In this paper, recent trends in new printing paper products are introduced, and the properties and printability of several selected paper products are described. This includes the various bulky papers that have been developed as wood-free book paper, light-weight coated paper and wood-containing paper. High quality and environmentally friendly A2-sized papers are also discussed, along with recent trends in printing technology such as energy-saving UV printing, rapid drying printing, monitor-proofing, offset printing for soft packaging, and so on. As poor ink coverage can occur with bulky paper when printing conditions for general paper are applied, a suitable rubber blanket for rough paper needs to be used. With energy-saving UV printing, although print mottle is rarely expected to occur, there is a need to control the white dots that can easily form under the low temperatures involved. It is also difficult to remove the UV-ink layer from recycled pulps, and so there is a need to develop comprehensive measures to address this. As for rapid drying printing, piling can potentially occur on the non-image areas of the rubber blanket depending on the paper blend. It is believed that the future of paper will require continuous measures to be enacted to address the environment issues related to paper manufacture. When compared with electronic devices, paper is better suited to intellectual works and gentler on human eyes, and so we should strive to make the most of these strong points.

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Inkjet printing has become a popular method of achieving color output in home and office environments. In this report, advancements in inkjet printing methods and inkjet paper are first reviewed, and the variation in paper structure and raw material between plain and photo-grade paper types is explained. Although growth in the inkjet photoprinting market has stagnated, its future prospects look good thanks to recent technological advances such as the high image quality at high speed achieved by Inkjet Minilabo. In the large format market, the use of environmentally friendly solvents and Latex plotters is spreading, while the development of inkjet paper is ongoing.

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Illegal logging is a global problem with a significant economic, environmental and social impact. This has led to various actions being taken against illegal logging in both timber producing countries and consumers, with both the Lacey Act and EU Timber regulations recently entering into force. These regulations ban the trade of wood and wood products originating from illegally harvested timber, and require companies that market wood products to guarantee the legality of the timber used. The Japanese government also requires an assurance of legality for the public procurement of wood products. Japanese paper manufacturers work hard in cooperation with the Japan Paper Association to comply with these requirements; but although FSC certification fulfills most regulatory requirements, it is not accepted as automatic proof of compliance with the EU TR. Nevertheless, Mitsubishi Paper Mills, which is one of the leading producers of FSC-certified paper, relies on this FSC certification as a means to guarantee legality and live up to customer's expectations.

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High-grade printer paper is that which is specialized for printing, but could also be classified as a "Fancy Paper" that is clearly distinct from art paper. In addition to reproducing images faithfully, it is also designed to add value by preserving the natural feeling and individuality of paper. This makes it important to consider the quality and texture of the surface, which includes both the visible roughness and the microscopic tactile feel. Interestingly, different textures can create very unique printing effects, a phenomenon which we have explored both mathematically and physically for many years. In this article, we describe high-grade printer papers in terms of their unique features and notable differences from art paper, and also provide examples of specific product developments.

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AgIC is a rapid circuit prototyping tool that uses silver nano particle ink, and which can be used to print circuits with a home inkjet printer. Circuits can also be drawn with a silver-ink marker, thus allowing anyone to become a circuit designer. Some of the objects that can be made include lights, USB business cards, speakers, antennas, humidity sensors and artistic works. This can also help create new markets by collaborating with "outsiders" who never before had the chance to create circuits.

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Print mottle is a common print defect, so the evaluation of this print parameter is vital in print quality assessment. The aim of this research is print mottle estimation, i.e. solid-tone surface uniformity assessment of different billboard materials, printed using ink jet technology. A GLCM image processing method was used as a tool for print mottle determination, as it proved to be good surface roughness as well as print mottle estimator. The main idea was to apply GLCM image processing method on ink jet printed samples that possess print mottle defects, and to test if this method can produce reliable estimations of this negative print effects. After obtaining quantitative results of print mottle level for each sample, all of them, according to appropriate color, were subsequently visually compared, in order to gain qualitative information about its solid-tone uniformity and establish which substrate material is superior in terms of solid-tone surface uniformity, as well as to verify previously obtained quantitative results and conclusions.
Key words: print mottle, solid-tone uniformity, GLCM, ink jet printing

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A highly sensitive photopolymerization initiation system, corresponding to the visible laser with the wavelength of 488nm, was investigated. We already reported an electron-transfer initiation system consisting of a merocyanine dye and a triazine initiator. The sensitivity of this system was too low to commercially apply it to CTP. We have found that a-amino ketones have an excellent ability to improve its sensitivity by using them as additives to our initiation system. These ketones have been found to improve the sensitivity more than twice and to show excellent thermal stability, which satisfy the requirements to realize commercialization of CTP.

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This study reports the development of a highly sensitive photopolymerization initiation system with wavelength corresponding to that of the visible Ar laser (488 nm).A previously developed electron-transfer initiation system consisting of a merocyanine dye and a triazine initiator was modified by substitution with (trimethylsilyl) methyl (TMSM).Though the sensitivity of the original system was too low for commercial computer-to-plate (CTP) application, modification with TMSM enhanced the sensitizing effect of the dye more than twofold and conferred excellent thermal stability to the dye. These characteristics satisfy the requirements for commercial CTP applications.

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The bending of a squeegee when it is pushed into a screen during screen printing is considered to be comparable to the fundamental mechanical strength model of the bending of a cantilever subjected to an intensive load. This study therefore evaluated the validity of applying this model to the real-life bending of a squeegee to determine the coverage that is established. This found that the volume of deflection, as estimated from the cantilever beam model, corresponds well to the volume of deflection calculated from a photograph of an actual bent squeegee within a high squeegee-angle range and low printing-pressure range. Based on this, the squeegee angle and printing pressure were adjusted to determine the most appropriate attack angle, which was then tested experimentally.

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