http://www.sakurai-gs.co.jp
Full-UV Multi-Color Printing Machines with Added Versatility
A new proposal from Sakurai
Photo content distribution service for the printing industry
Sakurai 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 Change
60 years in retrospect
Lifeline of printing presses - The secret of high-functionality gears
Structural reform of design awareness - Benefits of 3D-CAD CATIA V5.
Museum of Colors - No. 5 Monochrome beauty: Subtle Yet Profound ink paintings
Signs of recovery in the printing and related sectors!
Sakurai’s screen printing machine wins Good Design Award!!
Sakurai User Network
2006Winter
Vol.8
Sakurai S-PAS service offers many types of images for easy downloading.
Easy-to-Use, Environmentally
Friendly Sakurai OLIVER
The OLIVER accurately reproduces natural colors.
The above image was downloaded using Sakurai S-PAS.
OLIVER-575SDC
Super B2 size 5-color straight
offset press with coater
Full-UV Multi-Color Printing Machines
with Added Versatility
OLIVER-675SDP super B size convertible perfector
6-color press with coater
In July of this year, Sakurai introduced
the OLIVER-675SDPC super B size 6color printing machine with a coater capable of UV printing and UV coating. This
model can use UV inks to produce prints
with six colors on a single side, or prints
with five colors on the front surface and
one color on the back, and can also perform surface treatment using UV varnish.
The OLIVER-675SDPC provides printed
materials with higher added value, without
complicated processing.
The following briefly describes the features of UV printing.
Features of UV printing
UV printing is performed by a printing
machine mounted with special devices
designed for the task, such as blankets,
inks, water rollers, and a dryer, using UVcurable inks (UV inks). UV printing has the
following advantages over conventional
printing methods.
(1) No restriction on the type of
print media
Ordinary oil-based printing inks can only
be used to print on materials that absorb
ink, such as paper. Because UV inks
adhere to materials, however, they can be
used to print on materials that do not
absorb ink, such as films.
IR dryer/UV dryer inside extended delivery &
interdeck UV dryer
(2) Beautiful glossy finish
(2) Lenticular printing
When UV clear-coat is printed by a
press equipped with a coater unit, the surface of the printed material has more luster than when water-based varnish is
used.
With this method, as a result of printing
on the back side of a film whose front side
has been specially processed, the printed
picture appears differently when viewed
from the front, depending on the angle of
view.
The surface of this special film is corrugated in the vertical direction. As a result,
the printed picture changes depending on
the angle it is viewed from.
(3) No waiting time
The UV dryer mounted in a UV printing
machine dries and cures the ink instantaneously after application. The printed
material can therefore be sent to the next
process immediately.
(4) Environmental friendliness
Because the print media remains dry
during transportation in the paper discharge section, there is no need to use
powder, thus eliminating the risk of air
contamination.
Suitable for high-valueadded prints
The one-pass printing system enables
the following printing techniques to be
used in order to create high added value.
(1) Quasi-embossed printing
With this type of printing, UV clear-coat
is first applied to the area on the print
media where visual emphasis is to be
added. This increases the glossiness of
the selected area. Then, the glossiness in
the area around that section is reduced in
order to increase the contrast with the
area to be emphasized. This creates an
embossed-like effect.
Mounts movable interdeck
UV irradiation equipment
The newly developed OLIVER675SDPC UV model enables each printing
unit to be installed with an interdeck UV
irradiation unit equipped with a mediumpressure mercury lamp. According to the
type of printing conducted, the three
devices can be rearranged as required.
Furthermore, the dryer for the UV coater
comes equipped with three 160-W/cmoutput UV lamps for extension delivery as
standard equipment. Either metal-halide
lamps or mercury lamps can be selected
according to the type of ink used.
In terms of printing speed, when five ink
colors and one UV clear coat are used
with the dryer output set to 100%, a drying rate of 13,000 sheets per hour is
achieved. (This rate may fluctuate depending on the printing conditions.)
UV printing can create higher added
value. Demand for UV printing is increasing steadily worldwide due to its simple
drying process and environmental friendliness. In response to this, Sakurai displayed its full-UV OLIVER-575SDC at the
“drupa 2004” trade show. Sakurai’s multicolor printing machines equipped with
such a UV irradiation device are being progressively supplied to markets around the
world.
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
1
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 of
perfectly-suited images from among a vast number of photos.
Instantaneous searching to find the
images 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 suggest a gentle, warm feeling. The image brought to mind by the
word “sun” varies from individual to individual. Some people
may think of the warm spring sun, while others may think of
the blazing summer sun. Compositional needs vary just as
widely. Are you confident of finding the appropriate image and
supplying it to your client in the time given?
How can you find an actual picture that fits exactly the
image you have in mind? Where can you find a large collection
of photo contents that offer many different visual expressions?
Sakurai’s S-PAS service has the solution, allowing you to find
the images you’re searching for quickly and accurately.
In this case, the search found 71 matches, meaning that the
candidate photos have been narrowed down. These visuals
should be close to the image that your client wants. You can
view these pictures together with your client and select one on
the spot.
Sakurai S-PAS has been created through a tie-up with
Amana Inc., one of Japan’s leading visual solutions companies. Sakurai S-PAS is a photo-content distribution service
that enables the use of photos from Japan’s largest photo
library (operated by Amana) at a special price. Using Sakurai
S-PAS, you’ll find it incredibly easy to locate the image you
want. Just enter the keyword “sun,” for example, and numerous 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.
As explained above, Sakurai S-PAS allows you to select a
visual image quickly and accurately. It serves as a powerful
tool for providing the most suitable images for visual presentations to your clients, as well as in the actual production of
printed materials.
Details of Sakurai S-PAS service
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 not
only nouns but adjectives can be used as keywords for
searches. Let’s enter two words, “gentle” and “sun,” and execute a search.
2
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
Sakurai S-PAS offers two main features:
(1) The service offers Rights-Managed (RM) contents* managed by Amana Inc. at a special price (the special rates do not
apply to Royalty-Free (RF) contents**).
(2) A corporate user can register an unlimited number of
users for Comprehensive-Layout-Free*** contents without paying the normal fee. 10 MB image data can be downloaded as
comprehensive-layout-data an unlimited number of times a
year.
To use the Sakurai S-PAS service, member registration is
required. A registered member receives the above-mentioned
privileges. To register as a member, it is necessary to join a
Sakurai Purchase Association.
* Rights-Managed (RM) contents
Rights-Managed (RM) contents are rental photos for which the usage history and other information are managed. These contents are offered as
“rentals” in accordance with an agreed-upon proposed usage period and
application. The rental price varies depending on the usage conditions,
such as the media type, area, usage period, and number of copies.
** Royalty-Free (RF) contents
Royalty-Free (RF) contents essentially refers to cell photos that can be used
repeatedly in accordance with the licensing agreement concluded at the
time of purchase. The purchase price includes a usage fee.
Step 3: Click “amana.jp.”
*** Comprehensive-Layout-Free
Comprehensive-Layout-Free is a service that allows the unrestricted downloading of image data for use in comprehensive layouts (including use in
presentations and as dummy images for design examination).
The Sakurai S-PAS service can be accessed from the
Sakurai Graphic Systems website.
The following is the procedure for use of the service.
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 SPAS service can be for anyone in the printing industry.
Step 1: Enter your password on the homepage and click “Login.”
