Northborough, MA, April 1, 2003 - ei software, inc. has teamed up with The Valspar Corporation and Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse to develop the first three tiered paint color visualization system.

The system was designed around the new American Traditions Signature Colors paint line now being sold in Lowe's stores. The solution includes an Internet-based Paint Visualizer on Lowes.com, an in-store kiosk to be placed in every Lowe's paint department, and the American Traditions Signature Colors Virtual Painter, a CD-based paint application for the home user. For more information on the system, visit our Product Page.

Below is Valspar/Lowes press release regarding the launch:

Signature Colors Design Center Takes Guesswork Out of Color Selection

Do-it-yourselfers can paint the walls in one color, the trim in a coordinating color and accessories in a third color-and then erase it and start over at the new American Tradition Signature Colors Design Center at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. Sound messy? Not with the new Virtual Painter software.

The design center showcases a palette of over 1,000 interior colors selected by six leading home designers and familiar brands through Lowe's revolutionary Signature Colors program. All six designer palettes are available in the American Tradition Signature Colors line, a premiere brand of interior acrylic latex paint that delivers superior color definition, application and durability.

With a color palette this diverse, how are customers to choose the perfect combination for their rooms? The Signature Colors Design Center lets them select from professionally recommended color combinations through its Virtual Painter software.

"With Signature Colors and the design center, do-it-yourselfers don't need to fear using multiple colors in a room to make their personal design statement," says Jim Robellard, Director of Marketing of The Valspar Corporation, which created and manufactures American Tradition Signature Colors. "The result is just-right color combinations for walls, trim, ceiling and accents."

To use the Virtual Painter software at the Signature Colors Design Center, customers begin by choosing one of over 30 model rooms. The software offers six or more versions of five settings: baths, bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, and living rooms and dens, most of which were created by designers whose palettes are included in the Signature Colors program.

Once they have selected the room they want to paint, Virtual Painter guides do-it-yourselfers to choose a palette-one of the six designer brands available through Signature Colors-and then select a color. The software then suggests one or two accent colors to create a color scheme selected by professional designers, and coordinates the accents with their own color choice; or customers may choose their own trim and accent hues from the palette.

Lowe's customers also may purchase the Virtual Painter software on CD and take it home. There, they can easily import photos of their own rooms and experiment with color schemes using familiar settings.

"Going from 1,000 color choices to the two or three that are exactly what you were looking for is that easy," Robellard notes. "No more guesswork, no worries about whether the wall and trim colors will work well together." In addition, the Signature Colors Design Center features a useful display of educational flip panels offering expert painting advice on surface preparation, priming, sheen choices and successful painting techniques. Another panel details the advantages of the Duramax Ti3 paint technology: exceptional color definition, ease of use and superior durability.

Also available at the design center is a series of panels "All About Color," which explores such design topics as "Express Yourself with Color"-how people react emotionally to different colors "Paint the Backdrop for Your Room"-coordinating paint colors with furniture, window coverings, flooring and other decorating accents "Color Influences Your Perceptions"-how to make small rooms seem larger and larger rooms feel cozy "A Room with a View"-how and why to coordinate paint colors from room to adjoining room.

Rounding out the Signature Colors Design Center are color centers featuring the palettes of six leading home designers and popular American brands that make up the Signature Colors program. The color centers showcase the distinctively different color collections created by Alexander Julian Home, Laura Ashley Home, Waverly Home Classics and a new brand, Earth Elements. Palettes inspired by the Eddie Bauer Home collection and children's favorite Nickelodeon programs will be added to the Signature Colors Design Center later this spring.

The design center is an eye-catching and functional, 32-foot-long display, with take-home brochures and idea cards showcasing the designers' color families and offering inspirational design ideas.

With 2002 sales of $26.5 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE 100 company that serves approximately nine million customers a week at more than 850 home improvement stores in 45 states. In 2003, FORTUNE named Lowe's America's Most Admired Specialty Retailer. Based in Wilkesboro, N.C., the 57-year old company is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

The Valspar Corporation is a global leader in the paint and coatings industry. Since 1806, Valspar has been dedicated to bringing customers the latest innovations, the finest quality and the best customer service in the industry. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Valspar has manufacturing and warehouse sites throughout the world. Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol VAL.

For further information, contact customer service, The Valspar Corporation, 1191 Wheeling Road, Wheeling, IL 60090, or phone 1-888-313-5569.

ei software, inc. is the leader in photo-realistic color and product imaging for the paint and home building products industry. ei software creates custom imaging software packages for each client, and continues to implement new ideas and technologies into its offerings. ei software, inc. was founded in 1996, and its products are currently sold and used in all fifty states, North America and Europe.