Ashok Agarwal and his son Shivam Agarwal with the new Kodak Trendsetter Platesetter.
Ludhiana-based Agarwal Graphics has upgraded its capacity with the installation of a Kodak Trendsetter Platesetter, supplied and installed by Monotech Systems, a machine manufacturer and a provider of solutions for the printing and packaging industry globally.
Established in the year 1990, Agarwal Graphics has been a popular printing service bureau working for a handful of clients from all over Punjab and neighboring areas. It has a pre-press facility and is equipped with a line of high-end machines and equipment. “We have been supplying plates to some of the leading printing companies and publishers in the region,” says Ashok Agarwal, chairman, and managing director, Agarwal Graphics.
“We maintain value and quality in the production of thermal plates using best-in-class platesetters installed in our production facility. With a target of producing more than 500 plates during our daily working hours, we strive for a heavy-duty digital plate-setter. With the installation of a new Kodak Trendsetter Platesetter, we are empowered to meet our target.”
Earlier, Agarwal Graphics used to produce UV plates using a basysPrint UV-Setter. Agarwal said they needed another advanced and upgraded platesetter for faster production, and so they opted for Kodak.
“We had taken the right decision to choose the Kodak Trendsetter Platesetter X-speed with Kodak software from Monotech Systems. This platesetter meets all our requirements to fulfill the demands of our customers.”
Kodak Trendsetter 800 Platesetter is an ideal system capable of producing thermal plates up to 33×45 inches. It drives maximum productivity at a reduced cost of production for Agarwal Graphics. Agarwal said they are now capable of achieving more accurate and stable imaging using the new Kodak Trendsetter Platesetter.
On the company’s activities, Agarwal said they have introduced a new division called Agarwal Processor. “My son Shivam will look after the new division,” he informs. He said they look forward to strengthening their ties with Monotech Systems. In addition to thermal plates, Agarwal Graphics supplies inks, chemicals, and other products from brands such as Micro Inks around Punjab and J&K.
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.