With Sakurai S-PAS as the gateway, Sakurai offers a new
printing business workflow called “With Net.”
With Net is a comprehensive service system that Sakurai
offers to those in printing-related businesses.
The details of With Net are given on the following pages by
Preseez Inc., an affiliated company that provides the With Net
service. Be sure to read on.
Step 2: Enter your User ID and password, which were issued when the
contract for Sakurai S-PAS was concluded.
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
3
A Change in the Printing Business Brought by
S-PAS and With Net: Tools for the Effective Use of Visuals
Motohiko Nakamura
Senior Managing Director and Creative Director Preseez, Inc.
With Net to achieve a smooth transition to
a new business phase. It was the experience and know-how of Preseez that
enabled us to create a template for business development based on With Net. To
explain this process, I will briefly describe
how we created With Net through a trialand-error process.
Creating a business workflow
that gives shape to ideas
S-PAS service responds to
changes in the printing
business
Motohiko Nakamura
Senior Managing Director and Creative
Director Preseez, Inc.
1982
1982
1986
1989
1997
4
Graduated from Hawaii Pacific
University (College of Business
Administration), Hawaii, U.S.A.
Hired by Radio KOHO, Inc.Involved
in the production of TV programs.
Worked for Tokyo Teleguide Co.,
Ltd., where he was involved in the
planning and development of contents for an Internet-based
text/image information communications system based on NPLPS
technology
Established Preseez International,
Inc.
Became senior managing director
of Preseez, Inc.
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
Sakurai introduced S-PAS (Sakurai
Photo Access Service) at the recent JGAS
2005 exhibition. The S-PAS service allows
members to download photo contents
(rental photos) for use in graphic designs. I
believe this service will be very useful in
the production activities of printing companies. It is also interesting to note that it
uses the search engine of Amana Inc. (the
largest company in the photo content
industry), which holds some 540,000 photos. The scale of Amana’s photo library is
so immense that it is no exaggeration to
say that members have access to the
works of nearly every single professional
photographer in the world.
in the 1960s, Preseez began supplementing its mainstay printing business
with peripheral services such as character
goods and sales promotion. In 1990, to
underline our goal of helping the press
industry from the earliest conceptual
stages, we changed our 70-year-old company name, Nakamura Seiko Printing Co.,
Ltd., to Preseez, Inc. (Preseez = press +
seeds). This name was selected from
among the candidate names proposed by
our company employees.
At the same time, we introduced the
corporate slogan, “Nuance into Focus,”
expressing our mission of “Giving Shape
to Ideas.” This slogan, which continually
reminds us of our primary commitment, is
posted prominently throughout our company.
In the past, photo contents were used
primarily by graphic and website designers. In recent years, however, more and
more printing companies are proposing
contents (visual materials) and solutions
(techniques to meet clients’ needs) in an
effort to explore new business opportunities. S-PAS is a service designed to
address these needs.
However, when we launched a business
based on the idea of “Nuance into Focus,”
we encountered many difficulties. First, we
had to disseminate the concept and
details of a new business style. Staff
members who had previously been too
busy to even think about the contents of
printed matter were baffled by terms such
as “proposal-oriented business” and
“solutions business.” To use a golf analogy, it would be like driving the ball out-ofbounds against the wind. In an effort to
ensure that our new business style is
understood by at least our sales representatives, we took the bold and drastic step
of creating a presentation scenario and
having sales representatives make proposals to clients.
Preseez has decided to assist printing
companies take advantage of S-PAS and
First, we borrowed as many art materials as possible from associated graphic
“Visual Producers”
designers and produced an instant portfolio (a collection of artwork samples). Our
sales representatives then took the portfolio to clients and explained the concept
and how it was developed. Referring to
the design as a “creation,” they explained
the concept and the hard work that went
into it, as well as the episode of producing
the proposition (giving visual form to an
idea). Seeing was believing. The portfolio
provided a clear image of the concept of
“Nuance into Focus,” not only for the
clients but for our sales representatives as
well.
However, when the time came to take
orders, another problem arose. Our sales
representatives had never taken orders
from an upstream process, so they didn’t
know how to obtain the necessary information. It wasn’t as easy as reciting what
they had memorized for giving presentations. 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 layouts, and did not expect them to perform
creative work. I believe this was due to the
fact that printing companies performed
only prescribed operations in accordance
with the instructions of clients, which was
considered part of the design process.
Creative work involves understanding the
visual image a client has in mind and the
goal to be achieved using that image, and
then giving shape to it. Therefore, instead
of asking a client “What kind of design
does the company want?” we obtained
information by learning the client’s objectives, problems, selling points, advantages, and the like, and then incorporated
that information into the design created
and proposed to the client. If a sales representative did not understand the objectives and themes that the client had in
mind, or if the designer was solely relied
upon to come up with an idea, it would be
nothing more than prescribed operations.
However, it is not always possible to
obtain the necessary information from a
client without experience, and this can be
like going into battle without a weapon.
We therefore decided to prepare an interview sheet to be used in discussions with
clients, as well as a briefing sheet for
explaining to designers the information
obtained from clients.
As such, our business based on
Nuance into Focus grew steadily from its
inception through a trial-and-error
process. The various tools that were created based on our experiences in the early
years are still used today in our company’s
operations.
To conduct creative sales activities,
sales representatives must be visual producers themselves, which in fact is not
particularly difficult to achieve. By understanding the necessary procedures and
establishing a system, anyone can start a
career as a visual producer. By utilizing the
extensive know-how accumulated by our
company, we established With Net in the
hope of assisting companies attempting to
adopt a new style of printing.
Proposal-oriented marketing support tools (template package)
Artwork portfolio (a collection of design samples)
A sales representative can present S-PAS design samples as a portfolio, even in his or her first design project
(updated as needed).
Premiums and Representations
Act/Intellectual Property Law, claims, problem prevention sheet
Schedule template
Client interview sheet
When a sales representative takes an order that requires
the proposal of a creative design, it is necessary to accurately understand the design the client has in mind. This
template includes questions to ask the client and
describes the necessary procedures for obtaining necessary information.
Tone & manner control sheet
Priority-item check sheet
Printed materials/tool calendar
Quick-reference calendar showing the printed materials
and tools required in a one-year period
Planning-document template (PowerPoint)
This sheet describes the items and procedures necessary to accurately understand and reproduce the brand
or corporate image of a client company.
Creator control sheet
Production/design estimation sheet
List of Internet survey methods
This template of estimation items and contents facilitates
the production of accurate estimates.
* Planning, design, editing, website construction, etc.
* 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 representatives
Forecasting sheet
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
5
Surviving an Era of Significant
Change
60 years in retrospect
Up close with Ryuzo Sakurai
Our company was founded immediately after the war in 1946 as a
printing-machine manufacturer. Those years were quite different from
recent years, but I remember that my father always took the lead in initiating business activities and conducted proactive company management.
In 1928, my father established Sakurai Ryuzo Shoten, which sold
Japanese paper and was the predecessor of our current company. He
started that business after establishing his independence from
Yoshikawa Shiro Shoten (the current Yoshikawa Paper Co., Ltd.), a
long-established paper wholesaler that is still in business today. That
was some 78 years ago.
