Sakurai S-PAS Service Is Launched! -...

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Sakurai User Network

2006Winter

Vol.8

Full-UV Multi-Color Printing Machines with Added VersatilityA new proposal from SakuraiPhoto content distribution service for the printing industrySakurai S-PAS Service Is Launched!A Change in the Printing Business Brought by S-PAS and With Net: Tools for the Effective Use of Visuals

Surviving an Era of Significant Change60 years in retrospect

Lifeline of printing presses - The secret of high-functionality gearsStructural reform of design awareness - Benefits of 3D-CAD CATIA V5.Museum of Colors - No. 5 Monochrome beauty: Subtle Yet Profound ink paintingsSigns of recovery in the printing and related sectors! Sakurai’s screen printing machine wins Good Design Award!!

Sakurai S-PAS service offers many types of images for easy downloading.

OLIVER-575SDCSuper B2 size 5-color straight offset press with coater

Easy-to-Use, EnvironmentallyFriendly Sakurai OLIVER

The OLIVER accurately reproduces natural colors.

The above image was downloaded using Sakurai S-PAS.

(2) Lenticular printingWith this method, as a result of printing

on the back side of a film whose front sidehas been specially processed, the printedpicture appears differently when viewedfrom the front, depending on the angle ofview.

The surface of this special film is corru-gated in the vertical direction. As a result,the printed picture changes depending onthe angle it is viewed from.

Mounts movable interdeckUV irradiation equipment

The newly developed OLIVER-675SDPC UV model enables each printingunit to be installed with an interdeck UVirradiation unit equipped with a medium-pressure mercury lamp. According to thetype of printing conducted, the threedevices can be rearranged as required.

Furthermore, the dryer for the UV coatercomes equipped with three 160-W/cm-output UV lamps for extension delivery asstandard equipment. Either metal-halidelamps or mercury lamps can be selectedaccording to the type of ink used.

In terms of printing speed, when five inkcolors and one UV clear coat are usedwith the dryer output set to 100%, a dry-ing rate of 13,000 sheets per hour isachieved. (This rate may fluctuate depend-ing on the printing conditions.)

UV printing can create higher addedvalue. Demand for UV printing is increas-ing steadily worldwide due to its simpledrying process and environmental friendli-ness. In response to this, Sakurai dis-played its full-UV OLIVER-575SDC at the“drupa 2004” trade show. Sakurai’s multi-color printing machines equipped withsuch a UV irradiation device are being pro-gressively supplied to markets around theworld.

Full-UV Multi-Color Printing Machineswith Added Versatility

SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006 1

OLIVER-675SDP super B size convertible perfector 6-color press with coater

IR dryer/UV dryer inside extended delivery & interdeck UV dryer

In July of this year, Sakurai introducedthe OLIVER-675SDPC super B size 6-color printing machine with a coater capa-ble of UV printing and UV coating. Thismodel can use UV inks to produce printswith six colors on a single side, or printswith five colors on the front surface andone color on the back, and can also per-form surface treatment using UV varnish.The OLIVER-675SDPC provides printedmaterials with higher added value, withoutcomplicated processing.

The following briefly describes the fea-tures of UV printing.

Features of UV printing

UV printing is performed by a printingmachine mounted with special devicesdesigned for the task, such as blankets,inks, water rollers, and a dryer, using UV-curable inks (UV inks). UV printing has thefollowing advantages over conventionalprinting methods.(1) No restriction on the type of

print mediaOrdinary oil-based printing inks can only

be used to print on materials that absorbink, such as paper. Because UV inksadhere to materials, however, they can beused to print on materials that do notabsorb ink, such as films.

(2) Beautiful glossy finishWhen UV clear-coat is printed by a

press equipped with a coater unit, the sur-face of the printed material has more lus-ter than when water-based varnish isused.(3) No waiting time

The UV dryer mounted in a UV printingmachine dries and cures the ink instanta-neously after application. The printedmaterial can therefore be sent to the nextprocess immediately.(4) Environmental friendliness

Because the print media remains dryduring transportation in the paper dis-charge section, there is no need to usepowder, thus eliminating the risk of aircontamination.

Suitable for high-value-added prints

The one-pass printing system enablesthe following printing techniques to beused in order to create high added value.(1) Quasi-embossed printing

With this type of printing, UV clear-coatis first applied to the area on the printmedia where visual emphasis is to beadded. This increases the glossiness ofthe selected area. Then, the glossiness inthe area around that section is reduced inorder to increase the contrast with thearea to be emphasized. This creates anembossed-like effect.

Instantaneous searching to find theimages you’ve been looking for!

Suppose one of your clients - a travel agency, for instance -wants to use an image of the sun in a pamphlet so as to sug-gest a gentle, warm feeling. The image brought to mind by theword “sun” varies from individual to individual. Some peoplemay think of the warm spring sun, while others may think ofthe blazing summer sun. Compositional needs vary just aswidely. Are you confident of finding the appropriate image andsupplying it to your client in the time given?

How can you find an actual picture that fits exactly theimage you have in mind? Where can you find a large collectionof photo contents that offer many different visual expressions?Sakurai’s S-PAS service has the solution, allowing you to findthe images you’re searching for quickly and accurately.

Sakurai S-PAS has been created through a tie-up withAmana Inc., one of Japan’s leading visual solutions compa-nies. Sakurai S-PAS is a photo-content distribution servicethat enables the use of photos from Japan’s largest photolibrary (operated by Amana) at a special price. Using SakuraiS-PAS, you’ll find it incredibly easy to locate the image youwant. Just enter the keyword “sun,” for example, and numer-ous images of the sun are instantly displayed for your perusal.

This is how the Sakurai S-PAS service works:First, enter the word “sun” and execute a search.

The search results indicate that there are 6,897 matches.You may find this to be too many.

One of the convenient features of Sakurai S-PAS is that notonly nouns but adjectives can be used as keywords forsearches. Let’s enter two words, “gentle” and “sun,” and exe-cute a search.

In this case, the search found 71 matches, meaning that thecandidate photos have been narrowed down. These visualsshould be close to the image that your client wants. You canview these pictures together with your client and select one onthe spot.

As explained above, Sakurai S-PAS allows you to select avisual image quickly and accurately. It serves as a powerfultool for providing the most suitable images for visual presenta-tions to your clients, as well as in the actual production ofprinted materials.

Details of Sakurai S-PAS service

Sakurai S-PAS offers two main features:(1) The service offers Rights-Managed (RM) contents* man-

aged by Amana Inc. at a special price (the special rates do notapply to Royalty-Free (RF) contents**).

(2) A corporate user can register an unlimited number ofusers for Comprehensive-Layout-Free*** contents without pay-ing the normal fee. 10 MB image data can be downloaded ascomprehensive-layout-data an unlimited number of times ayear.

A new proposal from Sakurai

Photo content distribution service for the printing industry

Sakurai S-PAS Service Is Launched!Those in the printing business are faced with the difficulty of finding visual images that perfectly match their project plans or

design themes on a daily basis. In December, Sakurai launched a service that allows the easy searching and downloading ofperfectly-suited images from among a vast number of photos.

2 SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006

To use the Sakurai S-PAS service, member registration isrequired. A registered member receives the above-mentionedprivileges. To register as a member, it is necessary to join aSakurai Purchase Association.

* Rights-Managed (RM) contentsRights-Managed (RM) contents are rental photos for which the usage his-tory and other information are managed. These contents are offered as“rentals” in accordance with an agreed-upon proposed usage period andapplication. The rental price varies depending on the usage conditions,such as the media type, area, usage period, and number of copies.

** Royalty-Free (RF) contentsRoyalty-Free (RF) contents essentially refers to cell photos that can be usedrepeatedly in accordance with the licensing agreement concluded at thetime of purchase. The purchase price includes a usage fee.

*** Comprehensive-Layout-FreeComprehensive-Layout-Free is a service that allows the unrestricted down-loading of image data for use in comprehensive layouts (including use inpresentations and as dummy images for design examination).

