<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------- UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION -----------------------------
FORM 4 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 OMB APPROVAL
- -------- -----------------------------
/ / CHECK THIS BOX IF NO STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OMB NUMBER: 3235-0287
LONGER SUBJECT TO EXPIRES: SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
SECTION 16. FORM 4 OR Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, ESTIMATED AVERAGE BURDEN
FORM 5 OBLIGATIONS MAY Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or HOURS PER RESPONSE .... 0.5
CONTINUE. SEE Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 -----------------------------
INSTRUCTION 1(b).
(Print or Type Responses)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S><C>
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* 2. Issuer Name AND Ticker or Trading Symbol 6.Relationship of Reporting Person(s)
to Issuer (Check all applicable)
Director 10% Owner
Machov Steven J. Merrill Corporation (MRLL) ---- ----
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X Officer (give Other
(Last) (First) (Middle) 3. IRS or Social Security 4. Statement for ---- title ---- (specify
Number of Reporting Month/Year below) below
One Merrill Circle Person (Voluntary) 10/1996 Vice President - General
- -------------------------------------------- --------------------- Counsel and Secretary
(Street) 5. If Amendment, 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing
Date of Original (Check Applicable Line)
(Month/Year)
St. Paul, MN 55108
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(City) (State) (Zip) TABLE I - NON-DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title of Security 2. Trans- 3. Trans- 4. Securities Acquired (A) 5. Amount of 6. Owner- 7. Nature
(Instr. 3) action action or Disposed of (D) Securities ship of In-
Date Code (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Beneficially Form: direct
(Instr. 8) Owned at Direct Bene-
(Month/ End of (D) or ficial
Day/ ------------------------------------------- Month Indirect Owner-
Year) (A) or (I) ship
Code V Amount (D) Price (Instr. 3 (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4)
and 4)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 10-14-96 S 3,000 D $23.75
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 10-14-96 S 1,000 D $23.50 8,000 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17,041 *I By Spouse
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. (Over)
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, SEE Instruction 4(b)(v). SEC 1474 (7-96)
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FORM 4 (CONTINUED) TABLE II - DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED
(E.G., PUTS, CALLS, WARRANTS, OPTIONS, CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title of Derivative Security 2. Conver- 3. Trans- 4. Transac- 5. Number of Deriv- 6. Date Exer-
(Instr. 3) sion or action tion Code ative Securities Ac- cisable and Ex-
Exercise Date (Instr. 8) quired (A) or Dis- piration Date
Price of (Month/ posed of (D) (Month/Day/
Deriv- Day/ (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) Year)
ative Year)
Security
--------------------
Date Expira-
-------------------------------------- Exer- tion
cisable Date
Code V (A) (D)
<S><C>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee Stock Option 16.25 3/25/96 A 10,000 ** 3/25/03
(right to buy)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Title and Amount of Under- 8. Price 9. Number 10. Owner- 11. Na-
lying Securities of of deriv- ship ture
(Instr. 3 and 4) Deriv- ative Form of In-
ative Securi- of De- direct
Secur- ties rivative Bene-
ity Bene- Secu- ficial
(Instr. ficially rity: Own-
5) Owned Direct ership
at End (D) or (Instr. 4)
Amount or of Indi-
Title Number of Month rect (I)
Shares (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4)
<S><C>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 10,000 ** 10,000 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation of Responses:
*Reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of all shares held by his
spouse, and this report should not be deemed an admission that the reporting
person is the beneficial owner of such shares for purposes of Section 16 or
for any other purpose.
**These options were granted under the 1993 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended,
and are exercisable in seven installments. The options first became
exercisable as to 15% one year after March 25, 1996, the date of grant, and
as to an additional 15% thereafter with the final installment of 10%
exercisable after September 25, 2002.
/s/ Steven J. Machov 11/12/96
----------------------------------- -----------
**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute **Signature of Reporting Person Date
Federal Criminal Violations. SEE 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space is insufficient, SEE Instruction 6 for procedure.
Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained
in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently
valid OMB Number.
Page 2
SEC 1474 (7-96)
</TABLE>