The Fountainhead - Kerala Master Printers Association

Transcript

Vol. XVIII | No. 5 | September - October 2014 ` 20.00 The Fountainhead of India’s ‘Binding Revolution’ MEGA SHOW BEGINS ON DECEMBER 12 . SANJEEV k.C Print Miracle RNI Reg. No. 65957/96 The Official Journal of Kerala Master Printers’ Association Editor Asst. Editor : P.S. Rajan : Joe Paul Office Bearers of KMPA President : G. Venugopal General Secretary : D. Manmohan Shenoy Treasurer : B.K. Rajan Immediate Past President : Joseph Muttathottil Joint Secretary Co-ordinator : Yeldho K. George : Jose Joseph Vice Presidents Central North South West Headquarters : T.F. James : C.R. Nandakumar : K. Madhusoodhanan : S. Saji : P.S. Rajan Committee Chairmen Exhibitions : O. Venugopal Publication : P.S. Rajan Membership Promotion : Raju N. Kutty Training & HRD : G. Rajesh Awards : K.P. Uthup Hospitality & Recreation : Shaji Manjooran Export Promotion : K.P. Sabu Machinery : R. Gopakumar Technology : Magesh Karthik Paper & Raw Material : Benitto Jose Land & Building : Nazar Marikavil Govt. Affairs & Taxation : Roy Thomas Website Management : Gerard T. Chandy G.C. Members-AIFMP : R. Suresh : O. Venugopal : G. Venugopal : K.C. Sanjeev : Raju N. Kutty For commercial and editorial: Kerala Master Printers’ Association Casa Grante Building, 2nd Floor, Deshabhimani Junction, Cochin - 682 017. Phone : 0484 - 4042715 E-mail : [email protected] [email protected] Website : www.kmpa.in Vol. XVIII No. 5 September - October 2014 Editorial I n this issue, Print Miracle has achieved a rare success in the manufacturing industry in Kerala. He is Mr. K.C. Sanjeev, who started producing a humble perfect binding machine from a friend’s garage in the late 1980s, when many of the manufacturing industries in the Private and Public sectors in the state were closing down. Militant labour problem was worse at that time in Kerala. I am sure that Sanjeev must have faced a lot of discouragement and hurdles initially. But he overcame all the obstacles with his strong will and sheer business acumen. He made a remarkable Perfect Binding Machine, which was unique at that time with a lot of electronic controls. The auto sensing feature was a novelty in Perfect Binding machines at that time. Anybody who has closely watched the printing industry in the country will vouch for what Sanjeev has contributed to the post-press operations. It was Sanjeev who brought a revolutionary change in book binding – from sewn to perfect bound books – during the beginning of the 90s. Welbound Perfect Binder, which was cost-effective and trouble-free, unleashed the revolution. The growth story of Welbound World Wide, proves the quality of Sanjeev’s machine. His Perfect Binding machines are sold throughout India, Middle-East and African countries. The brand name Welbound has gone deep into the minds of binders in India that people call all perfect binding machines ‘Welbound Binding Machine’. Recently, AIFMP honoured Sanjeev with Print Ranta Award, along with Sanath Shah of Manugraph and Pranav Parik of TechNova. This is the highest honour given to personalities in Indian Printing Industry. Print Miracle acknowledges and appreciates Sanjeev’s great achievement. This man can be a role model for many young upcoming entrepreneurs. (P.S. Rajan) Editor Contents President’s Desk ................................................................................................... 3 The Fountainhead of India’s Binding Revolution................................................ 4 The Future is Packaging..................................................................................... 14 Published by Mr. R. Suresh, former President, KMPA on behalf of Kerala Master Printers Association, Cochin - 17 and printed by him at Five Star Offset Printers, Nettoor North, Kochi - 682 040 for Jasmine Grafix. Kerala printers bag 21 awards at NAEP ............................................................ 20 All rights reserved. Views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the KMPA or the editor or the publisher and they accept no responsibility for them. The Pixel Problem.............................................................................................. 26 IPAMA all set for PrintPack India 2015 ............................................................21 Govt. curbs threaten flex printers’ survival .........................................................22 Dev Nair elected new President of AIFMP........................................................ 30 Industry News .................................................................................................... 33 Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 1 Good Things Things Come Come In In Small Small Packages Packages Good We’ve Come ProvedInIt ItSmall Right Packages Good Things We’ve Proved Right We’ve Proved It Right with the launch of with the launch of Color imagePRESS Color imagePRESS C800/C700 C800/C700 mercial for Com with the Printing launch ofSegment mercial Printing Segment for Com Color imagePRESS C800/C700 mercial Printing Segment for Com IAL C LR E A I FOR C SP R FER FO T SOPFE LT FE IAS OFEIC R R S O F R SPF R I E FF 0 5 00 5 5 T S R I F OF S ERS M STO ER CUSTOM CU S ER M STO CU of Ex of Ex iPR C800/C700 iPR C800/C700 Small on Size, Big on Print of Ex New imagePRESS C800/C700 acquir Small on Size, Big on Print iPR C800/C700 also paper longer than 19.2” in length. 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Cavity Surface Emitting Laserfeatures (VCSEL) aunit The imagePRESS C800/C700 32 with beammulti-exposure Vertical technology thatEmitting achieves an exceptional 2400 dpi, Cavity Surface Laser (VCSEL) unit2400 withxmulti-exposure High Quality Printin 8 Bit resolutionenabling even higher precision in thedpi, technology that achieves an exceptional 2400 x 2400 images. g printing of text and 8 BitimagePRESS resolutionenabling even higheraprecision the The C800/C700 features 32 beam in Vertical and images. g printing of textEmitting Cavity Surface Laser (VCSEL) unit with multi-exposure technology achieves an exceptional x 2400 dpi, Study According tothat IDC 2014 Customer Loyalty & 2400 Service Experience 8 Bit resolutionenabling even Loyalty higher precision in the According to IDC 2014 Customer & Service Experience Study g printing of text and images. Versatile Media Handling Consistently Vivid (CV) ToHandling ner & Enhanced Elastic Intermediate Versatile Media Transfer Belt Vivid helps (CV) to transfer toner onto the paper evenly, Consistently To ner & Enhanced Elastic Intermediate even for Belt the roughT &toner Embossed paper. Transfer helps toexture transfer onto the paper evenly, Media Handling es lesser Versatile carbon & exture even forfootprint the roughT & Embossed paper. tVivid Registration Technology (CRT) Consistently Elastic Intermediate es lesser Compac carbon footprint &(CV) To ner & Enhanced Transfer to transfer toner onto the paper evenly, thelps Registration Technology (CRT) Compac Comp actBelt and highly accurate registration technology even for the roughT exture & Embossed paper. assures results whether printing one sheet Comp actbest-in-class and highly accurate registration technology assures best-in-class results whether printing one sheet Compact Registration Technology (CRT) or thousands. Comp registration technology Pohighly wer accurate Consumption Low act onand assures best-in-class results whether printing one sheet Power Consumption Low Canon on iPR C800/C700 is among the lowest power or thousands. consuming equipmentisinamong its category & is Energy Canon iPR C800/C700 the lowest power Star Compliance. consuming equipment in its category & is Energy Star Low on Power Consumption Compliance. Canon iPR C800/C700 is among the lowest power consuming equipment in its category & is Energy Star Compliance. es lesser or carbon footprint & thousands. Product Enquiries - B Mohanakrishnan:Mob: 09840016741 | Email: [email protected] According to IDC 2014 Customer Loyalty & Service Experience Study John K Paul:- Mob: 09447772900 | Email: [email protected] Product Enquiries - B Mohanakrishnan:- Mob: 09840016741 | Email: [email protected] Canon India Pvt. Ltd., 7th Floor, To wer B, Cyber Epitome, DLF Phase 3, Gurgaon, Haryana-122002 | Tel - 0124-4160000 | www. canon.co.in John K Paul:- Mob: 09447772900 | Email: [email protected] Canon India Pvt. Ltd., 7th Floor, To wer B, Cyber Epitome, DLF Phase 3, Gurgaon, Haryana-122002 | Tel - 0124-4160000 | www. canon.co.in Product Enquiries - B Mohanakrishnan:- Mob: 09840016741 | Email: [email protected] John K Paul:- Mob: 09447772900 | Email: [email protected] Print Miracle | September October Canon India-Pvt. Ltd., 7th2014 Floor, |To2wer B, Cyber Epitome, DLF Phase 3, Gurgaon, Haryana-122002 | Tel - 0124-4160000 | www. canon.co.in clusive Feature clusive Feature clusive Feature President’s Desk Dear friends, I ndia has soared to new heights with Mangalyaan reaching the orbit of Mars. Kerala Master Printers Association (KMPA) is happy about the successful Mangalyaan mission because one of the prominent members of the association, Mr. K.C. Sanjeev had manufactured some components for the mission, for which he got appreciation from ISRO. He is the star of this issue. Our country is also set for an unprecedented economic progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. It’s heartening to know that industry-friendly policies of the Centre will give a fillip to the printing industry, too. As the future for the country looks to be bright, KMPA assumes that Printing Industry in Kerala will flourish with fast growth in Packaging Sector. Yes, the future is Packaging and there is future in Packaging. This optimism was evident at the seminar presented by Esko-Graphics India Pvt. Ltd. at Travancore Court on October 11, 2014. Esko’s Solution Architect Arun Subramanya’s presentation was a revelation to many upcoming Packaging and Printing entrepreneurs who attended the seminar. KMPA is extremely thankful to Esko for sponsoring such a useful seminar for