PRESSIdeas August 2020 Issue

20 vol-20

Issue- 08 August 2020

166

Price in India : Rs.100

Vol.20 Issue 08, 2020

Dayaker Reddy, IPAMA President.................04 The most exciting design tool ......................12 HP PageWide crosses 500B............................15 Canon upgrades LabelStream 4000...........19 KE & Saralon power brands............................22

A monthly Publication from PRESSIdeas Publishing Pvt. Ltd.

100 rapida units at Parksons..........................24 India’s first Baldwin Guardian OLP...............30 Indian Cos win big in Stevie Award.............32

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Contents FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK..............................................................................................................................................................................................................3 Dayaker Reddy completes three years as IPAMA President...............................................................................................................................................4 ‘EMPOWER Jargon made simple’ Webinar ..............................................................................................................................................................................5 Print Olympiad is an enormous print talent hunt this time...............................................................................................................................................6 Heidelberg pays back existing high-yield bond with term until 2022 before maturity..........................................................................................7 Covid-hit paper industry on consolidation mode: President, IPMA...............................................................................................................................7 Heidelberg Speedmaster CS-92 to print Central Religious Scripture of Sikhism.......................................................................................................8 Print Point invests in new Heidelberg Speedmaster CX-75 6-colour press with coating unit..............................................................................9 The cost-effective solution for thread sewn book production...................................................................................................................................... 10 WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards - COVID19 Category............................................................................................................................ 11 Gmähle Scheel Print-Medien installs QIPC mRC-3D ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 The most exciting design tool ever ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 European premiere for AccurioJet KM-1e............................................................................................................................................................................. 14 HP PageWide Presses crosses 500 billion printed pages landmark............................................................................................................................. 15 HP Graphics Print providers continue to support the health and well-being of local communities............................................................... 16 Canon upgrades LabelStream 4000........................................................................................................................................................................................ 18 LabelStream 4000 series becomes first Fogra PSD certified digital press................................................................................................................. 19 Dos and Don’ts of optimizing PDF for most efficient DFE processing........................................................................................................................ 20 Kunal Enterprise and Saralon power brands with Printing Electronics enhancement......................................................................................... 22 Parksons Packaging boasts over 100 Rapida printing units........................................................................................................................................... 24 Flint Group collaborates with SOMA and MARVACO ....................................................................................................................................................... 26 Gallus Labelmaster 440 for Essel Propack............................................................................................................................................................................. 27 ITC’s Bhadrachalam unit achieves GreenCo Platinum+ rating....................................................................................................................................... 28 Jash Packaging aims growth targets with BOBST duo .................................................................................................................................................... 29 Pragati installs India’s first Baldwin Guardian OLP ............................................................................................................................................................ 30 VINSAK joins hands with Tecnocut ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Craftsman Label installs GM HOTFB330 Standalone Hot Foil unit .............................................................................................................................. 31 Indian Companies Win Big in 2020 Stevie Award Competition.................................................................................................................................... 32 Miraclon announces judges’ panel for Global Flexo Innovation Awards................................................................................................................... 33 New SyntegonPack 202 Flow Wrapper ................................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Monotech Systems installs G&J Flexo Plate Processor at Quality Prepress............................................................................................................... 35 Taurus Packaging gets Bigger, Better & Faster with new cutting-edge machines ................................................................................................ 35 Asahi Photoproducts supports Comexi, in a breakthrough turnkey project........................................................................................................... 36 Flint Group plate making solution decreases plate production time for Huhtamäki .......................................................................................... 37 BOBST duo boost for Shuban Prints........................................................................................................................................................................................ 38 Mudra Digital Graphics’ designers get full creative with innovative Esko Studio software................................................................................ 39 Unique competitive advantage for Megalabel with Durst Tau RSC E press.............................................................................................................. 40 Automate and customise with Canon’s UVgel Wallpaper Factory............................................................................................................................... 41

Jasmeet D. Editor & Publisher (jasmeet@pressideas.com) Vineet K G. Associate Editor (vineetkg@pressideas.com) Jasvinder S. Sub-Editor (jasvinder@pressideas.com) Jacob George Marketing and Sales (jacob@pressideas.com) M.S. Mukundan Advertising and Sales Southern and Western India (aims@pressideas.com) Graphic Designer Anil Kumar

Networking/ Hardware Consultant Sukhdeep Singh USA Correspondents Tensi M., Preeti European Correspondent Rimi, Yadhu Morphine Production Thomas K Alex

PRESSIdeas August 2020 Vol. 20, Issue 08 Printed by Jacob George and published by Jasmeet Singh on behalf of PRESSIdeas Publishing Pvt Ltd. Printed in India at Hues and Colors 363, Industrial Focal Point, Phase-IX Mohali, and published at PRESSIdeas, 437-A 1st Floor, Industrial Area, Phase-2 Chandigarh-160002 (India) Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied.

All material supplied is compiled from sources believed to be reliable or solely an opinion of the authors. PRESSIdeas is not responsible for any steps taken based on the information provided herewith.

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August 2020

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FROM THE EDITORS’ DESK Dear Readers, Dayaker Reddy has completed three years as IPAMA President. At this special achievement, Mr. Reddy shares his experiences and also the association’s pro-industry contributions, in an exclusive talk with PRESSIdeas in this issue. Further in interviews, Kunal Gandhi, Executive to President, Kunal Enterprise, talks in detail about the new technology opening new avenues and opportunities for printers in India. Kunal Enterprise and Saralon are powerering brands with Printing Electronics enhancement.

Heidelberg Speedmaster CS-92 has been chosen to print Central Religious Scripture of Sikhism by the DSGMC. DSGMC (New Delhi) and the SGPC (Amritsar) are the only two bodies with exclusive and legal authorization to publish the authentic version of Gurmat literature (philosophy of the Gurus), the holy scripture and other religious texts of the Sikhs. Bangalore-based Print Point has installed a Heidelberg Speedmaster CX-75 6-colour with coating unit, renewing optimism for business revival and progress. An ISO and EICC certified printing and packaging firm, Print Point caters to Fortune 500 companies, since 1987. The elite firm specializes in advertising and promotional material, pharma/cosmetic/fluted cartons and pharma inserts/ leaflets through 4 manufacturing facilities across India.

The design community should embrace digital print as their new design tool, believes independent international Art Director, Hadar Peled Vaissman.

Read the finer points in the inside pages.

HP PageWide Presses have crossed 500 billion printed pages landmark. HP Print Service Providers community has more than doubled the number of pages they have printed on HP PageWide Presses since drupa 2016 for a growth rate that is nearly twice that of the market. In another story HP Graphics Print providers continue to support the health and well-being of local communities. Through creativity and ingenuity, PSPs are helping to bring joy to our medical heroes, patients and the public during COVID-19.

Canon has upgraded LabelStream 4000. The digital label press delivers more opportunities with improved functionality. The series also becomes first Fogra PSD certified digital press.

Know about the Dos and Don’ts of optimizing PDF for most efficient DFE processing. New independent guide contains tips and tricks for all involved in variable data printing.

Other key industry installations include: Parksons Packaging now has over 100 Rapida printing units installed at its facilities; Essel Propack has gone for a Gallus Labelmaster 440; Jash Packaging aims growth targets with BOBST duo as does Shuban Prints with two BOBST installations; Pragati Graphics has installed India’s first Baldwin Guardian OLP; Monotech Systems installs G&J Flexo Plate Processor at Quality Prepress; and Mudra Digital Graphics has installed innovative Esko Studio software.

Find all this along with news about events, awards, installations and happenings from around the world of the Graphic Arts, Printing, Packaging and allied industries. Enjoy reading.

- Jasvinder Singh, Sub-editor

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Dayaker Reddy completes three years as IPAMA President Mr. Reddy, in an exclusive talk with PRESSIdeas at this special achievement shares his experiences, and also the association’s pro-industry contributions.

Dayaker Reddy Sripathi has completed three years at IPAMA (Indian Printing Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association) as the association’s President. Mr. Reddy has been associated with IPAMA for the last more than 10 years in different capacities.

Of the many feats the association achieved during his tenure as President, IPAMA has got recognized by the Department of Industry and Industrial Policy as has also got recognition from the Industry due to its multifarious pro-industry activities. “IPAMA and

Aims setting up of special industrial belts for the manufacturing segment of the Graphic Arts Industry, setting up of R&D Units, Export incentives, reduction of Imports of printing and packaging machinery, setting up of technical institutions for Graphic Arts Industry to ensure availability of suitable trained personnel.

Key Notes : > Mr. Reddy has been the central force right from the day one to promote the association’s objectives. > Was instrumental in the organization of record breaking PRINTPACK INDIA 2019. > IPAMA has always stood with the printers and had also raised their grievances before the appropriate forums, says Mr. Reddy.

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its office bearers are doing their best for the growth and development of the Industry,” says Mr. Reddy.

“We have also set a trend of transparency in our working system so that the Members should know the procedure and also involve themselves for the growth of the Association. The three years is a good period of time and we are satisfied with our performance.

However, many more things are in our mind which will be attended to and completed on priority,” he adds.

It has been a remarkable journey since his nomination as President by the Governing Council of IPAMA in the year 2017. He has been the central force right from the day one to promote the association’s objectives. As he took over the charge, he met most of the office bearers of the printing fraternity, visited number of important foreign exhibitions and attended conferences, seminars etc., as a part of export development programme. Personally visiting number of Indian exhibitions relating to printing and graphic arts industry, he had one-to-one interaction with the Exhibitors and Business Visitors. “PRINTPACK INDIA 2019, record breaking exhibition, was organized during this tenure in which 509 Indian and foreign exhibitors had participated on a net area of 24,450 square meters, having gross area of 65 square meters,” says Mr. Reddy. “It was visited by 90,720 business visitors. During PPI 2019, for the first time in the history of IPAMA, special discount in space charges was given to the Members; number of complimentary services were also provided to the Exhibitors and Business Visitors,” he continues. In spite of heavy concessions to IPAMA Members, a handsome surplus revenue was also generated which speaks volumes about Mr. Reddy’s organizing acumen as well as efficiency of IPAMA Team.

“After taking over as President, I raised the proposal

at different platforms for forming a Federation so that the grievances of the Industry could be taken up effectively with the concerned Ministries and Government agencies. Preliminary work has already been completed relating to formation of the Federation. I was also President of the Asia Print during the intervening period and Vice President of Global Print. IPAMA had also formed the policy of providing financial assistance from its funds for participation in foreign exhibitions as a part of export promotion,” he informs.

The unfulfilled goals - the top priorities The foremost priority for Mr. Reddy is to make the forthcoming PRINTPACK INDIA 2021 a recordbreaking event, though he admits that COVID-19 can prove a major drawback in achieving this set Goal.

“I had also pursued the proposal for formation of the Federation which, I am sure, will definitely take a final shape in 2020 itself. Setting up of special industrial belts for the manufacturing segment of the Graphic Arts Industry, setting up of R&D Units, Export incentives, reduction of Imports of printing and packaging machinery, setting up of technical institutions for Graphic Arts Industry to ensure availability suitable trained personnel, are also in my agenda points,” he states.

Speaking further on the impact of COVID-19 on the Graphic Arts Industry, he says, “Definitely there is large impact of COVID-19 on the Graphic Arts Industry. It has not only slowed down the manufacturing processes in the country but also brought negative impact on the export development

pressideas/ commercial printing

efforts, resulting in economic slowdown.

We had decided to participate in a number of foreign events, including Drupa 2020 exhibition, but had to withdraw our participation, keeping in view the present conditions in the world market. Even most of the domestic exhibitions are also on hold.

The conditions are slowly improving and the manufacturing processes are expected to get momentum in the coming months. There is a negative impact of COVID-19 on the printing industry, at least for the last five/six months.

However, there is improvement in the present conditions and the printing industry is slowly coming to the level of production. IPAMA members are already very supportive and will do their best within their limitations.”

Mr. Reddy thinks that the industry may fully recover by the end of the next year and may cross the original level of production. “The decisions already taken or being taken by the Government are surely pro-industry.

The import will come down while there will be an increase in the export levels. The

manufacturing will improve. Some of the segments of the industry will start recovering from the first quarter of 2021,” he says.

IPAMA represents the manufacturing segments of the graphic arts industry and as such is not directly involved with the printers or printing works. However, IPAMA has always stood with the printers and had also raised their grievances before the appropriate forums relating to financial assistance and other reliefs under different schemes. It has been at the forefront in getting most of the financial assistance for participation in foreign exhibitions from the Ministry of MSME under IC Scheme.

Mr. Reddy is known as a highly disciplined person who leads IPAMA as its President, at the same time we find him a humble person who maintains that performance and efficiency, both are to be judged by others.

Expressing his concern about the prevailing COVID-19 which is the only obstacle before

the speedy revival of the industry, he says, “The industry is self-reliant and independent and will give its best, as soon as it is free from the prevailing conditions. Nothing is permanent; this period will also pass in due course of time.”

Keeping a perfect balance between his responsibilities as IPAMA President and his business, he has set certain general procedures to maintain. “The ancillary duties and responsibilities are performed by the experienced IPAMA staff. The policy decisions are taken by the Governing Council which is chaired by the President,” he explains.

Though he doesn’t have much time for many hobbies as business activities take considerable part of his time, he enjoys his family moments with kids regularly. “We have to manage the time smartly as we all have equal 24 hrs,” smiles Mr. Reddy who is an ardent book lover and is fond of travelling.

‘EMPOWER Jargon made simple’ Webinar Mumbai MudrakSangh in association with TechNova Imaging Systems organized a spectacular two-hour webinar on 7th August 2020.

Mrs. Medha Virkar, Imm. Past President, MMS emphasized that the philosophy was to create awareness that the printer is not a layman, to not understand the electricity bill as it is part of the input cost impacting business. Even though electricity is a complex subject the session conducted by Mr. Sandeep Guram, Sr. General Manager, TechNova Imaging Systems through an informative presentation and his practical solutions ensured that the Jargons which are seen on both sides of electricity bills were understood and simplified. A case study was done on an electricity bill from Maharashtra and participants who had joined the webinar from all over the country could understand and apply it to their bills. Each component of the electricity bill was analyzed and with the expertise of Mr. Guram, the approach to save a big amount on electricity bills based on twelve months consumption was shared with the audience.

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The key learning from the session on ways to conserve and save on electricity bills are as below:

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Energy saved is energy produced Saving energy is saving foreign exchange as we import coal used in power generation If you pay your bill before prompt payment date you get a rebate of 1% and if you pay after bill due date you are charged penalty 1.5%, and end up paying a cost of 2.5% pm All Discoms encourage you to use power during off peak hour so probably you can plan to shift the work at such designated time and pay comparatively less Discoms give 3-5 % interest on security deposits that are held by them but if you invest in other safer avenues you will get higher rate of interest so it is advisable to convert this security deposit to a Bank guarantee Save energy without impacting productivity or quality and make usage wherever necessary Keep a regular tab on any variations in the bill and check the reason for rise in per unit cost, eg. were there any

changes, did the production fluctuate?

The Q & A round was taken up by Mr. Tushar Dhote, President, MMS and was effectively addressed by Mr. Guram in resolving various issues faced by the participants. The organizers expect a lot more questions as the issue around electricity is vast and, based on the response, will announce a sequel to this edition shortly.

Mr. Shreerang Joshi, TechNova, Imaging Systems thanked the MMS Managing Committee in their endeavors to mitigate losses for the printers through such webinars.

He further briefed about the various green projects undertaken by Team TechNova in their initiative to reduce the carbon footprints.