The Sakurai S-PAS service can be accessed from theSakurai Graphic Systems website.

The following is the procedure for use of the service.

Step 1: Enter your password on the homepage and click “Login.”

Step 2: Enter your User ID and password, which were issued when thecontract for Sakurai S-PAS was concluded.

Step 3: Click “amana.jp.”

Step 4: Enter a keyword and click “Search.”

For detailed instructions, contact our sales representative.

We hope the above has explained how useful the Sakurai S-PAS service can be for anyone in the printing industry.

With Sakurai S-PAS as the gateway, Sakurai offers a newprinting business workflow called “With Net.”

With Net is a comprehensive service system that Sakuraioffers to those in printing-related businesses.

The details of With Net are given on the following pages byPreseez Inc., an affiliated company that provides the With Netservice. Be sure to read on.


A Change in the Printing Business Brought by S-PAS and With Net: Tools for the Effective Use of VisualsMotohiko NakamuraSenior Managing Director and Creative Director Preseez, Inc.


S-PAS service responds to changes in the printing business

Sakurai introduced S-PAS (SakuraiPhoto Access Service) at the recent JGAS2005 exhibition. The S-PAS service allowsmembers to download photo contents(rental photos) for use in graphic designs. Ibelieve this service will be very useful inthe production activities of printing com-panies. It is also interesting to note that ituses the search engine of Amana Inc. (thelargest company in the photo contentindustry), which holds some 540,000 pho-tos. The scale of Amana’s photo library isso immense that it is no exaggeration tosay that members have access to theworks of nearly every single professionalphotographer in the world.

In the past, photo contents were usedprimarily by graphic and website design-ers. In recent years, however, more andmore printing companies are proposingcontents (visual materials) and solutions(techniques to meet clients’ needs) in aneffort to explore new business opportuni-ties. S-PAS is a service designed toaddress these needs.

Preseez has decided to assist printingcompanies take advantage of S-PAS and

With Net to achieve a smooth transition toa new business phase. It was the experi-ence and know-how of Preseez thatenabled us to create a template for busi-ness development based on With Net. Toexplain this process, I will briefly describehow we created With Net through a trial-and-error process.

Creating a business workflow that gives shape to ideas

in the 1960s, Preseez began supple-menting its mainstay printing businesswith peripheral services such as charactergoods and sales promotion. In 1990, tounderline our goal of helping the pressindustry from the earliest conceptualstages, we changed our 70-year-old com-pany name, Nakamura Seiko Printing Co.,Ltd., to Preseez, Inc. (Preseez = press +seeds). This name was selected fromamong the candidate names proposed byour company employees.

At the same time, we introduced thecorporate slogan, “Nuance into Focus,”expressing our mission of “Giving Shapeto Ideas.” This slogan, which continuallyreminds us of our primary commitment, isposted prominently throughout our com-pany.

However, when we launched a businessbased on the idea of “Nuance into Focus,”we encountered many difficulties. First, wehad to disseminate the concept anddetails of a new business style. Staffmembers who had previously been toobusy to even think about the contents ofprinted matter were baffled by terms suchas “proposal-oriented business” and“solutions business.” To use a golf analo-gy, it would be like driving the ball out-of-bounds against the wind. In an effort toensure that our new business style isunderstood by at least our sales represen-tatives, we took the bold and drastic stepof creating a presentation scenario andhaving sales representatives make pro-posals to clients.

First, we borrowed as many art materi-als as possible from associated graphic

Motohiko NakamuraSenior Managing Director and CreativeDirector Preseez, Inc.

1982 Graduated from Hawaii PacificUniversity (College of BusinessAdministration), Hawaii, U.S.A.

1982 Hired by Radio KOHO, Inc.Involvedin the production of TV programs.

1986 Worked for Tokyo Teleguide Co.,Ltd., where he was involved in theplanning and development of con-tents for an Internet-basedtext/image information communi-cations system based on NPLPStechnology

1989 Established Preseez International,Inc.

1997 Became senior managing directorof Preseez, Inc.

Proposal-oriented marketing support tools (template package)

“Visual Producers”


designers and produced an instant portfo-lio (a collection of artwork samples). Oursales representatives then took the portfo-lio to clients and explained the conceptand how it was developed. Referring tothe design as a “creation,” they explainedthe concept and the hard work that wentinto it, as well as the episode of producingthe proposition (giving visual form to anidea). Seeing was believing. The portfolioprovided a clear image of the concept of“Nuance into Focus,” not only for theclients but for our sales representatives aswell.

However, when the time came to takeorders, another problem arose. Our salesrepresentatives had never taken ordersfrom an upstream process, so they didn’tknow how to obtain the necessary infor-mation. It wasn’t as easy as reciting whatthey had memorized for giving presenta-tions. They seemed to exclaim in unison,“You haven’t taught us what to do next!”

Change from “sales representatives” to “visual producers”

In the past, our clients used printing

companies only for the production of lay-outs, and did not expect them to performcreative work. I believe this was due to thefact that printing companies performedonly prescribed operations in accordancewith the instructions of clients, which wasconsidered part of the design process.Creative work involves understanding thevisual image a client has in mind and thegoal to be achieved using that image, andthen giving shape to it. Therefore, insteadof asking a client “What kind of designdoes the company want?” we obtainedinformation by learning the client’s objec-tives, problems, selling points, advan-tages, and the like, and then incorporatedthat information into the design createdand proposed to the client. If a sales rep-resentative did not understand the objec-tives and themes that the client had inmind, or if the designer was solely reliedupon to come up with an idea, it would benothing more than prescribed operations.

However, it is not always possible toobtain the necessary information from aclient without experience, and this can belike going into battle without a weapon.We therefore decided to prepare an inter-view sheet to be used in discussions with

clients, as well as a briefing sheet forexplaining to designers the informationobtained from clients.

As such, our business based onNuance into Focus grew steadily from itsinception through a trial-and-errorprocess. The various tools that were cre-ated based on our experiences in the earlyyears are still used today in our company’soperations.

To conduct creative sales activities,sales representatives must be visual pro-ducers themselves, which in fact is notparticularly difficult to achieve. By under-standing the necessary procedures andestablishing a system, anyone can start acareer as a visual producer. By utilizing theextensive know-how accumulated by ourcompany, we established With Net in thehope of assisting companies attempting toadopt a new style of printing.

* Understanding clientﾕs needs and wants* Management of clientﾕs brand and tone &

manner* Clear instructions to designers and writers,

and briefing method* Arrangement of creative staff * Template for estimate* Template for confidentiality agreement* Priority-item check sheet* Other templates needed by sales represen-

tatives

Artwork portfolio (a collection of design samples)A sales representative can present S-PAS design sam-ples as a portfolio, even in his or her first design project(updated as needed).

Client interview sheetWhen a sales representative takes an order that requiresthe proposal of a creative design, it is necessary to accu-rately understand the design the client has in mind. Thistemplate includes questions to ask the client anddescribes the necessary procedures for obtaining neces-sary information.

Tone & manner control sheetThis sheet describes the items and procedures neces-sary to accurately understand and reproduce the brandor corporate image of a client company.

Premiums and RepresentationsAct/Intellectual Property Law, claims, prob-lem prevention sheet

Schedule template

Priority-item check sheet

Printed materials/tool calendarQuick-reference calendar showing the printed materialsand tools required in a one-year period

Production/design estimation sheetThis template of estimation items and contents facilitatesthe production of accurate estimates.* Planning, design, editing, website construction, etc.

Planning-document template (PowerPoint)

Creator control sheet

List of Internet survey methods

Forecasting sheet

Up close with Ryuzo Sakurai

Our company was founded immediately after the war in 1946 as aprinting-machine manufacturer. Those years were quite different fromrecent years, but I remember that my father always took the lead in ini-tiating business activities and conducted proactive company manage-ment.

