At Pamex 2026 Mumbai, Ronald Web Offset showcased the Spectra Forge M330, a sheet-fed inkjet press designed specifically for the book printing segment. With a 45-year legacy in manufacturing web offset printing machines, the company is now strategically diversifying into digital technologies, reflecting the evolving demands of short-run and on-demand print production in India.
Speaking at the company’s stand, Aditya Gupta, director, Ronald Web Offset, highlighted its recent push into digital. “Recently, we have come up with digital printing machines for printing books. The company currently offers two digital configurations — sheet-fed and roll-fed. The Spectra Forge M330 displayed at the exhibition is the sheet-to-sheet variant,” he said
According to Gupta, the Spectra Forge M330 is engineered to meet the growing demand for cost-effective, high-speed digital book production. The machine operates at a speed of 100 A3 sheets per minute and is available in both color and monochrome configurations. He noted its productivity credentials for commercial book printers.
A key differentiator of the press, according to Gupta, is its competitive running cost. “The cost of printing is very low as compared to toner-based machines,” he said. He explained that the approximate cost of a color A4 print with 10% coverage is around 20 paisa, while black-and-white prints cost between 2 and 2.5 paisa per page. In a market where margins are under pressure and print volumes are fragmenting, such operating efficiencies can significantly impact profitability.
Talking about the inkjet technology, he said though it is not new, recent advancements have reshaped its economics and adoption curve in India. “Earlier, inkjet was available at a higher cost. Now, with new technology and more design and development, the cost of the machine as well as the ink — the operating cost — has become much less,” he explained.
Comparing it with toner-based systems, Gupta said, “The cost of printing is almost one-fifth on an inkjet. That’s why printers prefer it.” Lower capital expenditure and operational expenditure have made sheet-fed inkjet presses particularly attractive for mid-sized book printers looking for scalability without the heavy investment typically associated with high-end roll-fed systems.
On the installation front, Gupta confirmed that the company has already installed three machines and recently secured another order from Arihant.
Gupta described Pamex as a valuable platform. “Pamex has always been a very good platform. A lot of buyers know about this platform and see new technologies here,” he noted.
Speaking on Ronald Web Offset’s expansion plans, he said, “We will come up with newer products in 2026. A lot of products are in the pipeline. We hope it will be a good year for us.”
