Printpack is ideally not the most lauded platform for digital signage. However, it is the biggest platform for printing. Currently, most of the commercial printers are looking to diversify to other businesses. Keeping this in mind, Colorjet participated in Printpack to meet potential customers and thus diversifying from the mainstream commercial printing business.
At Printpack, the company launched a new machine, the Colorjet Verve 2030 flatbed UV printer. Smarth Bansal says that the trend in the printing industry is towards UV. The company hasn’t released this 2030 UV printer to the media but is selling it in the market. Colorjet has sold close to eight 2030 UV printers so far. The machine has been sold to customers in Chandigarh, Haryana, Mumbai and Kerala among other cities.
Bansal adds that the total number of flatbed printers in the market from the company are close to 70 so far.
“UV is preferred because the backlit effect on UV printing is unmatched. If you go to Westside store or any other such stores, they use only UV prints. There are two types of prints in the this, one being UV and the other soft signage. H&M and Marks and Spencers use soft signage whereas Lifestyle and Big Bazaar use UV prints. Hence, we are displaying the flatbed UV technology here at our stand,” says Bansal.
He also says that the market for solvent is getting reduced and there is demand for eco-solvent now. Looking at the challenges of sustainability, a lot of cities have banned flex and PVC. It is also said that if one prints on single use plastic, it will remain on Earth for around 1000 years. Basically, to handle that situation people have now shifted to fabrics, polyester and other PE content. In most of the places in Odisha and in Bengaluru, printers have started using fabric and are doing eco-solvent printing as eco-solvents are RoHS compliant inks.
“Though there aren’t many who are interested in signage, there are quite a few who are interested in digital printing. A lot of people have asked about diversification. We have received some good queries but again this is not a mainstream signage show so the strike rate does take a hit here,” Bansal concludes.