By nature, my father was a hardworking person who devoted all of
his time to work. He was highly regarded by long-established printing
companies and, despite his recent entry to the paper wholesale industry, soon became known as “Paper Specialist Sakurai.” He worked
hard despite the challenging business conditions of that time, but was
forced to close the company in 1941 when the Pacific War broke out
and everything was put under government control.
When the war ended, my father moved his base of operations to his
hometown of Mino City in Gifu Prefecture, where he was evacuated to
during the war, and began doing business there. With the goal of helping restore industry and culture in post-war Japan, and also because
he had many close friends in the printing industry whom he had met
through 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 sufficient
amount of materials to produce printing machines, so he began repairing and refurbishing printing machines that were damaged by fire during the war. In 1948, the company was able to complete two SS-8A
B3 size letter press printing machines on its own. One was delivered to
Mino Paper Co., Ltd. (the current Minogroup Co., Ltd.), and the other
to 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 worked
for was Sakurai Ryuzo Shoten (the current Sakurai Co., Ltd.), and its
main operation was the wholesaling of paper, which was my father’s
mainstay business. At that time, I was also a college student, so I had
to study and work at the same time. In those days, sons used to help
their family businesses even on school days. I myself used to deliver
paper to customers when I was a high-school student. Therefore, I did
not experience any difficulties working in the company, and the
employees did not feel uncomfortable with me at all. Those years are
known today as part of the long post-war period of sustained economic growth. The company achieved record sales and profits in 1959, one
year after I entered the company. Despite his normally austere
demeanor, my father was clearly very happy about the business
results.
6
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
1928 September
Sakurai Ryuzo Shoten established for sales of Japanese paper.
Sakurai Ryuzo Shoten - The founder and his family and employees.
1945
Second World War ended.
1946 December
Sakurai Machinery Works, Ltd. was established.
1948 October
Two units of the SS-8A B3-size flat bed letter press, the company’s first production, delivered to companies in Gifu Prefecture.
First production SS-8A letter press printing machine.
1949 May
SS-12A A2 size letter press printing machine completed. The
company holds an exhibition at Yasuda Printing Company
(Edobashi, Tokyo). Orders for the first Sakurai printing-machine
model are taken at the exhibition site.
1955 October
A2 size crownfed press “New Cherry” model developed. The
company receives an award from the Japan Print Industry
Association at the Print Cultural Fair.
1958 December
The company displays the SS-12D at the Japanese-product
trade fair held in Singapore by the Japan External Trade
Organization(JETRO), and exports several units to Thailand.
1960 November
President Ryuzo Sakurai participates in an observation tour to
study the print industry in Europe.
1961 July
Sakurai Machine Trading Co., Ltd. established. sales division is
transferred to this company.
In the year that followed, 1960, I also became a director of Sakurai
Machinery Works, Ltd., the manufacturing unit of printing machines,
which later became Sakurai Graphic Systems Corp. while holding the
same position in Sakurai Co., Ltd., a paper business company. In
1961, the sales department became Sakurai Machine Trading Co.,
Ltd., and I became vice president of that company. By then, our manufacturing system and domestic sales network and organizations were
established and functioning at a satisfactory level. In those years, letter
press printing was the mainstream, and our company produced
machines for paper sizes ranging from A3 size to large B1 size Book
Printing. We began converting these products from the conventional
manual-feed type to a fully automated system.
Japan was shifting from the post-war restoration period to a highgrowth era, and the Japanese economy was robust. However, the
printing-machine industry saw heated competition among manufacturers of offset printing machines and letter press printing machines that
were established before the war, such as Hamada Seiki Co., Ltd.,
Chuma Iron Works Co., Ltd., Nakajima Seiki Co., Ltd., Komori Printing
Machine Co., Ltd., and Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho, Ltd., not to mention
some companies founded after the war. Meanwhile, many machines
were imported from overseas companies such as Heidelberg of
Germany. At that time, many imported machines had superior performance 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 the
original marketing system we employed through Sakurai Purchase
Associations. In September 1948, we rented a space at Yasuda
Printing Company and displayed our first SS-8A B3 size letter press
printing machine. To the many customers who visited our exhibition,
my father proposed the establishment of fraternal organizations for the
purchase of products using a mutual monthly loan system based on
the principle of “solidarity through trust.” This is how Sakurai Purchase
Associations were established. Under this system, each association
was formed by 12 customers, and each customer paid 10,000 yen per
month for two years. A printing machine costing 240,000 yen was then
delivered once every two months to a company selected from the
group through a lottery or by bidding. This was the forerunner of the
installment-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 of
printing machines. Today, members of the associations go on a trip
once per year and hold parties at hotels, as suggested by my father,
who enjoyed traveling and socializing. Sakurai Purchase Associations
continue to strengthen the ties between our company and customers.
Some companies in the associations are founding members, even
though they may have seen the passage of several presidents. We sincerely thank them for their continued patronage.
The death of my father
My father, Ryuzo Sakurai, passed away in May 1970. His death
came suddenly, soon after the move from Nihonbashi (Tokyo) to our
present company building, in Fukuzumi (Tokyo’s Koto Ward). My father
Machinery manufacturing factory completed in Mino City of Gifu
Prefecture (1961).
1962 May
The 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 of
printing machines, held in 1962.
1967 January
A2 size fully automatic screen press “Monarch 25” developed.
May
SS-6H “Elite” model displayed at “drupa,” making it the second
time to be exhibited by our company at the trade show.
1968 March
Company concludes a technical tie-up agreement with Halm
Industries of the United States, and completes the “Jet Press”
ultrahigh-speed envelope printing machine.
1969 May
Company concludes a technical tie-up agreement with General
Research Inc. of the United States, and completes the A2 size
cylinder-type screen press “Sakurai-General CS-27B”.
1970 March
The head-office building of Sakurai Machine Trading is completed.
Former president Ryuzo Sakurai (left) and Yoshikuni Sakurai
(right) at the Tokyo head-office-building completion ceremony.
May
President Ryuzo Sakurai passes away due to heart infarction.
1973 August
A2 size high-speed letter press “SS-12E” developed.
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
7
collapsed from a heart infarction while in Hakone on a tour with the
members of a printing business association from Kanagawa Prefecture.
He never recovered. It was just prior to his 65th birthday. When I
learned of the death of my father, whom I remember as a very healthy
person, I was devastated and didn’t know what to do. It had been my
father’s understanding and support that allowed me to take on so
many new business challenges. After he was gone, it seemed that I
had lost my direction.
As if to distract me from mourning, I was faced with many problems
as the chief executive officer of the company. Fortunately, I received
advice and close support from many of my father’s closest friends who
were customers, enabling me to overcome these problems.
1975 June
A3 size fully automatic offset press “OLIVER 6” developed.
“OLIVER” decided as the series name for all offset presses to be
developed henceforth.
Promotion of overseas activities
Our first A3 size offset press “OLIVER 6”.
The success of our company would not have been possible without
overseas activities. Even after the Japanese economy stabilized following the war, people considered imported machines to be superior to
domestic products even if they were more expensive. I felt that, to
achieve further growth of the company, we had to learn about quality
from overseas products and improve our products so that they would
be accepted in overseas markets. I traveled to Europe and the United
States a number of times, visiting many printing companies and
machinery manufacturers. Our early overseas activities were described
in detail in a previous issue of our public-relations newsletter, SUN. As
mentioned in that publication, from 1966 to 1968 I desperately undertook all processes single-handedly, ranging from negotiation for technical tie-ups to the conclusion of licensing agreements. During that period, we began domestic production and marketing of the Halm Jet
Press envelope printing machine and cylinder-type sheet-feed automatic screen presses, both of which were developed in the United
States. At that time, I had no prior experience with the procedures, but
these two product series achieved great success. In particular, the
screen-press business grew significantly and has remained one of the
pillars of our manufacturing operations for more than 40 years, yielding
outsized profits throughout.
