partner with Lectra to deliver advanced tools in color communication for the fashion design community,” said Iris Mangelschots, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing, X-Rite. “ColorMunki and Pantone are established standards for brand owners in graphic design for color selection, control and communication. Our partnership with Lectra, a recognized world leader in the fashion design industry, will extend these same benefits to fashion designers in an efficient, integrated way, connecting yet another integral link along the apparel supply chain.”

“Color is critical in design, but it is an expensive business that can be very hard to control. Integrating X-Rite and Pantone technology into Lectra’s solutions will provide designers with a tool to enhance the quality and speed of exchanges between design, development and production, while keeping to the company’s original design concept as closely as possible,” said Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO.

Color is key: overcoming the challenge of capturing, managing and communicating
Close collaboration between Lectra and X-Rite will offer the industry numerous benefits at all stages of fashion and textile development, from conceptual brainstorming and design, to development and production. Finding color inspiration for prints, knits, weaves, trims and other components is always a challenge for designers, especially with the increasingly rapid turnover of fashion trends.

Upcoming: a kaleidoscope of joint events

• Webinar:
  Pantone's 2011 Spring/Summer color trend forecast to discover the key colors and themes for the season. Learn how to develop trend information into a collection plan with color palettes, fabrics and silhouettes using Kaledo. Presented by Laurie Pressman, Pantone's vice president for fashion, home and interiors, and Anastasia Charbin, Lectra's design solutions product manager. Exclusive to Lectra and Pantone customers, this webinar will take place on February, 3 at 4:00 p.m., Paris time (10 a.m. EST) and 6:00 p.m., Paris time (noon EST). For more information and to register, please visit: www.lectra.com/fr/lectra_events/index.html
   
• Tradeshows:
  munichfabricstart, February, 2–4, Munich, Germany.
  munichfabricstart is a textile trade convention that showcases equipment, suppliers and fabric specialists from all over the world. Lectra booth: H3 / F04 – Pantone booth: H3 / C00.
  
  Premiere Vision, February 9–12 2010, Paris, France.
  Twice a year, Première Vision, The World's Premier Fabric Show™, draws 50,000 professional visitors from 106 different countries to Paris. Lectra will present its latest innovative fashion solutions (booth 5K61) with X-Rite as part of the Mode…Information Suite (5J66).
  Lectra will also be presenting “Transforming trends into textiles: design solutions by Lectra” at 10:00 a.m. on February, 10. Pantone will present “Color your future: How to save money and shorten lead times in your color management process from design to production with PANTONE” on February, 10 at 1:00 p.m.

About X-Rite
X-Rite, Incorporated, is the global leader in color science and technology. The company, which now includes color industry leader Pantone, develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services. X-Rite’s expertise in inspiring, selecting, measuring, formulating, communicating and matching color helps users get color right the first time and every time, which translates to better quality and reduced costs. X-Rite serves a range of industries, including printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles, dental and medical. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com.

About Lectra
Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate, streamline and accelerate product design, development and manufacturing processes for industries using soft materials. Lectra develops the most advanced specialized software and cutting systems and provides associated services to a broad array of markets including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), furniture, as well as a wide variety of other market sectors, such as aeronautical and marine industries, wind power and personal protective equipment. Lectra serves 23,000 customers in more than 100 countries with 1500 employees and $292 million in 2008 revenues. The company is listed on Euronext Paris. For more information, please visit www.lectra.com.

®: Kaledo is a registered trademark of Lectra.
PANTONE® and other Pantone trademarks are the property of Pantone LLC. X-Rite and ColorMunki are registered trademarks of X-Rite, Incorporated and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.