Pune-based offset printer Pratiroop Mudran, produces high quality leaflets, brochures,
catalogs, stationery, calendars, books, danglers and promotional literature. The full service printing house has prepress, press as well as postpress divisions. The prepress department is equipped with Kodak’s PrinergyEvo PDF-based workflow and Preps.
Postpress contains cold set lamination, UV curing, creasing, die punching, pasting, wire stitching and other finishing and binding processes.
Pratiroop’s 4-color Komori Lithrone S29 printing machine was installed in 2008. The company is a committed Komori user; in 2004 it bought a used Komori L426 and followed it with another used Komori LS426. Both presses were sold before the installation of the brand new high speed Komori Lithrone S29.
“We have had a very good experience with Komori over the years and we want to continue this relationship,” say Rahul Gadia and Shailendra Bhagwat, managing directors in the company. Both managing directors recall their first Komori, bought used in 2004, was one of the best running machines in Pune at that time, despite it being almost twenty years old. “That gave us a lot of confidence in the brand.”
Lithrone 632 with coater to be installed in May
Pratiroop plans to extend its relationship with Komori by installing another press soon. According to Gadia and Bhagwat, Pratiroop will be installing a new Komori LS632 with UV coater in the second week of May 2014. The new 6-color coater press is meant for commercial print as well as for printing on board for monocarton printing and converting, say the joint MD’s. “We thought of diversifying to packaging printing as we were fully invested and equipped in our commercial segment space. The packaging division will be a brand new setup.” It will be set up at a new plant in Pune’s Hadapsar area, away from the current plant in the Parvati Industrial area. However, Gadia and Bhagwat make it clear that their and
the company’s focus will continue to be very strong on its commercial printing business. “As we said, the new plant with the 6-color coater set up is a new entity.”
Commenting on the commercial printing industry, both managing directors stress that digital is clearly providing competition in certain segments. “Some jobs like annual reports have completely shifted to digital. However, jobs where presentation matters, offset is still relevant.” Regarding their own plans to venture towards digital printing,
Gadia and Bhagwat say — “Earlier we thought of digital, but then we realized our firm was not suited to that space. Our infrastructure setup did not suit digital.”
In conclusion, Gadia and Bhagwat reiterate that commercial printing industry offers tremendous opportunity despite the gloomy perceptions of many, it’s just that the approach has to be right. “Printers need to have a progressive and modern mindset and need to be ready
for change,” they conclude.