Another key factor was our enthusiastic participation in overseas
trade fairs such as “drupa.” In 1962, we became the first Japanese
printing-machine manufacturer to display its products at drupa (held in
Dusseldorf, Germany). For this, everything from entry submission to the
shipment of machines and on-site preparation was new to us. We
exhibited letter press printing machines three times before we exhibited, in 1977, our first offset press. The era of typographic printing was
ending in Europe at that time, and when I think today about the exhibition of those products in the fairs, I have mixed feelings of nostalgia
and embarrassment. Since then, we have become a regular presence
at the drupa exhibition sites, and today we participate in nearly every
major exhibition in the world. Our current products are large, highspeed, multi-color offset presses that are unimaginably different from
the machines we formerly produced, and we are attracting a great deal
of attention at trade shows. Indeed, our early products and current
models are worlds apart.
The export department was originally run by one employee and
myself, but the organization steadily grew. Today, the number of products exported to more than 60 countries exceeds the number of units
sold on the domestic market. It was unimaginable in those days that
8
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
1977 June
A total of five offset presses and screen presses are displayed
at drupa 77.
1980 May
B3 size 2-color offset press “OL-258” completed.
1981 January
B2 size cylinder-type automatic screen press “SC-72A” developed.
1983
Capital of Sakurai Machine Trading Co. increased to 150 million
yen.
1984 April
Sakurai Machinery (Europe) Ltd. established in the U.K.
1987 September
The company displays the OL-472ED 4-color printing machine
and other products at IGAS87.
1988 December
Ultra-modern integrated-production printing-machine factory
completed (Mino City, Gifu Prefecture).
Construction of modern production factory with state-of-the-art
manufacturing facilities.
1990 April
Sakurai USA, Inc. established.
Building of Sakurai USA, Inc., a new overseas subsidiary company, completed in 1996 (Chicago).
1992 January
Sakurai Machine Trading Co. changes its name to Sakurai
Graphic Systems Corp.
several thousand of our printing machines would be in use around the
world.
Expansion of the Gifu Factory production facility
Our factory in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture has been our sole production facility since the company’s founding in 1946. In the Showa era,
we expanded our wooden factory building a number of times. Early in
the Heisei era, we completely upgraded our hardware and constructed
a modern factory incorporating state-of-the-art equipment and technologies wherever possible. It was an environmentally friendly factory
featuring extensive sound-insulation, vibration-isolation, and anti-dust
measures. At the same time, this innovative factory incorporated comprehensive energy-saving measures and advanced production automation technologies. The factory began full-scale operations on January
10, 1989.
Moreover, in a bid to enlarge the scale of our production machinery
and boost the production capacities, we expanded the factory in 1997.
This factory expansion project has doubled the production area. We
have also installed IBM's production information system (MAPICS) and
added an automated warehouse and clean room in an effort to further
advance and streamline our production system.
While cutting-edge technologies such as automation and IT are
important for printing machines, I believe that high precision is even
more critical. Therefore, the skills and techniques of factory employees
should be regarded differently from the capabilities required for the use
and installation of consumables and general-purpose machinery. Hiring
a large number of new employees who do not possess the necessary
skills would not improve productivity. Our company has steadily
increased its number of employees, but we have always provided
proper training over the years. At the same time, we have made major
efforts to improve the efficiency and functions of our production facilities. I believe there is no such thing as “overdoing it” in these areas.
Stop-cylinder type screen press “Maestro 72A,” developed in
1991.
1995 September
OL-472EDII B2 size 4-color press (with varnish coater) capable
of waterless printing introduced at IGAS95.
1996 October
50th-anniversary ceremony held.
October
Sakurai USA celebrates completion of its company building.
1997
Gifu Factory expansion, including the construction of a clean
room and a new automated warehouse linked to MAPICS (production information management system).
2000
U.K. subsidiary reorganized as direct-management branch
office.
2001
OLIVER 466SIP (A2 size 4-color convertible perfector press)
introduced at JP2001 (Osaka).
2003
Gifu Factory obtains ISO9001:2000 certification.
AAA
60 years in retrospect
Our company will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its establishment
this year 2006. I myself grew with the company for more than a halfcentury. I actively visited our clients to promote our products, and am
still in close contact with many of the customers with whom I became
acquainted since the early years of my sales activities. This is the single
most valuable asset that I have acquired through business.
Though those years were long, they seemed to have passed so
quickly. Today, the company is operated primarily by young people,
including my oldest son Ryuta (the current Vice President) and my second son Jirota (the current General Manger of the Tokyo Sales
Department). We have acquired new clients, but many of our clients
have been with us since the company’s founding. I would like to thank
the great many customers who have supported our company, and I
would also like to express my appreciation to all of our employees. We
will continue to produce high-quality printing machines in order to serve
as important business partners to our clients. I have promised myself
that I will spare no effort in living up to this commitment.
A large crowd gathered at our booth at IGAS2003.
(Our mainstay OLIVER 75SDP series was introduced.)
2004
B2 wide size 5-color “OLIVER 575SDC” with UV coater introduced at drupa 04 (Germany).
Gifu Factory obtains ISO14001 certification.
2005
Company concludes business tie-up with Amana Inc. and
launches 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.
Yoshikuni Sakurai
President
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
9
“We are glad to have chosen Sakurai products!”
Users of Sakurai products describe why they
selected our products and how they put them
to optimal use.
11
12
13
Mexican market with
Sakurai
Editorial Progreso / Universidad Del
Valle / Carteles Editores , Mexico.
The purchasing of the first
four-color press brought Alvi
to a higher level in printing
Alvi Design Krasnodar, Russia.
Growing with Sakurai
Thai Screen Store Co., LTD.
Flexible and full-service
14
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SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
Jessen & co. / Jonsson & Nomi /
Stielund & Taekker, Denmark
Stielund & Taekker head office.
Mexican market with Sakurai
Editorial Progreso / Universidad Del Valle / Carteles Deitores,Mexico
Editorial Progreso
Universidad Del Valle De Mexico.
Editorial Progreso is a company that
belongs to the catholic religious who integrate the Community of Brothers Marists
in Mexico, whose main mission is to educate. The community of Brothers Marists
has presence in the 5 continents, in several countries of the world.
With 103 years in the Mexican market,
Editorial Progreso is located in México
City. It collection is conformed by textbooks for Preschool, Elementary, High
school and religion, and books specialized
in pedagogy. The share capital is 100%
Mexican and the company has 205
employees. It main activity is connected to
editorial printing companies and other
related industries.
This important Mexican University started operations in November 1960 through
Harvard Institution with a population of
212 students, 23 professors and 14
administrative collaborators teaching
basic, medium and superior medium levels, with Public accounting, and administrative degrees, focusing after in the superior levels only.
