TOPPAN to Launch Full-Color Variation Inks for Pharmaceutical Tablets
TOPPAN Inc. will begin offering its full-color variation inks for pharmaceutical tablets on May 19, 2026. The company has successfully developed a light-resistant magenta ink, which was previously difficult to commercialize, enabling full-color printing on tablets. This innovation enhances the identifiability of medications, aiming to improve efficiency in pharmacies and prevent medication errors by patients. TOPPAN targets sales of 1 billion yen by fiscal year 2028.
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- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 19:02
- 🔍 Collected: May 19, 2026 at 10:31
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TOPPAN Inc., a group company of TOPPAN HOLDINGS INC. (HQ: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President & Representative Director: Haruhiko Noguchi), will begin providing full-color variation inks for pharmaceutical tablets starting May 19, 2026.
The company has successfully developed an inkjet ink for tablets in magenta, one of the three primary colors, which had been difficult to produce with high light resistance. This breakthrough allows for a wide range of color expressions (full-color) when combined with the other primary colors, yellow and cyan. This will improve the visibility and identifiability of text printed on tablets, contributing to greater efficiency in pharmacy dispensing operations and helping to prevent medication errors by patients. Ahead of its official launch, this product is the first full-color variation ink to be adopted for pharmaceutical tablets in Japan.
The product will be exhibited at the TOPPAN booth (Hall 7, Booth No. 35-40) during the 28th INTERPHEX JAPAN, held from May 20 (Wed) to 22 (Fri), 2026, at Makuhari Messe.
■ Development Background
In recent years, the adoption of inkjet printing on pharmaceutical tablets, which allows for Japanese characters like hiragana and katakana, has been increasing. This has led to a growing demand for a diverse range of ink colors to improve visibility and identifiability. However, ensuring light resistance for edible tablet inks has been a challenge. In particular, magenta inkjet ink for tablets was difficult to commercialize due to its tendency to fade when exposed to light, limiting the available color options.
As a supplier of inkjet inks for tablets for over 10 years, TOPPAN has leveraged its ink formulation technology from its Electronics business and its hygiene and quality control expertise from its Living & Industry business to develop a light-resistant magenta inkjet ink. The availability of this product will contribute to streamlining verification tasks for pharmacists preparing multi-dose packages and reducing the risk of medication errors among the elderly.
■ Product Features
・Light-Resistant Magenta Inkjet Ink for Tablets
Conventional magenta inkjet inks for tablets faced technical difficulties in balancing light resistance and stable production, as the low light resistance of the pigment made optimizing ink components challenging. Through optimization of ink ingredients, innovative purification methods, and a proprietary design, TOPPAN has achieved the optimal balance of printing performance and light resistance, making the magenta ink commercially viable.
・Enables Full-Color Variation
The development of magenta allows for a diverse range of color expressions when combined with the other primary colors, cyan and yellow. This enables improved identifiability for dosage markings like '10mg' and '20mg', high-visibility printing on colored tablets using complementary colors, and meeting specific color needs such as corporate branding.
・Achieves High Light and Moisture Resistance
The ink achieves the high level of light resistance required by the medical industry while also maintaining moisture resistance. Its high resistance to fading from sunlight and fluorescent light, coupled with moisture resistance that prevents absorption of airborne moisture, ensures that identifiability is maintained even for medications stored for long periods.
■ Future Goals
TOPPAN will market this product to pharmaceutical manufacturers in Japan and overseas, aiming for sales of 1 billion yen by fiscal year 2028, including related orders for inks and packaging.
The company has successfully developed an inkjet ink for tablets in magenta, one of the three primary colors, which had been difficult to produce with high light resistance. This breakthrough allows for a wide range of color expressions (full-color) when combined with the other primary colors, yellow and cyan. This will improve the visibility and identifiability of text printed on tablets, contributing to greater efficiency in pharmacy dispensing operations and helping to prevent medication errors by patients. Ahead of its official launch, this product is the first full-color variation ink to be adopted for pharmaceutical tablets in Japan.
The product will be exhibited at the TOPPAN booth (Hall 7, Booth No. 35-40) during the 28th INTERPHEX JAPAN, held from May 20 (Wed) to 22 (Fri), 2026, at Makuhari Messe.
■ Development Background
In recent years, the adoption of inkjet printing on pharmaceutical tablets, which allows for Japanese characters like hiragana and katakana, has been increasing. This has led to a growing demand for a diverse range of ink colors to improve visibility and identifiability. However, ensuring light resistance for edible tablet inks has been a challenge. In particular, magenta inkjet ink for tablets was difficult to commercialize due to its tendency to fade when exposed to light, limiting the available color options.
As a supplier of inkjet inks for tablets for over 10 years, TOPPAN has leveraged its ink formulation technology from its Electronics business and its hygiene and quality control expertise from its Living & Industry business to develop a light-resistant magenta inkjet ink. The availability of this product will contribute to streamlining verification tasks for pharmacists preparing multi-dose packages and reducing the risk of medication errors among the elderly.
■ Product Features
・Light-Resistant Magenta Inkjet Ink for Tablets
Conventional magenta inkjet inks for tablets faced technical difficulties in balancing light resistance and stable production, as the low light resistance of the pigment made optimizing ink components challenging. Through optimization of ink ingredients, innovative purification methods, and a proprietary design, TOPPAN has achieved the optimal balance of printing performance and light resistance, making the magenta ink commercially viable.
・Enables Full-Color Variation
The development of magenta allows for a diverse range of color expressions when combined with the other primary colors, cyan and yellow. This enables improved identifiability for dosage markings like '10mg' and '20mg', high-visibility printing on colored tablets using complementary colors, and meeting specific color needs such as corporate branding.
・Achieves High Light and Moisture Resistance
The ink achieves the high level of light resistance required by the medical industry while also maintaining moisture resistance. Its high resistance to fading from sunlight and fluorescent light, coupled with moisture resistance that prevents absorption of airborne moisture, ensures that identifiability is maintained even for medications stored for long periods.
■ Future Goals
TOPPAN will market this product to pharmaceutical manufacturers in Japan and overseas, aiming for sales of 1 billion yen by fiscal year 2028, including related orders for inks and packaging.