Mumbai-based Patel Digital Printers, a producer of short-run books, reprints, and variable content, has expanded its sister company Printstance by installing a new Oyang webfed digital inkjet color press. While Patel Digital is in Powai, Printstance is located in Bhiwandi, where the new Oyang Pixelprint 440C-HD color inkjet press has just been installed.
Building on its parent company’s reputation for high-quality digital printing and finishing, Printstance is expanding its capacity to deliver cost-effective solutions for books, educational materials, and various print-on-demand products with fast turnarounds. The Oyang Pixelprint 440C-HD is a full color duplex inkjet roll-to-sheet press for book and commercial printing applications.
The press features Oyang’s proprietary Dual Channel Printing (DCP) technology, which is claimed to extend printhead life while delivering high print quality using industrial-grade Epson HD piezoelectric printheads and Meteor control boards, driven by a Harlequin-based RIP. The press installed at Printstance has a maximum print width of 440 mm, and as installed, supports printing speeds of up to 90 meters a minute, with an upgrade path to 150 meters a minute already in place – presumably a field upgrade for retrofit license fee to be paid to Oyang.
“The press is designed for vibration-free, continuous operation and includes an advanced liquid cooling system that stabilizes temperatures for the printheads, control boards, and paper path during long runs,” said Prakash Patel, owner of Printstance. “We’ve also integrated a precision sheeter and high-capacity stacker, and we’re planning an in-line folding unit to automate book block production.”
Catering to the short-run, on-demand publishing boom
The installation of the webfed full color duplex inkjet press positions Printstance to efficiently service the growing demand for short-run, high-quality book publishing, especially in the education sector. It is already being used to print black-and-white and full-color textbooks, children’s books, novels, exam prep materials, and workbooks. The press supports color printing on uncoated substrates from 50 to 120 gsm. (There are plans to expand production on coated papers as newer models of the press become available.)
“We expect to print around 2 to 3 million A4 impressions every month,” Patel says. “This volume is driven by publishers who require smaller batch sizes and frequent reprints. The ability to deliver fast turnarounds without compromising quality has made the Oyang press a valuable addition to our workflow.”
Patel believes that the shift to inkjet was a natural choice given the industry’s evolving needs. “Inkjet aligns perfectly with on-demand publishing. It allows faster turnarounds, minimizes waste, and lowers setup costs compared to offset, especially for reprints and variable content. It offers speed, quality, and flexibility—all key for modern publishers,” he explains.
End-to-end digital capability
Alongside the new inkjet press, Printstance operates a full suite of digital printing and finishing equipment. Its existing presses include a Canon imagePRESS C10000VP, four Xerox digital presses, and a Canon monochrome press. The finishing section is equally robust, with perfect binding, thermal lamination, stapling, creasing, and cutting equipment, enabling complete in-house control from file to finished product.
Speaking of the new webfed inkjet, Patel says that Printstance continues the Patel Digital Printers tradition of delivering reliability, speed, and quality to publishers across India, while embracing the digital innovations shaping the future of print. The press has been supplied by New Print Solutions, Oyang’s exclusive agent in India, and a sister concern of Nippon Color.