In 1928, my father established Sakurai Ryuzo Shoten, which soldJapanese paper and was the predecessor of our current company. Hestarted that business after establishing his independence fromYoshikawa Shiro Shoten (the current Yoshikawa Paper Co., Ltd.), along-established paper wholesaler that is still in business today. Thatwas some 78 years ago.

By nature, my father was a hardworking person who devoted all ofhis time to work. He was highly regarded by long-established printingcompanies and, despite his recent entry to the paper wholesale indus-try, soon became known as “Paper Specialist Sakurai.” He workedhard despite the challenging business conditions of that time, but wasforced to close the company in 1941 when the Pacific War broke outand everything was put under government control.

When the war ended, my father moved his base of operations to hishometown of Mino City in Gifu Prefecture, where he was evacuated toduring the war, and began doing business there. With the goal of help-ing restore industry and culture in post-war Japan, and also becausehe had many close friends in the printing industry whom he had metthrough the paper business, he established Sakurai Machinery Works,Ltd. for the manufacture and sale of printing machines.

In the early years of the company, he could not obtain a sufficientamount of materials to produce printing machines, so he began repair-ing and refurbishing printing machines that were damaged by fire dur-ing the war. In 1948, the company was able to complete two SS-8AB3 size letter press printing machines on its own. One was delivered toMino Paper Co., Ltd. (the current Minogroup Co., Ltd.), and the otherto Taiyosha Printing Co., Ltd. in Gifu Prefecture.

Years devoted to building the business foundation

I joined the company as a director in 1958. The company I workedfor was Sakurai Ryuzo Shoten (the current Sakurai Co., Ltd.), and itsmain operation was the wholesaling of paper, which was my father’smainstay business. At that time, I was also a college student, so I hadto study and work at the same time. In those days, sons used to helptheir family businesses even on school days. I myself used to deliverpaper to customers when I was a high-school student. Therefore, I didnot experience any difficulties working in the company, and theemployees did not feel uncomfortable with me at all. Those years areknown today as part of the long post-war period of sustained econom-ic growth. The company achieved record sales and profits in 1959, oneyear after I entered the company. Despite his normally austeredemeanor, my father was clearly very happy about the businessresults.

Surviving an Era of SignificantChange60 years in retrospect


1928 SeptemberSakurai Ryuzo Shoten established for sales of Japanese paper.

Sakurai Ryuzo Shoten - The founder and his family and employ-ees.

1945Second World War ended.

1946 DecemberSakurai Machinery Works, Ltd. was established.

1948 OctoberTwo units of the SS-8A B3-size flat bed letter press, the compa-ny’s first production, delivered to companies in Gifu Prefecture.

First production SS-8A letter press printing machine.

1949 MaySS-12A A2 size letter press printing machine completed. Thecompany holds an exhibition at Yasuda Printing Company(Edobashi, Tokyo). Orders for the first Sakurai printing-machinemodel are taken at the exhibition site.

1955 OctoberA2 size crownfed press “New Cherry” model developed. Thecompany receives an award from the Japan Print IndustryAssociation at the Print Cultural Fair.

1958 DecemberThe company displays the SS-12D at the Japanese-producttrade fair held in Singapore by the Japan External TradeOrganization(JETRO), and exports several units to Thailand.

1960 NovemberPresident Ryuzo Sakurai participates in an observation tour tostudy the print industry in Europe.

1961 JulySakurai Machine Trading Co., Ltd. established. sales division istransferred to this company.

Machinery manufacturing factory completed in Mino City of GifuPrefecture (1961).

1962 MayThe company displays the SS-12T model at West Germany’s“drupa” trade fair (first product from Japan to be exhibited).

Our product displayed at the “drupa” international exhibition ofprinting machines, held in 1962.

1967 JanuaryA2 size fully automatic screen press “Monarch 25” developed.

MaySS-6H “Elite” model displayed at “drupa,” making it the secondtime to be exhibited by our company at the trade show.

1968 MarchCompany concludes a technical tie-up agreement with HalmIndustries of the United States, and completes the “Jet Press”ultrahigh-speed envelope printing machine.

1969 MayCompany concludes a technical tie-up agreement with GeneralResearch Inc. of the United States, and completes the A2 sizecylinder-type screen press “Sakurai-General CS-27B”.

1970 MarchThe head-office building of Sakurai Machine Trading is complet-ed.

Former president Ryuzo Sakurai (left) and Yoshikuni Sakurai(right) at the Tokyo head-office-building completion ceremony.

MayPresident Ryuzo Sakurai passes away due to heart infarction.

1973 AugustA2 size high-speed letter press “SS-12E” developed.

In the year that followed, 1960, I also became a director of SakuraiMachinery Works, Ltd., the manufacturing unit of printing machines,which later became Sakurai Graphic Systems Corp. while holding thesame position in Sakurai Co., Ltd., a paper business company. In1961, the sales department became Sakurai Machine Trading Co.,Ltd., and I became vice president of that company. By then, our manu-facturing system and domestic sales network and organizations wereestablished and functioning at a satisfactory level. In those years, letterpress printing was the mainstream, and our company producedmachines for paper sizes ranging from A3 size to large B1 size BookPrinting. We began converting these products from the conventionalmanual-feed type to a fully automated system.

Japan was shifting from the post-war restoration period to a high-growth era, and the Japanese economy was robust. However, theprinting-machine industry saw heated competition among manufactur-ers of offset printing machines and letter press printing machines thatwere established before the war, such as Hamada Seiki Co., Ltd.,Chuma Iron Works Co., Ltd., Nakajima Seiki Co., Ltd., Komori PrintingMachine Co., Ltd., and Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho, Ltd., not to mentionsome companies founded after the war. Meanwhile, many machineswere imported from overseas companies such as Heidelberg ofGermany. At that time, many imported machines had superior perform-ance to Japanese products.

Inauguration of Sakurai Purchase Associations

Despite these circumstances and in the face of tough competition,our company was able to grow steadily. I believe this was due to theoriginal marketing system we employed through Sakurai PurchaseAssociations. In September 1948, we rented a space at YasudaPrinting Company and displayed our first SS-8A B3 size letter pressprinting machine. To the many customers who visited our exhibition,my father proposed the establishment of fraternal organizations for thepurchase of products using a mutual monthly loan system based onthe principle of “solidarity through trust.” This is how Sakurai PurchaseAssociations were established. Under this system, each associationwas formed by 12 customers, and each customer paid 10,000 yen permonth for two years. A printing machine costing 240,000 yen was thendelivered once every two months to a company selected from thegroup through a lottery or by bidding. This was the forerunner of theinstallment-payment system commonly used today.

Sakurai Purchase Associations still exist in various areas of Japan,although they no longer serve their original function for the purchase ofprinting machines. Today, members of the associations go on a triponce per year and hold parties at hotels, as suggested by my father,who enjoyed traveling and socializing. Sakurai Purchase Associationscontinue to strengthen the ties between our company and customers.Some companies in the associations are founding members, eventhough they may have seen the passage of several presidents. We sin-cerely thank them for their continued patronage.

The death of my father

My father, Ryuzo Sakurai, passed away in May 1970. His deathcame suddenly, soon after the move from Nihonbashi (Tokyo) to ourpresent company building, in Fukuzumi (Tokyo’s Koto Ward). My father


collapsed from a heart infarction while in Hakone on a tour with themembers of a printing business association from Kanagawa Prefecture.He never recovered. It was just prior to his 65th birthday. When Ilearned of the death of my father, whom I remember as a very healthyperson, I was devastated and didn’t know what to do. It had been myfather’s understanding and support that allowed me to take on somany new business challenges. After he was gone, it seemed that Ihad lost my direction.

As if to distract me from mourning, I was faced with many problemsas the chief executive officer of the company. Fortunately, I receivedadvice and close support from many of my father’s closest friends whowere customers, enabling me to overcome these problems.

