Pune-based New Point Cards & Printers are well-known providers of online print services for business cards. The company recently upgraded its existing production unit with a Heidelberg SX 52 Anicolor and Xerox Color 1000i digital press. Speaking to Indian Printer and Publisher, Shreyas Kulkarni, director says, “Our company is a four-decade-old firm and basically into the printing of business cards through cloud-based ERP system. We provide our services to printers and design agencies across various states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Andhra Pradesh. We club all those orders and do gang printing and then deliver it to clients. Gang Printing means to share the workplace, paper, plates and offset work, so all job gets together and the cost of the individual job goes down. Similarly, we provide services for other commercial products apart from business cards. The firm receives orders for visiting cards produced under the brand Butterfly.”
Speaking about the business card market, he says, “Usually the minimum quantity we receive is around 500 to 1,000 cards. However, we have often produced volumes over 50,000 for the travel and hotel industries. We offer around 24 varieties as a value addition, including embossing, textured appearance and unique shapes to the card. A business card is the first impression of your brand. Many people overlook the importance of having a professional business card that accurately reflects your brand image, yet this small piece of paper can be an important part of your collateral package. It’s often the first item that prospects receive from you, so it’s your opportunity to make a strong, positive impression on them.”
Over the times, business cards have evolved in terms of design and presentation. From having an economic card, people are now eagerly adopting more sensible and representable cards. Even the paper used is different now as printers gear up to highlight the beauty and richness of their clients’ products or business. A digital press has its own constraints when it comes to meeting these special requirements. For instance, there is a limitation to print on different types of paper substrates and often the ink is worn off.
“Initially, we were in a dilemma whether to go for an economic or premium product/range. Then we thought if should compromise on quality to get the affordable cost or vice versa? Being in the business for years, we were convinced that high quality pays off. Hence, we decided to install the Heidelberg SX 52 Anicolor, which is the first installation in Western India. This is a high-end machine and no other machine or any other Heidelberg press could have produced the results that are generated with Anicolor. The device bridges the gap between offset and digital presses. It offers digital speed output at the quality equivalent to offset prints. The maximum speed of the Anicolor is around 15,000 sheets per hour and it is operated at the same speed in our unit for a range of 40 to 400 gsm,” Kulkarni shares.
The new Anicolor 15×20-inch 4-colour press has helped the company maintain a schedule and has opened up new markets for them. The new press has enabled them to take up short-run jobs with reduced setup times and minimum waste. The press’ smooth operation without tedious ink adjustments involves less manual intervention and provides print output free of color variations and other print defects.
We offer around 24 varieties as a value addition, including embossing, textured appearance and unique shapes to the card.
The second installation that Kulkarni is excited about is the Xerox Color 1000i—the new digital kit that has expanded his firm’s print service capabilities. “The 1000i gives us the benefits to print gold, silver and transparent inks. We are now in a position to offer digital proofing in gold and silver color as well as provide services like printing of wedding cards, letterheads and gift products,” he notes. The plates for Heidelberg Anicolor are outsourced from a partnership firm located close to the company’s production site. In the finishing segment, the firm is equipped with screen units for coating, laminating and a Polar cutting machine and the total production unit of nearly 5000 square feet produces over 4 lac sheet in a day. Going ahead, the company plans to expand the production volume to a million sheets per day.
