Kochi-based Crystal Kolors started in 1989. It took six months for Crystal to bring its
first photocopier, and the company continued to bring in new technology with constant upgrades and replacement of older printers. In 2018, after almost thirty years, Crystal
bought its first digital printing machine, a Konica Minolta c3080 digital press.
“We regret to have not purchased it earlier. We are totally in love with the press. It has proved to be a gamechanger for us. To sum it up, it’s a tension-free machine. Service
support has been top-notch. Even if it is a holiday, service engineers show up at the main door within half an hour with the required spares. In the one year that we’ve used this press, there has been negligible downtime,” says Karnan P Paulson, managing director of Crystal Kolors.
Every month, Crystal prints and supplies approximately 35,000 sheets a month and is aiming to touch 50,000 prints in November. “I have to say this, we never publicized our
investment, but when we bought the KM, the print volumes increased overnight, thanks to this machine. We graduated from 5,000 to 6,000 prints a month to a monthly average
of 20,000 to 25,000 prints. We are achieving this without any pressure, and in a matter of months, we even reached 41,000 prints. I don’t know how this worked out. I have never
gone out of my way to gain more customers. Yet, after bringing in this machine, the demand automatically increased. That’s what makes this press dear to us,” adds Paulson.
I don’t think the MGI is a feasible option for Kochi market as of now. There is no such demand for foiling or spot UV in Kochi, but when and if the market graduates, we will think about installing it.
Paulson believes that even if the monthly print volumes go up to 60,000 sheets, the press can handle it. “The only concern is the time factor. If we have to give even more timely
deliveries, only then will I need one more press. If not, I’m pretty sure that this press can handle larger volumes,” Paulson points out.
Whenever Paulson looks to invest in another press, it will be a Konica Minolta. With the KM team stationed in Kochi, he feels that there is a healthy working relationship.
Talking about the MGI JetVarnish for value addition and print decoration, Paulson says, “I don’t think the MGI is a feasible option for Kochi market as of now. There is no such demand for foiling or spot UV in Kochi, but when and if the market graduates, we will think about installing it. In my opinion, neither the MGI nor the KM1 B2 inkjet press is suitable for Kochi’s market as of now.”
“We have tried printing on 350 gsm plus substrates on the existing press without telling KM since they don’t support printing on thicker substrates on this press. However, this was mostly for sampling work. We don’t think it will be feasible to print long-run jobs on this digital press, which is well-suited for short-run printed work,” Paulson concludes.
