Producing inks that keep the color
& the future of the planet bright
for over 97 years!

Innovators of Eco-Friendly Water Based Ink & Color Changing Specialty

Phone
+1 (800) 359-5679
1 (310) 767-7812
Address
1501 West 178th St.,
Gardena, CA 90248

The colorful history of Matsui International Company began in 1923, in Kyoto, Japan.

It was 1923, when Kenji Matsui started a paint business in Kyoto, Japan. In those early days, we started out by trading dyes, and after that making crayons and painting materials. By the 1950’s, we transitioned into the production of pigments and resins for printing. The crayons and paint materials we started out with, dyed into our new focus on textile printing.

By the 1980’s was a time for change & we created Chromicolor, our color changing specialty ink. In the early 1990’s we decided that most of our ink should be eco- friendly water based for textile screen printing. Since then, we are committed to stay true to the japanese tradition of seeking balance with nature, we believe this eco-friendly approach is what is best for having a sustainable environment for the future.

Matsui International Company, a family business that has solidified passing from generations offers a wide range of exclusive products where every product is manufactured with the finest quality and highest standard in reliability fulfilling the promise of excellence synonym in the world to our Japanese heritage.

kyoto

Meet the team

Masa Matsui

President

Kazuyuki Kawata

Operations Manager

Jesse Martinez

Screen Printing & Digital Sales Manager
Our target image

Our Mission

Matsui International will strive to be the most collected individuals who inspire people and communities across the globe with pigments. As its mission, Matsui International will discover creative ways to apply pigments onto any imaginable surfaces, designs, cultures, sustainable practices or even just t-shirts.

Our Vision

our vision image

Matsui International will strive to be the most collected individuals who inspire people and communities across the globe with pigments. As its mission, Matsui International will discover creative ways to apply pigments onto any imaginable surfaces, designs, cultures, sustainable practices or even just t-shirts.

Sustainability Statement

Eco icon

Matsui International has been producing colors and inks for over 30 years. The company is known for pioneering environmental impact by producing water-based screen printing inks in the U.S. market. As international supply chains and price competitions become more popular, the company examines the status quo on the current economic and environmental issues regarding to sustainability. Therefore, Matsui International has started on new projects.

We have been fully aware that the environment conservation is the most important matter to sustain the Earth. We always maintain our basic philosophies that are to reduce environment impacts and work to protect the environment by energy-saving, resource-saving, reduction of environmentally hazardous substances, to develop eco-friendly products and to maintain the safest products possible to the users and employee safeties. We are trying our level best efforts to support the fully sustainable society. As develop our products, our target is to support our textile customers produce their products that are environmentally friendly. We develop and produce the products that are to reduce CO2 emission and to save water. Recently, for customers to use our products with the confidence, we have achieved ‘Eco Passport’ and ‘ZDHC Level 3’ with our major products.We would like our business model to promote a positive and colorful impact for the world.

Our colorful story begins in 1923

The passion for color begins in Japan
1923
Paint business is founded by late chairman Kenji Matsui in Kyoto, Japan
Exploration of a new path
1948
Production and sales of crayons and painting materials begin
1950
Starts production & sale of pigments and resins for printing
1953
Halt of production of crayons and painting materials to focus on textile printing business
Growth with a clear pathway for the future
1960
A major driving force of Matsui Company is born in Japan, first product, Active Carbon resin agent "Hirzitt"
1969
We enter paper transfer business
1970
Additional land is purchased in Kyoto and business develops into an early form of what we are today
1972
Completion of new plant, we are ready for an increased production and operation expansion
Strides of expansion
1980
Osaka branch was developed
1983
Tokyo sales branch is established with the introduction of thermo revealing change colorant Chromic color to the market. Chromicolor is introduced on live TV at the NHK TV show "Ultra Eye"
1984
Sanrio introduces color changing colors in the US
1985
New York offices are established
1987
Mattel introduces color changing diecast cars in US
1987
Overseas affiliated company Matsui and Company, INC, was established in Los Angeles, USA.
Business is booming
1987
5 story Kyoto factory is completed & the 7th factory Nagoya sales plant is established
1988
Matsui & Company, Inc changes its name to Matsui International Co. Inc with a clear intention of international expansion
1990
Hyper color (color changing t-shirts by Genera Sports wear) applied with Chromicolor™️ becomes a great hit in the US market propelling the next expansion of Matsui
1992
We move the new head office in Kamikazan, Yamashinaku, Kyoto
1993
As the head office moves, we take the advantage, expand our technical dept considerably and create the International development department. We are ready for the next wave of hyper-growht!
Continuous innovation continuous expansion
1996
Entering the business of wall-paper material
1998
The old showroom turns into an expanded site for production for the technical section.
1998
We incusionate into the transfer paper market in the US with Unimark®
1998
"LICCA" dolls a registered trade mark of TAKARA, Co. LTD applied with Chromicolor® become a great hit in the US market.
2001
Shanghai office is established in China
2003
Added printing facilities to the 7th plant expansion to accommodate for Unimark® transfer paper business demands
New lines, new markets... expansion continues
2006
We add of Thermolock to our line of Products
2010
Dyestone is developed and introduced to the global market
2013
DigiAce is developed and patented
2014
We inagurate offices in Honduras & Hong Kong
2022
Biomass Screen Printing inks have been developed, utilizing plant-based resins as part of Matsui's sustainable commitment
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