MGI Digital Graphic Technology : Konando Unveils New Digital Industrial Print Factory

Konando Unveils New Digital Industrial Print Factory

Japanese Market Leader Drives Brand Growth with

MGI JETvarnish 3D & Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1

Konando Printing Co. Ltd. Headquarters in Kobe, Japan

MELBOURNE, FL USA (July 31st, 2018) - On opening day of the annualIGAS international graphic arts trade show in Tokyo, a special press conference announcement was made byKonica Minolta Japan

(KMJ) that a new digital print production facility and customer showroom called "KONANDO Lab" will be launched by one of the country's leading marketing firms,Konando Printing Co. Ltd., in Kobe City.

A New Industry Alliance

With the dedicated support of national equipment dealer,Motoya Co., KMJ will be providing an MGIJETvarnish 3D digital embellishment press and a Konica MinoltaAccurioJet KM-1 inkjet production press to help Konando create an advanced "Industrial Print Factory" work environment that will assist major corporate brands in developing new print applications for their customer bases, commercial supply chain networks and retail store delivery channels.

The new strategic partnership between the Konando Printing Co., the Motoya Co., Konica Minolta Japan (KMJ) and MGI will jointly develop the KONANDO Laboratory as a dedicated technology center for testing and researching the power of digital solutions to impact the Japanese printing & packaging industries. The goal is help print buyers strengthen their consumer brand relationships by "Bringing Print to Life" with the digital creative power of Konica Minolta and MGI inkjet technology.

Executive Support

MGI Vice President of Marketing & Sales Kevin Abergel stated, "We are very proud to announce our joint collaboration with Konando today. The KONANDO Lab highlights the strength and synergy of the Konica Minolta and MGI inkjet printing and embellishment platforms. I think that no other print market in the world can compare to Japan when it comes to both quality and customer service. So, we thank the Konando and Motoya management teams for their vision and the effort that they have made to build this new Industrial Print Factory together."

Konica Minolta Japan Senior Executive Officer, PPG sales, Junichi Arai, commented, "The KM-1 and JETvarnish 3D digital combination is a perfect solution to meet the growing market demand for short run job customization, faster delivery times, expanded product packaging versions and increased growth of E-Commerce-based 1-to-1 marketing strategies. The KONANDO Lab will provide unprecedented research, demonstration and production advantages to print buyers and brand owners while supporting their goals of developing effective new print communications and product marketing strategies."

JETvarnish 3D

MGI JETvarnish 3D presses produce 100% digital print enhancements with dramatic and dynamic 2D/3D dimensional foil highlights for applications on hundreds of substrate surfaces, including paper, plastic and synthetic stocks. The JETvarnish 3D system can utilize variable data processing to create individually unique embossed foil impressions for both images and alpha-numeric text. This print enrichment process translates into customer relationship-building benefits with the advantage of highlighting the impact and power of print in the marketplace. MGI digital special effects help printers energize the communication campaigns of brands and result in highly profitable new application revenue streams.

AccurioJet KM-1

The high-production AccurioJet KM-1 Inkjet Press combines the speed and flexibility of offset presses with the digital benefits of variable data printing and zero make-ready job setups - with the extraordinary additional advantages of a large 3x29.5" (58x75cm) sheet size, a wider range of paper thickness compatibility and the flexibility to print on coated, uncoated & textured stocks, art papers and many more substrate options available (all without any pre-coating necessary). The KM-1 is an ideal solution for faster project completion with a higher quality, wider color gamut and reliable high-volume production printing - sheet to sheet and job to job. These revolutionary inkjet advancements are helping printers produce short-run, variable data jobs with applications like personalized packaging.

For more information, please visitwww.mgiusa.com andwww.konicaminolta.com.Follow MGI on Facebook@MGIonline and on Twitter@MGI_USA for the latest printing industry technology news.

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About the MGI Group: International Printing Industry Leader

Founded in 1982, the MGI Group is a public company with offices around the world and is registered on the Euronext/Alternext stock exchange (ALMDG). The MGI Group is a global digital printing technology leader composed of MGI Digital Technology, headquartered in Paris (Fresnes), France and KÖRA-PACKMAT, located in Villingendorf, Germany and CERADROP, located in Limoges, France.

MGI USA, based in Melbourne, Florida, is a fully-owned subsidiary of the MGI Group that supports the North & South American, Caribbean, Indian and Asia Pacific markets. For more information, please visitwww.mgiusa.com .

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