EFI Pro 32r+ running at Arrow Digital booth at Media Expo Mumbai
Arrow Digital has witnessed a robust demand for its high-speed roll to roll LED printer and installed three units of EFI Pro 32r+ in the last three to four months, Prakash Chopra, senior VP of sales at Arrow Digital told Indian Printer and Publisher during Media Expo Mumbai 2022. Arrow Digital has live demonstrated the EFI Pro 32r+ at its stall at Media Expo Mumbai.
“There has been a very good demand for EFI Pro 32r+ in the Indian market and we have sold three units in the recent months. The printer has some very good features. We have also sold a few units of EFI large-format Hybrid printers,” Chopra said. Arrow Digital distributes EFI large format printers in India.
Prakash Chopra, senior VP-sales at Arrow Digital
The EFI Pro 32r+ is a four-color press with an option of white or clear ink. It has a printing speed of 2,756 ft2 (256 m2) per hour. The printer offers up to 847 dpi true resolution and built-in Fiery digital front end, featuring FAST RIP acceleration technology, plus RIP and print on demand functionality, or the ability to print pre-ripped files at the printer interface.
Chopra said that the demand for LED UV printers like EFI Pro 32r+ in India mainly is from indoor or in shop signage segment. “The EFI Pro 32r+ can very well be used for printing outdoor signage and hoardings as well but in India, there is not much demand for LED printers for outdoor signage printing,” he said.
Indian signage market recovering
Chopra said that the Indian signage market has been on a recovery path since the start of the 2022 calendar year and the year ahead looks promising.
“As already mentioned, we have seen good orders for the LED printing machines in recent months and expect to get more orders going forward. The economy is opening up and printers are eager to invest in new machines and upgrade their operations”, he said.
Talking about the response at Media Expo Mumbai 2022, Chopra said that the footfall has been excellent and Arrow Digital got multiple serious enquires.
2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India
Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and
multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.
The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry.
While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately
their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book
printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.
The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.
Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.
Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.
Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.
