In recognition of its innovative design and function, the FUJIFILM J Press 720 has earned a 2012 InterTech Technology Award from Printing Industries of America.  FUJIFILM North America Corporation (www.fujifilmusa.com) will receive one of twelve awards all bestowed on technologies that were deemed truly innovative and are expected to have a major impact on the graphic communications industry. This is the fifth InterTech Technology Award for Fujifilm, and the announcement follows the first North American installations of the J Press 720 at Gilson Graphics in Michigan and Digital Edge in Canada.

“It is an honor for Fujifilm to be recognized for its innovative technology by Printing Industries of America for the fifth time,” said Todd Zimmerman, vice president and general manager, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. “The J Press 720 is a revolutionary product for the industry that also serves as cornerstone within the Fujifilm Inkjet product portfolio.  We are very excited about offering another inkjet printing solution to meet the demands of the most discriminating print buyer and simultaneously integrate into a commercial printing operation.  We are especially proud of this breakthrough in inkjet technology.”

InterTech’s independent panel of judges deliberated over many technology nominations ranging from digital presses and related enhancements to a variety of mobile and Web-based software. Great strides in technology were demonstrated in color measurement and control, layout and finishing, security and low migration inks, inkjet and label presses, printable coatings, pressroom analytics, management information systems, and product content management and publishing.

"Our judges were all impressed with the quality of the prints produced from the J Press 720 and with the range of substrates that could be used with it," said Dr. Mark Bohan, vice president, Technology and Research, Printing Industries of America. "It is a great solution for very short to medium run printing, where much of the industry's focus is these days. The J Press 720 provides a great solution to the challenges printers are currently facing."

Initially introduced at GRAPH EXPO 2010, the J Press 720 is the first half-size, sheetfed inkjet press capable of producing offset quality. The J Press 720 uses FUJIFILM Dimatix SAMBA™ print heads to achieve true 1,200 x 1,200 dpi resolution. The J Press prints 2,700 four-up sheets per hour, equivalent to 10,800 - 8.5” x 11” pages per hour, on standard coated and uncoated stocks with a maximum sheet size of 29.5” x 20.8”. The J Press has the look and feel of an offset press with similar paper delivery and exit, yet offers the versatility and job handling of a digital device.

The J Press 720 also expands the range of jobs a general commercial printer can take on by enabling high-quality, short-run print work. The J Press provides an effective inkjet solution that allows the flexibility and versatility of using standard coated and uncoated stocks and finishing characteristics associated with the durability and performance of an offset sheet. Fujifilm Inkjet Technology provides outstanding quality printing that is on par, and in many cases, exceeds conventional offset quality.

Fujifilm will be presented with its award at the 2012 Premiere Print Awards and InterTech Technology Awards Gala on October 7, 2012 in Chicago during the GRAPH EXPO 2012 exposition. Recipients will also be highlighted at the Printing Industries of America booth during the conference.