Mr. JigarSatra, Managing Committee Member, MMS gave the Vote of Thanks.

August 2020

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pressideas/ commercial printing

Print Olympiad is an enormous print talent hunt this time Organized by OPA under the aegis of AIFMP; MIT Manipal, Karnataka to host the final.

The 4th edition of ‘Print Olympiad’ is being organized by the Offset Printers’ Association (OPA) under the aegis of All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP). The students of printing currently studying in Diploma, B.Voc, D.Voc, B.E. or B.Tech in printing/packaging are eligible to participate in this biggest talent hunt for the upcoming printers of India as per the event’s rules.

‘Print Olympiad’ is going to be an enormous print talent hunt this time. In order to make the competition more meaningful, widespread and approachable to all, it is decided to conduct regional level competitions, before going in for the gala national level finale. For the purpose, printing institutes of India are divided in four regions i.e.

• North Zone: Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Chandigarh.

• East Zone: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• South Zone: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

• West Zone: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Dadra-Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu. Taking in consideration the future printing and going with the trends of online business, it is decided to organize the Print Olympiad on two platforms. The regional level competition for each zone, to select ‘top student’ of the region, will be held at ‘online’ platform. All these competitions will be organized under the supervision of a ‘Regional Coordinator.’

The coordinator will organize the online written competition(s) to select top 5 students of the region. The students will have to answer the set of questions in given time in the presence of eminent judges during online WebMeeting. This way the students will get chance to learn the style of working of latest online technologies.

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The final round to select the top student of the region, will be organized under the supervision of a national team where these 5 students will have to speak on a given topic for specific time.

The national finale of ‘Print Olympiad’ will be organized with physical presence of the competitors. (This time the final will be hosted by the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) at Manipal, Karnataka.) All zonal competitions will also be organized with the support and under the supervision of any leading printing institution of the region.

The ‘Print Olympiad - South Zone’ will be hosted by School of Engineering, Avinashilingam Institute for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The competition will be inaugurated by Dr. (Mrs.) Premavathy

Vijayan, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Avinashilingam Institute for Women, Coimbatore on 26 August, 2020 at 11:00 a.m.

Dr. (Mrs.) S. Kausalya, Registrar will be the Guest of Honour. The detailed rules and regulations are given in the brochure, interested students can register for the competition on or before 20th August, 2020.

Top student of the region will be awarded Rs. 25,000 and five finalists will receive Rs. 5,000 each. For further details, Project Coordinator (South), Dr. (Mrs.) TKS Lakshmi Priya – Prof. & Head, Department of Printing Technology, School of Engineering, Avinashilingam Institute for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu may be contacted: hod_pt@avinuty.ac.in

pressideas/ commercial printing

Heidelberg pays back existing high-yield bond with term until 2022 before maturity The significant step towards financial stabilization and transformation permanently releases the company from high interest payments.

Setting the next milestone in its ongoing financial stabilization and transformation process, Heidelberg has announced that it will pay back the remaining amount of € 150 million on the existing high-yield bond (HYB). The HYB has a term to maturity until 2022 and a coupon of 8 % p.a., plus accrued interest before maturity, i.e. on Sep 9, 2020.

The payback will be funded from cash reserves and will unburden the financial result by approx. € 12 million per year.

After the transfer of € 380 million in funds to the company from Heidelberg Pension-Trust e.V. in March this year for the purpose of refinancing and transformation, and the sale of the Gallus Group at the end of July 2020, Heidelberg will make the announced early repayment of the high-yield bond without delay.

“We are keeping our word and are working full speed ahead to consistently implement

the measures announced in the program we presented in March to increase profitability, competitiveness and to secure our future.

The early repayment of the high-yield bond is a further milestone in improving our financing structure. We are permanently freeing ourselves from high interest payments and are becoming more financially independent and flexible,” says Marcus A. Wassenberg, CFO of Heidelberg. Rainer Hundsdörfer, CEO of Heidelberg explains: “And this gives us leeway for future investments and to shape the future of our company.”

In accordance with the bond conditions, the repayment on September 9, 2020 will take place by means of a publicly announced optional early redemption with a redemption value of 100 percent plus accrued interest.

The announcement of the buyback can also be viewed directly on the website of the Luxembourg stock exchange.

After the envisaged buyback of the high-yield bond, Heidelberg continues to have a stable financial framework, among other things due to a syndicated credit line which is agreed until 2023.

Covid-hit paper industry on consolidation mode: President, IPMA AS Mehta, President of Indian Paper Manufacturers Association and President of JK Paper has expressed his concern that the domestic paper industry has been hard hit by Covid-19 lockdown. “The country’s Rs. 80,000 crore paper industry is on a consolidation mode.” He expects the business to get back to its normal rhythm by next year.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, both inward and outward supply chains of the paper industry have been totally disrupted, and are yet to fully recover. There has also been a severe demand compression due to the lockdown and closing down of educational institutions, commercial establishments and downstream printers, publishers, converters, stationery services among others, he says.

Even after lockdown’s been lifted, the situation has not improved as expected.

Expressing his concern about the fall in

demand, he says that the paper industry is presently running at half its capacity due to severe demand compression. He also draws attention to the fact that cheap imports are flooding into the country which are only worsening the situation.

The paper industry is operating under extremely challenging conditions which have been compounded by substantial quantities of paper being imported into the country at significantly lower costs, especially due to the Free Trade Agreements such as India-ASEAN FTA and Indo-Korean CEPA and other trade agreements like Asia Pacific Trade Agreements, which includes China.

“The country’s paper sector, which registered a growth of about 5-6 per cent last fiscal ended March 31, 2020, is likely to see a de-growth this financial year with poor sales volumes in the first quarter and the ongoing second quarter, where the situation has not improved much. However, the business may

take at least couple of more quarters. In a fair assessment, things may get back to normalcy by next year,” Mehta says.

The imports have been seen growing at a very high rate as compared to the increase in domestic production, which reflects underexploited installed capacity.

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pressideas/ commercial printing

Heidelberg Speedmaster CS-92 to print Central Religious Scripture of Sikhism The DSGMC (New Delhi) and the SGPC (Amritsar) are the only two bodies with exclusive and legal authorization to publish the authentic version of Gurmat literature (philosophy of the Gurus), the holy scripture and other religious texts of the Sikhs.

New Delhi-based Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib upgraded its print facility with a brandnew Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 press, reaffirming its commitment to excellent print quality. Run by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), the facility prints Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the central religious scripture of Sikhism and other related holy texts, calendars, diaries, and material in accordance with the Sikh religious code. The sacred texts are then supplied to Gurudwaras (a place of worship for the Sikhs) in India and overseas.

Installation of the Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 press at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib was a festive occasion, with strong participation from DSGMC members, including Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the President of DSGMC, and Harmit Singh Kalka - the General Secretary.

“The Heidelberg Speedmaster CS92 enhances overall print quality and productivity, with quicker make-readies and turn-arounds. We are excited to print Sri Guru Granth Sahib on a world-class quality press.

The move to digital empowers cost-effective, and high-volume printing,” stated Manjinder Singh.

Built upon the Speedmaster CD 102 platform, the Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 can accommodate a wide array of print substrates with thicknesses ranging from 0.03 mm to 0.6 mm. Boasting print speeds of up to 15,000 sheets per hour, this highend press is integrated with Heidelberg’s proprietary Prinect workflow to make operations simple and intuitive.

The remote-controlled, calibration-free foil ink fountain of the Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 ensures superior quality and stable colouring through the entire production run, with 500 increments per colour zone.

A speedcompensated Alcolor dampening system facilitates stable ink-water balance, and outstanding print quality.

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(From Left) Mr. Rajinder Singh Chadha, Mr. Harmeet Singh Kalka and Mr. Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

The DSGMC and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) – Amritsar are the only two bodies with exclusive and legal authorization to publish the authentic version of Gurmat literature (philosophy of the Gurus), the holy scripture and other religious texts of the Sikhs. The two committees also supply scripture and sacred literature to NRI Sikhs living in 50 countries.

Manjinder Singh concluded, “The Heidelberg Speedmaster CS-92 is a value asset to assist the shift from conventional and monochrome press operations to highly-automated, fullvolume, colour printing. Waste optimization is an added bonus. With the CS-92, we look forward to setting new benchmarks in productivity and performance.”

The brand-new Heidelberg Speedmaster CS 92 >> four colour press at Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Printing unit.

pressideas/ commercial printing

Print Point invests in new Heidelberg Speedmaster CX-75 6-colour press with coating unit Bangalore-based Print Point has installed a Heidelberg Speedmaster CX-75 6-colour with coating unit, renewing optimism for business revival and progress, even as the world gears for a ‘new normal’ postlockdown. An ISO and EICC certified printing and packaging firm, Print Point caters to Fortune 500 companies, since 1987. The elite firm specializes in advertising and promotional material, pharma/cosmetic/fluted cartons and pharma inserts/ leaflets through 4 manufacturing facilities across India spanning over 200,000 sq. ft.

“The price-performance ratio of the CX75 is inspiring. Any organization needs to rewire itself for continuous growth and innovation, not just to remain relevant, but to stay on top of its game. Embracing latest technologies is a surefire way to rise beyond the present change and challenge to new levels of accomplishment. Heidelberg is the print partner we trust to help us scale wider horizons,” comments Mr. Sadanand Singh, Director Technical of Print Point.

The next-generation drupa model from Heidelberg – the Speedmaster CX 75, blends the best-in-class XL-75 technology representing a huge step towards purposeful automation and peak performance.

Smaller footprint, substrate flexibility and optimal automation make it easy to integrate the CX-75 into any press room. The doublediameter impression cylinders facilitate gentle sheet transfer, while accommodating diverse substrates, including paper, cardboard and plastics of up to 0.8 mm in thickness. Even at top printing speeds of 15,000 sheets per hour, the CX-75 is noise-free.

Team Print Point with the Speedmaster CX 75: (From left): Mr. Kranti Kumar, Mr. Sadanand Singh, Mr. Ashok Kumar and Mr. Dhirresh.

quick and easy ink change overs, while precise inking and fast ink control response is supported by digitally controlled ink zone servo motors.

Automation features like AutoPlate assist in plate changes within the shortest time, reducing setup times for the CX-75. The new Intellistart 3 assistance system helps in job

changes with time-optimized automation.

“We serve a choice clientele, and our bars are quite high. No compromise on quality or turnaround times. The Speedmaster CX-75 fits perfect into our modus operandi,” conclude Mr. Ashok Kumar, Director Commercial of Print Point.

To achieve outstanding finishing standards for diverse applications, the coating unit of the CX-75 is fitted with a chamber blade system, and a wide range of coating supply and Anilox roller technology.

The Heidelberg Patented Alcolor Vario inking and dampening system of the CX-75 offer colour stability and remote-controlled function ensure short-path inking with minimal ink consumption. A maintenancefree, full ink duct fountain foil-line allows Team Print Point with the Speedmaster CX 75: (From left): Mr. Ashok Kumar, Mr. Sadanand 9 Singh, Mr. Dhirresh and Mr.2020 Kranti Kumar.

August

pressideas/ newspaper

The cost-effective solution for thread sewn book production Vietnam and South Korea customers boost their production capabilities with asterEL. The new asterEL, automatic book sewing machine, is the ideal solution for bookbinders willing to produce high-quality thread sewn books with moderate investment and low operating costs. asterEL offers the same basic features and high engineering quality of the other models in the aster range.

With a running top speed of 10.000 cycles/h, asterEL is the quickest Entry Level model, the most competitive in terms of operating costs and energy efficiency and it has set a new standard in the market. asterEL features the latest electronics and a new 15” touch screen monitor with a graphic and friendly user interface that makes the machine very easy to operate. GigaLynx Dual Control, available upon request, allows the reading of barcodes and images. The system, located at the in-feed, immediately identifies sequence errors. The unit features an extraordinary compact design with loading and unloading station only 1 meter apart, and a small footprint of just 4 sqm. asterEL features a premium bookbinding technique – sewn books. Sewn books are known for high quality, resistance, and longevity. Thread sewing is a purely mechanical process not affected by inks, papers, or environmental conditions.

A new asterEL, book sewing machine, installed in Vietnam Le Quang Loc is a printing and bookbinding company based in Ho Chi Minh City. The company recently organized an Open House to present the new asterEL to major publishers.

For more than 30 years, the company has been operating in the field of media printing and it is now proud to be one of the leading and prestigious industries in Vietnam. Le Quang Loc produces many publishing products: books, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, and brochures. asterEL is the first automatic book sewing machine of the company. The decision to invest in this solution was driven by the need to efficiently produce high quality sewn book blocks to meet the demand of the publishers

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for high-end products. Before, the production was outsourced and produced on semiautomatic machines that were not able to guarantee the quality requested.

The solution was provided by Meccanotecnica’s local representative Ms. Thuy Huong Ngo of International Print & Pack Co. Ltd.

The asterEL installed in Woosung Binding Woosung Binding is a bookbinding company specialized in the production of diaries and stationery, situated in the printing factory complex of Janghang, in the Republic of Korea. The company is a long-time customer

of Meccanotecnica with two automatic book sewing machines: one Krisc and one aster 2000. To modernize their machinery inventory, Woosung decided to replace the old aster 2000 and invest in a brand new asterEL. The company has cited the following reasons for deciding on this investment: ease of use; production speed and reliability; and the sequence control provided by its GigaLynx camera.

With asterEL, Woosung aims to reduce labour time while maintaining the high-end quality requested by the market. The solution was provided by Meccanotecnica’s local representative Mr. Cho of Bontech Co. Ltd.

pressideas/ newspaper

WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards - COVID19 Category Registration for the South Asian Digital Media Awards 2020 (SDMA) is now open.

Have you adopted innovative ideas to battle the information gap around COVID-19? If so, share it with WAN-IFRA that promises to bring it before the world through the latest South Asian Digital Media Awards 2020 (SDMA).

Participants can tell the organizers more about their project. Is it an awareness campaign to check the spread of the virus?

Or a special column? A new section? WANIFRA will look into the entries to decide as per the awards guidelines.

The category is open to all publishers who

have come up with new products, sections, interesting campaigns and more to fill the information gaps in the society as part of their fight against COVID-19. Entries should demonstrate how the problem was addressed and how the innovative use of resources and smart planning helped to quickly mitigate the challenged posed by the crisis.

Other SDMA categories have been revamped and updated in order to remain tuned to the latest changes in the digital world.

Other award categories are: • Best News Website or Mobile Service • Best in Lifestyle, Sports, Entertainment Website or • Mobile Services • Best Use of Online Video (including VR) • Best Data Visualisation • Best Paid Content Strategy (incl. pay wall, membership or crowd funding

• • • •

models) Best Native Advertising / Branded Content Campaign Best Project for News Literacy - NEW Best in Audience Engagement Best Marketing Campaign for News Brand

Participants can send more than one entry per category.

Don’t wait till the last minute to submit your entries. A well-prepared entry will have a higher chance of making into the SDMA Hall of Fame.

Important dates to participate this year.

01 August Registration opens 30 August Deadline to register 07 September Deadline to upload your project details 15 November: Finalist announced DMI 2021 Award ceremony.

Gmähle Scheel Print-Medien installs QIPC mRC-3D The upgrade is for their web offset division in Schwabisch Hall.

In reaction to the good results achieved with the existing press automation solution of Q.I. Press Controls (QIPC), the printing company Gmähle Scheel Print Medien has now

upgraded to mRC-3D. Gmähle Scheel Print Media is part of the Wurzel Medien Gruppe, a full service provider that delivers solutions for all media.