Kerala Printing and Packaging fraternity. I must also pay the due credit to KMPA Technology Committee Chairman Magesh Karthik Suresh for convincing Esko about the benefit of conducting such a seminar in Kerala. It’s true that Kerala’s Packaging Industry is in its infancy. But this fact itself points to the fact that Packaging Solution Providers like Esko has a tremendous potential to sell their products in the State, because there is a young new generation of Kerala entrepreneurs rearing to invest in a goldmine like Packaging. Besides, as I said earlier, India is set for an economic revolution and more packed products are going to flood the market opening a wide avenue for packaging printing. Packaging of food and confectionary, Ayurveda products, and other consumer items has good scope in Kerala. Firms like Esko must use this opportunity by adopting clever marketing strategies and giving wide publicity to their products and services. KMPA is firmly behind them. Well, we are here for the fraternity development. KMPA’s upcoming Print Miracle Expo 2014 (Dec12-14) in Cochin is also aimed at boosting the Printing and Packaging Industry in Kerala. The association is well prepared for the big event with the firm support from co-organiser Showcase. Stalls at the CIAL Trade Fair and Exhibition Centre near Nedumbassery International Airport are fast getting reserved. More than 90% of the booths have been booked. KMPA Print Awards 2014, on the sidelines of the Exhibition, is also going to be a great event. Entries for the awards are flowing in to KMPA office. We have also extended the deadline for submitting the entries to October 30. KMPA expects a lot of printers in Kerala will be sending in their best works vying for the awards recognized by Government of Kerala. We will soon inform all the participants who have dispatched their entries for the award about the exact date for the award presentation day. Meanwhile, ‘keep your fingers crossed’ till the D-Day when you hear… ‘And the Award goes to…’ A Merry Christmas Greetings to all of you in advance! G. Venugopal, (President, KMPA) Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 3 The Fountainhead of India’s ‘Binding Revolution’ From building India’s first perfect binding machines to designing components for the historic Mangalyaan mission, K.C. Sanjeev’s entrepreneurial journey of 25 years has changed lives of many people and inspired the young generation to follow his footprints, writes P.S. Rajan. I was to meet Mr. Sanjeev at a Trivandrum hotel for an interview, but the venue was changed as he was taking rest for a sprained leg. “Please come and meet me at my home, I am sending my car to bring you here,” Sanjeev informed me. I was picked up from my hotel by Sajith Kumar, Sanjeev’s confidante who also looks after Welbound’s marketing in Kerala. Sajith took me to Sanjeev’s residence at Jawahar Nagar, a cozy residential area in Trivandrum. Despite being on rest bed he was there ready to welcome me at the front door. That’s Sanjeev! He never wastes a single minute and continues to work even if he was on the hospital bed. “Time is precious; I am using my time to rest for this interview!” Sanjeev said. Well, he has always made use of time well to move up. That’s how a small factory set up to produce a simple post-press machine grew up to become India’s pioneering post-press machine manufacturing firm – Intimate Machines Pvt. Ltd. His success as an entrepreneur is a saga of a passionate man who Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 4 wanted to provide a living for people and create wealth. It’s a success story of an enthusiastic, hardworking person who had a dream. From his early 20s he had the burning ambition to establish his own business empire and vision to achieve it. But Sanjeev’s parents thought different. They feared he was mad when he chose to be an entrepreneur. A Diploma holder in Mechanical Engineering from the Central Institute of Technology, Madras, he decided against the plush government job that awaited him. His father N.K. Charles, was working as a manager at IG office and mother Baby Kamalam, who is now 85, had reasons to worry because, by the late 1970s, the ghost of unemployment was already looming large over India. Sanjeev’s passion was elsewhere. His heart beat to the rhythm of a small noisy press owned by his uncle at Neyyatinkara, a sleepy town not far from Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram. He would help his uncle manage the press and try his hands on repairing the Swift printing machines – the first Indian-made offset machines. It didn’t take much time for the news to spread that Sanjeev’s quick and deft hands worked magic on the machines. Government printing presses in Kerala, when encountered with trouble, stopped waiting for the Swifts servicemen to arrive from Bombay. Sanjeev was happy to service the machines for free. Travelling to and fro in government cars and sumptuous meals were remuneration enough. Later on, Swift was only happy to appoint this young man as their sales and service person for Kerala. In another decade’s time, Sanjeev started his own press after buying an old machine and refurbishing it himself. It was then that he decided to go to New Delhi to see a factory that makes printing machines. The owner of the firm displayed some running models, but Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 5 Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 6 Intimate Machines Pvt. Ltd., Trivandrum was reluctant to take him to the actual factory. After much insistence, a curious Sanjeev was taken to the factory – a small garage! “I asked myself. If he can make printing machines from a garage, why can’t I do something similar,” said Sanjeev who returned with the zeal to build India’s first perfect binding machines. Sanjeev’s vision that started from a humble garage in Thiruvananthapuram in 1989 by building The wind tunnel executive model for GSLV Mark-III is being formally handed over by G. Karthikeyan, Speaker of Kerala to S. Somanath, Project Director, GSLV-MK III, VSSC, in presence of Dr. Koshy M. George, Deputy Director, MME, VSSC and K.C. Sanjeev, Managing Director, Intimate Machines (P) Ltd. a perfect binding machine prototype has today grown to the 1000-employee strong Intimate Machines Pvt. Ltd., a firm that became world famous with its brand ‘Welbound’. Today the brand Welbound has become a synonym for perfect binding machines. Like people say Xerox for a Photocopier machine, or JCB for an earthmover. “I have heard press owners saying ‘we have a Welbound made in Chandigarh, Welbound made in Bangalore, so and so forth… which means they have a ‘perfect binding machine made by a Chandigarhbased company, or a Bangalore-based manufacturer. I am happy to hear such talk,” Sanjeev says with smile. Sanjeev has four factories now – Intimate Machines (Trivandrum); Impel Machines (Chengannur); Print Finish Equipments (Thodupuzah); and Prism Castings (Coimbatore), where casting works for the binding machines are done. Does Intimate Machines have a monopoly in selling binding machines in India? “I won’t say it’s a monopoly, but I must say around 65-70% perfect binding machines sold in India is Welbound,” This entrepreneur is still innovating. He is introducing pur| September glue - October 2014 | 7 Print Miracle that would further strengthen the binding process. But the glue has to be applied without it coming into contact with the Impel Machines, Chenganoor Impel Machines, Chenganoor Impel Machines, Chenganoor Print Finish Equipments, Thodupuzha Print Finish Equipments, Thodupuzha Sanjeev says. “Press entrepreneurs have prototype when India had very few such complete trust on our machines. For machines, those too imported. My friend the last 25 years, they have used our N. Kumar, who did the drawings for the machines and they know how much we machine, offered his car shed,” Sanjeev value our customers. On our side we shared fond memories of his struggling have continued to make perfection on days. our machines and give prompt service to During the day Sanjeev would the customers.” manage his press and run the servicing It’s a matter of proud for Kerala business for Swifts machines. After 7pm, that we have a market leader in posthe and Kumar would work on the first press machines in the state. “If you ask prototype that took more than a year me about our market share in Kerala, to be developed. Till then books were I would say, in the state, there are only sewed and a person could finish binding five or six machines which are not only 50 books of around 300 pages in Welbound,” Sanjeev said, which means, a day. His first four machines, which 99% of binding machines in Kerala are pumped up the output, had ready buyers, Welbound.“We also export Welbound but they had complaints. “We would Print Finish Equipments, Thodupuzha machines to many countries – especially spend all our time servicing the sold to the African, Asian and some European machines,” said Sanjeev. countries. Around 15% of our production Within a couple of months, Sanjeev is exported.” had rectified the faults in the machines The beginning of Sanjeev’s journey and developed new models. He replaced as an entrepreneur was not a cakewalk. all the four machines free of cost. “I made the first perfect binding “Today, people would call it a K.C. Sanjeev receiving “Outstanding Small Scale Entrepreneurs Award” (State First) for the year 1993 from President of India. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 8 strategy. But for me, it was just caring for the customer,” Sanjeev says with a smile. The customer loyalty he has earned has ensured the export of hundreds of ‘Welbound’ brand machines to run in Asian, African and European countries. The company sought places outside India and to the rest of the world in its early years itself. Sanjeev recalled his good old days with his late friend Kumar together with whom he had embarked on this journey. His passing away in 1996 is still a painful memory to Sanjeev. Kumar’s son Kishore Kumar, however, joined the company as Director-Production, in 1997 and his contribution towards the company’s further progress is commendable. Now Intimate Machines is entering into 25th year in 2015. What Sanjeev is planning to present the industry on the occasion of reaching a milestone? “We are a pioneer in the field of post- K.C. Sanjeev receiving “Outstanding Small Scale Entrepreneurs Award” (Second in All India level) for the year 1994 from President of India. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 9 Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 10 press equipments and we have always made innovations and introduced new machines in India. Next year we will present the industry a ‘gathering-cumbinding machine’ – first-of-its-kind in India. It will be a workhorse that will produce 4000 books in an hour, and will simultaneously do gathering and binding,” Sanjeev announced. For Sanjeev’s contributions, the industry has honoured him with several accolades. In 1993 he received the ‘Outstanding Small Scale Entrepreneur Award’ from the President for his efforts toward import substitution and revolutionizing the printing industry in India. He received that award the following year as well. It was a personal journey of innovation and challenges for Sanjeev in an industry that was heavily dependent on expensive foreign machines. “I sold machines at `3 lakhs at a time when foreign companies sold automated post press machines of the same quality and output at `15 lakhs,” said Sanjeev, who also won India’s first Print Ratna Award for post press innovation in 2014. The award was instituted by All India Federation of Master Printers, New Delhi, for the first time this year. The other two recipients were industry giants Manugraph for manufacturing and TechNova for consumables. The accolades he has won, including awards from the central and state governments for entrepreneurial Sanjeev receiving the Print Ratna Award from Ms. Beatrice Klose, Secretary General, World Print Congress Forum and AMSG Ashokan, Immediate Past President of AIFMP, in New Delhi. innovation, and from many other professional bodies, are the fruits of dedication, hard work and the vision to offer solutions to problems. State award for “Outstanding Entrepreneur” (2005-06); “Best Entrepreneur Award” by Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (2011) are some of the many accolades he received in 25 years Sanjeev receiving the “Best Entrepreneur Award” by Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (2011) from Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. of his entrepreneurial journey. Sanjeev dedicates the success of his enterprise to the entire Intimate team. He also credits the expansion to P. Sajith, marketing professional who joined the company in 1992 and based in Mumbai to look after Intimate’s countrywide marketing. Sajith set up offices in all the metro cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkatta and went on to promote the company abroad. The company soon started getting recognition world over. He showcased Intimate Machines at various fairs and exhibitions like Drupa. Drupa is the largest printing equipment exhibition in the world, held every four to five years in Düsseldorf, Germany. The machines won accolades at the Drupa and various other exhibitions including the IPEX in London. “My employees are like my family members. I treat them as equals; whenever I am there in the factory, I eat the same food my staff members are eating. I have great faith in them and they reciprocate with their loyalty,” Sanjeev says with passion. Sanjeev has not just been selling machines. He has helped his customers grow from small to medium and then est Entrepreneur Award” by Kerala State Industrial Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 11 evelopment Corporation (2011) delivery and efficient service. become big. For example, Sanjeev’s range of machines helps a small printer to choose a machine that suits his budget. The increase in output helps business growth and enables the customer to graduate to a bigger post press machines. “Customer growth has been my growth,” says this entrepreneur who believes in the following mantra of growth: low ownership cost, quality product, affordable cost, prompt delivery and efficient service. Research and Development But beyond the business success, Sanjeev’s import substitution and post press innovation has influenced not just the printing sector. As his business completes 25 years in 2014, he received a letter from the Government of India, signed by Arun Kumar Sinha, who heads the directorate of printing. “I do not hesitate to record that post-printing machines have revolutionized the Indian printing industry in delivering better quality finished products and significantly improving productivity. This has enabled the Government institutions, specially, the utilization of equipment have done wonders in bringing out large quantity textbooks with quality and as per schedule,” the letter continues, “Thus, I confidently say that your contribution to the society cannot be forgotten for long years to come.” Viswaprasad, Intimate Machine’s R&D-leader, is an integral part of the team and Sanjeev describes him as the “trouble-shooter.” He burns the midnight oil to solve problems. His attention to details and hard work has helped the company build India’s first developed PUR system. He has gone on to design many of its new products too and is working towards designing more to come. Research and Development at Intimate Machines. Research and Development One of the first big clients to benefit from Sanjeev’s post press innovation was the Maharashtra Textbook Corporation. His machines that ensured binding of upto 4,000 textbooks in an hour from 50 in a day ensured prompt textbook delivery in schools. This put an end to the routine of students receiving textbooks only later into the school year. Following Maharashtra, many other state governments followed the way. Today, Sanjeev is on the path to perfect the revolution he started. By 2015, on reaching the milestone of 25 years an entrepreneur, he is all set to come up with a solution to integrate standalone offline post press machines - gathering, perfect binding and the 3-side trimmer. Only a few countries have developed a single online system to achieve the integration. Welbound 2000 - 6 Clamp Perfect Binding Machine Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 12 As part of his diversification plans Sanjeev has entered an exciting area, Aerospace. Components of highly sophisticated designs, made at Sanjeev’s Intimate Machine Pvt. Ltd. are part of the historic Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan projects. Sanjeev showed me the appreciation letters he received from the ISRO authorities for being a part of the prestigious mission. “Printing as an industry has almost reached a saturation point. Hard copy of a book needs binding. Because of e-reading, hard copies of many books such as telephone directory, reference books, encyclopedia and even newspapers and magazines will one day cease to exist, if not in the immediate future. When printing goes down, binding also will have less scope. So, I am slowly diversifying into aerospace,” Sanjeev says. This entrepreneur is still innovating. He is introducing PUR glue that would further strengthen the binding process. But the glue has to be applied without it coming into contact with the atmosphere. “We cannot dwell on problems, solutions have to be found.” Asked about competition, he said, “If we focus on our growth, there is no need to worry about competition.” That is a piece of wisdom: “Focus on yourself, not others.” Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 13 The Future is Packaging The recent seminar presented by Esko inspired players in Kerala Packaging Industry and some print entrepreneurs who are toying with the idea of entering into packaging. Esko’s intelligent packaging solutions were irresistible for most of them, they said after the seminar. A cross-section of Kerala’s Print and Packaging Industry entrepreneurs were present at the ‘Intelligent Packaging Design’ seminar presented by Esko Graphics India Pvt. Ltd. at Travancore Court Hotel, Ernakulam on October 11, 2014. The participants were eager because they knew presenters from Esko will provide an eye-opening session, which will help them take their businesses to the next level – the Packaging Printing. True to their expectation, the seminar unfolded the vast possibilities Esko technology can provide them. KMPA Chairman of Technology and Innovation Magesh Karthik Suresh, the person who made the seminar a reality, spoke of where today’s packaging industry stands and the significance of the Esko seminar to the Kerala fraternity members, during his Welcome Address. Magesh introduced Esko as a leading global supplier of integrated solutions for the packaging and labels, sign and display and commercial printing. He highlighted the importance of the seminar on packaging solutions as the Packaging Industry in the State is on the verge of an unprecedentent growth. He also welcomed Arun Subramanya, the Solution Architect of Esko, Chandan Mahendra, Sales Manager, Esko, South India, KMPA office-bearers and the participants to the seminar. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 14 The Seminar on ‘Intelligent Packaging Design’. ‘Esko, the only global player having A run Subramanya, Esko’s Solution Architect responsible for entire South Asia region operations, is an Engineer in Printing Technology and has about 17 years rich experience in Printing Industry. He specializes in packaging prepress solutions for offset, flexography and gravure printing. In his role as Solution Architect, he is involved in projects to improve productivity, reduce errors and produce results. Print Miracle spoke to Arun during a recent visit to Cochin for a presentation at a seminar on ‘Intelligent Packaging Design’ organized by KMPA. Excerpt of the interview is given below. Print Miracle (PM): As the Solution Architect of Esko what are your main responsibilities? Arun Subramanya (AS): As the Solution Architect, I need to be focused on providing solutions to different business/functional/ technical areas of Packaging, explain and demonstrate Esko’s capabilities. My responsibility is also to define, analyze, document and execute the successful delivery of Esko’s solution at various projects; team with Esko sales associates to integrate specific Esko solutions; build workflows and/ or integrate with customers various systems. PM: Esko is a Belgium-based company and has R&D and manufacturing facilities in five European countries, the United States, China and India. What are Esko’s main products? Any of these products are manufactured in India? AS: Esko’s has 20+ applications; the main products are ArtiosCAD, DeskPack, Automation Engine, Imaging Engine and WebCenter. Parts of the developments for these products are done at Bangalore R&D center. Apart from the software, Esko also manufacturers 2 hardware’s Kongsberg Digital finishing equipment - sample/ short run production. Cyrel Digital Imager – digital flexo plate imaging device used in flexo graphic printing PM: Are all your software solutions sold in India produced in Bangalore facility? AS: Bangalore R&D team is an extension of Global R&D team based at Gent, Belgium. The software products are registered at Belgium and sold globally. KMPA President G. Venugopal in his inaugural speech said Esko was the right choice for a seminar on ‘Intelligent Packaging Design’ as nine out of ten packaging units use Esko solutions. As India is taking giant leaps towards progress under Narendra Modi’s leadership, the country is getting wealthier and the ever-increasing middle-class is bound to spend on more and more consumer goods. This spending by a huge number of neowealthy will in turn boost Packaging Industry as every consumer products need good packaging. “Packaging is the future and there is a great future in Packaging,” Venugopal said. Chandan Mahendra, Esko’s Sales Manager – South, spoke about the vast potential for packaging industry in India. He gave the example of the packed food products. At present, the packed food products in India is consumed by only 0.2% of the population and in the next five years the percentage is going to increase to 5%. “Considering India’s population the almost 5% increase will be a large number of people,” Chandan said. He also elaborated on the significance of good packaging in selling a product. “Packaging is of utmost importance in deciding the success of a product. It not only preserves the product in good condition, creates a ‘brand image.’ Consumers should be able recognize a product from the packaging. That’s called ‘Intelligent Packaging’. The shape of the packaging, material used for it and the graphics used on the packaging – all are extremely important,” Chandan said in his presentation. “The main stakeholders in the chain of making a complete packaging are: The brand owners, designers, printers and converters. Esko provides the most effective tools to integrate the requirements of these stakeholders with precision. Our solutions make sure all the specifications by the parties involved are exactly correct. Esko solutions also make the job of integrating all specifications easy. That’s why 9 out of 10 retail packages Esko solutions are used,” Chandan said. The main presentation which every participant awaited was by Arun Subramanya, the Solution Architect of Esko. He spoke about how exactly Esko solutions are used in the making of a packaging. Arun said: “The Esko product portfolio supports and manages the packaging and print processes at resources for packaging design and prepress solutions’ Arun Subramanya at his office in Bangalore. PM: Is there a considerable cost difference for the products developed abroad and those made in India? AS: Not really, but we have tailor-made solutions exclusively for packaging prepress requirements in India which has quick ROI. PM: Who are your global competitors and who are the other players in the field in India? AS: Esko’s strength is that we are the only global player having dedicated resources focusing on Packaging design and Prepress solutions. PM: How do you see Indian Packaging Industry and what would be Esko’s role in boosting the industry? AS: Packaging converting is a growing industry getting more focused towards needs of brand owners/packaging buyers. The need of the hour is to be innovative in packaging. Esko plays a major role in collaborating the entire packaging supply chain starting from brand owners to design agencies, to prepress bureaus to convertors and then at retail stores where the product is finally displayed on the shelf for the consumers. Esko’ssolution helps the supply chain to be more innovative, consistent, error free and reduce time to market. PM: What according to you are the major obstacles facing the packaging industry in India? And how do you think they can be solved? AS: From the prepress perspective, manpower with the knowledge of packaging prepress, we are lacking.Production consistency and time to market are other major obstacles in this industry. Solution for this could be, introducing Packaging as a topic in educational curriculum to develop skilled manpower with the knowledge of packaging structure, graphic preparation and converting. PM: Is Esko working on developing cost-effective software solutions which are more affordable for the packaging industry? AS: We already have affordable integrated solutions for Folding Carton, Corrugation, Labels and Flexible prepress with an ROI built in it. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 15 ‘Packaging Printing has good scope to flourish in Kerala’ C handan Mahendra, Esko Sales Account Manager for South India, sees bright future for packaging industry in Kerala. He revealed the hidden potential of Kerala in printing packaging industry in an interview given to Print Miracle recently. Excerpt of the interview is given below. Print Miracle (PM): As Esko’s Sales Account Manager for South India how do you see Packaging Industry in Kerala? Ten years from now what will be the status of Packaging Industry in Kerala? Chandan Mahendra (CM): Packaging Industry as a whole is increasing in terms of technology and capacity to meet demand of products being manufactured. Kerala, being well-known for ayurvedic products, spices, rubber products, coir and many other natural products is seeing increasing demand for products from within India and abroad. This should definitely create a scope for packaging industry to grow. PM: What kind of solutions Esko offers to Packaging Industry in Kerala where the industry is in its primary stage? CM: We have software solutions which help create innovative packages. We have digital finishing tables which will help in prototyping and product development. These should help create new package designs which help reach market faster. PM: For a new entrant what type of Packaging venture is most suitable? CM: As a natural progress in offset (commercial printers), investment in finishing equipment for packaging and ceasing the opportunity in folding carton market will be most appropriate. PM: Do you have a service team based in Kerala? What kind of services you offer? CM: We have an eight-member support team servicing India and neighboring countries (Sri Lanka and Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 16 Chandan Mahendra at his office in Bangalore. Bangladesh). We have strong regional support within India with offices in Bangalore and Mumbai. PM: How many clients in South India have installed your machines and software? And for what type of packaging work they use your technology? Please name a few companies using your products. CM: We have good base of Esko users across South India. Some of the key clients are Positive Packaging, Veepee Graphics, ITC, Pragathi Printers, UPSL, Manipal Press, Signode, Seljegat, Stirred Creative, Storaenzo, Eagle Press, Pattabi Enterprises, Sai Enterprises, Global Printing and Packaging, Omnion Premedia, 3M India Ltd, Britannia Industries, Glo Color Labs, Himalaya Drug Company, Macromedia Digital Imaging Pvt Ltd, Montara India Pvt Ltd, Color Dot, Singhania Offset Printers and many more. They use our technology for production of cartons, labels, secondary packages, pouches, premedia processing, online approval, collaboration with clients and other packaging products. PM: Which state in South India leads in Packaging Industry and why? CM: Tamil Nadu leads in packaging. Access to good infrastructure and presence of industrial belts, availability of skilled labor, organized approach in industry and many other factors of governance help in ensuring the industry grows. In recent years we see a lot of growth in this segment in Kerala as well. PM: What would be your marketing strategy in Kerala? Do you think that Esko may have to do an intensive campaign in promoting your products in Kerala? CM: We are currently exploring the market in Kerala by introducing our software in prospective client’s printing division. We need to bring in awareness about new technology for packaging development. For this we are working with KMPA to help educate the industry on new technologies and methods to improve the efficiency and profitability of their business. PM: Lack of skilled manpower is one of the most critical issues of the industry today. Do you have any initiatives in this crucial problem? CM: Esko has tie-ups with some of the leading university and training centres (MIT, Anna University, SIES, Avery Dennison Knowledge Centre) to teach Esko software’s as their course material to the students. Esko is also working with other universities to have a tie-up to educate the students, so that we have a healthy work force for the industry. PM: Finally, how many orders you have received from Kerala so far? CM: We have received our first order from Elcare Systems, Cochin and we are very confident that more orders will follow. Already there are many enquiries from the state. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 17 SHEET-FED | NARROW WEB | HEAT SET PRESS Versatile 25" X 36" press with Coater & Perfector RYOBI 925 A1-Size 5-Color Offset Press with a Coating Unit RYOBI PCS-G Printing Control System Printing of 8-up of both international A4 size and letter-size Advanced automatic systems enhance efficiency Space saving design enhances work efficiency Automatic convertible perfecting device boosts productivity State of Art, environmental friendly LED-UV curing system ALL IN PRINT CHINA PRINT PACK INDIA 2015 November 14 - 17, 2014 BOOTH NO. W2-A132 February 11 - 15, 2015 HALL NO: 1 - A19 Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), Shanghai, China India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, NCR Delhi (India) VISIT US LIVE DEMO Coating unit expands versatility Pan India Distributor : Provin Technos Private Limited Service Print Miracle | September - October 2014Redefined | 18 in Printing B-207, 1st Floor, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase - 1, New Delhi - 110020. India T: + 91 11 4155 5717 / 5097 F: +91 11 4155 5098 E: [email protected] Visit us: www.provin.in Committed Aftersales support & Original Spares for New & Existing Installations NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | CHENNAI | BANGALORE KMPA President G. Venugopal (left) and Chairman of Technology Magesh Karthik Suresh (right) speaking at the seminar. Arun Subramanya (left) and Chandan Mahendra (right) making their presentations at the seminar. brand owners, retailers, designers, packaging manufacturers and print service providers. Esko solutions are used in packaging management, artwork creation, structural design, prepress, 3D visualization, plate making, workflow automation, quality assurance, samplemaking, palletization, supply chain collaboration and the production of signage and displays.” Arun elaborated on how Esko products integrates all the specifications by the parties involved in the chain of the making of a package and how their solutions make the whole process easy and accurate. He said: “Esko solutions consist of an extensive suite of software and two hardware product lines: CDI flexo computer-to-plate imagers and Kongsberg digital cutting systems, complemented with professional services, training and consultancy.” The one-and-a-half hour session by Arun was very impressive and informative. He spent half-an-hour more on the dais answering the doubts of the audience. KMPA General Secretary Manmohan Shenoy delivered the Vote of Thanks after the elaborate session. The participants then queued up for a sumptuous dinner. Participants at the seminar. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 19 Kerala printers bag 21 awards at NAEP Anaswara Directors receiving awards from Ms. Beatrice Klose, Secretary General, World Print Congress Forum. (From Left: O. Venugopal (Managing Director), V. A. Mathew (Director), Ms. Annly Mathew (Director). l (Top right): R. Devakumar of Modern Graphics, Cochin, receiving NAEP Award. l (Right): Jose Antony, Ashith N. and Anil T. Kurian, Managing Partners of PENTA Offset, Kottayam, receiving the NAEP 2014. l Top Ten at NAEP F ive member units of Kerala Master Printers Association (KMPA) have brought accolades to the State by bagging several awards during the ‘National Awards for Excellence in Printing’ (NAEP), held at Hotel Ashoka, New Delhi on September 20, 2014. The awards instituted by All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) were presented to the winners by Ms. Beatrice Klose, Secretary General, World Print Congress Forum, Brussels. Anaswara Offset Pvt. Ltd, Cochin, tops the winners list from Kerala with 5 Gold, 3 Silver, and 6 Certificate of Merit (total 14). Other winners are: S.T. Reddiar & Sons, Cochin (1 Gold, 1 Silver, and 2 Certificate of Merit (total 4); St. Joseph’s Press, Trivandrum (1 Gold); Penta Offset, Kottayam (1 Silver) and Modern Graphics, Cochin (1 Silver). Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 20 IPAMA all set for PrintPack India 2015 I ndian Printing Packaging & Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (IPAMA) has shifted to high gear for the 12th edition of its biennial PrintPack India exhibition to be held from February 11 – 15, 2015 at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, NCR. The exhibition venue has a gross area of 40,000 square meters, consisting of four exhibition halls on the ground floor and 5 hangars to be constructed in the open space. The Hangars will be constructed strictly as per international standards and equipped with all modern facilities. The new feature added to the exhibition is the exclusive “Printers Pavilion” which has been specially created to showcase the finished products & facilities available with the Medium and Small level Printers & Publishers fraternity. IPAMA is also extending special discount in space rental to the participants of Printers Pavilions, the details of which have been posted on the IPAMA website. Success or otherwise of any exhibition depends on the footfall of visitors. For mobilizing visitors for PrintPack India 2015, it is proposed to use various mode of advertisement. Apart from releasing advertisement in various Trade Magazines, it is proposed to harness maximum potential of Electronics media. Mass publicity through Press conferences, Road Shows, e-mails etc. Arrangements for online Registration of Visitors have already commenced. IPAMA will start organizing Road Shows in select cities, wherein local industrialists, prospective exhibitors & business visitors will be invited in addition to the Press/media to extend mass publicity for the Event. As a part of visitor promotion, IPAMA will provide complimentary Bus/Shuttle service from Botanical Garden Metro Station to Expo Centre ?? ?? ? ? ?? ??? ?? ?? ? ?? ?? ? ? ?? during exhibition hours. The exhibitors / business visitors coming from different parts of the country or from overseas can avail the facility of hotel bookings, Air & Rail reservation etc. from the official service provider of IPAMA, the details of which are also available on IPAMA’s website. More than 80% of the space has also been booked, 260 Indian and foreign participants have already been allotted space in the Exhibition Halls and the Hangars. The total gross area allotted to the exhibitors till date has reached 27,500 square meters. Barring a few sites, no space is available in the Halls for allotment to the exhibitors. The booking of space in the 5th Hangar has also commenced. IPAMA may not accept fresh applications for allotment of space after December 2014, as it will not be possible to construct more Hangars, keeping in view the limitation of space at the Expo Centre. ?? ?? ??? • • • • • • • • • • Ins_FutureMarkets_Generally_HS.indd 1 04.06.12 KW 23 15:47 Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 21 Kerala government has decided not to ban flex totally, but to enforce strict rules against the spread of illegal flexes. Even the Flex Printers agree that unrestricted use of flex has to be curbed. But it’s a fact that, in effect, the restrictions have hit flex printers badly, especially the small operators. F lex is ubiquitous in Kerala. In any nook and corner of the state one will see flexes of smiling faces of ministers, politicians, religious leaders, godmen and the local heroes. These flexes are also seasonal. When the World Cup was going on there was a flex war happening among the locals in villages and towns, with huge flexes of fans’ favourite teams installed on the roadside. Whenever the SSC and HSC Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 22 Govt. curbs threaten flex printers’ survival results come out there will be flexes of local students who scored high marks; you will also see flexes publicizing the festivals at temples or churches; and of course cinema publicity flexes. Though the extensive use of flexes may be a nuisance for many, the industry provides a living to more than 100,000 people, directly and indirectly, in the state, says Narayanan Mohan, the State General Secretary of Signage Printing Industry Association (SPIA). “There are about 1,000 large, medium and small flex unit entrepreneurs in Kerala. Out of that, less than 10% entrepreneurs are big-timers, who are mainly based in cities. Many of the flex units are one-man enterprises, where the owner himself produces the flex in a make-shift factory in one of the rooms at his home. Others employ three or four people. Thus the flex industry provides employment to more than 100,000 people in the related field of flex frame-making, flex installation and unskilled labourers,” says Narayanan. “So, imposing a complete ban on flex is denying the right to live for tens of thousands,” says Gerard T. Chandy (Jerry), owner of Jerry’s Colorzone, a prominent flex printer in Ernakulam and KMPA’s Website Management Chairman. “Large-scale flex printers have invested crores of rupees in expanding their business. How can they afford a complete ban on flex? And for small-scale flex printers, it’s their livelihood. Yes, the existing laws have to be enforced against the illegal flexes that come up like mushrooms in Kerala. For that, local bodies like corporations, municipalities and panchayats must take action. Whoever installs a flex must get permission from the authority concerned, pay the tax for placing a flex and must show the particulars of the party who Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 23 Gerard T. Chandy (Jerry), owner of Jerry’s Colorzone (left) and Narayanan Mohan, the State General Secretary of Signage Printing Industry Association (SPIA). is installing the flex. If these rules are enforced, we can control the misuse of flex,” says Gerard. “The recent government crackdown on flex has hit our business,” says Narayanan. “The business volume has come down by 30%, because the flexbuyers have a fear of installing flexes legally for genuine causes. The reason is that there is no clarity on the