August 11, 2003 -- Graphic arts alliance confirms participation at IGAS 2003, Tokyo, 22-28 September 2003 PrintCity, the strategic alliance of best-in-class suppliers to the graphic arts industry, is delighted to announce that it will be making its debut appearance in Japan at the International Graphic Arts Show (IGAS) in Tokyo between 22nd and 28th September 2003. The Land of the Rising Sun will welcome PrintCity for the first time, giving the organisation the perfect opportunity to deliver to Japan the message that it has been spreading at major European trade exhibitions since its launch at Drupa 2000: the PrintCity philosophy of system partnership enshrined in the concept of “Closed loop….Open systems”, in which the print shop must be free to select components of its workflow from a variety of suppliers, while still achieving the maximum amount of integration. “The Japanese printing market is one of the most vibrant in the world,” says Rainer Kuhn, Managing Director of PrintCity, “and it’s very exciting for us to be spreading the PrintCity philosophy further and wider than ever before. By exhibiting at IGAS 2003 we will communicate our everyday activities, and those of more than 40 PrintCity members, to a new audience.” PrintCity will be situated in the East Exhibition Hall at IGAS 2003 (Stand Number E-3-11), close to the booths of PrintCity members Merck, Wolstenholme and Shinohara. While exhibiting alongside PrintCity, the three member companies are also using IGAS 2003 to showcase their own products and new developments. On Shinohara’s stand it will be displaying several of its four and six-colour presses (Shinohara 52, 66 and 75s), and exploring the themes of meeting short run/on-demand expectations, consistent colour management, value-added printing, and eco-friendly printing. Wolstenholme International intends to display new ranges of offset and UV flexo inks, as well as MetalFX Technology, which allows millions of metallic colours and special effects to be printed in one pass on a five-colour press. And Merck will be demonstrating the concept of high value-added printing and inline coating with pearl pigments, as well as showing its new effect pigments, Xirallic and Colorstream.