DigitalCustom to Supply Creative Art Treatments to Image Arts Etc.

January 27, 2003 - Two leading digital imaging innovators, DigitalCustom Group, Inc. of San Francisco and Image Arts Etc. of San Diego today announced that they have signed an agreement under which DigitalCustom will provide creative imaging services and support to Image Arts etc. franchises for DigitalCustom's complete line of creative art treatments.

DigitalCustom's creative art treatments involve the use of artist-executed custom digital editing techniques to create new artworks that simulate an original oil or watercolor painting, or a pastel illustration on native media, as well as hand-executed caricatures and illustrations by world class cartoonists. Consumers provide a photograph to their local Image Arts Etc. location and request a desired treatment. DigitalCustom performs the creative work and when completed the consumer picks up the newly rendered art-piece from the Image Arts Etc. retailer. These art procedures go far beyond what "filters" and other algorithmic photo editing tools can achieve. DigitalCustom's procedures involve a careful combination of human-based composition editing, effects and custom color work. Image Arts Etc. retailers may output the completed image in-house or allow DigitalCustom to output on heavy textured-papers using only the latest archival inks and coated stocks.

"Customers are quickly recognizing that their photographs are only a starting place," DigitalCustom's President, Jeff Makoff said. "Oil portraiture has been quite desirable yet remained out of reach to most. Our services made available through this new affiliation with Image Arts Etc. will make oil, watercolor and pastel illustration widely available and at consumer price points. Image Arts Etc. is the ideal retail channel for these services where consumers will be able to have their new heirloom framed in the same location. Image Arts Etc.'s integrated retail format is a wise one. These new creative art services surely will delight customers of the Image Arts Etc. stores."

Image Arts Etc. President Blaine Roberts said, "I personally tested these art treatments, and they are the best I've seen. We will move expeditiously to get these new services into our franchise stores. Image Arts Etc. seeks to deliver the most current and comprehensive set of digital imaging services and these, in particular, will act as a catalyst to generate additional demand in our framing departments. We are pleased to start 2003 with this new relationship, and are eager to work with DigitalCustom's team."

More information about DigitalCustom Group is available on its Web site at www.digitalcustom.com

For more information on Image Arts Etc., visit www.iaetc.com .