Tokyo (January 13, 2012)-Bridgestone Corporation announced today that it has developed a revolutionary new printing technology for tires that is different from any tire printing or coloring process on the market today.

Until now, white rubber has been used on the sidewalls of tires to manufacture white ribbon and white letter tires. This process requires the use of large amounts of white rubber to prevent discoloration and to also maintain durability. This conventional manufacturing process can also add additional weight to the tire.

Bridgestone's advanced tire printing technology consists of the layer to protect from discoloration as the base, inks newly developed for this technology, and the layer to protect from external damages on the surface. Through this new technology, Bridgestone can realize the more creative showcase of tires while also considering environmental concerns such as fuel efficiency, without any additional weight to the tire.

Bridgestone will continue to explore the many opportunities associated with this new tire printing technology. As an example, original customer designs or photographs could be printed on tire sidewalls and later removed or changed if a customer chooses.

Bridgestone plans to quickly bring this tire printing technology to market.

<Examples of designs>

In line with its status as company with a vast global presence, Bridgestone has formulated a universal environmental policy, dubbed “One team, One Planet, ” to unite it with people and organizations beyond the standard corporate framework as well as to ensure the safety of the children of the world.

This mark expresses the environmental management activities promoted by Bridgestone. The “e” represents the first letter of the word “Ecology”, the cornerstone of these activities. The mark also symbolizes the seeds borne from our eco foundations in the form of a clear sky and growing trees.