In a country where selfies and marriage photobooks are thriving and driving digital print, can vehicle decoration and wrapping be far behind? Vehicle wrapping is a new trend generating a buzz among the younger set with money to spend on their wheels. Personalized and customized vehicles are one of the biggest growth drivers for this segment and fashionable car and motorbike owners are opting to get vehicles their wrapped in fancy and eye-catching designs.
At the same time the introduction of a wide variety of innovative solutions from leading media manufacturers as well as inkjet printer manufacturers has added to the appeal and the menu of possibilities. Although vehicle wrapping still remains a niche segment in the Indian graphics arts industry, a stringful of young entrepreneurs have set up shop – especially in tier-1 cities. One such firm is WrapMeUp based in Pune.
Managed by young Rohan Naniwadekar, WrapMeUp is a 4-year old business that is a part of a larger printing business – Shree Chintamani Enterprises. While Shree Chintamani Enterprises is a traditional commercial printing business, the WrapMeUp division is dedicated to the vehicle wrapping segment.
WrapMeUp does everything inhouse, from designing to printing. “With the wide gamut of colors and textures available in the market today, vehicle owners can transform the appearance of their car or motorbike without going for expensive repainting. Additionally, vinyl wrapping provides the owner the flexibility to change the design and color whenever they want without affecting the original paint.I see a huge potential for growth in the segment,” said Naniwadekar, who spoke with Indian Printer & Publisher during the recent Media Expo 2016 in Mumbai.
WrapMeUp operates out of a 1,400 square foot space in Pune and prints vinyl wraps on an HP Latex 26500 printer. Apart from vehicle wrapping, which makes for about 60% of the business, WrapMeUp also prints wall art, electronic wraps, window wraps within its wide menu of decorative products. Tata Motors, Hero Motors and truck maker HLM India are amongst its bigger corporate customers. For Tata Motors, WrapMeUp does vehicle wrapping as well as showroom branding while for Hero and HLM the company provides print for branding.
Investing in the HP Latex 3100
At the Media Expo, Naniwadekar came to see the new HP Latex 3100 live demonstrations – showcased for the first time in the country at the event. The 3.2-meter (126-inch) HP Latex 3100 Printer features technological innovations building on the benefits of third-generation HP Latex ink technology which seem to be have impressed Naniwadekar who is considering its purchase. “I came to know about the HP Latex 3100 two weeks ago and wanted to see the printer in action. We have been using HP Latex printers since the beginning and are very happy with their performance. We are seriously contemplating upgrading from the second generation HP Latex 26500 to the HP Latex 3100,” he stated.
Speaking about the possible reasons for making the jump to an industrial printer like Latex 3100, Naniwadekar said the company was looking ahead to the likely growth in demand. “Yes, it is a big investment but the Latex 3100 is much faster which will help in increasing productivity while cutting costs. With the Latex 26500, I can print about 650 square feet in six to seven hours while with the Latex 3100 I can print close to 850 square foot in an hour. And there is an improvement in quality while the maximum size is much bigger. Plus, it is totally eco-friendly.”