The growth that day after day the company enfaces is evident and the modernization has been our target during the last
10 years. Editorial Progreso has two Web
presses, one 5 colors and one two colors
presses; four sheet feed presses, one
small format 1/1 machine , 2 big format
4/4 and the last one acquired Sakurai
OL2102 EPII, which started running in
November 2004. Up to today this
machine has 8,100,000 printed sheets in
2,660 working hours.
Several years and after an intensive
labor, the institution performed their consolidation and from 1968 they proudly
hold their currently name: Universidad Del
Valle de Mexico (UVM) .
Due to their accelerated growth, they
are enfacing a transformation in their
structure and the opening of new centers.
At present the university has 21 centers
around the country, including the Graphic
Arts Design Degree and an important
training tool for the students has been the
installation of four Sakurai OL58EII presses.
that we can continue to grow in this
region. We even produce printed work for
other areas of the country.
If we needed to acquire additional offset
equipment, we would not think twice—it
would be from Sakurai, by way of its new
representative in Mexico, Suntek A year
later, in 2002, we were in the Chicago
Print Show, looking at the OL-466-SIP We
shyly began speaking about the possibility
of jumping to a four-color press since the
demand for full-color work was growing at
the time and is now quite large.
Some months later, during a print fair in
Mexico City, we closed the deal on that
press. And a good decision it was.
The machine is mechanically strong and
compact, complete with much equipment
that other brands consider to be “optional.” The dream was no longer a dream,
but reality and these Japanese machines
had not only changed our life, but our
enthusiasm..
Carteles Deitores
Carteles Editores, founded in 1989, has
32 employees and has equipment with
top-of –the-line technology technology so
Universidad Del Valle De Mexico.
Company profile
Name: Suntek, S.A. de C.V.
President: Mr. Antonio Salado
Headquarters: Aristoteles 210 Col. Polanco
C.P.11550 Mexico D.F.
Tel.: 52-55-5010-7200
Chief engineer (left) and President of Suntek (Right)
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006 11
The purchasing of the first four-color press brought Alvi to
a higher level in printing
Alvi Design Krasnodar, Russia
Choosing Sakurai
Alvi Design printing house has been in
the market since 1998. They started from
a small screen printing workshop. After a
time the first offset press appeared. It was
Romayor one-color press. Thanks to the
high quality of their products Alvi company
was growing quickly. Equipment installation was growing together with the company. The first press with two printing
units was also manufactured by Romayor.
However, with the number of orders continuously growing and requirements to
products becoming stricter, the time came
to purchase a full-color press, and it was
Hamada press.
The purchasing of the first four-color
press brought Alvi to a higher level in printing. The management of the printing
house was pleased with Hamada press
operation, but they were well aware that
the equipment should be constantly
upgraded.
It took quite a long time to choose a
heavy-duty four-color press, as the market
offered a lot of high class presses.
In July 2004 the management of the
printing house makes a decision to purchase Oliver 466SI, a new four-color offset
press manufactured by Sakurai Graphic
Systems Corporation (Japan). The press is
designed for printing multi-color high
quality advertising and representative
products on sheets of 660x470 mm size,
0,04 to 0,4 mm thickness, with max. printing speed of 15000 IPH.
The press is equipped with integrated
Sakurai InterActive System for control and
troubleshooting, Delivery-Top Color
Console located over the extended delivery, Automatic Plate Changing System,
Automatic Ink Roller Wash-Up. Impression
pressure adjustment, sheet size presetting, dampening solution temperature
maintenance are also automatic.
This model is capable of working with
wide range of materials, compact, economical, user friendly. It ensures stable
printing quality irrespective of the load.
Besides, its price is relatively low for
presses of this size.
While not being inferior in quality to
German-made presses, which, unfortunately, still remain a kind of quality model,
Sakurai press turned out to be much better in terms of price, and this, in the end
determined the choice of Alvi management.
The press was purchase for printing
advertising products and labels.
A year after the first press was put into
operation, the company makes a decision
to purchase the second Sakurai press,
thus confirming a high quality level of
products printed on Japanese-made
presses.
In September 2005 Animar technicians
installed and put in operation Oliver
475SD, sheet-fed offset press manufactured by Sakurai Graphic Systems Corp.
(Japan).
The press is designed for printing multicolor high quality advertising and representative products on sheets of 788x600
mm size, 0,04 to 0,6 mm thickness, with
max. printing speed of 15000 IPH.
The press is equipped with remote console for control and troubleshooting,
Automatic Plate Changing System,
Automatic Ink Roller Wash-Up, Baldwin
Automatic Blanket Washing Device.
Impression pressure adjustment, sheet
size presetting, dampening solution temperature maintenance are also automatic.
This model is capable of working with
wide range of materials, compact, economical, user friendly. It ensures stable
printing quality irrespective of the load.
Besides, its price is relatively low for
presses of this size. Being highly automated the press meets all the requirements of
the modern market.
Company profile
Name: ALVI Design
President: Mr.Alexander Ruchka
Headquarters: 321, Rashpilevskaya Street,
Krasnodar city, 350051,Russia
Tel.: 07-861-2100707
Founded: 1998
From left: Mrs.Larisa Ruchka(ALVI Design), Mr.Evgeny B.Kagan(Animar
Sakurai's agent),Mr.Alexander Ruchka (ALVI Design)
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SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
Growing with Sakurai
Thai Screen Store Co., Ltd.
From hot and exciting Thailand
The first order in 1991
Thailand is one of the most growing and
exciting hot market in the world.
Since 1990, Thai screen store has been
distributing our cylinder machines by penetrating our brand and supplied more than
50units of Sakurai cylinder screen
machines.
Thai screen store has started promotion
while it was not so easy because it is quite
new to the market. However after his so
many attempts, he has succeeded to
make the first sales to Ocean industry
company in 1991. Mr.Yongyuth says “The
initial machine sales was not easy. I just
continued promotion as I strongly felt this
is the machine for the next generation. I
was very lucky having good business partners and family to support me.”
Thai screen store has been
assigned as Sakurai distributor
in 1990
It was in 1989, Mr. Yongyuth
Thangitpiyanont, director of Thai screen
store, visited American Screen Printers
and Screen Printing International in Los
Angels USA. He has accompanied his wife
Mrs. Channanan and members of Thai
screen printing business where they have
met Sakurai first. During their stay in US,
they have visited several screen printers
and found all of them are using Sakurai
cylinder screen machine. Mr Yongyuth
says “I was very impressed and felt this is
the machine for the next generation” and
started promoting Sakurai cylinder
machine after his return.
the excellent distributor.
In this year, Mr. Yongyuth’s has been
assigned as the president of Thai Graphic
Arts Suppliers & Manufacturers Trade
Association because of his great performance contributed to the screen printing
industry in Thailand. The association has
three key words for their activity.
1. Friend ship
2. Corporation
3. Development
Thai screen store will keep growing up
keeping above words in their activities.
Awarded as an excellent distributor in 2003
Soon after the successful installation at
Ocean industry, among those members
visited L.A. with Mr Yongyuth such as
House Printing, View company and
Sritong name plate have installed several
Sakurai cylinder type screen machines
and they are still our good customers for
more than decade.
In 2003, after penetrating our brand
name into the market, Thai screen store
has sold totally 10units and awarded as
Members of Thai screen store
Thai screen store co. Ltd.
Mr Yongyuth Thangitpiyanont director
Company profile
Name: Thai Screen Store Co., Ltd.