Already back in 2007 Gmähle Scheel Print Media made its first investment in the QIPC’s colour and cut-off register system. Over the years the performance has been excellent.

The expected improvements in printing quality and savings in waste have been realised. The upgrade to QIPC’s mRC-3D was therefore self-evident. The mRC-3D colour- and cut-off register system will be installed on one of the three ‘8 page’ KBA Compacta 101. Their web offset process enables them to print all sorts of media for third parties, like leaflets, magazines, catalogues and leaflets varying in circulation.

Jürgen Hauber, Plant manager at Gmähle Scheel Print Media: “Most important for us is to deliver high quality print to the satisfaction of our customers. The solutions of QIPC support us in delivering just that.”

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The most exciting design tool ever The design community should embrace digital print as their new design tool, believes independent international Art Director, Hadar Peled Vaissman. In this article she explores the opportunities.

Printers hold the key to new digital print capabilities but don’t actually participate in marketing strategy talks with brands or their designers – and so the gap remains! The design-community has a real opportunity to unleash digital as their new ‘air-brush’ to create beautiful, personalised multi-channel campaigns and to enable a new kind of marketing. At drupa 2021 you will witness a world of almost endless possibilities.

Key Notes : > Digital print – enabling to reach new heights of creativity and stretch the limits of imagination. > HP Smartstream Mosaic enables 2 million Diet Coke and 400,000 Amarula ‘save the elephants’ campaign bottles – all different. > Today’s consumer market thrives more and more on personalised, or individualised, brand communications; however, many brands are still confused.

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I believe that the design community, to which I belong, should embrace digital print as their new design tool. And I also expect companies will address this community, or target audience, by catering to their needs with tools to actually make it happen.

As an art director looking at the world through a creative lens, print for me has always been a means to an end. I’ve always loved print as such, but I was ambivalent about it as I felt I had to compromise my creative ideas to get the best printed results. Whether this was due to colour or to production constraints, it was a limiting factor.

Over the last decade, however, I’ve had the privilege of managing the creative work done by HP Indigo and became intimately acquainted with digital print.

I’ve fallen head over heels in love with it! Instead of limiting my work, it has actually enabled me to reach new heights of creativity and to stretch the limits of my imagination. I have discovered that digital print is the best, newest, most exciting design tool there is. It is my new paint brush, my colour pallet and my tool box.

The air-brush of today and tomorrow The development of digital print is reminiscent of the advent of the modern air-brush: suddenly there was a new technology for releasing ink onto paper. It was easy to learn and use and it quickly became popular.

With this new tool a whole new art form started, taking photo-realism and photo-retouching to a completely new level. Digital printing can do just that, too, and be the new air-brush for the graphic-design community; an exciting new chapter that easily expands design capabilities.

As designers, customers have also changed, and

so have their marketing and branding requirements.

This affects what is required from us – basically it changes our own product. In the past, branding was based on consistency with the psychological rational being that familiarity will lead to brand recognition, brand preference, buying and loyalty. When my own generation, so-called generation X, walked into a supermarket and saw the myriad brand options onshelf, our hands would somehow instinctively reach for the one which was familiar, which looked the same as it always had been, reminding us of home, of safety and of predictability.

Then the millennials came along, who were brought up to expect personal service. Safety or predictability was less of an issue, familiarity was nothing to them – on the contrary, it was ‘boring’. Millennials don’t see themselves as ‘part of a crowd’ – they prefer to be seen as ‘one of a kind’. They expect brand-owners to treat them as individuals and target their products

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specifically to themselves. Sustainability also became an issue and altogether, mass production and traditional advertising were not cutting it. As a response, marketing departments and advertising agencies started developing more targeted campaigns with ‘activation’ tactics to reach and appeal to these new consumers but still, overall, the personal touch was mostly missing.

Millennials, who grew up with the internet, are certainly more used to sharing their personal data in exchange for content. They are happy to participate and click if this means the brand will acknowledge them personally.

They expect the brands to use this data and get the product right.

Now comes generation Z, which is even more internet savvy in every possible way.

To them the technology comes as naturally as the air they breathe, it’s taken for granted.

According to a recent report on customer trust trends from Salesforce “although a slim majority of consumers are still wary of companies’ intentions when it comes to handing over personal data, Gen Z and millennials are more game to take that risk — as long as they are getting something in return”.

wary of colour-limitations and definitely not using the digital tools potentially available to them for an improved brand experience. The ability to close this gap lies in the hands of the print-vendor (or print service provider).

Proactive and agile printing firms can help their customers to achieve huge marketing success by offering them such design tools.

I once worked with a team on the development of such tools and had the honor of collaborating with big international brands who used these tools to deliver astonishing, impactful campaigns where digital print enabled the product itself to become the media. The first campaign was a collaboration with Diet Coke in Israel:

2 million different Diet Coke bottles Coca Cola in Israel was looking to increase their Diet Coke sales and the brand manager, an innovative young millennial, was seeking something new, something different. Having

experienced the power of digital print with the ‘Share a Coke’ campaign in summer 2014, a campaign which broke the boundaries of personalised mass-production, she realized that the staggering results of the campaign pointed to an obvious customer need or desire.

She then reached out to our marketing team and her brief to us was this: “We need 2 million bottles, every single one different from the other – doesn’t matter how. Just keep the logo and ingredients as they are. Everything must be on-shelf in 2 months”.

With a combined effort between R&D and design teams, we came up with ‘HP Smartstream Mosaic,’ an algorithm which manipulates the design result. It’s a plug-in for Adobe CC and is very easy to use. The result is one that manual labour could never achieve. How does the algorithm work? Well, in short, the designer supplies the ‘seed pattern’ and the algorithm manipulates it

So, how do we offer today’s customers the right product in today’s consumer market?

The ultimate answer to this question is: with digital print! Digital print allows us to control and change the data on a print product, using information the consumer has given us to make it the most relevant product possible for them.

Mind the gap At the moment there is a gap between the possibility or idea and what the design world is actually doing. In most cases, designers, being unaware of the potential of digital, still design ‘for any print technology’, being

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into different results each time a page is printed. Never repeating, always changing.

The design work took 2 weeks, with 23 seed patterns created to then achieve 2 million different individual designs. Digital print allowed a fast turnaround and the product was on the shelf on time.

Save the elephants A second such campaign example and a personal favorite of mine used the same algorithm and digital print technology to support an even bigger goal, namely ‘causedriven marketing’.

“Millennials and Generation Z are continuously changing the way consumer experiences are being created. Causedriven marketing plays a large role in this change, and brands and marketers should find a cause to stand for to impact these generations.” This has been concluded by many marketing researches, and Amarula, a liquor brand from South Africa embodies this by supporting the ‘save the elephants’ campaign. Elephants are being relentlessly

poached for their ivory and the Amarula brand has from the start been supporting the cause to save them – symbolised by the elephant on its label.

Using HP Smartstream mosaic, Amarula put 400,000 different bottles on-shelf, each with a differently designed elephant that represents a living one. Two seed patterns were designed and the rest was handled by the digital press and software. For every bottle purchased, Amarula donated money to a foundation they partnered with. Digital print enabled this emotional, big-issue message to get across on-shelf as every bottle could be as unique as every real elephant. Just as with Diet Coke, the message from the brand to today’s younger generation was carried on the product and was supported by a 360˚ campaign which drove consumer engagement and brand equity through the roof.

So, to re-cap my arguments – today’s consumer market thrives more and more on personalised, or individualised, brand

communications; however, many brands are still confused by this fundamental consumer change and by how it affects their supplychain; printers themselves hold the key to new digital print capabilities but don’t actually participate in marketing strategy talks with brands or their designers – and so the gap remains! The design-community has a real opportunity to unleash digital as their new ‘air-brush’ to create beautiful, personalised multi-channel campaigns and to enable a new kind of marketing. At drupa 2021 you will witness a world of almost endless possibilities. Visit drupa, get in touch and embrace the future!

Hadar Vaissman Peled is an independent international Art Director who helps brands to improve their communication mainly through customisation, personalisation and individualisation. She believes that these will elevate a company’s relevance in a digital world.

European premiere for AccurioJet KM-1e Hama is the first company to install the newly introduced LED-UV inkjet system from Konica Minolta.

The globally oriented German accessories company Hama is Europe’s first customer of the newly introduced AccurioJet KM-1e LED-UV inkjet printing system from Konica Minolta. The installation was completed during the lockdown and enables the specialist in mobile, PC and photo accessories to print in high quality on almost any substrate. The company thus meets the increasing demands of brands and retailers for a better “product experience”, which is achieved through packaging with high added value.

locations and 18,000 product lines. High volume production of blister packs will be an important application for the AccurioJet KM-1e.

Konica Minolta’s partnership approach and its experienced service organization were decisive factors in Hama’s decision. To replace two digital machines, the AccurioJet KM-1e digital LED-UV inkjet sheet system was installed at the company’s headquarters in Monheim, Bavaria.

Manuel Eder, Deputy Head of Packaging at Hama explains: “As one of the world’s leading distributors of accessories, we work at top speed to ensure fast deliveries and optimal stocks. Packaging is becoming increasingly important for the “product experience ” for consumers. That is one of the many reasons the AccurioJet KM-1e represents a significant step forward for our business. Digital production is now also extremely reliable. We also plan to partner with Konica Minolta to implement new applications such as spot and Flood paint.”

The investment opens up new creative possibilities for blister and lightweight packaging for special products in short runs for Hama, a company with a turnover of 550 million euros and 2,500 employees at 20

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The main advantages of the AccurioJet KM1e for Hama include the consistent quality and scratch resistance of the print. The substrates can range from thin 70 g paper for catalogs and brochures to a thickness of up to 0.6 mm for production used by folding boxes. The system has no downtime and runs in two shifts.

He adds: “We really appreciated the advisory and professional approach of Konica Minolta, as well as the service support. In addition, working together to increase the volume on the machine justified the investment even more. This is the beginning of a partnership, which we know will have many advantages for both sides.”

Oliver Becker, Head of Professional Printing, Direct Sales at Konica Minolta Business Solutions Deutschland GmbH, says: “The successful installation by experienced teams was completed during the coronavirus lockdown. It is another example of how we provide expertise and work closely with customers.”

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HP PageWide Presses crosses 500 billion printed pages landmark HP PSPs have more than doubled the number of pages they print on HP PageWide Presses since drupa 2016 for a growth rate that is nearly twice that of the market.

HP has announced that its inkjet production printing solution, PageWide Web Press, has reached a milestone of 500 billion printed pages, as the print platform continues to expand its page capacity driven by global HP print service providers (PSPs).

“PSPs operating HP PageWide Web Presses are finding new success and opportunities for more sophisticated and profitable digital print applications, as well as transferring more pages from offset to digital inkjet technology,” said Carles Farre, vice president and general manager, HP PageWide Press.

“They have more than doubled the number of pages they print on HP PageWide Presses since drupa 2016 for a growth rate that is nearly twice that of the market. More than half of these customers have printed over 1 billion pages on their devices.”

HP PageWide Web Press is an inkjet leader, reaching a share of more than 30% of the 8.8 billion page capacity added in high-volume color inkjet page capacity in the first quarter of 2020.

PSPs are using PageWide Web Press technology to enable high-volume digital inkjet printing of commercial, publishing, transaction and direct mail applications, as momentum continues worldwide. Notable growth success stories include:

Growing volume in pages Hatteras Inc. based in Michigan, US, is growing volume with its investment in the HP PageWide Web Press T240 HD, delivering high volume and high quality, from lightweight substrates up to cardstocks.

“Versatility capabilities of our equipment has been a big part of our growth,” said John Orlando, vice president of sales & marketing, Hatteras Inc. Hatteras produces, mail and electronically delivers unique printed and digital products for the financial, healthcare, marketing and public sectors.

GGP Media GmbH, based in Germany, has installed a second HP PageWide Web Press T490 HD. The German company is part of Bertelsmann Printing Group, the leading print service provider in Europe. Annually,

GGP produces more than 250 million print products, including bestseller novels, comics and fashion magazines.

“Not only do we benefit from the new press, but our customers do too. Smaller run sizes can be optimized with the printing technology and we are more flexible and able to significantly reduce time-to-market,” said Christof Ludwig, managing director of GGP Media GmbH. The press was added to deliver on steadily growing demand for digitally printed products alongside decreasing sizes of print runs, as well as to supply backlisted titles. The new press includes HP A55 Thermal Inkjet printhead technology, delivering crisp text quality at 305 meters per minute (1000 feet per minute).

ProCo, of the UK, installed its first HP PageWide Web Press T240HD a year ago to provide high volume and high-quality direct mail as its scales production. “As a business, we’re all about doing new things for customers. Simply by opening up the power of personalization, with the flexibility and the quality of HP color, we’re able to offer a scale of options for our customers that was not possible to deliver prior. As a result, we’re adding massive value to ther business, which is just as critical for us,” said Jon Bailey, CEO ProCo. “Now, you no longer have to choose between volume and quality, and you definitely don’t have to choose between what’s possible and what’s not possible.”

New capabilities for HP PageWide web presses To drive additional page growth through an expanded application range, HP PageWide announced earlier this year its nextgeneration HP PageWide Web Press T250 HD with HP Brilliant Ink. The press is capable of printing on a wider range of coated and uncoated offset papers for highvolume commercial applications.

Prepress Server™, Rubika® and SOLitrack™, supports job onboarding, enhancement, and management and delivery of both print and digital communications, including multichannel document delivery.

“Through this valuable collaboration, HP customers can now benefit from Solimar’s long-standing technical expertise and market-leading workflow systems,” said Farre. “By integrating Solimar’s solutions, PSPs can fully optimize their workflows, maximize production efficiency and fully utilize the high productivity of their HP technology, ultimately enabling them to be more profitable.”

With presses from 20 inches to 42 inches and a range of production solutions, HP PageWide production inkjet web presses allow PSPs to meet customer needs for high-quality, high-volume printing, as well as reinventing supply chains to help eliminate distribution and inventory costs. Print-toOrder capability for publishing ensures books, magazines and journals are available and printed with the environment in mind.

In direct mail and commercial print, HP customers benefit from advanced automation and variable data tools to deliver creative campaigns that are targeted, relevant and boost ROI, which is becoming even more important as marketing budgets shrink and paper and postage costs rise.

HP Site Flow automates jobs and maximizes efficiency, as well as both Designer and Composer software solutions to give customers the power to create variable data pieces. These pre-press tools allow customers to change text, images, QR codes, versions and finely tune messages to customers.

In addition, HP is now announcing a new partnership with Solimar Systems for highvolume document management.

The Solimar Chemistry™ Platform, including ReadyPDF®

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HP Graphics Print providers continue to support the health and well-being of local communities Through creativity and ingenuity, PSPs are helping to bring joy to our medical heroes, patients and the public during COVID-19.

HP Inc. together with its global network of print service providers (PSPs) continue to innovate printing applications to help medical teams, businesses and the public adapt in the ongoing effort to combat COVID-19.

“We are living through a time that is very unique to our human experience. The COVID-19 pandemic creates a new paradigm in how we relate to each other and today, so many people need help. Each day I am humbled and inspired by these shining examples of humanity and hope as the global print community is coming together for our global communities’ health and well-being,” said Haim Levit, global head, Worldwide Industrial Indigo and PWI Commercial at HP.

You can send a card, printed on HP Indigo digital presses at Mercury Printing in Memphis, by visiting their website, picking a design, selecting a hospital from a list of hard hit areas and typing a message of love and encouragement to the brave medical workers saving lives.