Promotion of overseas activities

The success of our company would not have been possible withoutoverseas activities. Even after the Japanese economy stabilized follow-ing the war, people considered imported machines to be superior todomestic products even if they were more expensive. I felt that, toachieve further growth of the company, we had to learn about qualityfrom overseas products and improve our products so that they wouldbe accepted in overseas markets. I traveled to Europe and the UnitedStates a number of times, visiting many printing companies andmachinery manufacturers. Our early overseas activities were describedin detail in a previous issue of our public-relations newsletter, SUN. Asmentioned in that publication, from 1966 to 1968 I desperately under-took all processes single-handedly, ranging from negotiation for techni-cal tie-ups to the conclusion of licensing agreements. During that peri-od, we began domestic production and marketing of the Halm JetPress envelope printing machine and cylinder-type sheet-feed auto-matic screen presses, both of which were developed in the UnitedStates. At that time, I had no prior experience with the procedures, butthese two product series achieved great success. In particular, thescreen-press business grew significantly and has remained one of thepillars of our manufacturing operations for more than 40 years, yieldingoutsized profits throughout.

Another key factor was our enthusiastic participation in overseastrade fairs such as “drupa.” In 1962, we became the first Japaneseprinting-machine manufacturer to display its products at drupa (held inDusseldorf, Germany). For this, everything from entry submission to theshipment of machines and on-site preparation was new to us. Weexhibited letter press printing machines three times before we exhibit-ed, in 1977, our first offset press. The era of typographic printing wasending in Europe at that time, and when I think today about the exhibi-tion of those products in the fairs, I have mixed feelings of nostalgiaand embarrassment. Since then, we have become a regular presenceat the drupa exhibition sites, and today we participate in nearly everymajor exhibition in the world. Our current products are large, high-speed, multi-color offset presses that are unimaginably different fromthe machines we formerly produced, and we are attracting a great dealof attention at trade shows. Indeed, our early products and currentmodels are worlds apart.

The export department was originally run by one employee andmyself, but the organization steadily grew. Today, the number of prod-ucts exported to more than 60 countries exceeds the number of unitssold on the domestic market. It was unimaginable in those days that


1975 JuneA3 size fully automatic offset press “OLIVER 6” developed.“OLIVER” decided as the series name for all offset presses to bedeveloped henceforth.

Our first A3 size offset press “OLIVER 6”.

1977 JuneA total of five offset presses and screen presses are displayedat drupa 77.

1980 MayB3 size 2-color offset press “OL-258” completed.

1981 JanuaryB2 size cylinder-type automatic screen press “SC-72A” devel-oped.

1983Capital of Sakurai Machine Trading Co. increased to 150 millionyen.

1984 AprilSakurai Machinery (Europe) Ltd. established in the U.K.

1987 SeptemberThe company displays the OL-472ED 4-color printing machineand other products at IGAS87.

1988 DecemberUltra-modern integrated-production printing-machine factorycompleted (Mino City, Gifu Prefecture).

Construction of modern production factory with state-of-the-artmanufacturing facilities.

1990 AprilSakurai USA, Inc. established.

Building of Sakurai USA, Inc., a new overseas subsidiary com-pany, completed in 1996 (Chicago).

1992 JanuarySakurai Machine Trading Co. changes its name to SakuraiGraphic Systems Corp.

several thousand of our printing machines would be in use around theworld.

Expansion of the Gifu Factory production facility

Our factory in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture has been our sole produc-tion facility since the company’s founding in 1946. In the Showa era,we expanded our wooden factory building a number of times. Early inthe Heisei era, we completely upgraded our hardware and constructeda modern factory incorporating state-of-the-art equipment and tech-nologies wherever possible. It was an environmentally friendly factoryfeaturing extensive sound-insulation, vibration-isolation, and anti-dustmeasures. At the same time, this innovative factory incorporated com-prehensive energy-saving measures and advanced production automa-tion technologies. The factory began full-scale operations on January10, 1989.

Moreover, in a bid to enlarge the scale of our production machineryand boost the production capacities, we expanded the factory in 1997.This factory expansion project has doubled the production area. Wehave also installed IBM's production information system (MAPICS) andadded an automated warehouse and clean room in an effort to furtheradvance and streamline our production system.

While cutting-edge technologies such as automation and IT areimportant for printing machines, I believe that high precision is evenmore critical. Therefore, the skills and techniques of factory employeesshould be regarded differently from the capabilities required for the useand installation of consumables and general-purpose machinery. Hiringa large number of new employees who do not possess the necessaryskills would not improve productivity. Our company has steadilyincreased its number of employees, but we have always providedproper training over the years. At the same time, we have made majorefforts to improve the efficiency and functions of our production facili-ties. I believe there is no such thing as “overdoing it” in these areas.

60 years in retrospect

Our company will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its establishmentthis year 2006. I myself grew with the company for more than a half-century. I actively visited our clients to promote our products, and amstill in close contact with many of the customers with whom I becameacquainted since the early years of my sales activities. This is the singlemost valuable asset that I have acquired through business.

Though those years were long, they seemed to have passed soquickly. Today, the company is operated primarily by young people,including my oldest son Ryuta (the current Vice President) and my sec-ond son Jirota (the current General Manger of the Tokyo SalesDepartment). We have acquired new clients, but many of our clientshave been with us since the company’s founding. I would like to thankthe great many customers who have supported our company, and Iwould also like to express my appreciation to all of our employees. Wewill continue to produce high-quality printing machines in order to serveas important business partners to our clients. I have promised myselfthat I will spare no effort in living up to this commitment.

Yoshikuni SakuraiPresident

Stop-cylinder type screen press “Maestro 72A,” developed in1991.

1995 SeptemberOL-472EDII B2 size 4-color press (with varnish coater) capableof waterless printing introduced at IGAS95.

1996 October50th-anniversary ceremony held.

OctoberSakurai USA celebrates completion of its company building.

1997Gifu Factory expansion, including the construction of a cleanroom and a new automated warehouse linked to MAPICS (pro-duction information management system).

2000U.K. subsidiary reorganized as direct-management branchoffice.

2001OLIVER 466SIP (A2 size 4-color convertible perfector press)introduced at JP2001 (Osaka).

2003Gifu Factory obtains ISO9001:2000 certification.

AAA

A large crowd gathered at our booth at IGAS2003.(Our mainstay OLIVER 75SDP series was introduced.)

2004B2 wide size 5-color “OLIVER 575SDC” with UV coater intro-duced at drupa 04 (Germany).Gifu Factory obtains ISO14001 certification.

2005Company concludes business tie-up with Amana Inc. andlaunches Sakurai S-PAS photo content distribution service.

OLIVER 675SDP convertible 6-color press with UV coater.Sold to a well known packaging printer in U.K.



11Mexican market withSakuraiEditorial Progreso / Universidad DelValle / Carteles Editores , Mexico.

12The purchasing of the firstfour-color press brought Alvito a higher level in printingAlvi Design Krasnodar, Russia.

Growing with SakuraiThai Screen Store Co., LTD.

14Flexible and full-serviceJessen & co. / Jonsson & Nomi /Stielund & Taekker, DenmarkStielund & Taekker head office.

13

“We are glad to have chosen Sakurai products!”Users of Sakurai products describe why theyselected our products and how they put themto optimal use.


Mexican market with Sakurai

Editorial Progreso / Universidad Del Valle / Carteles Deitores,Mexico

Chief engineer (left) and President of Suntek (Right)

Company profileName: Suntek, S.A. de C.V.President: Mr. Antonio SaladoHeadquarters: Aristoteles 210 Col. PolancoC.P.11550 Mexico D.F.Tel.: 52-55-5010-7200

Universidad Del Valle De Mexico.

Universidad Del Valle De Mexico.

This important Mexican University start-ed operations in November 1960 throughHarvard Institution with a population of212 students, 23 professors and 14administrative collaborators teachingbasic, medium and superior medium lev-els, with Public accounting, and adminis-trative degrees, focusing after in the supe-rior levels only.

