Sakura of America

Specialties

SAKURA of AMERICA believes that all people have ideas and thoughts worthy of expression. We are committed to the development of products that enhance communication and creativity. The Sakura corporate culture promotes individual expression through formal information gathering systems, formal and informal discussion, utilization of state-​of the-​art technology, as well as support of community, national and international creative education programs.

History

Established in 1921.

Sakura initially started as a crayon company in 1921. Disappointed that traditional crayon colors didn’t mix or overlay well, the founders experimented with different formulations to create an ideal drawing material. By 1924, Sakura invented the first-​ever oil pastel & named it Cray-​Pas, a combination of the two words crayon & pastel.

Our company heritage in art materials led to development of a specialized ink technology, Pigma ink– the most reliable archival quality ink loyally used by architects, artists & scrapbookers. In 1984, Sakura surprised the pen industry with its technological breakthrough invention of the first gel-​based ink. The research team had spent many years trying different ingredients, developing and testing prototypes. Despite many initial failures, the determined team finally hit a eureka moment creating the perfect gel ink! Most recent innovations are dimensional inks Glaze & Soufflé that write with a raised effect similar to embossing.