Key Notes : > “More than Masks”; Personalizing full body suits; Photo stickers for medical staff. > Thank you cards for frontline workers. > To date, 200,000 photo stickers have been printed by HP and print partners, and donated to an estimated 2000 medical personnel at 16 hospitals in Israel.

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Printing personalize protective gear for patient and medical worker well-being As it is difficult to see faces behind medical personal protective equipment, many patients, especially the elderly, find it a frightening “alien” experience. Two medical students in Israel launched the “More than Masks” movement on Facebook calling for photos on the medical COVID-19 suits and gear. The page attracted the attention of HP Indigo team employees

who helped launch the project by supporting the printing of the first 70,000 photo stickers.

To date, 200,000 photo stickers have been printed by HP and print partners, and donated to an estimated 2000 medical personnel at 16 hospitals in Israel.

“The doctors were very excited that they feel more comfortable getting closer to patients with the ability to introduce themselves and the patients were also very moved,” said Nisim Asayag, founder of the project along with fellow student Anat Skliar. In addition, the photo stickers help the medical staff identify each other for better teamwork. The 5.8 x 8.3-inch size photo stickers feature a smiling face with their name and function. The medical teams stick them directly on their protective gowns and then dispose of them at the end of the shift. Free templates for downloading can be found here.

Sending a real print hug to frontline workers at hard-hit hospitals Postable, a US web-to-print greeting card company, is offering an online service to create and mail thank you cards to frontline workers. They are donating 100% of the profits from these cards to the Frontline Responders Fund to help get critical supplies

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to frontline hospital workers combating COVID-19. You can send a card, printed on HP Indigo digital presses at Mercury Printing in Memphis, by visiting their website, picking a design, selecting a hospital from a list of hard hit areas and typing a message of love and encouragement to the brave medical workers saving lives. Postable prints, addresses and mails the cards to the hospitals on a daily basis.

Helping restaurants stay afloat with sealed delivery boxes Around the world, restaurants have closed their doors to dine-in patrons, leaving delivery or curb-side takeout as the only option to survive through these difficult times. CompanyBox, a Charlotte, NC based converter printing on the HP PageWide C500 Press with water-based ink compatible for food applications, developed a takeout box and bakery box with a single use seal, which keeps the food securely inside until the recipient removes the adhesive tear strip.

“Restaurants have had to close their doors to dine-in patrons. Other small businesses that are part of the restaurant supply chain are also suffering, businesses like farms, bakeries, breweries and wineries.

We decided to respond. We hope this added peace of mind drives more takeout

orders and helps all those involved,” said Louie DeJesus, CEO of CompanyBox. CompanyBox has started a program to donate the first 100 boxes free to any local Charlotte restaurants, and plans to produce 100,000 boxes in total.

Mobilizing fabric design community to produce and donate face masks Spoonflower, based in the US and Germany, is a digital printing company and design community that utilizes HP Stitch technology to print custom fabrics for fashion and décor applications. The Spoonflower team has established the Spoonflower Mask Response Project to mobilize its in-house sewing team to design patterns for knit gaiter and doublelayer cotton styles, and its community of designers to design, produce and donate masks to healthcare workers on the front lines. Watch tutorials from the Spoonflower team on how to sew a mask.

Due to high interest, more than 5,800 yards of fabric has been produced for mask makers to sew an estimated 70,000 masks for healthcare workers on the front lines.

“We are energized and motivated by how quickly our creatives and entrepreneurs have mobilized and leveraged their talents for the greater good, supplementing the PPE shortage with non-medical grade fabric masks,” said Michael Jones, CEO, Spoonflower.

UK, Germany and the USA suffering from shortages and lack of supplies. HP’s support for the production of the first 150,000 labels helped the delivery of millions of bottles to hospitals across France just ten days after the plan was announced. See how it all happened in this video.

Bringing sustenance to frontline workers Baker Labels of the UK is donating three million labels printed on the HP Indigo 6900 Digital Press for the Salute the National Health Service (NHS) campaign, aimed to provide a million meals to NHS staff over the next three months. The nutritious ‘boost’ meal packs are for vital frontline NHS staff working either in hospitals or those sick and confined to isolation at home. They hope to be doing around 10,000 meals a day in the coming weeks and expand across the country to targeted locations.

“We are in a position to be able to manufacture the number of labels required and to be flexible on quantities, variations and demand. With the added support from our material suppliers at Avery Dennison, who have agreed to donate 15000 square metres of material, I’m proud to be part of the team of suppliers collaborating to get this done,” said Steve Baker, managing director, Baker Labels. Read more about Baker and the NHS campaign.

Producing hand sanitizer to help hospitals with shortages The HP Graphic Arts Experience Center in Barcelona launched the printing of labels for INEOS of France to donate millions of bottles of hand sanitizers to hospitals across France,

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Canon upgrades LabelStream 4000 The digital label press delivers more opportunities with improved functionality.

Canon has announced significant upgrades and optional configurations to its digital label press, the LabelStream 4000 series. Addressing the needs of label converters, new improvements include an optional orange colour channel, a screen-like highopacity white ink, and enhanced usability for greater production efficiencies.

New entry-level configuration

More colour capability

With its reliable UV inkjet technology and a robust web transport system, the press offers print speeds of up to 75m/min and two print width set-ups of 330mm or 410mm, resulting in an output speed of 1,845m²/hr, so customers can benefit from quicker turnaround times. They can also complement their digital production printer with UV flexo units for spot colours, varnishing and coating.

With the LabelStream’s expanded colour capability, users can add optional orange and white ink channels. In addition, they can match a wider range of brand colours and achieve high white opacity without compromising on quality or reliability.

The new white ink channel achieves up to 80% opacity at 36 m/min in a single pass. It enables eliminate lengthy set-up times and expensive screens, as well as increase cost efficiencies. A wide range of performance levels are available with additional opacities of more than 70% at 50 m/min and more than 65% at 75 m/min.

LabelStream 4000 becomes the first digital press to have been certified by the Fogra Research Institute for Media Technologies as meeting the specifications of its Process Standard Digital (PSD) Print Check.

Key Notes : > Significant upgrades have been made to Canon’s LabelStream 4000 series. > The LabelStream 4000 series now offers optional orange and white colours. > The LabelStream 4000 CORE unit is the right solution to step into the world of high performance, UV inkjet printing.

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Using Xaar 2001 printhead technology, which offers high pigment load, and increased ink laydown capability, the LabelStream inks attain a colour gamut of 96% at a Delta E 2000 value of less than 2. Deliver high-quality labels, accurately matched brand colours and consistent output on standard label stock, print after print.

For those looking for a digital or entry-level hybrid configuration, the LabelStream 4000 CORE unit is the right solution to step into the world of high performance, UV inkjet printing. The cost-efficient, yet powerful base unit enables users to expand the press set-up to meet their needs.

For more complex applications, the LabelStream 4000 HYBRID configuration offers a custom mix of UV flexo, embellishment and finishing units, turning it into a fully integrated, single-pass label conversion line. This mix of conventional and digital technologies enables a complete inline production of high-quality self-adhesive labels.

The LabelStream provides faster syncing between flexo and digital print units, so users can benefit from reduced operator intervention, increased uptime and high-quality output. The seamless interplay of the two

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LabelStream 4000 series becomes first Fogra PSD certified digital press The Canon LabelStream 4000 series is the first digital press to have been certified by the Fogra Research Institute for Media Technologies as meeting the specifications of its Process Standard Digital (PSD) Print Check. The certification confirms that the colour consistency, uniformity, detail sharpness and stability of print runs produced on the LabelStream 4000 comply with the requirements defined by Fogra PSD.

standardised procedure for the creation of digital print products, the Fogra Print Check, which is based on ISO/TS 15311-2, examines the colour fidelity, consistency, uniformity, print resolution and detail of digitally printed output.

The LabelStream 4000 series uses the robust

UV inkjet printheads, Xaar 2001+ UV, which delivers a high pigment load, and increased ink laydown capability to super-size the colour gamut. With a colour gamut coverage of 96% at a Delta E 2000 of less than 2, LabelStream delivers high-quality labels, accurately matched brand colours and consistent output on standard label stock.

The evaluation of output produced on the LabelStream 4000, a six-colour digital press, resulted in the printer’s colour gamut, homogeneity and coherence achieving the highest category score (Level A), indicating that the LabelStream’s colour gamut surpasses many seven-colour digital label presses available in the market today.

Describing an industrial orientated and

technologies, driven by LabelStream’s central control panel, allows for easy recalling of job settings and automated job set-up. The central control panel enables job changes to take effect on-the-fly without halting the press to adjust digital and analogue elements.

More opportunities Canon’s service proposition has grown and evolved, with more than 1,600 high-volume inkjet presses and 8,500 UV-based large format printing systems worldwide, enabling LabelStream customers to benefit from proven, diversified and tailored service models.

Crit Driessen, Vice President and Head of Digital Packaging, Canon Production Printing, comments: “With Canon’s continuous commitment to enhance the functionalities of the LabelStream 4000 series, our customers can benefit from innovative capabilities to increase uptime and achieve greater production efficiencies, while relying on the quality of the printer’s output to help fuel

profits. With this series, label converters can drive growth opportunities with labels of exceptional quality and with customisation abilities to add value to their prints.”

Customers can see the LabelStream 4000 series at the Customer Experience Centre in Poing, Germany or request a virtual demo.

With the LabelStream 4000, operator intervention can be reduced – it delivers increased uptime and produces high quality output, all with one device.

Thanks to the minimal set-up time, the flexibility to mass customise contents and artwork, and the quicker time to market, users can get ahead of the competition and expand their business offering.

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Dos and Don’ts of optimizing PDF for most efficient DFE processing Full speed ahead to accelerate your variable print productivity – new independent guide contains tips and tricks for all involved in variable data printing.

“Everyone in the digital print supply chain can speed the production of variable data printing (VDP) jobs thanks to a new independent guide to the “dos and don’ts” of optimizing PDF files for the fastest, most efficient processing by digital front ends (DFEs).”

Key Notes : > Available as free download at Global Graphics website. > Edited by Martin Bailey, chief technology officer for Global Graphics and the primary UK expert to the ISO committees that maintain and develop PDF and PDF/VT. > Ensuring that VDP jobs don’t slow down the print production workflow, without affecting the visual appearance that the brand owner, buyer or marketeer is trying to achieve.

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‘Full Speed Ahead: How to make variable data PDF files that won’t slow your digital press’ is a concise guide published recently and made available as free download at Global Graphics website. The guide provides objective information and advice to anyone with a stake in VDP: graphic designers, print buyers, production managers, press operators, owners of PSPs, and developers of digital presses and composition tools. The guide is edited by Martin Bailey, chief technology officer for Global Graphics and the primary UK expert to the ISO committees that maintain and develop PDF and PDF/VT. A

speed … and that’s a lot of data. If everyone in the chain works together to optimize VDP PDF jobs, processing is much more efficient because presses are kept running and jobs will be delivered on time.”

number of leading vendors and supporters in the VDP sector have sponsored the guide, including HP Indigo, WhatTheyThink!, Digimarc, Delphax Solutions, Racami, Kodak, HYBRID Software and HP PageWide Industrial.

of variable data explaining the difference between trackable and traceable, unique and personalized.

Other chapters cover “What file formats are used for delivering VDP?” “Who is responsible for optimizations?” and “Technologies for printing variable data.” The content then provides more technical detail in a chapter called “Making efficient PDF files” covering topics including optimizing images (for example, by ensuring that images are not placed with excessively high effective resolution) and optimizing transparency.

The impact of poorly constructed PDF files on production schedules has increased as press resolution, colorant count, speed and width rise, greatly increasing the data rate required to drive them. This increase in data places additional demands on the processing power of the DFE and risks slowing down the digital press: a delay of half a second on every page of a 10,000-page job adds 90 minutes to the whole job, while for a job of a million pages an extra tenth of a second per page adds 24 hours to the total processing time.

In parallel, the range of print sectors taking advantage of variable data printing has also grown significantly.

VDP has been introduced into wide format, labels and packaging and into some areas of industrial print for décor, textiles, product decoration, and ID cards. Regulation has increased requirements for the tracking of high-value goods and pharmaceuticals.

Incorporating unique identifiers in the packaging of those products in a variety of overt and covert ways is partly addressed by using variable data printing.

Martin Bailey says the main aim of the guide is to “provide practical recommendations that help ensure that VDP jobs don’t slow down the print production workflow, without affecting the visual appearance that the brand owner, buyer or marketeer is trying to achieve. If every label, page, carton or tee shirt is different at least some of every instance must be rendered, color managed, half-tone screened and delivered from the DFE to the inkjet heads at engine

The content of the guide is organized so that readers can easily find concise, practical and, importantly, actionable information relevant to their role in VDP projects. Illustrations, photos and explanatory diagrams together with examples of real print jobs help to explain the issues clearly. An early chapter provides useful definitions of the different types

Richard Lee, the CEO of Delphax Solutions, states: “The need for clear communication on best practices

pressideas/ digital

for PDF creation is key to a smooth workflow process and something that we see required on a regular basis across our installed base.

Our customers do not always design the documents that they print, and often receive files from many different sources, and not all of them are familiar with PDF creation for print. Even with powerful RIP platforms, this can cause issues with recreation (in print) of the design intent, poor document design for personalization, missing or incorrect resources, all of which can affect delivery times and bottom lines. Having another tool such as this guide to offer our customer base and wider network will benefit not only our customers directly, but allows them to communicate and support their endcustomers, strengthen their relationships, and ensure everyone is educated in the foundations of digital workflows for print.”

“We live in a world of short-run, high-volume print production with fast turnaround from order to delivery. When the press is running, sellable content is being created. Stopping, or even slowing down, because of bad PDF content is revenue lost,” explains Tom Bouman, worldwide workflow product marketing manager, HP PageWide Industrial.

Randy Vandagriff, senior vice president print & vice president, Eastman Kodak says, “With variable data printing being used for everything from credit card bills and bank statements to direct mail flyers and personalized catalogues, creating efficient files has never been more important. This guide is full of practical tips for the beginner and advanced operators alike.”

“Variable data printing is gaining more traction as brands and retailers look for new ways to personalize consumer engagement or enable item level tracking,” said Scott Wilcox, VP Client Services for Digimarc.

“Best practices like those described in ‘Full Speed Ahead’ empower Digimarc’s customers and partners to efficiently produce connected package and print experiences, fight counterfeiting and diversion, and enable automatic identification and data capture across the supply chain.”

HYBRID Software’s CTO, Nick De Roeck, added, “This guide will provide advice to the whole industry, from designers and brand owners to manufacturers and print providers.

Our customers look to HYBRID to produce

PDF files containing variable data that will not slow down their expensive digital presses, and these guidelines provide practical advice to make this possible.”

Eyal Raz, DFE product manager for HP Indigo, adds “There is a saying in Hebrew that translates as… ‘Appetite comes with the food’ which is to say that very often, trying something for the first time brings an appetite for more. And the same goes with variable data printing. We see that brands and customers have an increased appetite for ideas, tools and capabilities – in particular when it comes to variable data printing. Our goal is to provide the full set of tools and know-how to meet the need, including clear, detailed instructions to put them in action.

I am convinced that those who follow the guidelines as suggested here, will see a higher return on investment – and get the most out from the press and workflow as well as enjoying the full creativity of the prepress process.”