Several years and after an intensivelabor, the institution performed their con-solidation and from 1968 they proudlyhold their currently name: Universidad DelValle de Mexico (UVM) .

Due to their accelerated growth, theyare enfacing a transformation in theirstructure and the opening of new centers.At present the university has 21 centersaround the country, including the GraphicArts Design Degree and an importanttraining tool for the students has been theinstallation of four Sakurai OL58EII press-es.

Carteles Deitores

Carteles Editores, founded in 1989, has32 employees and has equipment withtop-of –the-line technology technology so

that we can continue to grow in thisregion. We even produce printed work forother areas of the country.

If we needed to acquire additional offsetequipment, we would not think twice—itwould be from Sakurai, by way of its newrepresentative in Mexico, Suntek A yearlater, in 2002, we were in the ChicagoPrint Show, looking at the OL-466-SIP Weshyly began speaking about the possibilityof jumping to a four-color press since thedemand for full-color work was growing atthe time and is now quite large.

Some months later, during a print fair inMexico City, we closed the deal on thatpress. And a good decision it was.

The machine is mechanically strong andcompact, complete with much equipmentthat other brands consider to be “option-al.” The dream was no longer a dream,but reality and these Japanese machineshad not only changed our life, but ourenthusiasm..

Editorial Progreso

Editorial Progreso is a company thatbelongs to the catholic religious who inte-grate the Community of Brothers Maristsin Mexico, whose main mission is to edu-cate. The community of Brothers Maristshas presence in the 5 continents, in sever-al countries of the world.

With 103 years in the Mexican market,Editorial Progreso is located in MéxicoCity. It collection is conformed by text-books for Preschool, Elementary, Highschool and religion, and books specializedin pedagogy. The share capital is 100%Mexican and the company has 205employees. It main activity is connected toeditorial printing companies and otherrelated industries.

The growth that day after day the com-pany enfaces is evident and the modern-ization has been our target during the last10 years. Editorial Progreso has two Webpresses, one 5 colors and one two colorspresses; four sheet feed presses, onesmall format 1/1 machine , 2 big format4/4 and the last one acquired SakuraiOL2102 EPII, which started running inNovember 2004. Up to today thismachine has 8,100,000 printed sheets in2,660 working hours.

The purchasing of the first four-color press brought Alvi toa higher level in printing

Alvi Design Krasnodar, Russia


Company profileName: ALVI DesignPresident: Mr.Alexander RuchkaHeadquarters: 321, Rashpilevskaya Street,Krasnodar city, 350051,RussiaTel.: 07-861-2100707Founded: 1998

designed for printing multi-color highquality advertising and representativeproducts on sheets of 660x470 mm size,0,04 to 0,4 mm thickness, with max. print-ing speed of 15000 IPH.

The press is equipped with integratedSakurai InterActive System for control andtroubleshooting, Delivery-Top ColorConsole located over the extended deliv-ery, Automatic Plate Changing System,Automatic Ink Roller Wash-Up. Impressionpressure adjustment, sheet size preset-ting, dampening solution temperaturemaintenance are also automatic.

This model is capable of working withwide range of materials, compact, eco-nomical, user friendly. It ensures stableprinting quality irrespective of the load.Besides, its price is relatively low forpresses of this size.

While not being inferior in quality toGerman-made presses, which, unfortu-nately, still remain a kind of quality model,Sakurai press turned out to be much bet-ter in terms of price, and this, in the enddetermined the choice of Alvi manage-ment.

The press was purchase for printingadvertising products and labels.

A year after the first press was put intooperation, the company makes a decision

to purchase the second Sakurai press,thus confirming a high quality level ofproducts printed on Japanese-madepresses.

In September 2005 Animar techniciansinstalled and put in operation Oliver475SD, sheet-fed offset press manufac-tured by Sakurai Graphic Systems Corp.(Japan).

The press is designed for printing multi-color high quality advertising and repre-sentative products on sheets of 788x600mm size, 0,04 to 0,6 mm thickness, withmax. printing speed of 15000 IPH.

The press is equipped with remote con-sole for control and troubleshooting,Automatic Plate Changing System,Automatic Ink Roller Wash-Up, BaldwinAutomatic Blanket Washing Device.Impression pressure adjustment, sheetsize presetting, dampening solution tem-perature maintenance are also automatic.This model is capable of working withwide range of materials, compact, eco-nomical, user friendly. It ensures stableprinting quality irrespective of the load.Besides, its price is relatively low forpresses of this size. Being highly automat-ed the press meets all the requirements ofthe modern market.

From left: Mrs.Larisa Ruchka(ALVI Design), Mr.Evgeny B.Kagan(AnimarSakurai's agent),Mr.Alexander Ruchka (ALVI Design)

Choosing Sakurai

Alvi Design printing house has been inthe market since 1998. They started froma small screen printing workshop. After atime the first offset press appeared. It wasRomayor one-color press. Thanks to thehigh quality of their products Alvi companywas growing quickly. Equipment installa-tion was growing together with the com-pany. The first press with two printingunits was also manufactured by Romayor.However, with the number of orders con-tinuously growing and requirements toproducts becoming stricter, the time cameto purchase a full-color press, and it wasHamada press.

The purchasing of the first four-colorpress brought Alvi to a higher level in print-ing. The management of the printinghouse was pleased with Hamada pressoperation, but they were well aware thatthe equipment should be constantlyupgraded.

It took quite a long time to choose aheavy-duty four-color press, as the marketoffered a lot of high class presses.

In July 2004 the management of theprinting house makes a decision to pur-chase Oliver 466SI, a new four-color offsetpress manufactured by Sakurai GraphicSystems Corporation (Japan). The press is


Growing with Sakurai

Thai Screen Store Co., Ltd.

Company profileName: Thai Screen Store Co., Ltd.President: Mr. Yongyuth ThangjitpiyanontHeadquarters: 1575/2-3 Phaholyothin Rd.Samasaennai, Phayathai,Bangkok, Thailand

Thai screen store co. Ltd.Mr Yongyuth Thangitpiyanont director

The first order in 1991

Thai screen store has started promotionwhile it was not so easy because it is quitenew to the market. However after his somany attempts, he has succeeded tomake the first sales to Ocean industrycompany in 1991. Mr.Yongyuth says “Theinitial machine sales was not easy. I justcontinued promotion as I strongly felt thisis the machine for the next generation. Iwas very lucky having good business part-ners and family to support me.”

Awarded as an excellent distrib-utor in 2003

Soon after the successful installation atOcean industry, among those membersvisited L.A. with Mr Yongyuth such asHouse Printing, View company andSritong name plate have installed severalSakurai cylinder type screen machinesand they are still our good customers formore than decade.

In 2003, after penetrating our brandname into the market, Thai screen storehas sold totally 10units and awarded as

the excellent distributor. In this year, Mr. Yongyuth’s has been

assigned as the president of Thai GraphicArts Suppliers & Manufacturers TradeAssociation because of his great perform-ance contributed to the screen printingindustry in Thailand. The association hasthree key words for their activity.

1. Friend ship2. Corporation3. DevelopmentThai screen store will keep growing up

keeping above words in their activities.

Screen printing international 1989 in L.A.Mr and Mrs Yongyuth with members of Thaiscreen printing business

From hot and exciting Thailand

Thailand is one of the most growing andexciting hot market in the world.

Since 1990, Thai screen store has beendistributing our cylinder machines by pen-etrating our brand and supplied more than50units of Sakurai cyl inder screenmachines.

Thai screen store has beenassigned as Sakurai distributorin 1990

It was in 1989, Mr. YongyuthThangitpiyanont, director of Thai screenstore, visited American Screen Printersand Screen Printing International in LosAngels USA. He has accompanied his wifeMrs. Channanan and members of Thaiscreen printing business where they havemet Sakurai first. During their stay in US,they have visited several screen printersand found all of them are using Sakuraicylinder screen machine. Mr Yongyuthsays “I was very impressed and felt this isthe machine for the next generation” andstarted promoting Sakurai cyl indermachine after his return.

