In 1896, Kamataro Kobayashi opened a private shop called “Kobayashi’s Ink Shop” in Tokyo that would soon begin manufacturing printing inks. Very few people would recognize this name today, but in 1907, this company would reorganize into Toyo Ink Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

For the next 116 years, Toyo Ink grew throughout the globe, forming a legacy of quality and service the world over. Today, the company has more than $2.5 billion in sales annually, including $1.2 billion in ink and graphic arts.

Now, more than 11 decades since it became Toyo Ink, the company is embarking on a new journey, complete with new branding: artience Co., Ltd. artience signifies Toyo Ink’s transformation, with an eye on developing state-of-the-art technology that will help enrich all people’s lives.

Tomoyuki Takada, manager, public relations for artience’s Corporate Communication Department, noted that the parent company’s name was changed from Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co., Ltd. to artience Co., Ltd.  However, the names of artience’s existing operating units, including Toyo Ink Co. Ltd. (ink division of the artience Co., Ltd.), Toyo Ink America, Toyochem, Toyocolor, etc., have not changed.

Takada observed that the term “artience” is a fusion of the words “art” and “science,” with “art” expressing the stimulation of the five senses and the mind, including the application of color as well as liberal arts perspective. “science” represents the application of technology, materials and a rational approach to discovery.

“The new trade name expresses our desire to realize a future in which everyone can live enriched lives,” Takada added. “The new name is instilled with the idea of creating and providing society with ‘value that resonates with the senses’ and moves people’s hearts and minds through the fusion and refinement of art and science.”

The decision to change its name is a way to show the world that artience plans to contribute to the world around it.

“The name change expresses to all stakeholders, both inside and outside the company, our strong determination to contribute to a new era, to achieve further growth, and to transform into a company that delivers pioneering value to people around the world with cutting-edge technologies,” Takada said. “Through this major transformation, we aim to achieve the sustainable growth of both our group companies and society.”

Takada pointed out that artience has also established a new “brand promise” to its customers and other stakeholders based on its strong desire to anticipate the needs and challenges of the evolving times.

“The brand promise incorporates the group’s reason for existing of ‘realizing a society in which all people can live enriched lives,’ our role and strength of ‘connecting technology with ideas,’ and our value proposition of ‘value that resonates with the senses,” Takada said. “Through optimum solutions that resonate with the senses, we aim to empower and inspire our business partners, brand owners and consumers, while continually taking on the challenge of new possibilities.”

In conjunction with its name change, artience will continue to expand its operations globally.

“artience continues to expand its packaging business to global markets,” Takada reported. “In particular, we’re working to bolster the development and sales of environmentally friendly products, primarily gravure inks, UV-curable inks, metal can coatings and other products. Construction of a new factory in Turkey is ongoing to further expand its supply capacity of packaging materials to meet growing regional demand.

“For gravure inks, we’ve been expanding sales of PVC-free, water-based and middle-grade products to the growing markets in Southeast Asia and India,” added Takada. “Production capacity expansion for packaging laminating adhesives is underway in Malaysia, to meet increased demand from South East Asian markets. As for our metal can coatings business, we are focusing on developing water-based products that comply with the highest environmental regulations and requirements, to meet strong demand from markets in the United States, China and Southeast Asia.”

Takada said that the feedback from the name change has been excellent.

“In a departure from previous naming conventions, this is the first time since the company’s incorporation as Toyo Ink Mfg. in 1907 that our trade name does not contain Toyo Ink,” he said. “As such, we expect the new artience brand to take time to fully sink in and gain the same level of online visibility as the old brand. artience group companies across the world have been working hard to make the transition to the group’s new visual identity, including the adoption of a new logo.

“So far, the response has been positive, both internally and externally, as a sign of our strong determination to progress reform and revitalize the group,” Takada added.