Further industry support for the guide “Personalization in marketing communication and packaging is growing rapidly to support demographic and population segment demands. Whether it is for the sake of targeted marketing or security, understanding how to use variable data printing to support these requirements is critical. This guide is a great primer for anyone who needs to design and produce to these new requirements and breaks down what can be done and how to do it.” Dave Zwang, Zwang.com “The whole area of digital printing – using both toner and inkjet technologies – has evolved into the mainstream printing markets and new investment is coming close to dominating the world of label printing of the future. All of this would not have been possible without a whole range of new high-tech companies emerging over the past 30 or 40 years to take the industry rapidly forward. Companies involved in digital printing technologies, design, graphics, pre-press, management information systems, workflow, file transfer, and much more, that both individually and together have so successfully transformed the VDP market.

I’ve little doubt that this new, updated guide will also enjoy ongoing success in continuing to ring all those involved in VDP workflow ever close together, and therefore ensure

that the industry stays at the forefront of VDP innovation for many years to come.” Mike Fairley, Founder, Label Academy “The next level of adoption for some packaging will be for variable data… every package being unique. Moving to this level of implementation will require even more automation and integration of hardware, software and processes all through the packaging supply chain. The complexity of such implementations will require a great deal of cooperation and tools that aid in that cooperation will be extremely valuable.

I commend Global Graphics for having the foresight and initiative to develop such a tool and for having Martin Bailey author it.” Kevin Karstedt, CEO, Karstedt Partners LLC. “Today’s graphics business is about delivering high quality data to the page as fast as possible. It’s about marrying efficient data processing with superb output quality control in a fully automated print workflow. The new Global Graphics guide to Optimizing PDF for Variable Data Printing offers recommendations to maximise variable data delivery, whilst optimising digital press performance, including output quality and speed.” Laurel Brunner, Consultant and trade journalist “In theory, there are many ways to design for a particular visual effect. In practice, not all will deliver the target results in production. This guide helps designers to understand how their choices impact efficient and accurate reproduction in a variable environment, without restraining creative opportunities. Hats off to Martin Bailey and Global Graphics.” Elizabeth Gooding, Cofounder Inkjet Insight and Co-author of The Designer’s Guide to Inkjet.

To download a free copy of “Full Speed Ahead: how to make variable data PDF files that won’t slow your digital press” go to www. globalgraphics.com/full-speed-ahead

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Kunal Enterprise and Saralon power brands with Printing Electronics enhancement Kunal Gandhi, Executive to President, Kunal Enterprise, talks in detail about the new technology opening new avenues and opportunities for printers in India in an exclusive interview with PRESSIdeas.

The technology is easily adoptable by existing set-ups and workforce with minimum necessary investment and training for existing operators. The required investment is for Screen Printing Line and Pick N Place machine.

Key Notes : > Printed electronics certainly go beyond printed circuits. > Ready commercial products in smart & LED packaging, labels, POS, POP and similar applications. > KE and Saralon provide sampling, small job runs and technology transfer, Silver ink and Conductive glue to customer so that they can develop this inhouse.

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Kunal Enterprise and Saralon Gmbh – two of the leading players of the Screen Printing Industry have come together with a joint venture to provide printers in India with a range of innovative, smart printing job solutions by Printing Electronics technology. “Saralon was looking for good partners who know the printing Industry well and most importantly Screen Printing to market their technology in India,” says Kunal Gandhi, President Kunal Enterprise. “Eventually our joint venture would be coming to India upon market development and our aim is to convert India to a Printing electronics hub & give all printers innovative, smart printing job solution to Indian market,” he adds.

When we speak of printed electronics, it certainly goes beyond printed circuits. There are many applications in Printing Electronics which Saralon can cover upon customer requirement but their ready commercial products are in smart and LED packaging, labels, POS and POP applications. “We are hearing about Smart Packaging, Labels since 2-3 years and market for it. But yet there are no players

providing organised solution for the same due to lack of track design knowledge, right inks and integration with jobs to provide final application,” asserts Kunal.

“Our first step is to enter in a segment which printer can easily relate to and can develop at their own premises upon market test runs. Besides, we have other solutions for different applications in Printing Electronics segment like FSR sensors, Potentiometer, Piezoelectric sensor and RFID etc.,” he reveals.

Catering to existing printing processes and changes required for adoption As regards printing applications already specialising in specific printing technology, the solutions by KE and Saralon have been designed to cover maximum gamut of value addition in various applications. “Our main job is to provide sampling, small job runs and technology transfer, Silver ink and Conductive glue to customer so that they can develop this in-house.

This is integrable in Digital or Offset for graphics and we believe most of the printers will have either of the facilities at their place,” explains Kunal.

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The technology is easily adoptable by existing set-ups and workforce with minimum necessary investment and training for existing operators. The required investment is for Screen Printing Line and Pick N Place machine. “Initially customer can do sampling, short run jobs for market test upon market demand they can do investment depends upon capacity & volume of jobs. Additional training can be provided with joint efforts of Saralon GMBH and KE team,” confirms Kunal.

The volume of investment that would be required for adoption of this technology completely depends on nature of job and application, according to Kunal. For startups, he however advises minimum printing background or experience. “We prefer seasoned printer who have good relationship with brand owners, advertisement agency to adopt such technology,” he says.

Few of the best application areas with opportunities presently in Indian context for the technology could be:- Luxury Packaging, Anti Counterfeiting, Short Run Campaign for consumer engagement, Visual Communication application, Smart or Interactive Labels and POP & POS applications.

The technical support available for customers for smooth adoption of the technology would be designing of conductive tracks, usage of right machines and right material. “All these things play pivotal role in Printing Electronics.

Our team would be responsible to advise and guide the printers on all these aspects to develop their market ready products for brand owners,” he assures.

Apart from and in addition to illuminated content on printed products, the technology by Saralon can also provide NFC card reading technology used for anti

counterfeiting. “This can further provide value addition in, for example, to enable scanning with a smartphone to know details about a product or company by visiting their website etc.,” explains Kunal.

The power source - battery Since the special effect of illumination has to be powered from a power source i.e. battery, it can be incorporated in the product as per the nature of the particular product. It can be powered by any one of these – a coin battery, AA batteries or printed battery. “But all has pros and cons considering life, cost and sleek design. Again, it depends upon nature of the product customer decides to design,” says Kunal.

The shelf life of products featuring value addition with printed electronics by KE and Saralon can be anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. “We can also place a light sensor which has a feature to operate only during daylight or when store lights are on and it can be turned off accordingly to save power and prolong battery life,” underlines Kunal.

Extra cost for end customer?

As the technology provides attractive value proposition for brands to promote themselves in a novel way obviously it would entail a price tag which would be higher than normal graphic value additions. It will nevertheless depend on the nature of job brands expect. “We believe end customers i.e brand owners are always looking for new addition,” marks Kunal.

is not easily imitable so we would say this technology is not for anyone who doesn’t have experience in Printing Industry. Our target is to bring production of Ink and printing electronic facility in near future with help of Saralon Gmbh & provide solution to all printers,” he continues.

“We have launched this application for Indian Market in commercial and packaging segment at this moment with Saralon but we have different products for different applications, like for sensor and biomedical strips etc. It would be interesting for many to know that this can even replace electrically lit night signage in many applications.”

The technology is environmentally friendly with low environmental footprint. So far as inks are concerned, Saralon offers environment friendly inks. Whereas for customer requirements in other popular segments like PET sheets and LEDs, the recycling and disposal norms would follow the existing established standards.

Kunal concludes with these comments: “Kunal Enterprise has chosen to be in Printing Electronics segment since it involves more of Screen Printing and is going to be the next big thing in the Printing Industry.

We have solutions for other products as well in Printing Electronics to answer diverse customer requirements and their target applications. We can provide entire printing setup, material and consultancy when it comes to Printing Electronics.”

“We expect Indian Printers who want to do something new and innovative in printing industry to invest in this technology. This will certainly give them an edge over competition while presenting to brand owners – who in turn look for something new for their product launches and campaign runs. This

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Parksons Packaging boasts over 100 Rapida printing units Over 100 Rapida printing units are in operation at Parksons Packaging’s five ultramodern plants.

Impressive dimensions: The Parksons Packaging plant in Chakan, Pune

Parksons Packaging is one of the biggest packaging solutions providers in India. Alongside its headquarters in Mumbai, the company, which is overseen by chairman Ramesh Kejriwal, operates five ultramodern production plants at locations all over the subcontinent. Only recently, a newly installed Rapida 76 was commissioned. This means there are now exactly 101 printing and finishing units from Koenig & Bauer in production for the Indian packaging giant.

The combination of high production speeds and a small footprint tipped the scales in favour of the Rapida 76. No less important were the short job changeover times – especially when using DriveTronic SPC – and an enlarged sheet format.

The first Rapida sheetfed offset presses started arriving at the company in 2005. At the time, Parksons Packaging was looking for presses to handle UV production. The Rapida 105 with its facility to switch dryer modules between multiple installation points was the industry yardstick in those days, not only at

Parksons, but indeed for UV production throughout India. Later, Rapida 106 models joined the line-up – seven-colour and eight-colour presses and others in double-coating configurations. At the beginning of 2020, the company purchased its first Rapida 76 – in a six-colour version with coater and extended delivery.

Faced with changing market demands, Parksons Packaging decided that it needed to install a halfformat press alongside its medium-format Rapidas.

The combination of high production speeds and a small footprint tipped the scales in favour of the Rapida 76. No less important were the short job changeover times – especially when using DriveTronic SPC – and an enlarged sheet format.

Key Notes : > Solid partnership between Indian packaging printer and Koenig & Bauer. > Sheetfed offset press fleet boosted by Rapida 76 valued for its high productivity. > Production focus: folding box production.

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At a ceremony to mark the commissioning of the Rapida 76, DietmarHeyduck, Koenig & Bauer Sheetfed (2nd from right), honoured Ramesh Kejriwal, Parksons Packaging (centre), as an important partner. Also present: Aditya Surana from Koenig & Bauer sales partner Indo-Polygraph Machinery (left), Siddharth Kejriwal (2nd from left) and Subhasis Roy (right), both Parksons Packaging

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It was two years ago that Ramesh Kejriwal, Parksons Packaging (centre), signed the delivery contracts for three seven-colour Rapida 106 coater presses, two of which feature DriveTronic SPC and QualiTronic ColorControl. Here in the photo (left to right): Aditya Surana from Indo-Polygraph Machinery, with Dietmar Heyduck, Bhupinder Sethi and Sascha Fischer, all Koenig & Bauer Sheetfed

Fast job changeovers and high production speed The capacity to disengage individual inking units, a feature unique to Rapida presses, also caught Ramesh Kejriwal’s attention: “We can already prepare the unused printing units for the next job while the press is still running the current production job. And as an extra bonus, that also reduces wear on the rollers.”

Kejriwal is equally impressed by the high productivity of the other Rapida presses: “DriveTronic SPC allows job changeover times to be shortened by 30 to 40 per cent.

And the number of jobs which we handle on the new presses has increased by 30 to 35 per cent.”

On average, it can be said that each new Rapida is able to replace two older models.

In addition to the high speeds, waste is also reduced. Parksons is very satisfied with the presses, the print quality and the installation and commissioning process. This

is reflective of the fast and comprehensive service provided by Koenig & Bauer sales partner Indo-Polygraph Machinery. And so, with each new press, the company is building up a full package geared to the most important criterion for any type of production technology: Performance.

Folding cartons in all dimensions All Parksons Packaging plants place their focus on folding carton production. The corresponding jobs can be assigned to a total of 22 offset production lines, 13 of them from Koenig & Bauer, and one digital line.

Nevertheless, there are differences between the individual plants and their specialisations.

Digital and screen printing are based in Daman, together with the production of pharmaceuticals packaging. Pantnagar is specialised in packaging with high-quality cold foil finishing. And Chakan produces beverage cartons. Additional production plants are located in Sricity and Guwahati.

This nationwide base allows Parksons Packaging to supply a wide range of packaging products to customers in all corners of the country. Domestic production is complemented by a global export business. The product portfolio includes, among other things: Mono cartons, litholaminated cartons, liner cartons, transport and retail packaging, shelf-ready displays, promotional and gift packaging, a broad spectrum of custom packaging, beverage cartons and blister packs. One of the company’s specialities is an ingenious slider pack design.

In 2019, Parksons Packaging recorded a turnover of around €150m ($167m). Almost 18,000 different articles are produced, and approx. 100,000 tonnes of paper and board are processed every year. More than 1,700 employees work in plants with a production floor space totalling almost 100,000m2 (1,075,000sq.ft).

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Flint Group collaborates with SOMA and MARVACO - delivers groundbreaking global print technology webinar to 1000 attendees.

Flint Group collaborated with key industry partners to deliver a comprehensive webinar on the latest technology available to deliver successful extended gamut printing (EGP).

With live footage of the latest SOMA Optima² CI intelligent flexo press in action at the SOMA Technology Centre in Lanskroun, Czech Republic, the team printed an ecofriendly, full high definition, EGP design reverse printed on polypropylene film.

The design focused on 80 lpcm (203 dpi) HiQ expanded gamut printing, demonstrating gang-run printing of ten brand extensions printed in different brand colours. The job utilised low volume aniloxes and high intensity inks in CMYK, as well as green, violet and a high opacity white, delivering outstanding results with high vibrancy and detail.

Thomas Strohe, Senior Director of Segmentation & Product Strategy at Flint Group, gave insight to Flint Group’s contributions to the project. “In line with our sustainability vision, which focuses on supporting packaging markets with responsibly built products and sustainable solutions designed for circular economies, the webinar was a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the performance and environmental benefits of our EGP solutions.

“The live demo showcased our unique portfolio of sleeves, plates and solvent-based inks to the audience and, being the only global supplier fully EGP certified via a full solution in covering both plates and inks, we were able to evidence our ability to lift print quality to the next level.

“We are listening to our customers’ needs for simplification, innovation, reliability

and, of course, sustainability. EGP is the perfect representation of this strategy. It offers printers the opportunity to deliver fantastic print results while, at the same time, simplifying their ink ranges, reducing costs, and importantly, delivering numerous benefits for the environment.”

Flint Group Packaging Inks demonstrated seamless EGP printing Flint Group’s FlexiPrint MV inks are modified nitrocellulose-based inks which have been optimised for high quality flexographic surface or lamination printing on a wide variety of films.

The inks provide excellent rub, water and heat resistance, along with superior print quality at high speeds, and are also low odour. FlexiPrint MV inks are tested according to OK Compost certification standards, making them suitable for a wide variety of compostable packaging films and applications. Designed for circularity, Flint Group Packaging Inks’ FlexiPrint MV is approved by CADEL DEINKING for waterbased deinking to support the recycling process of plastic based packaging material.

With maximized colour strength and specific shades to support HiQ and Expanded Gamut multi-colour process work, these inks are specifically modified for high speed printing and enhanced press stability, enhancing overall equipment efficiency.

Printing Plates by Flint Group Flexographic Flint Group supports packaging markets with responsibly built products and sustainable solutions designed for circular economies.

This challenging design was printed with the nyloflex FTS, a flexographic plate with

inherent flat top dots that helps to combine different types of jobs for different segments on to one plate. In addition the rotec Blue Light Sleeve, the benchmark in plate mounting, contributed with a superior service life and excellent durability.

The same design gets as well printed with a nyloflex XVH, a versatile flat top dot thermal printing plate for the flexible packaging and label markets. It gets processed with the nyloflex Xpress Thermal Processor, an easy-to-use system of several components, to reliably deliver a complete solution for lightning-fast plate making and high-end flexographic printing.