Members of Thai screen store

Impressive press produces jobopenings

In the first quarter of the year, Jessen &Co. in Valby, Copenhagen, took delivery ofa Sakurai 466, a four color litho press inthe long-proven A2 format, 46x64 cm.The press is set up and operated througha control console and comes completewith automatic paper presets, blanketwashing, and roller washing.

Finn Jessen explains,

We had the press installed around 1stFebruary and passed 4,000,000 impres-sions by 1st November. We turn aroundjobs at a terrific speed since the press isso productive.

Our turnaround time is competitive andconsumes a mere four minutes from westart changing plates until we press thestart button and pull the first impression.

The press was delivered in one pieceand installation was a snap. The controlconsole and the pumps had to be con-nected, of course, but it took only twodays for us to be up and running. It wasno hassles and no sweat.

Flexible and full-service

Jessen & co. / Jonsson & Nomi / Stielund & Taekker, Denmark


Mr.Finn Jessen (Jessen & co. )

The control console is Windows-based,and if you can find your way about before-hand, it is simple to learn and user-friendlyto operate. We had CIP3 installed simulta-neously, so when film is run instructionsare written which tell the control consolehow to configure the color keys in theprinting units.

We operate the press in two shifts, andthe best part is that the press has helpedus attract more jobs.

We target the short run market and witha fast press our prices can be competitive.This also explains why have had an uptakein jobs. Last year at this time we had fiveor six four-color process jobs per day onour A3 press, and now we have ten totwelve four-color process jobs per day in aformat twice as large.

A doubling of jobs in double the formatis certainly no cause for complaint. SinceJanuary we have hired a production man-ager, a designer, and a press operator allof which is down to the press which hascreated three job openings, Finn Jessenconcludes.

Finn Jessen, Jessen & Co., at his newSakurai Oliver 466.

Flexible and full-service

Located on the island of Amager acrossthe harbour channel from centralCopenhagen, Jønsson & Nomi is a full-service printer with litho, silk screen, andletter press. A dedicated division for digitalprinting has also been set up. A team ofeighteen produces jobs of every descrip-tion, explains Ernst A. Jønsson.

In offset we first and foremost printbrochures–a lot of brochures–but we alsoprint stationery, folders, flyers, posters,signs and much else besides. If it is print-able, we will print it.

A couple of years ago we invested in afive color Sakurai press, in the 52x72 cmformat. It was our first move into the half-size, and it let us tap into new markets.The press makes short work of make-ready–it changes the plates and config-ures the color keys automatically.

Productivity has gone up which allowsus to accept more jobs, and we are ontwo shifts to keep up. Printing in four and

Mr.Ernest Jonsson (Jonsson & NKN A/S )


Company profileName: Stielund & Taekker ApSPresident: Niels StielundHeadquarters: Kirstinehoj 28, DK-2770 KastrupDenmarkTel.: 45-32-46-1300

This scope provides us with a uniquegrasp of the direction developments in thegraphic arts are taking, both among man-ufacturers and among European col-leagues in the chain of supply.

Stielund & Taekker head office

we consider which processes are best forthe job. Thanks to the presses and print-ers in our plant, we are able to scale solu-tions to match jobs, and this flexibility isprobably our most important asset, ErnstA. Jønsson concludes.

Stielund & Taekker– your graphic arts partner

Building our present position as one-stop supplier over a period of almosttwenty years, we have established our-selves among the leading distributors ofproducts for prepress and print as well asof associated service and support.

Stielund & Taekker is a privately heldcompany founded in 1986 by NielsStielund who is sole owner. From a oneman force, the company has expandedinto a team of twenty-five which providescustomers with a broad selection of spe-cialised skills through our parent companyand a daughter company in Sweden.

As member for Scandinavia, and nowalso chair of ELSA, the EuropeanLithographic Suppliers Alliance, we co-operate as well with major manufacturersas with other distributors the world over.

five colors day in and day out consumes apile of plates, so we recently installed anAgfa Palladio CTP machine. It is fully auto-mated and produces plates withoutpause, and we have no need to keep aneye on it.

Currently our silk screen division is pro-ducing to capacity. With Christmas andNew Years approaching, more gifts ofwine are going out with the name andlogo of the donor's company, and weprint a lot of cartons and covers for wineboxes.

Our digital division is busy, too. It isequipped with color and monochromeprinters, and a large-format color printer,all from Canon. We print a wide gamut ofproducts, from Christmas cards, invita-tions, and manuals to large-format postersin short runs.

Digital orders tend to fetch litho orders,though as a rule it is not clear to cus-tomers where the two processes partprice-wise. If a customer enquires on15,000 monochrome copies, the job is notrun in one of our monochrome printers, ofcourse. It is run in one of our small offsetpresses. Customers consider prices, and

Lifeline of printing presses -The secret of high-functionality gears


The gear is one of the core parts of a printing device.Among the vast array of gear types, all printing presses use spur wheels, helical

gears, rack gears and pinion gears or worm wheels.No matter how far electronics and technologies advance, gears will represent

core parts, charged with transmitting power.The present article discusses the central role of such gears.

helicoids. The only way to guarantee gearquality is to thoroughly inspect each prod-uct. Gear cutting requires computer-con-trolled high-precision gear cuttingmachines and gear measuring instru-ments. To cut gears with high precision,the hobbing process (gear cuttingmachine) and reference plane inner diam-eter and face grinding processes consti-tute important bases for preparatory cut-tings. Following the adoption of softwareand hardware for these various processesand to control and maintain quality, ISOClass 4 or 5 high-precision ground-toothgears are now manufactured for use inprinting presses.

As multicolor and speed continue toadvance in the field of printing, the qualityand accuracy of gears need to improveeven further to meet the requirements ofprinting press manufacture. This wil lrequire the development of workmanshipand quality control involving ceaselesseffort and steady technical training, some-thing that can’t be accomplished in a dayor two. At Sakurai, expert inspection tech-nicians with vast experience scrupulouslyinspect gears one by one using the mostadvanced gear accuracy inspection equip-ment. Only gears passing this rigorousinspection are used in production. Theaccuracy requirements for cylinder gearsare especially rigorous. All Sakurai prod-ucts use gears of Class 0, the highestspecification under the JIS Standard.

Written by Design Dept., Gifu Factory

History of gears

Gears integrated with the three ele-ments of bearings, bolts, and nuts areused not just in printing presses, but injust about all other machinery. Gears werealready employed in ancient Egypt, datingback some 3,000 years. Many of today’sgear units were conceived by the geniusLeonardo da Vinci, well-known as thepainter of the Mona Lisa, in the latter halfof the 15th century.

The development of gear machiningtechniques is said to have begun at themiddle of the 16th century, with theoreticalprinciples established by the end of the19th century.

The mainstream gears currently in useinclude the so-called involute gear, invent-ed by Philip Hire at the end of the 17thcentury. This gear is manufacturedthrough theoretical analysis of the toothform, based on an involute curve.

The printing press was invented byGutenberg toward the middle of the 15thcentury. However, with the later develop-ment of rotary presses, numerous gearscame to be employed in printing presses,as today.

Functions of gears and their appli-cation to printing presses

Gear functions are broadly classified asfollows:

(1)Power transmission(2)Speed conversion (adjustments in

number of revolutions)(3)Changes in rotating direction (rever-

sal)Printing presses use all three functions.

Among the Sakurai sheet-fed multicoloroffset presses, the Oliver-475SD extendedhalf-Kiku-size 4-color machine containsmore than 100 gears of a wide range ofsizes and type.

Printing presses need to provide highdurability, capable of withstanding use dayin and day out for years, at speeds as highas 15,000 revolutions per hour. Gears,including those not continually actuated,must offer the highest precision and dura-bility to continue rotating under high speedand power conditions.