government stand. The authorities must clearly state what is legal and what is not; they should tell the people clearly that flex is not banned, but abiding by the rules and regulations, flexes can be installed. It is for the authorities to see the law is enforced,” Narayanan says. “In any case, we know very well that our businesses will be affected. The curbs will cut down at least 50% of our business, eventually resulting in shutting down of 50% of flex units. We have no option, but have to live with that,” says Narayanan. Another fact the flex printers are crying foul is the propaganda that flex is hazardous. “The recent media reports say flex is not eco-friendly. In that case, all poly vinyl chloride (commonly called as PVC) products are more hazardous than flex and the usage share of flex is less than 2% among all the PVC products. In flex, only 10% is PVC, rest is other substances, which are degradable,” explains Gerard. “Government has agreed to exclude Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 24 flex from the non-eco-friendly category after SPIA’s constant plea to do so,” says Narayanan. “But the recent media hype about flex ban has made an impression among the public that flex is something that has to be banned completely. Of course the government has assured SPIA that it will not impose a complete ban on flex, but the industry will suffer when stringent curbs are implemented. But a rule is a rule and we have to abide by that.” Narayanan is eager to highlight certain facts about flex as a medium of publicity. “I will say it is the cheapest medium for publicity. It catches the attention of people. Especially for smalltime advertisers, say a textile shop in a small town like Vaikom, can’t afford to advertise in TV or newspapers. The best way for them to advertise is by placing flex hoardings at nearby areas. So, please don’t look down upon the flex, it is the medium for the small scale industries to advertise as it is the cheapest medium for publicity. Government has to see that this industry survives,” Narayanan concludes. A flex installed during the last World Cup Footbal. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 25 The Pixel Problem The pixel, a word coined from ‘picture element’, is the basic unit of programmable colour on a computer display or in a computer image. Pradeep Kulakkada writes how to overcome the problem of lower resolutions in designing. M any of us design artworks with downloaded images from Internet. Though we see a very good image on the computer screen and expect the same quality in print, many a time we see ‘blured’ or ‘blocky’after it is printed. Why this happens time and again? The problem is simply that the photos in Internet have very small ‘pixel dimension’ (640X480 pixels) or smaller. This low resolution picture in Internet is used for opening or downloading the pictures much faster in websites. The pixel is the base unit of programmable colour on a computer display in a computer image. The physical size of the pixel depends on its resolution. It is the single element of a graphic image. Graphic monitors display screen into thousands of pixels which are arranged in rows and columns. They are very close together and appear to be connected. The term image resolution explains how many of the images pixels will fit inside each inch of paper, when printed. The number of pixels that will be printed per inch is known as ‘resolution’ of the image or ‘image resolution.’ In graphics technology, image resolution is generally stated in three ways. 1. Dots per Inch(DPI) – For image device output 2. Pixels Per Inch(PPI) – For actual image resolution 3. Lines Per Inch (LPI) – Commercial printing with halftone screen. Each term refers the smallest element of the image, but not means the same thing. It is very important to understand and use the terms correctly to prevent troubles in print. Pradeep Kulakkada is a Printing Consultant. He has specialized in Standardization of Presses and Colour Management in Printing. He can be contacted on kulakkadapradeep@gmail. com/Mob: +91 9497690105 /http:// kulakkadakkalam.blogspot.com dpi inkjet printer, we can see 9.6 dots vertically and horizontally (9.6X96 = approx. 92 dots) needed to build one pixel. Lines Per Inch (LPI) It is the key and logical term. It is A. Picture created and printed at a high resolution of 300 dpi or higher, image is crisp. B. Picture created and printed at a low resolution of 72 dpi will cause the image to be jaggy and not crisp. Dots Per Inch (DPI) This is actually an old printing term, which is useful specification of output devices. The output devices includes film recorders, monitors, image setters and CTPs. For computer monitors and film recorders, there is an 1:1 ratio between PPI of the digital file and DPI of the output devices. But in other cases, there is a vast difference between DPI and PPI. Consider an inkjet printer with resolution 2880 dpi. If we reproduce Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 26 an image, that is being reproduced at 300PPI on a normal 2880X2880 Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 27 • • • • • r• • • • • • • • • • • • • 30—‘˜ • • • • —• • ‘“—“ œ“’“Ÿ• • \ 20• • • • • œ¡¡ ™š• ›™ ™‹œ ˜™“‘™•“’™›“›• “™ž—’•“• ‹–•• • ™•— \ ‘’• “• “• ””•‹• ‹–’ • ‘“—“ 0 6˜“““–˜ • • • • €€€‚ƒ‚„\ 05ƒ€†‚‡ˆ• • • • • • 026‹• Œ• Ž• Œ• Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 28 €€€‚ƒ‚…‰ƒ Colour Image Group opens CTCP unit in Thrissur T simply a decision about how many pixel will use to print in one inch of a page. It is a logical number that tell the printer to print one print ,one inch on paper. If the PPI is higher, the better will be the quality print we can achieve. There is no additional or hidden detail in any one pixel you can attain from a lower resolution image. Resampling the pixels upward in a lower resolution image gives you a ‘large’ low resolution image only. This is a common problem when attempting to use a standard low resolution (72ppi) web based image in a high resolution (300ppi) print reproduction at nowhere near its original dimensions. However, if you reduce the dimensions of a web image to about 25% of its original size without resampling, you will now have an image about 288ppi resolution which will appear sharp in commercial offset printing. In commercial offset printing, images are converted by traditional lith film with halftone screen, electronically or digitally. As a result, we get a pattern of dots with a resolution which was measured as so many lines per inch. As a result, a grid of dots with equal distance and varying sizes formed on the printing plate. Each dot receives ink and simulate a specific percentage of solid colour. The sheet what we printed is called halftones. For high quality printing we use finer screen values. Finer dot pattern can be used under ideal conditions especially in FM screening. Otherwise it may results block up or skip. For 100% image in offset printing, the standard image resolution in 266 to 300 ppi. For printing at 133-150lpi by keeping a ppi/lpi ratio of 2:1 can allow you increase or decrease the image size without scanning it again. Vector images (images created in illustrator or editable fonts) are created based on mathematical equation, not pixels. So they are infinitely scalable and having absolute sharpness at any size. But when we take final output, we convert it into pixel based image. he leading pre-press group in Kerala – Colour Image – has recently opened its new Computer to Conventional Plate (CTCP) unit in Thrissur on August 18, 2014. The new unit, Colour Image Process, has a brand new AmskyAusetter. This is the group’s second Amsky CTCP Installation. Thefirst AmskyAusetterCTCP is running in Calicut. The group now has digital printing units in Thrissur(Colour Image Digital and Grace ColourDigital), pre-press and digital units in Calicut, Kannur & Mangalore, said the group’s Promoter C.R. Nandakumar. C.R. Nandakumar with the newlyinstalled Amsky Ausetter CTCP in Thrissur unit. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 29 Dev Nair elected new President of AIFMP T he 224th Governing Council meeting of All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) held on September 21, 2014, at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi, elected the new officebearers of the Federation for the 2014-15 tenure. The GC meeting held under the Chairmanship of the outgoing President AMSG Ashokan, was hosted by Delhi Printers Association (DPA). The election was held by secret ballot and all the Governing Council Members and Past-Presidents participated. C.R. Janardhana, Chairman, Harsh Malhotra, Co-Chairman and A. Balasubramanian, Co-Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee declared the following team as elected office-bearers of AIFMP for the year Anand Limaye General Secretary 2014-15. President : Dev Nair; Vice President (North) : Vijay Mohan; Vice President (East) : Shyamal Chandra Basu; Vice President (South) : K C Prakah; Vice President (West) : Rajendra Jain; General Secretary : Anand Limaye; Jt. Secretary : Arvind Mardikar; and Treasurer : Ashwani Gupta. The new Office Bearers were felicitated by outgoing office bearers of AIFMP. Dev Nair, the newly elected President, thanked all the members for electing him as the President. He sought the whole-hearted support from the members of the council. He thanked all the GC members and expressed his satisfaction to have a dynamic team. Dev Vijay Mohan Vice President (North) Shyamal Chandra Basu Vice President (East) Dev Nair, President Nair expressed his confidence that the new team would continue the policies and plans of the Federation and try to give concrete shape to the projects for the interest of the fraternity. Rajendra Jain Vice President (West) K. C. Prakash Vice President (South) Prof. Dr. PaBha Kulkarni is no more P rof. Dr. Padmakumar Bhagwant Kulkarni, popularly known as PaBha, passed away on October 24, 2014. He was 82. PaBha, an iconic print industry personality, was the President of