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                        [BOWNE & CO., INC. LETTERHEAD]


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
---------------------


                    BOWNE ANNOUNCES FISCAL YEAR-END CHANGE


NEW YORK, October 31 - Bowne & Co., Inc. (AMEX:BNE) announced today that
pursuant to a resolution adopted by the Board of Directors, it determined, on
October 30, 1997, to change the date for the end of its fiscal year from
October 31 to December 31.  Fiscal 1997 now will include the 12-month period
beginning January 1, 1997, and ending December 31, 1997.  A report covering the
two-month transition period of November 1 through December 31, 1996, will be
filed on Form 10-Q no later than December 15, 1997.  The results for the year
ended December 31, 1997, will be reported on Form 10-K no later than March 31,
1998.

          "Several factors prompted us to change our fiscal year-end," stated
Robert M. Johnson, Bowne's chairman and CEO.  "Since most companies listed on
the major exchanges have a December 31 fiscal year-end, Bowne believes that
conversion to a calendar year-end will simplify communications with investors 
and shareholders."

          Established in 1775, Bowne & Co., Inc. is an information technology 
company with 57 locations in North and South America, Europe and Asia.  The 
world's largest financial printer, Bowne is also the leading provider of 
electronic filing services to the securities industry and the leader in 
software localization and translation.

          Bowne's information management services include Internet and intranet
design and development; website localization and translation; document-building
solutions and digital print-on-demand services -- in multiple languages and in
print and electronic formats.  Bowne provides outsourcing solutions to meet
client's needs for reprographics, document creation, management, printing and
distribution.  Additional information on Bowne is available at 
http://www.bowne.com.
          
