| MyFonts.com Adds 400 Typefaces from Leading Russian
Foundry ParaType Original and legacy fonts including Central European character sets expand MyFonts.com portfolio to over 31,000 fonts CAMBRIDGE, MA — January 6, 2004 — MyFonts.com, a subsidiary of Bitstream Inc. (NASDAQ: BITS) today announced the addition of 377 typefaces from Russian font foundry ParaType to the growing collection available instantly at www.myfonts.com. With these new fonts, MyFonts.com expands its portfolio to over 31,000 fonts from over 200 font foundries across the globe. ParaType was established in 1989 as a department of ParaGraph International of Moscow and subsequently became the first privately owned typeface foundry in the Soviet Union. In 1998 ParaType split into two companies, ParaType, Inc. in California and ParaType, Ltd. in Russia. Both inherited typefaces and font software from ParaGraph and are directed by Emil Yakupov, former head of the font department of ParaGraph. The ParaType legacy includes revivals of Cyrillic fonts from famous 19th-century foundries in St Petersburg, as well as later contributions by such acclaimed designers as Vadim Lazurski, Galina Bannikova, and Nikolay Kudryashov. ParaType applies a multilingual approach to typeface design. Most of its recent fonts were developed from the outset for wide varieties of alphabets, and its standard character set covers Western European, Central European, and Cyrillic languages. The character map and language tools at MyFonts.com help customers find fonts containing exactly the characters they need. "We are delighted to offer the extensive collection of ParaType fonts through MyFonts.com," said Emil Yakupov, CEO of ParaType. "This online resource is clearly a significant advancement in the distribution of fonts and typographical know-how." "MyFonts.com is delighted to offer this extensive new collection that includes Central European and Cyrillic fonts from the leading source in Russia," explained John Collins, Vice President and CTO of MyFonts.com. "From its inception, MyFonts.com has focused on allowing everyone, not just graphic designers, to find, try, and buy fonts online. ParaType, with its history of innovative business plans and continued creativity in difficult political and economic climates, clearly shares this goal. MyFonts.com is now well on its way to being able to offer easy Internet access to every font in the world." About ParaType MyFonts.com, Inc., a venture funded by Bitstream Inc. (NASDAQ: BITS) and established as a wholly owned subsidiary in 1999, is a showcase of the world's fonts available from one easy-to-use Web site. It provides the largest collection of fonts ever assembled for online delivery and offers convenient ways to find and purchase them online. The unique typographic resources of MyFonts.com include font-previewing tools, forums for interacting with font experts, and the remarkable font identifier, WhatTheFont. For more information, visit http://www.myfonts.com, the Web site for finding, trying, and buying fonts online. Bitstream is a registered trademark, and the Bitstream logo is a trademark, of Bitstream Inc. MyFonts.com is a trademark of MyFonts.com, Inc. Other technologies and brand names are used for information only and remain trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Contact Paula Young |