President: Mr. Yongyuth Thangjitpiyanont
Headquarters: 1575/2-3 Phaholyothin Rd.
Samasaennai, Phayathai,
Bangkok, Thailand
Screen printing international 1989 in L.A.Mr and Mrs Yongyuth with members of Thai
screen printing business
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006 13
Flexible and full-service
Jessen & co. / Jonsson & Nomi / Stielund & Taekker, Denmark
Impressive press produces job
openings
In the first quarter of the year, Jessen &
Co. in Valby, Copenhagen, took delivery of
a Sakurai 466, a four color litho press in
the long-proven A2 format, 46x64 cm.
The press is set up and operated through
a control console and comes complete
with automatic paper presets, blanket
washing, and roller washing.
Finn Jessen explains,
We had the press installed around 1st
February and passed 4,000,000 impressions by 1st November. We turn around
jobs at a terrific speed since the press is
so productive.
Our turnaround time is competitive and
consumes a mere four minutes from we
start changing plates until we press the
start button and pull the first impression.
The press was delivered in one piece
and installation was a snap. The control
console and the pumps had to be connected, of course, but it took only two
days for us to be up and running. It was
no hassles and no sweat.
Mr.Finn Jessen (Jessen & co. )
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SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
The control console is Windows-based,
and if you can find your way about beforehand, it is simple to learn and user-friendly
to operate. We had CIP3 installed simultaneously, so when film is run instructions
are written which tell the control console
how to configure the color keys in the
printing units.
We operate the press in two shifts, and
the best part is that the press has helped
us attract more jobs.
We target the short run market and with
a fast press our prices can be competitive.
This also explains why have had an uptake
in jobs. Last year at this time we had five
or six four-color process jobs per day on
our A3 press, and now we have ten to
twelve four-color process jobs per day in a
format twice as large.
A doubling of jobs in double the format
is certainly no cause for complaint. Since
January we have hired a production manager, a designer, and a press operator all
of which is down to the press which has
created three job openings, Finn Jessen
concludes.
Finn Jessen, Jessen & Co., at his new
Sakurai Oliver 466.
Flexible and full-service
Located on the island of Amager across
the harbour channel from central
Copenhagen, Jønsson & Nomi is a fullservice printer with litho, silk screen, and
letter press. A dedicated division for digital
printing has also been set up. A team of
eighteen produces jobs of every description, explains Ernst A. Jønsson.
In offset we first and foremost print
brochures–a lot of brochures–but we also
print stationery, folders, flyers, posters,
signs and much else besides. If it is printable, we will print it.
A couple of years ago we invested in a
five color Sakurai press, in the 52x72 cm
format. It was our first move into the halfsize, and it let us tap into new markets.
The press makes short work of makeready–it changes the plates and configures the color keys automatically.
Productivity has gone up which allows
us to accept more jobs, and we are on
two shifts to keep up. Printing in four and
Mr.Ernest Jonsson (Jonsson & NKN A/S )
five colors day in and day out consumes a
pile of plates, so we recently installed an
Agfa Palladio CTP machine. It is fully automated and produces plates without
pause, and we have no need to keep an
eye on it.
Currently our silk screen division is producing to capacity. With Christmas and
New Years approaching, more gifts of
wine are going out with the name and
logo of the donor's company, and we
print a lot of cartons and covers for wine
boxes.
Our digital division is busy, too. It is
equipped with color and monochrome
printers, and a large-format color printer,
all from Canon. We print a wide gamut of
products, from Christmas cards, invitations, and manuals to large-format posters
in short runs.
Digital orders tend to fetch litho orders,
though as a rule it is not clear to customers where the two processes part
price-wise. If a customer enquires on
15,000 monochrome copies, the job is not
run in one of our monochrome printers, of
course. It is run in one of our small offset
presses. Customers consider prices, and
we consider which processes are best for
the job. Thanks to the presses and printers in our plant, we are able to scale solutions to match jobs, and this flexibility is
probably our most important asset, Ernst
A. Jønsson concludes.
This scope provides us with a unique
grasp of the direction developments in the
graphic arts are taking, both among manufacturers and among European colleagues in the chain of supply.
Stielund & Taekker
– your graphic arts partner
Building our present position as onestop supplier over a period of almost
twenty years, we have established ourselves among the leading distributors of
products for prepress and print as well as
of associated service and support.
Stielund & Taekker is a privately held
company founded in 1986 by Niels
Stielund who is sole owner. From a one
man force, the company has expanded
into a team of twenty-five which provides
customers with a broad selection of specialised skills through our parent company
and a daughter company in Sweden.
As member for Scandinavia, and now
also chair of ELSA, the European
Lithographic Suppliers Alliance, we cooperate as well with major manufacturers
as with other distributors the world over.
Company profile
Name: Stielund & Taekker ApS
President: Niels Stielund
Headquarters: Kirstinehoj 28, DK-2770 Kastrup
Denmark
Tel.: 45-32-46-1300
Stielund & Taekker head office
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006 15
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.
History of gears
Gears integrated with the three elements of bearings, bolts, and nuts are
used not just in printing presses, but in
just about all other machinery. Gears were
already employed in ancient Egypt, dating
back some 3,000 years. Many of today’s
gear units were conceived by the genius
Leonardo da Vinci, well-known as the
painter of the Mona Lisa, in the latter half
of the 15th century.
The development of gear machining
techniques is said to have begun at the
middle of the 16th century, with theoretical
principles established by the end of the
19th century.
The mainstream gears currently in use
include the so-called involute gear, invented by Philip Hire at the end of the 17th
century. This gear is manufactured
through theoretical analysis of the tooth
form, based on an involute curve.
The printing press was invented by
Gutenberg toward the middle of the 15th
century. However, with the later development of rotary presses, numerous gears
came to be employed in printing presses,
as today.
Functions of gears and their application to printing presses
Gear functions are broadly classified as
follows:
(1)Power transmission
(2)Speed conversion (adjustments in
number of revolutions)
(3)Changes in rotating direction (reversal)
Printing presses use all three functions.
Among the Sakurai sheet-fed multicolor
offset presses, the Oliver-475SD extended
half-Kiku-size 4-color machine contains
more than 100 gears of a wide range of
sizes and type.
Printing presses need to provide high
durability, capable of withstanding use day
in and day out for years, at speeds as high
as 15,000 revolutions per hour. Gears,
including those not continually actuated,
must offer the highest precision and durability to continue rotating under high speed
and power conditions.
Gears are so important that some say
“final print quality is dictated by the accuracy of gears.” Among gears, one of the
most critical is the cylinder gear, which
plays the critical role of transferring power
precisely and smoothly from one unit to
another color unit. One can appreciate the
importance of this gear by considering
that ink must be transferred to paper within tolerances of less than several tens of
nanometers (1 mm = 1,000 μm) while
four or more sheets of paper are being
delivered per second from one cylinder to
another. This cylinder gear is a helical
gear, because helical gears transfer power
extremely well and provide smooth rotation due to helically formed teeth, unlike
ordinary spur wheels.
