IGAS (International Graphic Arts Show) 2018, held July 26–31, was one of the largest graphic arts exhibition events held in Japan. It was slightly less “International” than other print trade shows with similar billing, but still drew a sizeable crowd mainly from Japan, as well as from some other East Asian countries. IGAS served as an important launch pad for Japan-based manufacturers, and offered visitors a chance to glimpse things to come in other geographies. What made IGAS 2018 remarkable is that it has bucked the trend of declining trade shows for the general printing industry and, with almost 56,000 attendees and six halls, almost matched the size of IGAS 2015.

Some remarkable new products were unveiled and, although they will target the Japanese market at first, there is a good chance that many will make it to other countries eventually. That said, the test balloon can also burst, meaning the product will never be heard of again. For this article, Keypoint Intelligence - InfoTrends (InfoTrends) will discuss a few launches we believe will have international market impact.

One new product launched at IGAS and expected to make it to other markets fairly soon is the new Fujifilm Jet Press 750S. This press adds a couple of inches to the sheet size of the Jet Press 720S (or J Press 720S in the U.S. market), with a sheet size of 750 x 585 mm (or 19 x 14.9 in.). Crucially, this makes a six-up imposition possible. Speed has been cranked up to 3,600 sheets/hour—or a third faster than the old model. Also, a new drier has been added, making the press smaller and more energy efficient. Although there is still no autoduplex, the new model marks a significant improvement.