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                         [BOWNE & CO., INC. LETTERHEAD]

                                  Contacts:       Robert M. Johnson
                                                  Chairman and CEO
                                                  Bowne & Co., Inc.
                                                  212-924-5500

For Immediate Release                             David Rosenstein
                                                  Dir., Corporate Communications
                                                  212-229-7224

                BOWNE & CO., INC. ADOPTS SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS PLAN

NEW YORK, January 31 -- Bowne & Co., Inc. (ASE:BNE) announced today that its
Board of Directors has adopted a Shareholder Rights Plan. The Rights provide
protection against coercive or unfair takeover tactics, and should encourage
anyone seeking to acquire the Company to negotiate with the Board first. The
Rights Plan was not adopted in response to any known effort to acquire the
Company. The Rights Plan is similar to plans adopted by many public companies
and should provide a sound and reasonable means of safeguarding the interests of
all shareholders should an effort be made to acquire the Company at a price not
reflective of its fair value.

In connection with the adoption of the Rights Plan, the Board declared a
dividend of one Preferred Share Purchase Right for each outstanding share of
the Company's Common Stock. Each Right, which is not presently exercisable,
entitles the holder to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of the Company's
newly designated Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock at an exercise
price of $125. In the event that any person acquires 20% or more of the
outstanding shares of the Company's Common Stock, each holder of a right (other
than the acquiring person or group) will be entitled to receive, upon payment
of the exercise price, that number of shares of Common Stock having a market
value equal to two times the exercise price.

The distribution of the Rights will be made on February 10, 1997, to
shareholders of record at the close of business on that date. The Rights will
expire on January 30, 2007. The Rights distribution is not taxable to
shareholders. 

Details of the Rights distribution are contained in a letter which is being
mailed to all shareholders of the Company.

Bowne & Co., Inc., established in 1775, is the world's largest financial
printer. 

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