Quality control of gears
Helical gears widely used in printing presses
16
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
Unlike other machine parts, the tolerance standards for gear quality control
cannot be controlled based on measured
values alone. Differing from parts that consist of planes or cylinders, gears are
shaped according to curves called involute
A helical gear is machined on a gear-forming type
grinding machine.
helicoids. The only way to guarantee gear
quality is to thoroughly inspect each product. Gear cutting requires computer-controlled high-precision gear cutting
machines and gear measuring instruments. To cut gears with high precision,
the hobbing process (gear cutting
machine) and reference plane inner diameter and face grinding processes constitute important bases for preparatory cuttings. Following the adoption of software
and hardware for these various processes
and to control and maintain quality, ISO
Class 4 or 5 high-precision ground-tooth
gears are now manufactured for use in
printing presses.
As multicolor and speed continue to
advance in the field of printing, the quality
and accuracy of gears need to improve
even further to meet the requirements of
printing press manufacture. This will
require the development of workmanship
and quality control involving ceaseless
effort and steady technical training, something that can’t be accomplished in a day
or two. At Sakurai, expert inspection technicians with vast experience scrupulously
inspect gears one by one using the most
advanced gear accuracy inspection equipment. Only gears passing this rigorous
inspection are used in production. The
accuracy requirements for cylinder gears
are especially rigorous. All Sakurai products use gears of Class 0, the highest
specification under the JIS Standard.
Written by Design Dept., Gifu Factory
Structural reform of design awareness
Benefits of 3D-CAD CATIA V5.
With the advent of the era of structural reforms, we need to build systems that enable the development of printing presses that anticipate market changes. In January 2003, Sakurai introduced the
CATIA V5 stereoscopic design system to shift from conventional 2D design tool Micro CAD to 3D
capabilities.
Reasons for selecting CATIA V5
Also used in the aircraft industry and
automobile-manufacturing industry, CATIA
V5, is a cutting-edge 3D design system
developed by Dassault Systems, France,
that allows users to reproduce the view of
an entire machine with great accuracy and
in detail from any perspective. CATIA V5
has become a near-indispensable tool in
the design of printing presses at our company.
The following three factors can be cited
as decisive reasons for choosing to introduce the CATIA V5.
First, 2D drawings will continue to be
required for the design of machines, and
CATIA V5 provides remarkably superior
drafting capabilities.
Second, for 3D assembly based on
numerous 2D parts drawings, CATIA V5
allows the linking and fusing of data within
a single CAD.
The system also offers excellent scalability. While analysis techniques are essential to design, the design system can be
linked to a 3D analysis simulation to provide high system scalability, allowing realization of development concepts and
expansion capabilities through peripheral
software. The most important point is
product usability, which allows rapid and
smooth adoption into workflow.
Concrete benefits from introduction
of 3D CAD
Printing press design requires highspeed, comprehensive work that will not
require revisions. The introduction of
CATIA V5 has dramatically expedited the
development process of new products at
our company. In addition, the ease of
evaluating prototypes results in fast transfers from design to manufacturing stages.
Let’s listen to some of the individuals
charged with design work who actually
use CATIA V5 in their day to day work.
“CATIA V5’s 3D capabilities allow us to
manufacture prototypes quickly, while
eliminating almost all problems associated
with verification. This might be because a
wide range of trials can be carried out on
screen, leading to improved design consistency.”
“The waste of time that used to be part
of the trial and error stage has been eliminated and workloads significantly lightened. Whereas over 200 items of changes
used to be identified at the study stage,
this number has dropped to about onefifth.”
“In issuing instructions under a subcontract for parts manufacture, we’re able to
furnish accurate drawings, which has dramatically improved understanding and
accuracy.”
“As machines become larger, we have
to calculate the center of gravity of prod-
ucts weighing nearly twenty tons. That
was all but impossible by conventional
methods, and the best that we could do
was rules of thumb used by expert technicians. CATIA V5 lets us locate the center
of gravity in a simple fashion.”
These are some of the material and
immaterial benefits provided by CATIA V5.
Putting CATIA V5 to more
effective use
It’s already been three years now since
the introduction of CATIA V5, and all personnel in charge are using it as an “easy
tool.” At our Gifu Factory, the design room
is left open to other departments and
company sections as a Collaboration
Space. Even non-technical marketing staff
who are unable to read design drawings
can readily grasp the features of a design
by viewing 3D forms. This advantage
serves for improvement of the customer
service.
Since the 3D design system was built
up at Sakurai’s Gifu Factory, reforms in
work procedures are already underway.
By now, equipment has been upgraded to
the latest models – not just in the design
department, but in all other manufacturing
departments, including part machining,
assembly, and so on. This will be regarded as a major positive result from the
introduction of CATIA V5.
Written by Design Dept., Gifu Factory .
Sakurai’s Oliver-475SD, the latest B2 size 4-color
offset press, as viewed from two perspectives
Enlarged partial view of an offset press designed with
CATIA V5
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
17
Museum of colors—No. 5
Monochrome beauty:
subtle yet profound ink paintings
Distant, hazy mountain ranges covered with trees
Mist hanging in the trees in the early morning
Viewing 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.
Origin of ink painting and
its introduction to Japan
Ink painting uses gradations of ink
and consists of points, lines, and planes
formed through movements of a brush.
The origins of this art form are said to
trace back to China’s Tang Dynasty
(618-907), when high-ranking officials
and other men of letters began to paint
ink works to accompany calligraphy. It
is generally accepted that ink painting
was introduced to Japan along with the
practice of Zen in the late Kamakura
period or in the Muromachi period. It
is certain, however, that in the Tempyo
period, a prototype of ink painting was
presented to the Japanese Imperial
Court by imperial envoys to Tang
China.
Many ink paintings brought back to
Japan by Zen priests that had studied
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SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
in China began to attract the attention
of the general public. In those days,
Buddhist paintings and portraits were
more popular than landscape paintings.
Generally, it appears that priests who
studied in China were bringing portraits of their mentors back to Japan. At
around the same time, many expensive
works of ink painting were being
imported by the flamboyant samurais
known as “Basara Daimyo.”
Literati painting, which was seen as
a highly spiritual art form, developed
into the Southern school of Chinese
painting, while commercial painting-paintings associated with transactions-developed into the Northern school of
Chinese painting.
Thus, after its introduction from the
Chinese continent to Japan, ink painting matured into an original cultural
element of Japan, to be handed down
to this day. Other styles of paintings,
drawn with similar techniques but also
with colors, are referred to as “Sumi-e”
to distinguish them from traditional
monochrome ink paintings.
In this article, we will focus on
monochrome ink painting.
Traditional techniques,
broadening the range of
expression
There is a saying that “ink has five
colors.” This saying is meant to suggest that we can feel the texture of an
article, the atmosphere, and colors in
pictures drawn with monochrome ink.
Even the spirituality at the heart of the
work is brought into relief in ink painting, in which everything unnecessary
is taken away. Traditional methods and
techniques are essential to create such
painting. The combination of these
techniques enables the creation of the
unique world of ink painting. Some of
the most basic techniques are as follows.
Color of ink
The color of ink is an important factor that determines the atmosphere of
the overall ink painting. This color is
roughly divided into bluish and brownish tones.
(1) Shoenboku (Bluish ink): This is
bluish ink that is made from the soot of
pine wood. It creates a serene and pure
atmosphere in paintings.
(2) Yuenboku (Brownish ink): This
ink is made from the soot of rapeseed
oil. Purplish ink is also made from the
soot of certain kinds of oil. It helps to
create a warm, profound, and powerful
atmosphere.
