Dow Jones and TKS have entered into a test agreement whereby TKS will print the Wall Street Journal Asia edition on a digital ink jet press called the JETLEADER 1500 for some locations in Osaka area that Dow Jones wants to have more local production. Currently all Wall Street Journal Asia in Japan are printed in Tokyo and transferred by train or plane to Osaka area but some of these copies will be printed  at the TKS IGA Techno Center.  The agreement is good for one year starting from April 16th publication.

“We look at this as an opportunity to get in important markets that we currently have to transport the product from a regional offset print center. Instead of having the product being delivered hours later, it will be delivered first thing in the morning, this will enable us to have the product produced locally, content will be much more current and up to date and the cost will be significantly less. This will be the first time any where in the world a multi section newspaper is being produced on an ink jet press.”, said Joe Vincent Senior Vice President of Operations for Dow Jones.

“TKS is thrilled to validate this new technology with the help of Dow Jones. One of the main reasons we developed the JETLEADER was for applications like this. We spent two years in R&D with this press and introduced it to the world last year. This opportunity will assist us in proving the business model for companies that need to upgrade their existing equipment and produce a wide range of new products with one press”, said Mr. Kohei Shiba, Chairman of TKS

TKS will be running the JETLEADER 1500 at this years DRUPA show in Germany.