What Does Fujifilm’s New VDP Software Tell Us?

Fujifilm Simple Products (FFSP), a software development subsidiary of Fujifilm, released its Form Magic 4 Variable Data Print (VDP) software introduction on June 8, 2010. FFSP is one of the primary VDP software vendors in the Japanese market. According to an InfoTrends report exploring the Japanese POD solutions market (published December 2008), Fujifilm had a market share of 12% in 2007—making it the fourth-largest player in terms of volume base and new licenses sold for graphic arts use). During a press conference on Form Magic 4, FFSP claimed that its customer base was currently in excess of 250.

The VDP software market is currently dominated by Japanese players such as Morisawa, Tapcom, and FFSP. These Japanese vendors accounted for more than 70% of Japan’s VDP market because:

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TKS to Unveil JetLeader Production Color Inkjet Newspaper System

At the JANPS newspaper production show in Tokyo later this month a web offset press manufacturer called TKS (Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho) will be unveiling a production color inkjet newspaper system called JetLeader. It is a roll-fed device that prints at speeds of 150 meters per minute (492 feet per minute) and has a maximum print width of 541 millimeters (21.3 inches) on a maximum roll width of 546 millimeters (21.5 inches). It uses piezo drop-on-demand inkjet heads and aqueous pigment inks. TKS says it can print on groundwood newsprint at weights of 60 gsm or higher. The configuration that will be shown at JANPS will be process color on one side of the web and monochrome on the other (4/1) and will include a sheeter and accumulator. TKS says that a 4/4 configuration will be available upon launch at the end of this month. Pricing has not been released. In addition to the standalone JetLeader newspaper system, TKS will also demonstrate a hybrid offset/inkjet offering at JANPS. Read more »

Why Hasn’t Production Color Digital Print Been More Successful in Japan?

Alex Sumarta and I were in Tokyo recently for the On Demand Japan Conference. One of the questions that we frequently get is “Why hasn’t production color digital print been more successful in Japan?” No one knows the answer for sure, but as we listened to the analysts from our Japanese office talk about the market, some points became clear:

• Japanese printers pride themselves in providing high levels of quality
• Print service providers feel that quality and consistency is what differentiates them
• The poor quality and lack of consistency of some of the earliest digital color print products has given digital a bad reputation that it is only now beginning to shed

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