All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) during 1994-95. He was also the President of Maharashtra Mudran Parishad. Born and brought up in Pune, PaBha had contributed a lot towards the cause of education in printing technology. He completed his education from Pune Vidyarthi Griha School. At an early age, he selected print as his career and eventually travelled to Germany to do Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 30 his Doctorate in Printing. On return to India he set up the Institute of Printing Technology in Pune Vidyarthi Griha. Later he also established an Engineering College for Printing Technology in Pune. PaBha played a crucial role in establishing the Maharashtra Mudran Parishad’s Institute of Printing Technology at Panvel (40 kilometres from Mumbai). India’s top Print Industry veterans like Prof. Dr. Rajendra Kumar Anayath and Anand Limaye are some of PaBha’s disciples. KMPA joins the entire Indian printing fraternity to pay homage to this great educationist. Redefine Label Production LIO350 Intermittent Offset Shaftless Press Unique Format Semi-Rotary and Full Rotary Offset Press DIGICON Series 3 The next generation of digital finishing Stay Ahead Synchroline Machine to print on a very large gama of materials, from adhesive paper to extensible materials for Packaging Industry LSR330 High Speed Slitter Rewinder +91 993 080 6950 +91 958 226 1474 [email protected] www.vinsak.com vinsakindia vinsakindia vinsakindia GURGAON | DELHI | AHMEDABAD | MUMBAI | CHENNAI | KOLKATA | MANIPAL | HYDERABAD Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 31 Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 32 Industry News Esko CDI 4835 completes Barcom’s in-house flexo facility M umbai based Barcom Industries Limited has recently invested in Esko software and hardware for its label business. Known for its innovation, the company is a pioneer in the production of security labelsand food safety compliant labels with ISO 22000 certification. Barcom’s Managing Director, PrasannaSahu, says, “There is no label printing firm in India which has been ISO 22000 certified. This gives us an edge to stay one step ahead of the game.” The recent investment in Esko’sPackedge, FlexoTools and a FlexRip together with a CDI4835 imaging device for producing flexographic plates, gives the company complete in-house flexo plate production. Barcom produces high quality consumer product and security labels on multiple high technology label presses at its 30,000 square foot plant in Vasai, near Mumbai. Sahu says, “It was necessary for us to opt for highend technology as it gave us an edge. Moreover, buyers today demand high quality from us and this led us to invest in high-end technology.” Barcom Industries’ investment in Esko’s prepress tools comprises PackEdge, a full-featured packaging preproduction editor focused on major pain points such as CAD/graphics misalignments, trapping, distortion, screening, and barcodes. PackEdge is the answer if one wants to drastically reduce the cost of errors and increase the efficiency of the preproduction department,” states Sahu. The flexo workflow at Barcom is completed by the EskoFlexRip that is used to drive the CDI 4835 for exposing flexographic plates. The high resolution imager offers superb results for high quality multicolor labels with enhanced security features. Having the entire software and hardware gives Barcom added security and efficiency according to Sahu. He says, “The speed, quality and ease of use of the Esko software along with the highest quality flexographic plates produced on the CDI give us an edge in productivity and allow us to innovate for the future. Our experience thus far has completely vindicated the trust we have put in Esko.” Barcom Industries Limited Managing Director PrasannaSahu with the new Esko CDI 4835 at the company’s ISO 22000 certified plant in Vasai. The over 60 satisfied Alegro customers worldwide include the Scherrer bookbindery in the Swiss municipality of Urdorf. Production Manager Michael Scherrer allows himself a short break every now and then, since his perfect binder runs so smoothly. Alegro Perfect Binder on a roll W ith eight new installations in the USA alone over the past 18 months and more than 60 systems sold worldwide since being launched at Drupa 2012, the Muller Martini’s Alegro perfect binder featuring the revolutionary motion control technology is proving massively successful. The Alegro perfect binder with a maximum performance of 7,000 cycles per hour is a prime example of Muller Martini’s modular machine and design concept. The compact softcover system can be supplemented with a wide range of additional components. All such components are servo-controlled using motion control, which means that they can be controlled individually. Its high degree of cost-effectiveness is paired with ease of use. Thanks to line control, all aggregates can be viewed and operated on up to four screens for the gathering machine, the binder, the threeknife trimmer and the stacker. If, for instance, the three-knife trimmer reports an error, it is displayed on all screens. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 33 Industry News VINSAK at Labelexpo India 2014 V insak, the solution provider for printing and packaging industry, took part at the Labelexpo India (October 29 – November 01, 2014) at Hall 11, Booth No. J11, where visitors saw the live demonstration of VinsakLSR330 Label Inspection Slitter Rewinder along with VinsakLVPI Variable Data Printing & Inspection System. The visitors were inspired by Vinsak Brand Protection Solutions that is a combination of security inks, software and other smart innovative and secure products aimed at providing true value to any printer in either profit improvement, environmental considerations and adding more value to the products and applications. Highlights of the show were Vinsak Slitter Inspection Rewinder, designed to meet the increasing demand and Label Converters in the ever demanding industry. The machine is manufactured at Vinsak’s state-of-the-art infrastructure in Navi Mumbai, with the highest quality standards. The machine is PLC operated to ensure total reliability and each of its operations. It is 450mm wide with new value added features include 100% defect detection, matrix stripping, Razor and Scissor slitting etc. Monotech and Konica Minolta launch Bizhub PRESS C1100/1085 Digital Production Systems M onotech Systems Limited and Konica Minolta Business Solutions India launched the high speed, high end digital production system in Hotel Marriott, Mumbai on November 22, 2014. The new presses run at 100 and 85 ppm, respectively for A4 size. Similarly 53 and 46 ppm, respectively for A3 size. This newly launched series is ideal for digital and commercial print environment and offers the promise of unrivalled productivity to meet the diverse needs of applications. It delivers outstanding performance with first-rate quality and reproduction for professional use. Combined with Konica Minolta’s proprietary Simitri HDE toner and Screen-Enhancing Active Digital Process (S.E.A.D IV) technologies, it offers the possibility to now meet demands of high volume complex print specifications with superior quality and color reproduction. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 34 Bizhub PRESS C1100/1085 have been awarded by BLI for outstanding production. Further aFograCert Validation Printing System (VPS) certificate has been awarded to Konica Minolta’s bizhub PRESS C1100/1085 digital printing systems. The certificate was issued for printer’s performance in conjunction with the latest Konica Minolta Color Care software and for both systems when running with EFI Fiery, CREO or Konica Minolta controller. The launch was accompanied by around 150 printers from Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh invited by Monotech Systems Limited. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 35 Industry News Monotech Systems displays digital strength for photography segment M onotech Systems, a leading Indian manufacturer and supplier of products and solution for printing, packaging and publishing industry displayed its wide range of products for photography printing segment at India International Photo and Video Trade Fair 2014, Ahmedabad. With a bigger presence at the expo company displayed the live demonstration of Konica Minolta C70hc and Canon iPF 6300S. For spectacular color images, Konica Minolta’s bizhub PRO C70hc raises the bar in digital production printing. Its High Chroma toner makes your RGB workflow fast and efficient, for corporate and marketing materials with color that pop, text that grabs your attention and vivid images that practically leap off the page. The 24” image PROGRAF iPF6300S printer is a versatile large format solution for those who need a small footprint device for quality output and production. Ideal for the photography, proofing and production markets, the iPF6300S delivers high quality imaging while increasing overall productivity. Equipped with an 8-Color LUCIA EX ink set, 160GB hard drive, built-in calibration and borderless printing, the iPF6300S is an excellent solution for portraits, advertisements, retail signage and contract proofs. Company also highlighted about its most popular product in India Scodix for digital enhancement and add value to the photography printing. Scodix presence was shown with a bigger sample gallery that was an attraction for the visitors. Monotech systems’ customers Klick Digital Press, Surat and GEE7 Printek, Ludhiana also displayed their creative albums, enhanced upon Scodix Digital Enhancement Press. The samples displayed by the company and its customers was a point of attraction and buzz among the visitors. Apart from these, company also displayed the samples printed on Pixeljet UV flatbed printers and Oce Arizona for photography segment. UV flatbed printers offer the printing option on any hard surface like wood, acrylic, glass etc which can be used in the photography printing. Akash Kumar, Manager – Brand and Communications Said “It was a great show for us as we have a bigger presence at the show with the products that were liked and appreciated by the visitors. We already have a wide reach in western India market and we hope to strengthen this reach with this expo. We have received a good response from the show and booked few orders. We also have received good number of enquiries as well to work upon.” AIPIMA Expo begins on March 2, 2015 A sia Coat + Inks Show 2015, a 3-day exhibition on printing inks and coatings organized by All India Printing Ink Manufacturers Association (AIPIMA) Exhibition, will begin on March 2, 2015 in Mumbai at Bombay Convention &Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The expo will end on March 4, 2014. