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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

(SCHAWK, INC. LOGO)

<Table>
                                                                  
AT SCHAWK, INC.:           AT FORT DEARBORN COMPANY:                    AT DRESNER CORPORATE
                                                                        SERVICES:
JAMES J. PATTERSON         RICH ADLER JR.                               KRISTINE WALCZAK
SR. VP AND CFO             PRESIDENT AND CHIEF QUALITY OFFICER
847-827-9494               773-774-4321                                 312-726-3600
jpatterson@schawk.com      radler@fortdearborn.com                      kwalczak@dresnerco.com
</Table>


               SCHAWK, INC. COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF VIRTUALCOLOR
 Acquisition in-line with growth strategy and increases utilization of existing
                                    facility

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, JANUARY 6, 2004 -- SCHAWK, INC. -- (NYSE: SGK), has completed
the previously unannounced acquisition of the Virtualcolor prepress division of
Fort Dearborn Company based in Elk Grove, Illinois. Virtualcolor has
approximately $10 million in annual revenue, a majority of which originates from
Fort Dearborn Company and the balance from direct client relationships. As part
of the acquisition, a supply agreement was entered into whereby Schawk and Fort
Dearborn Company have agreed that Schawk will provide prepress services,
including flexographic plates for Fort Dearborn's print business, for an initial
period of five years.

The acquired business has a broad range of service offerings focusing on label
work for consumer packaged grocery products. The business is being relocated
into Schawk's Chicago facility in Des Plaines, Illinois.

"Virtualcolor is a well established prepress operation that was run separately
from Fort Dearborn Company" said David Schawk, president and chief executive
officer of Schawk. "Fort Dearborn has made a strategic decision to focus on its
printing operations and outsource its prepress business to Schawk. Schawk's
strategic plan for growth for 2004 includes acquisitions of graphic services
businesses like Virtualcolor. This acquisition will bring Schawk's broad array
of solutions and end-to-end services offerings to Virtualcolor's clients."

Rich Adler Jr., Fort Dearborn Company President and Chief Quality Officer
stated, "Fort Dearborn Company is enthused about the prepress partnership with
Schawk, which will better leverage our core competency of prime label production
in order to enhance the value proposition to our customers. This partnership
between one of the premier graphic suppliers and the leading supplier of high
impact decorative labels will be a win-win situation that will best serve our
valued customers."

Schawk, Inc., headquartered in suburban Chicago, is a leading supplier of
digitized high resolution color graphic services, brand consulting and design,
and an array of digitally based workflow solutions all aimed at bringing
enhanced value to its clients. Schawk provides these advanced services for the
food, beverage, and consumer products packaging, point of sale, and advertising
markets.


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Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within
the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created thereby. These statements
are made based upon current expectations and beliefs that are subject to risk
and uncertainty. Actual results might differ materially from those contained in
the forward-looking statements because of factors such as, among other things,
the strength of the United States economy in general and specifically market
conditions for the consumer products industry, the level of demand for Schawk's
services, loss of key management and operational personnel, our ability to
implement our growth strategy, the stability of state, federal and foreign tax
laws, our ability to identify and exploit industry trends and to exploit
technological advances in the imaging industry, our ability to continue to
implement restructuring plans, the stability of political conditions in Asia and
other foreign countries in which we have production capabilities, terrorist
attacks and the U.S. response to such attacks, as well as other factors detailed
in Schawk, Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

     FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SCHAWK, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.schawk.com.

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