Gears are so important that some say“final print quality is dictated by the accu-racy of gears.” Among gears, one of themost critical is the cylinder gear, whichplays the critical role of transferring powerprecisely and smoothly from one unit toanother color unit. One can appreciate theimportance of this gear by consideringthat ink must be transferred to paper with-in tolerances of less than several tens ofnanometers (1 mm = 1,000 μm) whilefour or more sheets of paper are beingdelivered per second from one cylinder toanother. This cylinder gear is a helicalgear, because helical gears transfer powerextremely well and provide smooth rota-tion due to helically formed teeth, unlikeordinary spur wheels.

Quality control of gears

Unlike other machine parts, the toler-ance standards for gear quality controlcannot be controlled based on measuredvalues alone. Differing from parts that con-sist of planes or cylinders, gears areshaped according to curves called involute

A helical gear is machined on a gear-forming typegrinding machine.

Helical gears widely used in printing presses


Reasons for selecting CATIA V5

Also used in the aircraft industry andautomobile-manufacturing industry, CATIAV5, is a cutting-edge 3D design systemdeveloped by Dassault Systems, France,that allows users to reproduce the view ofan entire machine with great accuracy andin detail from any perspective. CATIA V5has become a near-indispensable tool inthe design of printing presses at our com-pany.

The following three factors can be citedas decisive reasons for choosing to intro-duce the CATIA V5.

First, 2D drawings will continue to berequired for the design of machines, andCATIA V5 provides remarkably superiordrafting capabilities.

Second, for 3D assembly based onnumerous 2D parts drawings, CATIA V5allows the linking and fusing of data withina single CAD.

The system also offers excellent scala-bility. While analysis techniques are essen-tial to design, the design system can belinked to a 3D analysis simulation to pro-vide high system scalability, allowing real-ization of development concepts andexpansion capabilities through peripheralsoftware. The most important point isproduct usability, which allows rapid andsmooth adoption into workflow.

Concrete benefits from introductionof 3D CAD

Printing press design requires high-speed, comprehensive work that will notrequire revisions. The introduction ofCATIA V5 has dramatically expedited thedevelopment process of new products atour company. In addition, the ease ofevaluating prototypes results in fast trans-fers from design to manufacturing stages.

Let’s listen to some of the individualscharged with design work who actuallyuse CATIA V5 in their day to day work.

“CATIA V5’s 3D capabilities allow us tomanufacture prototypes quickly, whileeliminating almost all problems associatedwith verification. This might be because awide range of trials can be carried out onscreen, leading to improved design con-sistency.”

“The waste of time that used to be partof the trial and error stage has been elimi-nated and workloads significantly light-ened. Whereas over 200 items of changesused to be identified at the study stage,this number has dropped to about one-fifth.”

“In issuing instructions under a subcon-tract for parts manufacture, we’re able tofurnish accurate drawings, which has dra-matically improved understanding andaccuracy.”

“As machines become larger, we haveto calculate the center of gravity of prod-

ucts weighing nearly twenty tons. Thatwas all but impossible by conventionalmethods, and the best that we could dowas rules of thumb used by expert techni-cians. CATIA V5 lets us locate the centerof gravity in a simple fashion.”

These are some of the material andimmaterial benefits provided by CATIA V5.

Putting CATIA V5 to more effective use

It’s already been three years now sincethe introduction of CATIA V5, and all per-sonnel in charge are using it as an “easytool.” At our Gifu Factory, the design roomis left open to other departments andcompany sections as a CollaborationSpace. Even non-technical marketing staffwho are unable to read design drawingscan readily grasp the features of a designby viewing 3D forms. This advantageserves for improvement of the customerservice.

Since the 3D design system was builtup at Sakurai’s Gifu Factory, reforms inwork procedures are already underway.By now, equipment has been upgraded tothe latest models – not just in the designdepartment, but in all other manufacturingdepartments, including part machining,assembly, and so on. This will be regard-ed as a major positive result from theintroduction of CATIA V5.

Written by Design Dept., Gifu Factory .

Structural reform of design awarenessBenefits of 3D-CAD CATIA V5.

With the advent of the era of structural reforms, we need to build systems that enable the develop-ment of printing presses that anticipate market changes. In January 2003, Sakurai introduced theCATIA V5 stereoscopic design system to shift from conventional 2D design tool Micro CAD to 3Dcapabilities.

Sakurai’s Oliver-475SD, the latest B2 size 4-coloroffset press, as viewed from two perspectives

Enlarged partial view of an offset press designed withCATIA V5


Origin of ink painting andits introduction to Japan

Ink painting uses gradations of inkand consists of points, lines, and planesformed through movements of a brush.The origins of this art form are said totrace back to China’s Tang Dynasty(618-907), when high-ranking officialsand other men of letters began to paintink works to accompany calligraphy. Itis generally accepted that ink paintingwas introduced to Japan along with thepractice of Zen in the late Kamakuraperiod or in the Muromachi period. Itis certain, however, that in the Tempyoperiod, a prototype of ink painting waspresented to the Japanese ImperialCourt by imperial envoys to TangChina.Many ink paintings brought back to

Japan by Zen priests that had studied

Museum of colors—No. 5

Monochrome beauty: subtle yet profound ink paintingsDistant, hazy mountain ranges covered with treesMist hanging in the trees in the early morningViewing a monochrome landscape, such as an ink painting, gives a sense of nostalgia and comfort.The Japanese have a deep appreciation for the world of ink painting.Experience the infinite expanse of black and white created with Chinese ink.


in China began to attract the attentionof the general public. In those days,Buddhist paintings and portraits weremore popular than landscape paintings.Generally, it appears that priests whostudied in China were bringing por-traits of their mentors back to Japan. Ataround the same time, many expensiveworks of ink painting were beingimported by the flamboyant samuraisknown as “Basara Daimyo.”Literati painting, which was seen as

a highly spiritual art form, developedinto the Southern school of Chinesepainting, while commercial painting--paintings associated with transactions--developed into the Northern school ofChinese painting.Thus, after its introduction from the

Chinese continent to Japan, ink paint-ing matured into an original culturalelement of Japan, to be handed downto this day. Other styles of paintings,drawn with similar techniques but alsowith colors, are referred to as “Sumi-e”to distinguish them from traditionalmonochrome ink paintings.In this article, we will focus on

monochrome ink painting.

Traditional techniques,broadening the range ofexpression

There is a saying that “ink has fivecolors.” This saying is meant to sug-gest that we can feel the texture of anarticle, the atmosphere, and colors inpictures drawn with monochrome ink.Even the spirituality at the heart of thework is brought into relief in ink paint-ing, in which everything unnecessaryis taken away. Traditional methods andtechniques are essential to create suchpainting. The combination of thesetechniques enables the creation of theunique world of ink painting. Some ofthe most basic techniques are as fol-lows.

Color of inkThe color of ink is an important fac-

tor that determines the atmosphere ofthe overall ink painting. This color isroughly divided into bluish and brown-ish tones.(1) Shoenboku (Bluish ink): This is

bluish ink that is made from the soot ofpine wood. It creates a serene and pureatmosphere in paintings.(2) Yuenboku (Brownish ink): This

ink is made from the soot of rapeseedoil. Purplish ink is also made from thesoot of certain kinds of oil. It helps tocreate a warm, profound, and powerfulatmosphere.

Four touchesBrushwork modifies techniques

such as the Kouroku technique, whichis used to draw the outline of an objectwith the tip of a brush, and themokkotsu technique, which is suitablefor drawing the shape of an objectboldly with the flat side of a brush.Further, a sensitive brush touch givesnuance to points, lines, and planes andadds spirituality and stories to paint-ings. (Refer to the drawing below.)(1) Nijimi (diffusion): This technique

allows points, lines, and planes to dif-fuse naturally and slowly. It lends anair of peacefulness and comfort to thepainting.(2) Bokashi (wash-shading): This is

a technique used to create a soft grada-tion from light ink to dark ink. Thismethod helps lend a tender and sereneatmosphere to painting.(3) Sae (smooth line): Sharp, fresh,

and clear drawing creates a fresh andcrisp atmosphere.