Four touches
Brushwork modifies techniques
such as the Kouroku technique, which
is used to draw the outline of an object
with the tip of a brush, and the
mokkotsu technique, which is suitable
for drawing the shape of an object
boldly with the flat side of a brush.
Further, a sensitive brush touch gives
nuance to points, lines, and planes and
adds spirituality and stories to paintings. (Refer to the drawing below.)
(1) Nijimi (diffusion): This technique
allows points, lines, and planes to diffuse naturally and slowly. It lends an
air of peacefulness and comfort to the
painting.
(2) Bokashi (wash-shading): This is
a technique used to create a soft gradation from light ink to dark ink. This
method helps lend a tender and serene
atmosphere to painting.
(3) Sae (smooth line): Sharp, fresh,
and clear drawing creates a fresh and
crisp atmosphere.
(4) Kasure (broken or grazed line):
More rapid drawing creates an austere
depth. This technique is used to create
wabi and sabi, or an air of elegant simplicity.
Quality of paper
Nuances such as nijimi and bokashi
vary depending on the types of paper
used, as well as the on the use of
water. Various effects are created by
techniques such as applying water to
paper with a brush and drawing with a
water-filled brush whose tip is dipped
in ink.
(1) Gasenshi: This paper causes ink
to spread softly.
(2) Kozoshi, Mashi: This paper causes ink to blur slightly and is suitable
for drawing powerful broken lines,
which gives dynamism to the painting.
(3) Kanokoshi, Ganpishi: On this
type of paper, ink does not blur unless
it is gradated with water; this medium
is most suited to delicacy of expression.
Tension is created by the subtle balance between black and white. Those
acute sensitivity, a trait the Japanese
seem naturally endowed with, enable
them to appreciate emotions, the beauty of elegant simplicity, and the fullcolor world in ink paintings. It is a genuine pleasure to take advantage of
such blessings and to try to draw.
Upper left: Nijimi; Lower left: Bokashi; Upper right: Sae; Lower right: Kasure
Various touches are created by dipping only the tip of a water-filled brush in ink, drawing with a brush after
the water is slightly absorbed with a cloth, or adjusting the speed of brush movement.
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
19
Aaaaaaaaaa
Signs of recovery in the printing and related sectors!
JGAS2005 largest exposition of printing equipment and materials
Held from Tuesday Oct. 4 through
Saturday Oct. 8, 2005, at the Tokyo
International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big
Sight), JGAS2005 marked the sole international exhibition held in fiscal year 2005
for printing equipment and materials. The
event drew numerous exhibitors and visitors, including overseas exhibitors and visitors. According to the organizer’s
announcement, the event proved a major
success, with a turnout of 118,481 visitors
over the overall exposition period, easily
surpassing the initial target figure of
100,000.
Occupying an exhibition space 1.5
times wider than last year, Sakurai’s booth
attracted numerous visitors each day.
The booth promoted the new WithNet
Concept business flow concept, based on
the new Sakurai S-PAS image download
system, is briefly described in the first part
of this publication. The system will allow
direct application in the nascent business
activities of the printing industry.
Demonstrations and trial printing drew the
attention of numerous visitors every day,
who demonstrated their keen interest in
Sakurai S-PAS. Many preliminary applications were received on the spot.
On our main displays at the fair were the
2102EPII A1 size 2-color convertible
press, also compatible with extra-thin
paper, and the DMS-102AII 2-color stop
cylinder screen machine, the very first of
this kind in our sector, in addition to the
two OL-566SD and OL-575SDP 5-color
units, which seek to provide added value
through the addition of special features.
Sakurai demonstrated a unique printing
method that illustrated all the strengths of
combining offset printing and screen printing, attracting the interest of numerous offset printing companies.
Targeting the printing industry, Sakurai’s new photo content delivery service venture draws keen visitor interest.
Sakurai’s screen printing machine wins Good Design Award
The award testifies to remarkable design capabilities as well as manufacturing techniques.
Ultra-high precision stop cylinder automatic
screen printing machine MS-102SD
20
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
Sakurai was selected as 2005 Good
Design Award winner. The MS-102SD
embodies the essence of Sakurai’s cutting-edge manufacturing technologies for
screen printing machines. Developed as
an epochal product allowing stroke
adjustments with the stop cylinder, a
long-standing problem, the device also
enhances usability through equal-speed
high-quality printing, lower noise, and
vibration resistance, as well as high operability. In addition to its superb accuracy,
the device features superior design, as
demonstrated by the awarding of the
prestigious prize.
Sakurai has every intention of continuing to make the most of its advanced
manufacturing technologies to achieve
even higher design quality.
Information
New-dimension thermal CTP equipped with Profire Excel DI device
Dimension
425
EXCEL
Device offers the best match for Oliver multicolor print presses; exhibits
maximum performance.
mal room lighting conditions now account
for over 80% of all CTPs delivered. The
Dimension 425 Excel is a thermal CTP
system made and developed by Presstek,
U.S.A., renowned for development of
direct imaging (DI) devices. The machine
comes equipped with the new-dimension
Profire Excel DI system device, an
improved version of the conventional
Profire imaging device.
DTP systems are rapidly
becoming the standard
Use of the CTP (Computer to Plate) system is proliferating with dramatic speed.
Since the CTP offers significant benefits
over conventional film platemaking, including low cost, higher platemaking speed,
and improved print quality, the rapid
growth in the system’s popularity is hardly
unexpected. Thermal CTPs introduced for
their usability and simple handling in nor-
RIP
Supporting a broad range of RIP
systems
Quick and Clean
The Dimension 425 Excel also supports
2540dpi-1 bit-TIFF files created with your
current prepress system.
No darkroom needed
Accommodating A3 to B2 sizes
As a thermal CTP, the Dimension 425
Excel allows to work in normal room lighting conditions.
The Dimension 425 Excel accommodates a wide range of plate sizes.
Compatible plate sizes range from a minimum of 320 x 240 mm to a maximum of
780 x 680 mm. It is fully compatible with
any Sakurai SI/SIP Series or SD/SDP
Series machine.
No development required
The Dimension 425 Excel is compatible
with the thermal CTP plate TP-Z made by
Kodak Polychrome Graphics. Requiring no
developing, all stages of a print job can be
accomplished in normal room lighting conditions. The environment-friendly system
also uses no chemicals.
developing
layout
1Film output 2 Film
3 Manual
RIP
plate
plate
4 PSExposuring
5 PSdeveloping
6 Finishing
output
1 Plate
RIP
PRINT
Traditional printing process
developing
2 Plate
3 Finishing
PRINT
Traditional CTP system
(with developing)
with
water
1Plate output 2 Cleaning
PRINT
Printing process using the
Dimension 425 Excel
A note from the editor:
Published
February 02, 2006
Published by
SUN Editorial Dept.
Sakurai Graphic Systems Corp.
Function of image area data creation
The Dimension 425 Excel provides the
function of creating image area data compatible with the printing press. Efficient use
of this function allows to cut back drastically on the makeready time.
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.
SUN Sakurai User Network Winter 2006
21
http://www.sakurai-gs.co.jp
http://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)
ISO 9001 PRODUCTION & TECHNOLOGY DEPT.
ISO 14001 PRODUCTION & TECHNOLOGY DEPT.
This booklet was printed on an OLIVER-475SD