Partnership Between FFEI and Fujifilm for Graphium

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, UK—September 3, 2013—FFEI has partnered with Fujifilm North America for the sale of FFEI’s Graphium digital UV inkjet press in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In addition, FFEI announces a partnership with Fujifilm Europe, which will be distributing the Graphium digital press in selected territories in Europe.

“We are delighted that Fujifilm will be our first major partner for Graphium,” commented Andy Cook, FFEI's managing director. “Fujifilm has a tremendous reputation for product innovation, quality and customer service, which are the key values underpinning the whole Graphium concept. I doubt there are any other companies in the industry that can offer the label and packaging customers the service, support and overall positive customer experience than Fujifilm.”

Cook continued, “As a long-term player in the industry, Fujifilm were quick to grasp Graphium’s market potential and we are excited that they have committed significant resources to help ensure a smooth and successful market launch.”

Graphium is for converters and printers producing labels, packaging and specialty print who want to increase margins and revenue streams on their short-to-medium print runs. Graphium is a modular digital UV inkjet press that puts choice, flexibility and productivity into the hands of printers and converters, enabling them to embrace complex projects requiring a wide gamut of colours on virtually any substrate.

“Traditional print volumes have been declining for years, with that being said, traditional print processes are becoming a thing of the past and moving to digital printing is a necessity in order to survive,” said John Kaufman, product marketing manager – Digital, Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. “The more versatile the printer, the more opportunities they will have to expand product offerings. Graphium represents a new calibre of inkjet press, designed specifically for the narrow web market, and it will change how printers work. We are thrilled to premiere Graphium at PRINT’13, and to be recognized as a MUST SEE ‘EM is quite an honor,” added Kaufman.

“It is becoming increasingly important for converters and printers to look at digital inkjet technologies for the production of labels, packaging and speciality print,” stated Jon Harper-Smith, marketing manager industrial and packaging, Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems. “There are growing opportunities for printers to differentiate and expand their product offerings through the use of these new technologies. Graphium, in particular, represents a new calibre of inkjet press designed for the narrow web market and, when combined with the new Fujifilm Uvijet Graphium ink developed specifically for label and packaging applications, breaks new ground in terms of the performance that can be achieved from a digital label press.”

Supporting up to five digital modules, and six flexo stations, Graphium offers the unique capability from a single vendor of being able to integrate optional flexo and finishing stations in-line for conversion in a single pass. This capability significantly reduces production time and cost in comparison to traditional offline finishing.

Graphium combines a range of leading technologies, including an innovative workflow, prepress and colour management software, as well as inkjet head calibration technology, to ensure consistent quality and repeatable production. For printers, that means consistent proof-to-press match and alignment to colour standards; yielding high-quality, vibrant printing and excellent adhesion, light fastness, and durability.

The color range includes cyan, magenta, yellow and black, together with a high opacity white.

Features and Benefits

• Designed for a wide range of applications, including labels and self-adhesive decals
• Adhesion to a wide range of substrates, including most grades of top-coated PE, top-coated PP, PVC, and paper
• High strength pigmentation with wide colour gamut
• High opacity white for background printing and fine detail
• Compatible with typical finishing processes including die cutting, foil blocking and embossing

Graphium utilizes state-of-the-art print heads combined with Fujifilm’s Uvijet Graphium inks to deliver unrivaled reliability for single-pass printing; producing a range of drop sizes from 6 to 42 picoliters, and providing eight grey levels that allow fine details, smooth tones and readable text to be reproduced reliably and consistently.

Graphium at PRINT 13
Stop by Fujifilm booth 1218 for a more in-depth look, and to see how this technology can transform your business.

Graphium at LabelExpo
Stop by Fujifilm booth 7L32 for a first look at the press in Europe. Further information relating to the distribution and commercial availability will be available at the show.

About FFEI
FFEI is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of digital imaging solutions within the graphic arts industry. With a focus in workflow software and inkjet technologies, FFEI products and solutions reduce cycle times, improve quality and add value to the services provided by printers and other users of digital imaging technologies.

With over 60 years heritage and almost a decade working as part of FUJIFILM, FFEI’s market-leading expertise and knowledge has established it as a key supplier of OEM products and integrated technologies to world-class partners including TechNova, Founder, Agfa and Leica Microsystems. FFEI continues to supply the widely-acclaimed Caslon digital label press to Nilpeter, as well as launching Graphium, its own digital UV inkjet press for labels, packaging and specialty print.

FFEI’s own-brand product portfolio includes RealPro Workflow System, RealPro Toolkit, RealPro ColourCloud, RealVue3D Packager, RealVue3D Publisher, and its market-leading Alinte violet CTP range, which continues to lead the way in emerging markets such as India and China. FFEI’s expertise in digital imaging technology has seen the company broaden its portfolio into the Life Science arena with the development of a whole slide scanner designed to accelerate the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer.

About FUJIFILM
FUJIFILM is one of the major operating companies of FUJIFILM Holdings. Since its founding in 1934, the company has built up a wealth of advanced technologies in the field of photo imaging, and in line with its efforts to become a comprehensive healthcare company, Fujifilm is now applying these technologies to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the Medical and Life Science fields. Fujifilm is also expanding growth in the highly functional materials business, including flat panel display materials, and in the graphic systems and optical devices businesses.

About Fujifilm Graphic Systems
Fujifilm Graphic Systems is a stable, long term partner focussed on delivering high quality, technically advanced print solutions that help printers develop competitive advantage and grow their businesses. The company’s financial stability and unprecedented investment in R&D enable it to develop proprietary technologies for best-in-class printing. These include pre-press and pressroom solutions for offset, wide-format and digital print, as well as workflow software for print production management. Fujifilm is committed to minimizing the environmental impact of its products and operations, proactively working to preserve the environment, and strives to educate printers about environmental best practice.

About Fujifilm North America
FUJIFILM North America, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation consists of four operating divisions and one subsidiary company. The Imaging Division provides consumer and commercial photographic products and services, including: photographic paper; digital printing equipment, along with service and support; personalized photo products; film; and one-time-use cameras; and also markets motion picture archival film and on-set color management solutions to the motion picture, broadcast and production industries. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras, and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the graphic printing industry. The Optical Devices Division provides optical lenses for the broadcast, cinematography, closed circuit television, videography and industrial markets, and also markets binoculars. FUJIFILM Canada sells and markets a range of Fujifilm products and services in Canada.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 10 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2012, and in the year ended March 31, 2013, had global revenues of $26.7 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship.
* At an exchange rate of 83 yen to the dollar.

Source: FFEI.