Haridwar’s Maa Gayatri Offset Printers, a sister concern of The Hindustan Offset Printers, recently enhanced its digital production portfolio with the installation of an HP Indigo 6K digital production press. The label production-focused plant veered toward digital with the installation of a Konica Minolta Accuriolabel 230, a Jetsci Colornovo UV Inkjet digital label press from Monotech Systems and now the HP press. Presses from Multitec and Mark Andy comprise its flexo unit.
Hindustan Offset started in 1997 as a commercial printer, providing instruction manuals, posters, bills and all types of printing on paper by offset presses. It supplies to Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and other parts of India along with some amount of exports.
Pradeep Bhatia, founder and managing director of both companies, told Packaging South Asia, “We can see a surge in demand for short runs and quick turnaround in printing, and digital is the best economical and effective solution. The HP Indigo 6K digital press has added significantly to our overall production, mainly due to the premium look and feel of its output.”
The HP Indigo 6K is a narrow-web digital press for labels and flexible packaging. It offers a wide range of applications, from simple to complex, for various run lengths. Key features include high print quality, consistent color, and versatility in media and inks. The press utilizes HP Indigo ElectroInk, which allows for a wider color gamut, higher image quality, and the ability to print on a broader range of substrates.
The HP Indigo 6K digital production pressBhatia talked about the company’s growing customer base. “75% are repeat customers and 25% are new additions. The ratio, however, keeps shifting. 70% of our customers are from the pharma sector, while cosmetics, FMCG, and ayurveda products comprise the rest. There is an increased demand for premium look and feel with clarity in detail.”
He said the digital landscape is rapidly expanding. “Customers are curious and aware of the technology and how it can add value to labels. The HP Indigo 6K digital press is ideal for short and medium-run length label production. Variable data and security printing are the additional advantages of the machine.”
“As per today’s scenario, demand for short-run jobs is increasing day by day and new startups are also gearing up their packaging to look unique and premium. Convertors can achieve short-run with round-the-clock delivery. However, digital alone is not the solution to all production requirements. Although it complements the flexo set-up, both are necessary for significant growth in India’s price-sensitive market,” said Manas Bhatia, digital workflow manager.
The company is carrying out trials on a variety of substrates, including bio-degradable material, and looking at possible expansion. “There’s a huge emphasis on sustainable production and the use of PCR materials. Demand is growing as well. We may add an embellishment machine in the future,” he concluded.