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 36 Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 37 Industry News TechNova-Canson tie-up offers Infinity Inkjet Fine Art & Photography Papers T series to Indian fine art printers. Canson Infinity Papers are manufactured by one of the world’s leading Fine Art Paper Mills, Canson and Arches, located in France. Products from these two leading mills have been embraced by leading artists over the years, including Picasso, Chagall, echNova has recently expanded its portfolio of inkjet digital media products by partnering with Canson, one of the world’s most reputed manufacturers of Inkjet Fine Art & Photographic Papers. As per this tieup, TechNova will offer a select range of media from Canson’s Infinity Paper Š• —•• Š”• •• „ ‡ƒˆ‰Š‹Š• ƒ –—” ŒŽ • ‘ •€˜ • • • Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 38 • • ’• Œ‘• ’• “‚ƒ† • ‘‚ƒ‡ • • € ‚ ƒ ƒ • „…†ƒ • „…‡††† • „ … †…† †…… Warhol, Ingress, Miro and Alechinsky and for the first time, the same papers are now available in India, from TechNova. These special paper don’t have Optical Brightness Additives (OBAs), hence the paper does not turn yellow over time. The paper has Cotton fibres to give paper and canvas superior strength and softness to ensure superior age resistance. The paper is acid-free ensuring that it retains its original quality over time, without getting degraded by harmful acids. The prestigious Wilhelm Imaging Research organization has certified that the Canson Media passes all industry standard permanence tests regarding life expectancy of inkjet prints. The media is regarded as museum-grade archival papers, and is trusted by museums, artists, photographers, restorers and many others for their proven ability to preserve prints for very long durations. TechNova is currently marketing a select range of premium papers from the Canson Infinity Range. These include: BFK Rives: The world’s number one mould-made traditional printmaking paper, with a unique pure white tone obtained without the use of OBAs. Ideal for fine art prints and photographs and gives them a prestigious aura. Rag Photographique: 100% cotton museum grade white Fine Art and Photo paper, specifically suited to address the needs for continued longevity requirements in the digital fine art market. Plantine Fibre Rag: Setting the benchmark for Digital Darkroom papers , this paper provides the aesthetic and feel of the original Baryta Fibre paper. It also offers extremely high D-max and exceptional grey tones. Baryta Photographique: True museum-grade Baryta paper developed for Inkjet technology shows excellent black density and great image sharpness, making it ideal for black and white photography. Industry News Sivakasi fireworks exporter adds sparkle to printing division with Heidelberg Solutions Invests in Heidelberg Pro C 751 Digital Press & Polar N 115 Plus Cutter P. Selvarajan, the Director of Kaliswari Group with Heidelberg Pro C 751 digital press and Polar N 115 Plus Cutter S ivakasi’s Kaliswari Group, a leading manufacturer and global exporter of fireworks, added sparkle to its in-house printing division, by recently investing in Heidelberg solutions. Although Pyrotechnics is the primary business, the Kaliswari Group brings together other diverse business verticals, including educational institutions, Transport and Hotels. An in-house printing division caters to the labeling and packaging needs of the Group’s own Fireworks business. From humble beginnings as a ‘Match factory’ founded by Shanmuga Nadar in 1923, the 90-year old company exploded into prominence and growth after expanding into fireworks. The Kaliswari Group manufactures and sells fireworks under the well-established and reputed “Cock” brand. Today, the group of companies has 30 plus factories, employing nearly 9,000 staff. In a latest move, the Kaliswari Group has installed the Heidelberg Pro C 751 digital press for its internal applications. Ideal for cost-effective production on very short runs, the digital press can print up to 75 A4 pages/minute with paper density or grammages of up to 300 GSM. The oil-free PxP toner ensures optimum image quality of up to 4800 dpi resolution, which is close to results achieved with offset printers. The digital press can handle paper sizes between 3.94 × 5.51 inches and 13.00 × 19.20 inches. P. Selvarajan, the Director of Kaliswari Group, says: “We still have the original Heidelberg cylinder presses that were used during early days of operation. The machines are in perfect working condition even today.” “The Heidelberg Pro C 751 is the latest jewel in our crown. Easy to use, it offers an exceptional range of functions and outstanding print quality,” Manoharan, Senior Manager of the Group nods in affirmation, before adding, “We use the Heidelberg Pro C 751 mostly for test-printing and sampling specialty paper and boards for packaging purposes. The print matches offset quality. Also, it helps save considerable time and money that we would otherwise spend on outsourcing.” In addition to the Pro C 751, the Kaliswari Group has also invested in a Heidelberg Polar N 115 plus cutting equipment. This programmable, highspeed cutter, which is used for cutting paper, cardstock, paper board, and plastic foils, comes with an 18.5 inches colour display and touch screen operations to avoid errors in programming. The Polar N 115 plus offers shortest makeready times, thanks to intuitive cutting programmes. Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 39 Industry News Chennai’s Xpress-Imprint invests in Heidelberg Printmaster PM 74 & Polar 78 Cutter C hennai-based print shop XpressImprint, recently embellished its strong portfolio with value additions from Heidelberg – the Printmaster PM 74 and Polar 78 programmable cutter. Nagi Reddy, the Director of Xpress-Impint is a quality-conscious entrepreneur who hails from an artistic heritage. His illustrious grandfather, B. Nagi Reddy, manufactured celluloid dreams for the South Indian audience. A film producer, he founded and established the famous VijayaVahini Studios, one of the largest in Asia. The studio has now been converted to a multi-specialty hospital. His grandfather was also a printing pioneer and a past president of All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP). He founded and managed BNK Press and Prasad Process – two leading Litho& Offset printing firms in Chennai from the 60’s until the 90’s. Actually, Nagi Reddy’s association with Heidelberg dates back to his childhood days, where he would play in the press room around the several Heidelberg cylinder presses operating in full swing at BNK Press. Taking cues from his roots, Nagi founded a modest, one-man print shop in 1998 to supply printed stationery for Healthcare (From Left) Nagi Reddy of Xpress-Imprint with Klaus Nielsen, Managing Director, Heidelberg India and Venkataraman, Regional Sales Manager, Heidelberg India. institutions. Today, Xpress-Imprint is a compelling presence in Vadapalani, Chennai, and a trusted name among print buyers in the city. The firm installed a Heidelberg Printmaster GTO 52 in 2008, later expanding to a Speedmaster SM 52 five-color press in 2010. The latest installation, the Printmaster PM 74 Fourcolor press, is a pre-owned equipment from Heidelberg. Nagi comments on the latest addition, “We were looking to upgrade to Ricoh launches two new presses R icoh India has used the Eastern Print Pack 2014 as a platform to give an India launch to its latest digital printing option with a fifth station, the Ricoh Pro C7100x; a latex Pro L4160, its first wide-format press; and a new alternative to click charges with its lifetime warranty plan. The Pro L4160 is Ricoh’s entry into wide-format graphics colour printing. The seven-colour device can print CMYK, orange, green and white Print Miracle | September - October 2014 | 40 aqueous latex inks. It is capable of printing on wide substrates such as PVC, tarpaulin, synthetic paper, coated paper, non-coated paper and textile. The new Ricoh kit series prints at a speed of up to 90ppm, and can print on an extensive range of media including new textured media from 53gsm to 360gsm. Applications include light packaging, mock-up printing, transactional, books, brochures and business cards. a press that could run both commercial and packaging jobs, switching between the two activities with ease, and yield better productivity. Heidelberg was our natural choice. Our past experience with Heidelberg has been exemplary in every way,including the after-sales support. The Heidelberg Printmaster PM 74 fits our requirements to a tee. It has the flexibility to switch between packaging and commercial jobs.” The highly automated Heidelberg Printmaster PM 74 operates at a speed of 13,000 sheets per hour, delivering increased productivity. The compact press is ideal for 29 inch format printing. The equipment can process substrates ranging from 0.03-0.6 millimeter, resulting in high degree of flexibility. The Printmaster PM 74 was imported from Germany, after a thorough inspection by Heidelberg engineers. Heidelberg offered extended warranty for the spares and replaced rollers and blankets on the machine with brand new ones. From the date of installation, Heidelberg has been supportive out and out.”