Newspaper and commercial printers seeking better ways to lower costs while achieving more vivid, wider gamut color reproduction will find answers at drupa Stand 3A50. Visual Communication Technologies from the SAKATA INX Group - including INX International Ink Co. and INX Digital International - involves ink products and halftone technologies designed specifically for these applications.  drupa 2012 visitors can get a firsthand look at printed output on display, and obtain detailed data from SAKATA INX Group specialists.

“Higher quality inserts as well as overall newspaper and commercial reproduction are imperative for printers and publishers in order to meet client demands in today’s increasingly competitive global marketplace,” emphasizes Kuniyoshi Horimoto of SAKATA INX.  “The range of substrates including newer calendared stocks poses additional challenges.  We offer options that address these challenges from several perspectives.  Together, they can significantly impact results.”

Leading the way is SAKATA INX Group’s Luce process color ink system, which is ideal for newspaper and semi-commercial print applications.  Specially designed for newsprint and super-calendared stocks, the name “Luce” - an Italian term that means “light” or “bright” - perfectly describes the output these inks provide.

“Visuals are brighter with higher color intensity than with ordinary inks,” Horimoto asserts.  “This results from a wider color gamut, which also allows Luce inks to be run at higher densities with reduced dot gain, while achieving greater color saturation.”

Suitable for conventional as well as FM (Stochastic) fine-line screening, smoother and sharper dot reproduction provides further advantages when running Luce inks.

Luce users can expect better ink mileage.  “The Luce ink system is designed to print at a lower film thickness at standard densities.  Consequently, this reduces strike-through on newsprint substrates, a definite plus with publishers and their advertising clientele,” Horimoto said.

Although many items factor into daily expenses for any print operation, reduced ink consumption in today’s tight economy adds up to a notable plus that goes directly to the bottom line, Horimoto points out.  “The higher quality output provided by Luce inks’ wider color gamut with more vivid, saturated color is sure to please all parties involved.”

Print quality and printer savings are good reasons to check out another advanced-technology offering from the SAKATA INX Group.  Concentric Screening is the first major advance in halftone technology for offset printing since FM (Stochastic).  This revolutionary method from ESKO Artwork delivers a smoother appearance than FM, and more detail than conventional AM screening.

“As its name indicates, the target-like Concentric halftone dot divides the conventional round dot into thin concentric rings,” explains Horimoto.  “This gives visuals a more ‘photo-like’ look than FM as well as more detail than AM, with cleaner colors, smoother flesh tones and tints.”

Called the “HDTV of the print world” by some industry observers, the Concentric dot provides more uniform coverage with stable dot gain, Horimoto said.  This also promotes more stable performance on-press, and helps ensure end-to-end consistency on every print run.

“Users can also realize ink savings up to 25 percent with Concentric Screening, and initial savings with Concentric halftone dots can be further increased when it’s used in combination with GCR (Grey Color Removal) ink optimization technologies.”

As the global marketplace keeps changing, the SAKATA INX Group continues to respond with a full range of products and new technologies, such as Luce inks and Concentric Screening, to help printers succeed in today’s business world.

With over a century of history, SAKATA INX has always been at the forefront of expanding its involvement in the printing and information industries.  Our vision is “Creation of Visual Communication Technology”.  For more information, visit the Web site at www.inx.co.jp/english/inx.html.

INX International Ink Co. is the third largest producer of inks in North America with over 20 facilities in the U.S. and Canada, and is a global supplier as part of SAKATA INX worldwide operations.  For more information, visit the Web site at www.INXinternational.com.

INX Digital International is a leading global manufacturer of inkjet inks for wide format, super-wide and new generation digital printing, and a supplier of printer parts and related services.  As the digital arm of INX International Ink Co., it offers a full palette of digital ink systems, advanced technologies and integrated services including chemistry, hardware and software, engineering design and integration and media.  For more information, visit the Web site at www.INXdigital.com.