Benefits include 30% less waste, up to 88% electricity-use reduction and a plate processing time of just 45 minutes, resulting in reduced operating costs, improved productivity, as well as excellent print quality.

Mr. Strohe concluded: “Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 era, sustainability remains at the forefront of considerations for brands and their supply partners. Utilising Flint Group solutions to deliver EGP means printers can reduce ink and solvent consumption, increase productivity and boost their sustainability credentials. A winning combination for today’s packaging business environment!”

To request printed demo samples from this collaborative press run and a specification flyer, interested people may email at: info. packaginginks@flintgrp.com or info.flexo@ flintgrp.com To view a video of the live demonstration, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA Ueh0eWzU4&feature=youtu.be

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Gallus Labelmaster 440 for Essel Propack Essel Propack increases capacity, improves quality with the recent Gallus Labelmaster 440 installation.

As part of a plan to expand its production capacity and grow business, Essel Propack, located in Danville, Virginia, installed the Gallus Labelmaster 440 from Heidelberg in order to satisfy the increasing quality standards in the laminated plastic tubes market.

Essel’s Labelmaster, equipped with nine flexographic printing units, guarantees high quality printing due to precise colourto-colour registration – even at maximum speeds of up to 200 m/min. According to Shrikant Jindam, Printing Head Americas of Essel Propack, “Our customers were looking for an option with higher quality, so we knew that Flexo would be our best option. We can run this press at top speeds and not have to worry about the quality lacking.”

With a printing width of 440 mm, the Labelmaster has a wider offering of printing decoration method for customers, including flexographic, screen, cold foil, hot foil embossing and metallic doming. The press has an extremely short web path (only 1.4 m between printing units) and produces minimal waste thanks to the short set-up times and stable register accuracy.

According to Jindam, “Not only does the ease-of-use impact our productivity day-today, but it was extremely easy to learn how to use this machine. It only took 3 days to train on, and by the end of the week, we were running at full speed – ready to take on new jobs.”

modular inline press with direct drive technology. Individual printing methods on the machine can also be replaced without needing to separate the web. Enabled by the high degree of automation in all its modules, the press minimizes waste and reduces changeover times dramatically while giving flexibility to grow over the years.

“The RCS has been a great machine for our company, so much so that it is our platform of choice for Essel all over the world in different segments of our company,” said Jindam. “We’ve enjoyed partnering with Gallus throughout the years – they have always been supportive and only a phone call away. We look forward to our continued partnership with Gallus and Heidelberg in the years to come.”

The specialty packaging global company Essel Propack manufactures laminated plastic tubes catering to the FMCG, Pharma and Cosmetic space. Employing over 3000+ people, Essel functions through twenty state-of-the-art facilities and in ten countries – selling circa eight billion tubes and growing each year. As the world’s largest manufacturer of laminated plastic tubes, it caters to diverse categories that include brands in Beauty and Cosmetics, Pharma and Health, Food, Oral, and Home, while offering customized solutions through continuously pioneering first-in-class innovations in materials, technology, and processes.

To know more about Gallus Labelmaster presses visit the Gallus website here:

RCS 330: minimizes waste, reduces changeover times Alongside the Labelmaster, Essel Propack has a Gallus RCS 330, which is a flexible,

August 2020

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ITC’s Bhadrachalam unit achieves GreenCo Platinum+ rating The company’s Paperboards Unit is the first Pulp & Paper plant to achieve this feat conferred by CII. ITC’s Paperboards & Specialty Papers Business (PSPD) world-class integrated facility at Bhadrachalam has been conferred the GreenCo Platinum+ rating

by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Green Business Centre, as part of the Green Company rating system. It is the only facility in the pulp & paper sector and the second company overall in the country to have received this prestigious rating. The revered rating, which is given to industries for demonstrating leadership and commitment towards environment conservation, is a recognition for ITC’s core commitment to sustainable business practices and efforts to combat climate change. ITC has been carbon positive (15 years), water positive (18 years) and solid waste recycling positive (13 years).

The GreenCo Platinum Plus rating puts ITC’s Bhadrachalam unit at par with green standards of other world-class facilities. It is a testimony to the Business’ large scale efforts in achieving environmental excellence.

ITC’s Paperboards and Specialty Papers Business as a leading manufacturer of packaging and graphic boards in South Asia has long endeavoured to become an icon of environmental stewardship.

Commenting on the achievement, Mr. Sanjay Singh, Corporate Management

Committee Member, ITC Limited, said, “In line with ITC’s Triple Bottom Line philosophy, PSPD’s commitment towards being at the forefront of environmental resources conservation and replenishment has helped it to synergise environmental and economic sustainability. The GreenCo Platinum + rating is a recognition of our Bhadrachalam unit’s large scale efforts towards combating climate change. We are delighted that our consistent green endeavours have made us the only company in the pulp and paper sector to have received this accolade. This honour encourages us to further strengthen our interventions and programmes that contribute towards creating a positive environmental footprint.

The Green Company rating system is the “first of its kind in the world” with a comprehensive framework that evaluates performance of green features of companies on 10 broad green parameters like energy efficiency, renewable energy, CHG emissions, water conservation, waste management, material conservation, green supply chain, product stewardship & life cycle assessment, innovation for environment and green infrastructure. The rating system has been acknowledged in India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) document, submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

in 2015, as a proactive voluntary action of Indian industry/ private sector towards combating climate change.

ITC’s Paperboards and Specialty Papers Business has implemented an inclusive and sustainable forestry value chain that has created a large green cover and livelihoods for tribals and marginal farmers.

The Business has adopted a fibre-sourcing strategy through growing plantations owned by marginal farmers and tribal villages. This has enabled ITC to encourage green cover for over 8,00,000 acres of land and provide 147-million-person days of sustainable livelihood to farmers. The efforts made by ITC to promote responsible sourcing and sustainable plantations have led to the Forest Stewardship Council certification as well as membership of WWF-Global Forest and Trade Network. Previously, ITC has also been recognized for achieving the lowest Green House Gas emissions in Indian Pulp & Paper Industry. The Business has also achieved and sustained best in class industry benchmarks in energy efficiency and water conservation.

The Paperboards and Specialty Papers Business also commissioned the first ever Bleached Chemi-Thermo mechanical Pulp Mill in India, which for the first time made the conversion of hardwood into softwood pulp feasible, enabling import-substitution and agro-forestry promotion for this purpose. ITC has also implemented the “Well Being out of Waste” (WoW) initiative, a large-scale waste management effort that today extends to over 1 crore citizens in the country. All these initiatives spearheaded by the Business have indeed contributed to ITC’s position as a global exemplar in sustainability.

ITC is only the second company in the country to have achieved the feat of a first-class platinum plus rating. Over 550 companies spread across 18 sectors are currently working to receive a GreenCo rating with more than 260 companies already having received it.

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Jash Packaging aims growth targets with BOBST duo Packaging specialist Jash Packaging invests in two more BOBST machines – the folder-gluer models VISIONFOLD 110 A2 and AMBITION 76 A1 – aiming to continue with their 20% year-on-year growth.

The Vadodara-based 50-year-old company installed the two machines at their company’s folding carton unit in the city, along with two of their existing BOBST machines – a BOBST folder-gluer LILA II 145 A2 and a NOVACUT 106 E die-cutter.

The company is currently converting around 4,000 tonnes in corrugated and about 1,000 tonnes of solid board per month. According to Ravindra Patel, proprietor of Jash, “There was a demand-supply gap, as a result of which the company faced difficulties in delivering the volume required by the customers on time with the existing gluers.”

“We decided to ramp up the finishing capabilities and bolstered the two existing folder-gluers with the addition of two new BOBST machines,” adds Patel, who is assisted by his son Kishan in running the business.

The AMBITION 76 A1 features a straight line open width of 76 to 760 mm, lock bottom open width of 146 to 760mm and a running speed of up to 300 m/min, while the VISIONFOLD 110 A2 features a straight line open width of 76 to 1,100 mm, lock bottom open width of 146 to 1,100mm and a speed of up to 350 m/min.

“Both machines are capable of running straight line, crash lock bottom, disproportionate outer cartons and litho laminated three-ply cartons. The VISIONFOLD 110 A2 is in addition equipped with to run specialty four- and

six-corner jobs. Consistency and faster job changeovers allow the customer to achieve more production in the given time,” said the Regional Sales Manager – Western region, India at BOBST. The company additionally installed HANDYPACK on both machines. It is a kit that is installed at the delivery section, which according to Patel, increases the productivity of the folder-gluer through easy carton collection, resulting in optimum utilisation of the folder-gluers and minimising the manual labour required at delivery – a wonderful example of automation.

Mr Patel said, “Increasing the total capacity to offer prompt service to our customers was our main requirement. We looked at the machines manufactured in the Far East, and

found they were slower compared to the one from BOBST.” He added, “We have had a good history of growth. Times are tough, but one has to be aggressive and pro-active as well as vigilant and shrewd, to continue the streak of success. In our endeavour, we relied on BOBST because of its prompt service, the process support to hand-hold us and to get the machine to reach its optimum level of performance. This has really boosted our production level substantially compared to what we were able to achieve earlier.”

“In today’s competitive world you need machines that can produce more in less time with less manpower and this is where a BOBST machine can add value,” he concludes.

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Pragati installs India’s first Baldwin Guardian OLP Pragati Graphics installs first Baldwin Vision Systems offline proofing and inspection system in India. is very easy for operators to learn, and adds production efficiencies by saving job information for later use. This reduces set-up time for future runs. Printers can minimize liability and provide traceable proof of quality through measurement and reporting. Most important, Pragati can be assured that printed product with miniscule errors will not get into its customers’ hands. It is difficult to place a monetary value on earning complete trust from your customers.”

The Vision Systems business unit of Baldwin Technology Company has been known as an innovator of advanced colour and inspection technology for the printing industry. Baldwin Vision Systems sells its automated control systems in more than 100 countries, and maintains a worldwide network of sales and service operations.

Pragati Graphics, one of the largest printing companies in central India, has added Guardian OLP Offline Proofing & Inspection from technology supplier Baldwin Vision Systems to its defect detection workflow.

Pragati, well known for delivering top print quality to many of the world’s largest brands, also has a strong reputation as a pioneer in introducing new technologies to the Indian print market. While the Guardian OLP technology is proven in the Americas and Europe, this installation is the first of its kind in India.

Guardian OLP verifies that the files used for production—or the beginning-of-run press samples—match the customer-approved master file 100 percent. By comparing any pre-press file or scanned press sample to the customer-approved original in a matter of seconds, advanced software automatically locates and highlights even the smallest of differences in print quality. The system can compare one-up electronic files or scans to multi-up electronic files or scans, and instantly detect printing defects, such as missing or extra print, pre-press errors, plate defects and colour variations.

Mr. Rajesh Nema, Pragati’s Executive Director, commented: “We print many jobs in different languages, and in important segments, such as pharmaceutical. A small

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mistake can quickly result in a large expense in terms of time and materials wasted, but more important, in terms of the satisfaction of our customers. We expect the Guardian OLP to pay for itself quickly by providing quality assurance to our current customers, and by giving Pragati a competitive advantage to attract new brand owners and print buyers.

Guardian OLP fits in perfectly with Pragati’s mission to provide absolute print quality on every print run.”

Mr. Nema also serves on the board of the Label Manufacturers Association of India (LMAI) and is its Honorary General Secretary.

Mr. Hemant Desai, Director of the Baldwin Vision Systems India office, said: “We are honoured to partner with Pragati to ensure print quality and accuracy for some of the world’s most prestigious brands. The ability to find tiny defects that are not visible to the human eye will play an important role in avoiding the high cost of wasted materials and man hours. The system

Baldwin Technology Company is a global manufacturer and supplier of innovative process-automation equipment, parts, service and consumables for the printing, packaging, textile, plastic film extrusion and corrugated industries. As a total solutions provider, Baldwin offers a broad range of market-leading technologies through a global footprint of 21 company-owned locations and an extensive network of partners, supporting customers globally as well as locally by dedicated sales and service team. Baldwin is privately owned by BW Forsyth Partners, a Barry-Wehmiller company.

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VINSAK joins hands with Tecnocut VINSAK has partnered with Tecnocut, the Spanish specialist developer of accessories for rotary machines specific to label and converting industry. The Desmasystem 2.0 (waste matrix rewinder), E-Diffsystem (Gap system for perfect die cut), Pressure control gauges, having two different variants Hydraulic & mechanical are some of the modular solutions which can be retrofitted to most of the machines.

Tecnocut is a family business with almost 30 years of experience focused on the development of engineering solutions adapted to customer needs. In recent years, they have been awarded for their involvement in research and development, reaching a worldwide presence.

“We are deeply proud of this cooperation with VINSAK and strongly believe that

together we will be able to offer a service with high added value for the entire area of India and the Middle East with high performance technological products,” says Pol Estrada, International Business Manager, Tecnocut.

“Tecnocut accessories are very versatile and can be the upgrades that you have been looking for your old presses. Not only are these special modules developed keeping in mind as upgrades to old machines but also new generation of machine which can match speed and accuracy for day to day needs,” adds Malkhan Ram, Business Development & Sales, VINSAK, MEA region.

modules. Issues of a deep cut, marks on release paper, are just a few issues that cause problems for smooth dispensing on high speed lines and the accessories from Tecnocut are a perfect solution.

Neeraj Sharma, Executive Director, VINSAK India believes these accessories will help printers enhance quality, reduce production cost and also save time& material when label presses are retrofitted with these

The partnership will enable Tecnocut expand its market in India, Middle East and Africa and VINSAK to grow its product portfolio that comprises an array of Label Printing & Finishing equipments.

Craftsman Label installs GM HOTFB330 Standalone Hot Foil unit To better serve its customers with embellished labels, Craftsman Label has recently invested in a GM HOTFB330 Standalone Hot Foil unit. Oregon-based Craftsman Label is a full-service provider with conventional flexo and digital printing presses. The company specialises in highquality labels and flexible packaging and is particularly well-known as a supplier to the high-end wine market.

The new HOTFB330 is replacing an older foiling and embossing unit at Craftsman to improve production speeds and capabilities for the finishing of both digital and flexo work.

It will be working alongside another GM converting line, a DC330, which is already processing digitally printed labels at the company’s Portland facility. The new unit can add gold, silver or even holographic effects combined with blind embossing for great embellishment results to labels. Furthermore, the foil stamping and embossing can be performed in one pass to save on time and waste.

compact machine that will tackle substrates in web widths between 50 and 330 mm (2 – 13”) and 50 to 200 microns in thickness.

Advanced features such as foil saver, servoregister, electronic temperature control and BST ultrasonic web guide come as standard, while a touchscreen offers easy and intuitive operation.

Despite the challenges and restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, GM was able to successfully demonstrate the HOTFB330 using online video conferencing.

This meant that the Craftsman team could see an identical machine live in action at

GM North America Corporate Office & Demonstration Center in Ohio and ask any questions they had before making their final decision.

“We are very happy to extend our relationship with Craftsman Label and support them to meet the demand for ever more sophisticated embellishments to high-end labels,” said GM CEO Uffe Nielsen. “The HOTFB330 will be a great value-adding tool for Craftsman, and it will no doubt help them cement their reputation as a leading label printer and also attract new customers.”

The HOTFB330 Standalone Hot Foil unit features 50-ton precision hot stamping action and can operate both inline and offline as a perfect solution for any digital label press, or other GM converting machines. It is a Jason Kuehl, Director of Production (left) with John Pless, Digital Press and Hot 31 Stamp operator in front of the recently installed August 2020machine

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Indian Companies Win Big in 2020 Stevie Award Competition Nine Indian organizations named winners in the Fifth Annual Stevie Awards for Great Employers.

