As we have written earlier, the Okhla-based commercial book printer Rahul Print O Pack in Delhi specializes in children’s books and activity-based learning kits, including their unique add-ons, inserts, and packaging. The printer added an 8-color Heidelberg SX102 perfecting press in a customized 25 x 37-inch format and a new Heidelberg Suprasetter A106 CtP system in February 2024.
Rapid growth over the past seven years has seen the installation of its first two Heidelberg CS92 4-color presses in 2018 and 2020, the addition of a CX 92 4-color press in April 2023, and then the 8-color SX102 perfector last year. For more operational space, the business has expanded to two premises – a 16,000-square-foot and 20,000-square-foot located nearby in the Okhla Industrial Area in South Delhi.
Approximately 25-30% of the commercial printer’s revenue comes from children’s book printing, book sets, and packaged kit projects for pre-primary titles, as owner Ajay Soni related to us in our previous visit. Each book combo or kit can contain anywhere from 4 to 12 books. The printer has a daily production capacity of 50,000 to 55,000 paperback books from the combined plants.
Rahul Print O Pack has recently enhanced its postpress department with the addition of three refurbished Heidelberg Stahl folding machines and four refurbished Aster section sewing machines. While the Stahl folder and two of the Asters are for the original 16,000-square-foot space, the remaining two Stahl folders and pair of Asters are installed in the new 20,000-square-foot unit housing the Heidelberg SX102 acquired last year.
On our recent update visit, Soni commented, “Since we increased our printing capacity last year, we have installed the folding and section-sewing machines to match the enhanced printing output with the postpress capacity. The refurbished postpress machines are 2008 or later models and have better accuracy than our older machines. When we receive a print order, we try our best to print, fold, bind, and dispatch it within 2 – 3 days, and the recent increase in binding capacity helps us achieve that more efficiently.”
Previous to the recent postpress additions, the company’s finishing and binding section already contained multiple Heidelberg Stahl folders, a Polygraph semi-automatic section-sewing machine, two Polar cutting machines, and a pair of Welbound perfect binders.
