Sakurai 80th Anniversary Marks Eight Decades in Printing

04 November 2026: Japan’s Sakurai Graphic Systems Corporation marks its 80th anniversary in 2026, eight decades after its establishment in October 1946. The milestone spans a machinery business in offset and screen printing, with automated presses serving industrial production and specialist finishing, including decorative effects on printed materials.

Sakurai 80th anniversary: screen and offset roots

Sakurai’s official company profile defines its business as the development, manufacture and sale of offset and screen printing presses, together with auxiliary equipment. The anniversary therefore covers both sides of the Japanese manufacturer’s printing machinery business.

The company’s United States (US) screen-press catalogue uses the Maestro name. Sakurai USA describes the family as covering sheet-fed and web-fed cylinder screen presses. Its range includes the MS-80AII and MS-102AX cylinder presses, alongside the DDS series. Screen Print India’s earlier Maestro MF-80VII coverage offers background on another model in the family.

Automated screen presses for industrial production

Automated screen presses remain part of Sakurai’s US offering, with the MS-102DDS, MS-120DDS and MS-80DDS appearing in its current product listing. Sakurai identifies the MS-102DDS as the successor to the MS-102DS and describes the MS-120DDS as a fully automatic cylinder screen press with direct servo drive.

For the MS-80DDS, the company identifies labour-saving operation, easier use and scratch-free conveying as design aims. Those descriptions state the manufacturer’s intended benefits rather than independently measured production results. Screen Print India’s report on direct-servo-drive screen presses provides related background.

The same catalogue presents the DMS as a fully automatic two-colour stop-cylinder line. Sakurai describes the MS SD as an industrial stop-cylinder press and identifies high-end industrial printing as the intended application for the MF-80VII.

Model availability needs a separate check. Sakurai USA marks the MF-80VII and MS SD listings as service-only, so their presence in the catalogue should not imply that the US operation still sells those presses as new equipment.

How screen printing supports foil finishing

Screen printing also supports specialist finishing within Sakurai’s portfolio. Sakurai USA describes its Maestro presses as serving embellishment, pressure-sensitive work, heat transfers and industrial printing, as well as specialty finishing. These applications extend the equipment’s role beyond conventional image reproduction.

The company illustrates an integrated configuration combining the MS-80DDS with a Natgraph Smart UV (ultraviolet) dryer, a stacker and a ScreenFoil LQM-105 Evolution hot foil stamper. Printing, curing and foil processing form connected stages in that equipment arrangement.

According to Sakurai’s process description, screen printing first deposits UV varnish on the substrate. After curing, the stamper uses heat and pressure to apply foil to the varnished areas without dedicated moulds. Screen Print India’s report on combined printing and foiling offers historical context for this approach.

International demonstrations, training and support

Sakurai’s international support includes a US base in Schaumburg, Illinois. The subsidiary’s corporate profile identifies a demonstration and training centre, parts warehouse and administrative offices there, serving North America, including Canada and Mexico, and markets in South and Central America. The subsidiary invites customers to visit the Schaumburg facility.

Alongside its press range, Sakurai USA lists dryers and stackers, roll-to-roll screen printing equipment, and parts and service among its offerings. That combination places machinery demonstrations and customer support alongside the equipment itself as the Japanese parent enters its ninth decade.