Nine Indian organizations have won at the prestigious Stevie Awards 2020, the fifth annual competition for Great Employers.

Winners in the international competition Stevie Awards for Great Employers were recently announced. The awards recognize the world’s best employers and the human resources professionals, teams, achievements, and HR-related products and suppliers who help to create and drive great places to work.

HCL Technologies won one Gold Stevie Award for Most Innovative Work-FromHome Plan and two Silver Stevie Awards for Most Valuable HR Team and Most Valuable Employer.

Tech Mahindra won one Gold Stevie Award for Most Innovative Use of HR Technology During the Pandemic and one Bronze Stevie Award for Most Valuable Employer.

Among this year’s Silver and Bronze Stevie winners in India are CSS Corp, KPMG in India, Tata Consultancy Services, Cisco Systems (Ind), Fortinet Technologies India, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

TO THE NEW is a digital technology services company that drives digital transformation and builds disruptive products by leveraging UX, cutting edge technologies, and cloud.

They won two Gold Stevie Awards for Most Valuable Employer and Achievement in Benefits Design and Administration.

All Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be celebrated at a virtual awards ceremony on November 5. Tickets are now on sale.

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More than 700 nominations from organizations from 23 nations were evaluated in this year’s competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 90 professionals worldwide, acting as judges. The Stevie Awards for Great Employers recognize achievement in many facets of the workplace. Categories include: Employer of the Year; HR Achievements; HR Individual Awards; HR Team Categories; Solution Provider Awards; COVID-19 Response; & More than 50 New Product & Service Categories.

Stevie Award placements in the 31 Employer of the Year categories were determined by a unique blending of the ratings of professionals and the votes of the general public. More than 30,000 votes were cast by members of the public for their favorite employer this year.

The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, which organizes several of the world’s leading business awards shows including the prestigious International Business Awards and American Business Awards.

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations.

Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.

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Miraclon announces judges’ panel for Global Flexo Innovation Awards Highly experienced panel of judges announced for Miraclon’s Global Flexo Innovation Awards.

Earlier in March this year, Miraclon, home of KODAK FLEXCEL Solutions, had announced the return of the Global Flexo Innovation Awards to honour companies that are at the forefront of the transformation of the flexo industry. The judges for the Awards, hosted

by Miraclon, have now been announced.

The panel comprises eight flexo industry influencers and technical experts who bring vast experience from every segment of the flexographic value chain. Each judge’s area of expertise offers a unique take on the judging criteria, which will mark each entrant against their show-stopping creativity, transition to flexo from another print process, print production workflow efficiency and commitment to sustainable print.

(SGS). Christopher has had a distinguished career in graphic services, having founded Advance Printing Products, Inc. (APP) in 1988. He then became a senior executive within Southern Graphic Systems, Inc. when the two businesses merged in early 2001. Christopher was instrumental in the company’s growth to become a global graphic services provider before he retired from SGS in 2015. He still remains active in graphics services and provides business optimization and exit planning consulting services.

Joining this year’s independent judging panel are: Laurel Brunner (UK), Consultant and Journalist for Digital Dots, Verdigris & Spindrift; Matthew Daniels (UK), Artwork Excellence Innovation Manager at Unilever; Stefano d’Andrea (Italy), Industrial Graphic Expert; Kai Lankinen (Finland), Executive Partner & Co-Owner of Marvaco Ltd; Sebastian Longo (Argentina), President and Managing Director of Fotograbados Longo S.A; Ken McGuire (US), Research Fellow at Procter & Gamble; Jason Goode (Australia), Packaging Manager at Reece Group; and Dr. Chip Tonkin (US), Chair – Department of Graphic Communications at Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design & Graphics.

Emma Schlotthauer, Chief Marketing Officer at Miraclon, comments: “Across the flexo printing marketplace, there are a host of innovative companies who are driving technological enhancements throughout the production process, even in unprecedented times like these. At Miraclon, we want more than ever to honour the talent and innovation in the industry that is driving flexo forward.

That’s why we’re returning this year with the second Global Flexo Innovation Awards to place a spotlight on companies using flexo to expand their business horizons. Through the awards, we’re not only celebrating these companies and sharing their inspirational stories, but we’re also connecting likeminded individuals to create a valuable global network. We’re excited to be strengthening that network with this year’s awards program.”

Chairing the judging panel, after being a judge for the first awards in 2018, will be Christopher Horton, former Senior Vice President of Southern Graphics Systems

Schlotthauer concludes, “Without our independent judging panel, our Global Flexo Innovation Awards are not possible. We are thrilled to be welcoming nine judges to

our panel this year, each who have a vast experience and unique perspective of the flexo print industry. Collectively, they are ideally qualified to recognize the entries that have made the most significant impact across the packaging value chain and we look forward to hearing their choices and revealing the winners.”

Launched in 2018, the Global Flexo Innovation Awards were introduced to recognize companies at the forefront of the transformation of the flexographic printing industry. Looking beyond print quality and technical execution, which is expected to be of the highest caliber, entrants are challenged to demonstrate how flexo printing and KODAK FLEXCEL NX technology, with their own innovative approach, has been used to achieve outstanding results throughout the whole production process, from design, to production efficiency and commitment to sustainability.

The inaugural Global Flexo Innovation awards, launched in 2018, received over 200 entries spanning across 26 countries. With high quality considered a pre-condition, the ‘one of a kind’ program looks beyond the print sample and recognizes innovations that deliver value across the print production value chain.

The Global Flexo Innovation Awards will be open for entries in September 2020. For more information on the Global Flexo Innovation Awards program, 2020 judging panel and 2018 winners visit www.transformingflexo. com.

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New SyntegonPack 202 Flow Wrapper Enhanced user experience with numbered rollers and engraved splicing instructions on the deckplates.

Syntegon Technology has launched the next generation of flow wrappers – the Pack 202. As the successor of the Pack 201, the machine is a fully automated horizontal flow wrapping machine for low to medium speeds. The flow wrapper is suitable for bars, bakery products, cookies and crackers, as well as non-food applications.

With the Pack 202, manufacturers benefit from a number of technological advances that were first introduced on the new Pack 403 last year, including an easily removable discharge belt, upgrades to the cross-seal and fin seal units, and a highly intuitive, usercentered design. “Our new flow wrapper for small to mid-sized manufacturers certainly packs a punch: We were able to integrate some of the features of our Pack 403 for medium to high speed applications into the new Pack 202. The machine is easy to operate, clean and maintain, which reduces downtime and maximizes overall equipment effectiveness,” Kelly Meer, product manager at Syntegon in New Richmond, Wisconsin, USA, states. The Pack 202 is designed to produce up to 300 packs per minute at a film speed of 50 meters. Supported pack styles include pillow, gusseted and easy-to-open packs.

Ideal for multi-product applications, the Pack 202 can wrap individual or grouped products including bakery goods, bars, fresh and frozen products, confectionery, snacks, medical products, prepared foods, household goods, and many other food and non-food items. The Pack 202 profits from a number of cross- and fin-seal improvements that were first introduced on the Pack 403 flow wrapping machine last year.

cleaning processes since the fold-over unit can be removed easily.

The cross-seal unit on the Pack 202 has also been improved significantly: The standard double-spring kit offers more consistent and stable seals, while the adjustment resolution has been doubled, thus enabling more precise and repeatable crimper adjustments.

User-friendly design for easy handling User-friendliness and ease of operation are at the heart of the Pack 202’s design – just like the Pack 403. A number of features on the Pack 403 have been integrated into the Pack 202 to improve the user experience.

Sequentially numbered film rollers facilitate film threading for repeatable, consistent changeovers and minimize downtime caused by “trial-and-error” adjustments. The flow wrapper also comprises an optional automatic film splicer with laser-etched instructions on the deckplate to secure fast and smooth film changes without having to stop the machine.

benefit from a number of technological upgrades, such as the standard 450-millimeter dual backstand. Previously, our Pack 201 flow wrapper for the North American market featured a standard 650-millimeter single backstand,” Meer explains. “What’s more, the standard Pack 202 version for the North American market now features Rockwell controls and HMI 4.0., which is a significant benefit for brand owners.”

As a new option for North American customers, the Pack 202 can be equipped with a one-meter-long reject belt. Its short length offers brand owners a much smaller machine footprint compared to the previous Pack 201 machine. The upper section of the reject belt is easy to remove for quick belt changes and cleaning processes. The detection function on the short discharge belt rejects faulty packages and automatically ejects them using compressed air. For larger and heavier products, a two-meterlong discharge module with reject plow is available as an option.

Syntegon has now equipped the Pack 202 in North America with a standard 450-millimeter dual backstand.

Depending on brand owners’ needs, a650-millimetersinglebackstand is also available.“Our customers in North America

The finwheel modules have been synchronized and the Pack 202 now features an improved canting mechanism: At the turn of a knob, operators can tilt the fin modules and adjust them easily for tighter or looser packs. On the Pack 202 for the North American market, the Pack 403’s powered fin fold-over technology is now included as a standard feature. Not only does this technology enhance the appearance of each pack, it also facilitates maintenance and

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Syntegon has launched the Pack 202 – the successor of the Pack 201. The machine is a fully automated horizontal flow wrapper for low to medium speeds.

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Monotech Systems installs G&J Flexo Plate Processor at Quality Prepress Installs Glunz & Jensen Concept 302ECDLF flexo plate exposure unit and 305 DW flexo plate processor.

Monotech Systems has installed Glunz & Jensen Concept 302ECDLF flexo plate exposure unit and 305 DW flexo plate processor at Ahmedabad based flexographic repro house Quality Prepress.

Quality Prepress serves the packaging and labels industry PAN India, establishing itself as a leading prepress bureau of high-quality flexographic printing plates while committed to introducing the latest innovation and technologies and serving top print convertors and packaging brands.

“We are very pleased with the G&J machine and flexo plate results. When we started our operation our existing setup was not productive enough but G&J equipment are consistent and delivering high quality results.

It has helped us doubled our production hence our distribution has increased across the nation. Monotech Systems’ support is admirable and I believe with this trust factor you move forward confidently.” Says Darshan Pandya, Director, Quality Prepress.

Glunz & Jensen is the world’s leading supplier of innovative, high-quality plate making solutions for the global offset, flexo and prepress industry. The products are marketed and supported in India by Monotech Systems.

Taurus Packaging gets Bigger, Better & Faster with new cutting-edge machines Taurus Packaging installs India’s first-ever fully dedicated in-line Bobst hardware for shrink sleeves.

Taurus Packaging recently did virtual inauguration of two of the most cutting-edge hardware up-gradations at its facility – the 9-colour Bobst M5 Flexographic Machine and 10-colour Pelican Rotogravure Printing Machine.

The Bobst Press is the first and only in-line machine in India dedicated completely for manufacturing shrink sleeves. What’s more, the new Rotogravure with highly advanced customizations, is one-of-its-kind 10-colour Pelican ever built for creating versatile and durable shrink sleeves.

continues.

Taurus Packaging is now India’s largest shrink sleeve manufacturer which has now increased their shrink sleeves’ capacity by around 20 percent with the latest machines.

“We are already creating the records for the fastest time-to-market deliveries for shrink sleeves,” says Chetan.

“Even though we could not plan a bigger launch due to the ongoing situation, this is a milestone day for us. We are bigger, faster and we just made shrink sleeves a lot better,” he adds.

The 10-colour Pelican rotogravure press can print 850-mm wide substrates at the speed of 250-m/min.

“With these latest additions, we are now producing both, the smallest and the largest order volumes in shrink sleeves across India and honouring diverse order quantities with ease,” says Chetan Jain, executive director, Taurus Packaging.

“These machines are successfully churning out never-seen-before and perhaps neverheard-before innovations for shrink sleeve customers, making them an important cog in our ground-breaking H.I.P. Framework,” he

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Asahi Photoproducts supports Comexi, in a breakthrough turnkey project Innovative solutions integrate prepress and print into client facilities.

Asahi Photoproducts, a pioneer in flexographic photopolymer plate development is participating in an important project with Comexi and other industry partners. As part of this Turnkey Project, Asahi will place an Asahi AWP 4835 P water wash processor and Asahi AWP waterwashable plates with CleanPrint at Comexi’s Manel Xifra Boada Technology Center in Girona, Spain. The project is designed to educate flexible packaging companies about the value of bringing flexo platemaking inhouse and demonstrating how easy that is to do with today’s technology.

“We are proud to be participating in this very important project together with our partner Comexi,” says Philip Mattelaer, Asahi Photoproducts’ Head of Sales. “There is an increasing trend for flexographic printers to bring platemaking in-house, both to drive efficiency and improve quality. This project will demonstrate to the flexo market how easy it is to produce plates in-house, strengthening the value chain at the point of print production. In addition to improved efficiency and quality, this project also demonstrates how print providers can drive increased sustainability by incorporating Asahi CleanPrint technology on-site.”

CleanPrint flexographic plates from Asahi Photoproducts have been specifically engineered by Asahi’s chemical engineers to transfer all remaining ink to the printed substrate, reducing makeready time and press cleaning stops in comparison to other platemaking systems while delivering exceptional quality. Asahi CleanPrint flexographic plates are also ideal for fixed colour palette printing, a method that is increasingly being adopted to save time and money while still delivering the quality brands expect. This is made possible by the precise register of Asahi water wash CleanPrint plates. Its AWP family of plates and processors bring flexo platemaking into harmony with the environment, minimizing the use of water, eliminating noxious chemicals, and that way creating a cleaner direction for the flexographic industry.

Making flexographic plates in-house also means faster availability of plates, resulting

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Asahi Photoproducts will place an Asahi AWP 4835 P water wash processor at the Comexi Manel XifraTechnology Center in Girona, Spain.

in improved OEE. This is one factor driving the move to bring platemaking in-house – the same trend the offset printing industry underwent many years ago. Comexi’s Turnkey Project will host regular customer events demonstrating the power of “everything under one roof”.

“Visitors to the project will be pleasantly surprised to see how quickly and cleanly Asahi AWP water-washable plates with CleanPrint are produced, and they will have

access to experts who can help set them on their own CleanPrint path toward a cleaner flexo printing future,” Mattelaer adds. “The key to controlling quality and service levels in flexographic printing is to control prepress, and the Comexi Turnkey Project shows visitors just how easily they can do that. It combines hardware, software, installation, optimization, training and production support to ensure a seamless transition to a clean future for flexographic printers of all sizes.”

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Flint Group plate making solution decreases plate production time for Huhtamäki Invests in a complete Flint Group plate making solution, consisting of the nyloflex Xpress Thermal System, nyloflex Exposure F IV ECLF, nyloflex XPM thermal printing plates and a ThermoFlexX 60.

The ThermoFlexX 60 is a flexo plate imager with its maximum plate size of 1067 x 1524 mm (42 x 60”) and is a perfect fit for the large web segment. Ambitious printers and trade shops are able to make plates in the shortest time possible at highest quality.

Huhtamäki’s main challenge was consistency in print quality, despite the variations on the printed substrate. Their previous plate making equipment was reaching the end of its life cycle, which is the reason why Huhtamäki invested in its replacements.

With the sustainability benefits a thermal plate making solution delivers, they decided to invest in a complete Flint Group plate making solution, consisting of the nyloflex Xpress Thermal System, nyloflex Exposure F IV ECLF, nyloflex XPM thermal printing plates and a ThermoFlexX 60.