Upper left: Nijimi; Lower left: Bokashi; Upper right: Sae; Lower right: KasureVarious touches are created by dipping only the tip of a water-filled brush in ink, drawing with a brush afterthe water is slightly absorbed with a cloth, or adjusting the speed of brush movement.

(4) Kasure (broken or grazed line):More rapid drawing creates an austeredepth. This technique is used to createwabi and sabi, or an air of elegant sim-plicity.

Quality of paperNuances such as nijimi and bokashi

vary depending on the types of paperused, as well as the on the use ofwater. Various effects are created bytechniques such as applying water topaper with a brush and drawing with awater-filled brush whose tip is dippedin ink.(1) Gasenshi: This paper causes ink

to spread softly.(2) Kozoshi, Mashi: This paper caus-

es ink to blur slightly and is suitablefor drawing powerful broken lines,which gives dynamism to the painting.(3) Kanokoshi, Ganpishi: On this

type of paper, ink does not blur unlessit is gradated with water; this mediumis most suited to delicacy of expres-sion.Tension is created by the subtle bal-

ance between black and white. Thoseacute sensitivity, a trait the Japaneseseem naturally endowed with, enablethem to appreciate emotions, the beau-ty of elegant simplicity, and the full-color world in ink paintings. It is a gen-uine pleasure to take advantage ofsuch blessings and to try to draw.


Held from Tuesday Oct. 4 throughSaturday Oct. 8, 2005, at the TokyoInternational Exhibition Center (Tokyo BigSight), JGAS2005 marked the sole inter-national exhibition held in fiscal year 2005for printing equipment and materials. Theevent drew numerous exhibitors and visi-tors, including overseas exhibitors and vis-itors. According to the organizer’sannouncement, the event proved a majorsuccess, with a turnout of 118,481 visitorsover the overall exposition period, easilysurpassing the init ial target f igure of100,000.

Occupying an exhibition space 1.5times wider than last year, Sakurai’s boothattracted numerous visitors each day.

Signs of recovery in the printing and related sectors! JGAS2005 largest exposition of printing equipment and materials

Sakurai’s screen printing machine wins Good Design AwardThe award testifies to remarkable design capabilities as well as manufacturing techniques.

Ultra-high precision stop cylinder automaticscreen printing machine MS-102SD

Sakurai was selected as 2005 GoodDesign Award winner. The MS-102SDembodies the essence of Sakurai’s cut-ting-edge manufacturing technologies forscreen printing machines. Developed asan epochal product al lowing strokeadjustments with the stop cylinder, along-standing problem, the device alsoenhances usability through equal-speedhigh-quality printing, lower noise, andvibration resistance, as well as high oper-ability. In addition to its superb accuracy,

the device features superior design, asdemonstrated by the awarding of theprestigious prize.

Sakurai has every intention of continu-ing to make the most of its advancedmanufacturing technologies to achieveeven higher design quality.

Aaaaaaaaaa

The booth promoted the new WithNetConcept business flow concept, based onthe new Sakurai S-PAS image downloadsystem, is briefly described in the first partof this publication. The system will allowdirect application in the nascent businessactivit ies of the printing industry.Demonstrations and trial printing drew theattention of numerous visitors every day,who demonstrated their keen interest inSakurai S-PAS. Many preliminary applica-tions were received on the spot.

On our main displays at the fair were the

2102EPII A1 size 2-color convertiblepress, also compatible with extra-thinpaper, and the DMS-102AII 2-color stopcylinder screen machine, the very first ofthis kind in our sector, in addition to thetwo OL-566SD and OL-575SDP 5-colorunits, which seek to provide added valuethrough the addition of special features.Sakurai demonstrated a unique printingmethod that illustrated all the strengths ofcombining offset printing and screen print-ing, attracting the interest of numerous off-set printing companies.

Targeting the printing industry, Sakurai’s new photo content delivery service venture draws keen visitor interest.


A note from the editor:

In 2006, thanks to the patronage of our clients

and friends, our company will celebrate its 60th

anniversary. Equipment technology has changed

dramatically from the company’s founding, a time

of manual-feed letter press printing presses, to

today’s multicolor offset presses. But our tradition

of reliable and durable printing equipment remains

unchanged. Numerous clients continue to use letter

press machines made 40 to 50 years back, or off-

set presses or screen printing machines now more

than 30 years old. We wish to express our gratitude

to our clients – we would hardly be in a position to

celebrate our 60-year anniversary without their

patronage and support.

We intend to continue expanding and improving

the content of our public relations newsletter SUN

and to continue issuing it for years to come. We

would sincerely appreciate your continued support

of this publication over this coming year.

PublishedFebruary 02, 2006Published bySUN Editorial Dept.Sakurai Graphic Systems Corp.

Information

DTP systems are rapidlybecoming the standard

Use of the CTP (Computer to Plate) sys-tem is proliferating with dramatic speed.Since the CTP offers significant benefitsover conventional film platemaking, includ-ing low cost, higher platemaking speed,and improved print quality, the rapidgrowth in the system’s popularity is hardlyunexpected. Thermal CTPs introduced fortheir usability and simple handling in nor-

mal room lighting conditions now accountfor over 80% of all CTPs delivered. TheDimension 425 Excel is a thermal CTPsystem made and developed by Presstek,U.S.A., renowned for development ofdirect imaging (DI) devices. The machinecomes equipped with the new-dimensionProfire Excel DI system device, animproved version of the conventionalProfire imaging device.

Quick and Clean

No darkroom neededAs a thermal CTP, the Dimension 425

Excel allows to work in normal room light-ing conditions.

No development requiredThe Dimension 425 Excel is compatible

with the thermal CTP plate TP-Z made byKodak Polychrome Graphics. Requiring nodeveloping, all stages of a print job can beaccomplished in normal room lighting con-ditions. The environment-friendly systemalso uses no chemicals.

Function of image area data creationThe Dimension 425 Excel provides the

function of creating image area data com-patible with the printing press. Efficient useof this function allows to cut back drasti-cally on the makeready time.

Supporting a broad range of RIPsystems

The Dimension 425 Excel also supports2540dpi-1 bit-TIFF files created with yourcurrent prepress system.

Accommodating A3 to B2 sizesThe Dimension 425 Excel accommo-

dates a wide range of plate sizes.Compatible plate sizes range from a mini-mum of 320 x 240 mm to a maximum of780 x 680 mm. It is fully compatible withany Sakurai SI/SIP Series or SD/SDPSeries machine.

New-dimension thermal CTP equipped with Profire Excel DI device

Dimension 425 EXCELDevice offers the best match for Oliver multicolor print presses; exhibitsmaximum performance.

Film output Film developing

Manual layout

PS plateExposuring

PS plate developing Traditional printing process

Traditional CTP system (with developing)

Printing process using the Dimension 425 Excel

Plate output

Plate developing Finishing

Finishing

Plate output Cleaning with water

RIP

RIP

RIP

PRINT

PRINT

PRINT

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http://www.sakurai-gs.co.jphttp://www.sakurai.com

Sakurai Graphic Systems Corp.Headquarters 2-2-9 Fukuzumi, Koto-ku, Tokyo Japan 135-0032

Phone: 81-3-3643-1131 Fax: 81-3-3641-9663

London Branch Cherrywell House,Tamian Way, Hounslow, Middlesex TW4 6BL U.K.Phone: 44-20-8577-5672 Fax: 44-20-8572-3942

Sakurai U.S.A. Inc. 1700 North Basswood Rd. Schaumburg IL 60173 U.S.A.Phone: 1-847-490-9400 Fax: 1-847-490-4200

Printed in Japan 06.1.5(P)This booklet was printed on an OLIVER-475SDISO 9001 PRODUCTION &TECHNOLOGY DEPT. ISO 14001 PRODUCTION &TECHNOLOGY DEPT.

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