Prepress
FUJIFILM announces new Graphic Arts business strategy
Thursday 17. January 2008 - FUJIFILM Corporation announces its Graphic Arts business strategy which will form the basis of its stand at the drupa 2008 exhibition, to be held in Düsseldorf between the 29th May and 11th June 2008.
The FUJIFILM group recorded a strong financial performance in the 1st half of the 2007 fiscal year, with a sharp improvement from the previous year, indicating that the intensive structural reform that was carried out in 2005 & 2006 was successful and providing a perfect platform for further growth. In line with the groups VISION 75 (2007) Management Plan and growth strategies, the Graphic Arts division is aiming to strengthen its position in both its traditional offset litho business and in the burgeoning digital markets such as Print On Demand and Wide Format Graphics with strategies in the following three areas:
i) Strengthen existing digital pre-press and pressroom solutions to help printers maximize their offset litho businesses.
While FUJIFILM is pursuing strategies to help printers maximise the opportunities that emerge from new print technologies, it has invested more than any other company in its core CTP plate business. In addition to 4 factories in Japan, the US, Europe and China, FUJIFILM constructed another factory in China in January 2005 (which came on stream in March 2007) in order to meet the increasing worldwide demand for FUJIFILM CTP plates. In addition, drupa 2008 represents another milestone in the development of the Brillia High Definition range of CTP products, the only plate range on the market giving 1-99% resolution and FM capability for all plates, whether they be processed, chemistry-free or processless.
FUJIFILMs PRO-T processless plate, launched in 2006, has gained a high reputation as the ultimate plate for quality and environmental performance, and will be supplemented at drupa 2008 by the launch of Brillia HD PRO-V, a chemistry-free violet photopolymer plate with the same quality and productivity as its existing violet plate, Brillia LP-NV.
Also in the pre-press arena, FUJIFILM will be demonstrating a range of enhancements to its cross media workflow solution, XMF, including enhancements to its online proofing and approvals engine and a new module to assist in image processing. In the pressroom, a range of new pressroom chemistry alongside a new solution designed to improve press performance and quality management, will demonstrate how FUJIFILM is helping printers maximise the opportunities from their existing press machinery.
ii) Strengthen investment in R&D to improve both existing and future Graphic Arts business
In April 2006, the FUJIFILM Advanced Research Laboratory was established to play a central role in combining and nurturing leading-edge research on a companywide basis to provide the platform for the long term development of fundamental technologies.
In terms of our R&D organizational structure, there are three “Corporate laboratories”: the Frontier Core Technology Laboratory, the Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratory, and the Advanced Marking Research Laboratory. These laboratories are engaged in long-term research into cutting-edge technologies that will produce further growth for FUJIFILM. In addition, it has “Divisional laboratories” — which develop products and technologies that are directly linked to respective business divisions based on short and medium-term objectives — and “Fundamental Technology Research Centres”, which have accumulated technology platforms common to the whole Company.
The unique, cutting-edge technologies that the three corporate laboratories possess are being fused with each other at the FUJIFILM Advanced Research Laboratory. The goal is to promote the establishment of highly distinctive technologies, especially in the areas of highly functional materials, devices, and systems.
The Advanced Marking Research Laboratory is dedicated to the development of technology which will contribute to the future of our Graphic Arts business. High-caliber staff are engaged in the development of innovative inkjet technology, ranging from the development of inkjet printheads to materials including printing inks and substrates. .
iii) Maximise the opportunities gained from M&As and strategic alliances to rapidly expand FUJIFILMs capability in future
printing systems
FUJIFILM has rapidly expanded its industrial inkjet printing capability through three M&As: Sericol Group Limited (now FUJIFILM Sericol), the leading company in the production of inks for screen printing and wide format digital industrial inkjets; Avecia Group’s Inkjet business (now FUJIFILM Imaging Colorants), a leading global player in the production and sales of dyes and pigments for inkjet printers; and Dimatix, Inc. (now FUJIFILM Dimatix), a leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printheads.
These FUJIFILM companies, together with technology developed at the Advanced Marking Research Laboratory, will form the basis of the inkjet printing systems of the future. At drupa 2008, new inkjet technology will be unveiled.
In the Print On Demand business field, FUJIFILM and Xerox have enjoyed a strong relationship since the foundation of Fuji Xerox (Tokyo, Japan) as a joint venture company funded by Xerox and FUJIFILM in 1962. This relationship has seen Fuji Xerox manufacture and supply the DocuColor range of digital presses to Xerox since 1962. In 2001, a development of this relationship saw Fuji Xerox become a FUJIFILM Group company, thereby reinforcing the links between the two companies and paving the way for a stronger alliance. FUJIFILM became a reseller of Xerox digital presses in the Japanese Graphic Arts market in 2000, in the US market in 2003 and, more recently, in Europe in 2007. At drupa 2008, the FUJIFILM and Xerox booths are positioned next to each other with a strong theme being the technological synergies offered by the two companies.
FUJIFILM is looking forward to offering its hospitality to guests with a combination of benchmark products and technologies all designed to help printers work towards a successful future.