INX to Unveil New, Advanced Technologies and Eco-Friendly Practices at drupa 2008

Hall 4, Exhibit C11 is a “must see” for designers and brand marketers as well as printers, converters and other drupa visitors looking for new ways to achieve higher-impact and more precisely and efficiently produced packaging and commercial printing.
 
Drupa Hall 4, Exhibit C11 is where the Sakata INX Group, under the banner of “Bringing Vision to Creation, Originality to Communication and Color to Human Life,” will showcase its products, world-wide systems and services, along with those of its U.S.-based subsidiary, INX International Ink Co. and its digital arm, INX Digital.  A separate display in Hall 8b, Exhibit C02, will more extensively cover INX Digital offerings.
 
Visitors to the Sakata INX display in Hall 4 will find exhibit sections focusing on INX’ traditional ink and coating systems, advanced software and related technologies, and the company’s global network, which includes more than 60 participating Sakata INX sales and service affiliates from throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.
 
“Developing forward-focused products and practices is imbedded in INX culture,” noted Rick Clendenning, INX International president and CEO.  “Drupa visitors will find a number of new and innovative, eye-opening examples here.”
 
At drupa, INX will introduce Color-Chain Workflow Suite, advanced-technologies to dramatically increase design and production speed, color accuracy, quality and efficiency.

“We all know that ink is one of several critical components in packaging as well as commercial print design and production,” states Kiniyoshi Horimoto, senior manager – new products marketing for Sakata INX’ corporate marketing division. “Our extensive experience in developing not only high-performance inks and coatings, but also equipment and software workflow solutions gives us total-system insights and perspectives that few can match.

“Furthermore, we work closely with leaders in complementary print design, color management, pre-press, quality control and production processes, in order to provide integrated solutions,” added Mr. Horimoto. “As a result, INX customers can now access an unmatched group of technologically advanced products and tools – tools with multiple benefits for designers and end-use marketers, as well as printers … all under our umbrella of the INX Color-Chain Workflow Suite. Drupa visitors can see firsthand how these tools can help reduce package design time and costs dramatically, achieve more-precise color matching, enhance detail and color clarity, provide more-efficient proofing and more.”
 
Available as a fully integrated Suite or in a la carte versions, Color-Chain Workflow tools include:
 
Visualizer software by ESKO Artwork:  Designers can create on-screen 3D mockups of package and label designs — complete with substrate, ink and/or varnish, embossing, foil stamping and other finishes.  Packages can be viewed in different venues (e.g. store shelf, in the home …), in varied lighting and more.
 
“It’s easy to spend weeks conceptualizing and designing a new package,” pointed out Mr. Clendenning, “plus thousands in prototyping and related costs; a single prototype can run $5,000.  Visualizer with a full gamut of INX inks and coatings incorporated, not only eliminates most out-of-pocket costs, it also shortens time-to-market for new packaging dramatically – a huge plus in a tight economy with intense competition for consumer dollars.”
 
Beyond Stochastic – Concentric Screening: By Esko Artwork and part of the Color-Chain Workflow Suite, this provides an even more photo-like look than FM, and more detail than AM.  It can also result in ink savings of 10 percent to 30 percent.  

Super R-SKAT — Computer Color Matching software developed by Sakata INX: Highly user-friendly,  Super-SKAT is process control software for use in the pressroom that enables even inexperienced operators to match colors precisely and ensure consistent color accuracy, job after job.  The program also enables operators to calculate and reuse leftover ink and improve their technical knowledge of color.
 
TCM Program with CP3NAVI: Comprehensive print quality diagnostics software used in concert with Sakata INX-designed print analysis technology, this Color-Chain Workflow Suite tool helps lock-in quality and consistency.  It can virtually eliminate waste at color matching stage, by ensuring a match between printed samples and proofs with either DCCP or inkjet printer.
 
Media Beacon: This Digital Asset Management system, used with Auto typesetting Software developed by Baby-Universe, enables digital data and usage to be centralized and shared – resulting in the ability to complete page layouts automatically, with a single keystroke.
 
In addition, end-use products at DRUPA will showcase an extensive range of current INX inks covering:
• Virtually all commercial printing and packaging applications.
• All print processes, including sheetfed, web offset, energy curable, flexo and gravure.
• An extensive array of environmentally friendly water-based flexo and gravure inks, low-VOC sheetfed inks and next-generation products that are formulated VOC solvent-free.
• INX’ latest pressroom supplies and equipment will also be showcased, including fountain solutions, coating agents and automated ink dispensing systems – another print operational area where INX leads the industry with liquid and paste ink dispensers.

Responsible environmental stewardship, long a hallmark of Sakata INX worldwide, will be evidenced as well, including the latest INX initiatives in utilizing, recycling and renewing natural resources, conserving water and energy, and reducing emissions that contribute to global warming.

The display will detail steps taken by INX to comply with REACH Act requirements to register information in the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) data base, as well as updates on progress in substituting more environmentally friendly materials within products and systems.
 
In addition to low- and non-VOC formulated ink systems, this area will feature advances in energy-saving efficiencies and other INX facility achievements – including ISO 14000-Certification by production plants.