Kwality Xerox, a print service provider based in Andheri East in Mumbai, commissioned its first brand-new production press, the Canon imagePRESS V900, in the last week of June. The company had been operating refurbished digital presses since 2000 but decided to invest in a new press to meet the demands of customers who value print quality and consistency. The press was supplied by Edifice Technologies, which is the distributor of Canon production presses for the Mumbai market.
The decision to buy the Canon imagePRESS V900 was driven by the recognition that refurbished presses couldn’t deliver the performance and print quality that a brand-new press offers. Kwality Xerox primarily offers printing services for leaflets, brochures, visiting cards, danglers, bill books, pamphlets, and various promotional items. The print service provider also prints gift boxes. It serves both retail and corporate customers and currently operates three refurbished digital presses alongside the new Canon press. Additionally, the printer has four monochrome refurbished presses.
“We have been using refurbished digital presses for almost 13 years and our business grew at a robust pace. But in the last few years, we have realized that we had a number of customers who were ready to pay a premium for print quality and print consistency. To cater to these type of customers, we decided to buy the brand new digital production press, the Canon imagePRESS V900. Unfortunately, refurbished presses were not able to provide the kind of performance that a brand new press offers,” says Jigar Gala, who is the second generation at Kwality Xerox.
Canon India announced the launch of a new generation of the imagePRESS series, which includes the V1000 and V900 models, during Pamex 2023 in Mumbai. The series is designed for light and mid-production print environments. The imagePRESS V900, in particular, caught the attention of Kwality Xerox at the event. Its speed, Fiery DFE (Digital Front End), color correction capability, and inbuilt calibrator were highly regarded by the company.
“We saw the imagePRESS V900 at Pamex earlier this year and we really liked it. The speed of the press is perfect for us and the Fiery DFE is excellent. The color correction capability is very good and the inbuilt calibrator is a big plus. Now we are taking the feedback of our customers and will decide what jobs to process on the new Canon and what to process on our refurbished presses,” Gala says.
The imagePRESS V900 series is suitable for light-volume production and can handle monthly print volumes of up to 500,000 A4 pages. It consists of three different entry-level models with varying print speeds: V900, V800, and V700, capable of printing up to 90, 80, and 70 A4 pages per minute, respectively. The series incorporates advanced technology to adjust suction force for different paper weights, ensuring smooth transport even with thick paper.
Moreover, the imagePRESS V900 series features feed rollers and strengthened transport rollers to enhance stability when handling thin, thick, and short paper, enabling a wider range of high-quality applications. It supports various media types, including plain and coated paper, thick media, narrow envelopes, auto-duplex banners, as well as embossed and synthetic paper.
Outlook for digital print is bright
Gala is optimistic about the growth of the digital print business in Mumbai and India as a whole. He believes the shift from offset to digital printing has been prominent since the pandemic. Short-run printing has become the norm, with customers opting for smaller quantities due to the shorter lifespan of printed designs. Gala expects this trend to continue and further accelerate, contributing to increased digital print volumes.
“Post-pandemic, the print business has become very dynamic as the life of printed material has become very short. Customers now do not get lakhs of impressions and opt for short quantities. This trend will continue and, in fact, gather pace. All this will boost print digital print volumes,” Gala says.
Overall, Kwality Xerox’s investment in the Canon imagePRESS V900 showcases its commitment to meeting customer demand for high-quality prints and its belief in the growth potential of the digital print industry.