“It was a great match for our current needs.

The high print quality, the solvent free system and practically no VOCs were very compelling arguments. Flint Group has a very professional way of working, delivering excellent solutions serving our needs,” said Erno Virkki, Production Manager at Huhtamäki.

The nyloflex Xpress Thermal System F IV, consumes up to 88% less electricity than competitive thermal systems due to the short wave IR preheating system. Therefore, no chiller or a vapour handling system is required. It takes only 45 minutes to get a high quality thermal plate from imaging to finishing. VOC emissions are nearly eliminated, while up to 30% less fabric is used in the developer rolls. This contributes substantially to the sustainability efforts of Huhtamäki. A diverse range of printing plates, from flat top dot to round top dot plates, complete the solution. The nyloflex XPM is a medium durometer, round top thermal plate for the flexible packaging and label markets with an exceptional performance on paper. The nyloflex Exposure F IV ECLF is a combined exposure and light finisher unit with reduced footprint and efficient design.

“We at Huhtamäki have been extremely satisfied with Flint Groups support during the equipment renewal project, including installation, training and scaling up the production manufacturing. Everything went great with seamless collaboration from start to the end of project. By installing the nyloflex Xpress Thermal System, the response time to our production needs is significantly faster. Producing a plate takes less than one hour. With the old equipment, the response time was one full day, so we see a massive improvement in productivity,” explains Virkki.

Erno Virkki declars: “Our focus points are green values, environmental friendliness, green PE and sustainability. Products with no plastic are currently important drivers and the importance of these aspects will further grow in the future. With the nyloflex Xpress Thermal System we can meet these ecological requirements. The installation of the equipment and training our employees on it by the Flint Group team was all going perfect and in a record timeframe. We have now been running this solution a couple of months and are very satisfied. The printing quality is great, and we have not faced any issues within production.”

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BOBST duo boost for Shuban Prints Shuban Prints India sees increase in productivity and customer portfolio (up 35%) after purchasing BOBST folder-gluer and die-cutter.

Bharat Gupta of Jaipur-based Shuban Prints is quite delighted with his BOBST NOVACUT 106 E with stripping die-cutter and BOBST VISIONFOLD 110 A2 foldergluer, the machines that helped the company produce cartons more efficiently with cost-effectiveness, less wastage and less manpower.

Bharat Gupta had been using four manual die-cutters and an Indian-made folder-gluer to complete print production, especially in post-press at Shuban Prints and was looking for automatic equipment to make print production efficient and faster.

“We have a complete setup, from receiving or generating artworks to delivering the final product,” explained Mr Gupta. “As business grew, we felt that post-press is the segment where we were lacking in terms of equipment and technology. Due to slow speed and manual intervention, the quality of the cartons was not up to the mark, especially when we needed faster conversion.”

Thus, the search began for a die-cutter and a folder-gluer that could help the company produce folding cartons and flute cartons faster with less or no manual intervention.

“The quality of the cartons was very important. Ultimately, we zeroed in on BOBST in 2018 and the next year, during Printpack 2019, the deal was inked,” said Mr Gupta.

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“Till today we are very happy with our choice and glad we went ahead with BOBST.” Shuban Prints bought a BOBST NOVACUT 106 E with stripping die-cutter with top speed of 8,000-sheets/hr and a BOBST VISIONFOLD 110 A2 with corrugation kit attachment folder-gluer. Both machines were installed last year.

Explaining why the company went for BOBST, Mr Gupta said, “We produce mono cartons and E-flute cartons. We were struggling with our existing India-made folder-gluer as it was not able to handle corrugated cartons. Even mono cartons were not moving well on the belt. E-flute jobs were tough for us as well.”

Now, after the installation of the BOBST equipment, Shuban has successfully overcome the earlier limitations.

“BOBST’s folder-gluer is stable. It folds and glues the sheets with perfection and efficiency,” Mr Gupta said. “Cartons run on the belt smoothly. We run the folder-gluer for one specific carton at the speed of 50,000 cartons an hour, especially for side pasting, whereas with our Indian folder-gluer we were able to convert only 10,000 cartons an hour.

Thus, we can fold and glue cartons five times faster. Quicker conversion has made us more cost-competitive in the market.”

Shuban was the first in the country to get

version 3.0 of the BOBST NOVACUT 106. It is equipped with push setting for die-cutting plates; corrugation and duplex can be on single side lay; pressure setting is automatic, which reduces makeready time; and clamping of dies is hydraulic/automatic.

“We are running at an average speed of 7,000 sheets an hour of duplex on our NOVACUT,” Mr Gupta added.

He said that with the NOVACUT, rejection of jobs is almost zero, piles are very well created and much less manpower is needed.

“We found the BOBST post-press equipment to be the most stable and trustworthy machines in the market,” he explained.

“There are economical options available in the market, but there is a big question mark about their performance, especially in the long run. Thus, consistency becomes an issue with cheaper options.”

Mr Gupta is so happy with the investment that he said for future expansion, the company will opt for BOBST only. “We are working towards opting for collection/ stacking tables from BOBST. It is worth the investment, because conversion is much faster, requires lesser manual involvement and contributes to decent savings on wastage.”

With BOBST, Mr Gupta said the company’s customers’ portfolio has increased by up to 35%. “The technology and the brand of the machine really matter when you approach print buyers. Our customers show confidence in BOBST compared to other brands,” he said. “Manual intervention in the jobs is very minimal and we were able to reduce our wastage from 3–5% to 0.9–1.2%. BOBST also provided onsite training to our staff for smooth functioning of the machine and helped make our staff skilled.”

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Mudra Digital Graphics’ designers get full creative with innovative Esko Studio software Mumbai-based Mudra Digital Graphics has become one of India’s first packaging solution providers to give its designers full creative freedom and unparalleled vision with the innovative Esko Studio software.

Mudra Digital Graphics in Mumbai uses Esko Studio software to create virtual prototypes and 3D packaging designs. Esko Studio enables operators to quickly and easily work directly in Adobe Illustrator, creating and designing 3D drink cans, flexible pouches, cartons, boxes, and shrink sleeves, then share the designs with customers in full 3D. “Today, there is a big need in the market for virtual product photographs,” said Sunil Chavan, design director of Mudra Digital Graphics. “Brand owners need samples of their products before launch. Esko Studio software eliminates the need to manually create prototypes by helping us deliver realistic packaging designs directly in 3D.” Mudra Digital Graphics is a 3D packaging design and prepress, packaging artwork and color management solutions provider for retail packaging environments. It is a division of Numex Blocks, one of India’s most respected prepress and flexo plate making trade shops for both wide-web CI flexo and narrow web label presses.

Using Esko Studio, designers at Mudra Digital now provide customers with digitally rendered, superimposed and stacked images with customized backgrounds.

Moreover, these can include specialized effects such as pre-distortion in the artwork, and even 360-degree pack shot animations.

Creative three-dimensional visuals can be produced from the customer’s flat artworks, and Mudra Digital can send back the pack shots with the appropriate lighting and angle to best convey the benefits of the chosen substrate.

“Today’s customer is both smart and smartphone savvy,” said Chavan, who has more than two decades of experience in prepress, e-publishing, retail design, digital signage, and design automation. “A large number of packaging shapes and sizes have been developed across the retail space.

Many of these require packaging solutions where the flat artwork has to be distorted in a way to appear logical and correct when it surrounds the contours of the container. The flat presentation of an image cannot always anticipate its correct visual appearance on a specially shaped container or meet the needs of the customer’s design.”

With Esko Studio software, designers can produce prototypes that deliver authentic representation closer to the pack’s final look and feel.

“We can provide matt, gloss, semi-gloss, and many other types of finishes to the virtual photographs with the software,” said Chavan. “All this is done very quickly using Esko Studio. Also, Esko has a library of basic shapes of all kinds of standardized products, a resource used as a base in this software.

Together with other advantages including ease of operation, precision, and the level of automation it offers, it makes our work much faster.”

the cut,” he said. “The fact that worked in favor of Esko was its rich experience in working with the packaging industry, which other software providers do not have. This is a big advantage,” he says.

Chavan said that with Esko Studio software in its arsenal, Mudra Digital is now confident of servicing customers in India and overseas.

The company is eyeing brand owners in the top and middle tier segments as potential customers, as well as packaging design studios.

“There are many opportunities in foreign markets for a company like Mudra Digital because of the cost advantages we offer,” said Chavan. “At the same time, we can offer the best quality service in a quick time.

So, we are confident that we can acquire customers both in India and abroad.”

Chavan said the reputation and experience of Esko made the decision to install Esko Studio an easy one. “There are other alternatives to Esko Studio, but for us, they did not make

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pressideas/ signage

Unique competitive advantage for Megalabel with Durst Tau RSC E press Now, the company will be able to produce in high quality and at an extremely affordable cost for longer runs of labels using digital technology.

An investment in a Durst Tau 330 RSC E single-pass digital inkjet label press is a strategic move by Megalabel benefiting from a direct service structure, parts and support in Brazil provided by Durst, manufacturer of advanced digital printing and production technology.

Owner Marcio Romano says cost-effective, industrial scale production at very high quality and speed will fill the gap between flexo and short-run digital production. “We closed a deal in practically three days,” said Mr. Romano. “Knowing that we can count on a service structure, parts and support here in Brazil is an important differential. It gives us the confidence to bet on a technology that will certainly bring us a unique competitive advantage.”

The arrival of Durst technology at Sao Paulo-based Megalabel has a strategic role.

Now, the company will be able to produce in high quality and at an extremely affordable cost for longer runs of labels using digital technology. “Durst Tau 330 RSC E puts us in a different position in the market, as we are reference in terms of production technology,” said Mr. Romano. “In our premises, we have the three options available today for printing: flexography, digital printing for short runs, and Durst digital printing at an industrial level of very high quality.”

Among the highlights of the Tau 330 RSC E, Mr. Romano reinforces high print resolution and speed. In addition, for him, the agility in service and the security of reaching negotiations was only possible thanks to the presence of Durst’s structure directly in the country.

When Megalabel was founded 12 years ago, Mr. Romano, had a very clear focus in mind: offer very high quality to produce labels in short runs for the market. Today, the company has a consolidated name in the segment, producing short and large production runs. “For this, we invested in flexographic technology and also in digital printing,” explains Mr. Romano. However, the other digital technology in use at Megalabel

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August 2020

was “high cost” when larger volumes on an industrial scale were needed. “It was to cover this gap between flexography and digital printing in short runs that we invested in the technology of the Durst Tau 330 RSC E,” said Mr. Romano.

With support for widths up to 330 mm, the Tau 330 RSC E prints at 52 linear meters and with the optional speed upgrade up to 80 linear meters/min. This corresponds to a production capacity of 1,485 square meters/ hour at a print resolution of 1200×1200 dpi.

It can produce in up to 8 colors (CMYK, plus White, Violet, Orange and Green), thus

covering almost 95% of Pantone colours at a lower cost.

Helmuth Munter, Label & Flexible Packaging Segment Manager for Durst Group, said: “The Durst Tau RSC E brings affordable, industrial scale digital production to increasing numbers of forward-thinking companies such as Megalabel. The fact that we have dedicated teams in Brazil offering direct service, parts and support locally is clearly going to be an increasingly important factor in decision-making going forward as we continue to build our business in South America and further afield.”

pressideas/ signage

Automate and customise with Canon’s UVgel Wallpaper Factory The UVgel Wallpaper Factory is available as a complete end-to-end solution for new customers and as an upgrade for existing Colorado roll-to-roll large format printers.

Canon has launched its UVgel Wallpaper Factory together with partner Fotoba.

Designed for maximum throughput, high quality and to run all day long, it’s the perfect solution for automated production of customised wallpapers.

The UVgel Wallpaper Factory is a fully modular workflow solution consisting of a motorised Fotoba Jumbo Roll media loader (JRL), which is connected to the front of a Colorado large format roll-to-roll printer. The printer is connected to the Fotoba Cutter XLD 170WP and Rewinder REW 162 to automatically cut flexible media into custom sizes and lengths. And with the embedded taping unit, it’s as simple as ‘print, cut, rewind and tape’. The job is finished and wallpaper rolls are ready for immediate delivery. For regular print jobs, the two-roll media drawer of the Colorado remains accessible.

The UVgel Wallpaper Factory solution can also be integrated into customer’s existing workflow thanks to the Colorado’s open interface structure, giving customers the option to choose input and output solutions from different suppliers.

The high-volume media feeder in combination with the productive Colorado

printer delivers outstanding production throughput. Automated and unattended, from media input straight to finished output, one can rely on the UVgel Wallpaper Factory to get the job done. Users can say goodbye to manual operation and achieve full automation to boost their volumes and maximise profits.

Dimensional stability and colour consistency are critical in wallpaper production to ensure a precise match from panel to panel. The benefit of UVgel inks is that they do not require heat to dry, so there is no media distortion with prints produced with the Colorado, resulting in a high quality finished product. While producing large volumes of multi-panel wallcoverings, UVgel technology offers maximum control of dot gain and delivers optimal colour consistency print after print, even when produced across multiple printers and at different times. Reprint orders with guaranteed colour consistency, an essential in the digital wallpaper printing market, are now easier than ever thanks to UVgel technology.

FLXfinish technology, printers can offer customised wallpaper with a velvety matte finish to stand out from the competition and fuel growth.

Dirk Brouns, Vice President, Large Format Graphics at Canon Production Printing, comments, “Our customers repeatedly tell us that our UVgel technology is enabling them to explore new growth opportunities in the interior decoration market. That’s why we’ve developed the UVgel Wallpaper Factory in partnership with Fotoba. The highly automated workflow solution enables our customers to print exceptional quality wallpaper in quicker turnaround times, helping them to expand their offering in this market. From customer feedback to date, we’re confident that this is a gamechanger for high-volume digital wallpaper manufacturing.”

UVgel inks are odourless and certified GREENGUARD Gold, AgBB, and Type II by ASTM, so wallpapers printed on the Colorado are safe to use indoors. And with the unique

Events Calendar mediaexpo New Delhi 2020

Gartex Texprocess India

China Print 2021

Date: 17 SEP -20 to 19 SEP-20 Venue: New Delhi, India

Date: 17 DEC -20 to 19 DEC - 20 Venue: Greater Noida (Mumbai edition takes place in MAR’20)

Date: 23 JUN -21 to 27 JUN-21 Venue: New China International Exhibition Center Beijing, China

Screen Print India

The Print Show

Date: 17 DEC -20 to 19 DEC - 20 Venue: India Expo Mart, Delhi-NCR

Date: 28 SEP -21 to 30 SEP-21 Venue: NEC Birmingham, UK

mediaexpo Mumbai 2021

The Sign Show

Date: 04 MAR -21 to 06 MAR - 21 Venue: Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai

Date: 28 SEP -21 to 30 SEP-21 Venue: NEC Birmingham, UK

WAN-IFRA India 2020 Conference Date: 22 SEP -20 to 24 SEP-20 Venue: Chennai, India

Brand Print India 2020 Date: 29 OCT -20 to 01 NOV - 20 Venue: India Expo Centre Greater Noida, Delhi NCR

Labelexpo India 2020 Date: 02 DEC -20 to 05 DEC - 20 Venue: India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi NCR

Drupa 2021 Date: 20 APR -21 to 30 APR-21 Venue: Dusseldorf, Germany

Readers are required to confirm the dates of the exhibition from the organizers. This is a reader service provided by PRESSIdeas and the company cannot be held responsible for any error or omission.

August 2020

41

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