Ainan Enterprises
Hookiing to UV
Navneet Nagar (R) with a colleague
|
Absolute pride of Ainan Enterprises
in the signage market of Kota
is for being one of the foremost
innovators among all. Buzzes among
the industry people around the town
call this signage firm a corner where a
perfect portfolio of high-end machines is
accumulated. “It’s true, we are the first
adopter of eco-solvent printer in the city;
it was in the year 2011 we kick-started
our journey with a Mutoh 1604 and
immediately followed by six feet PixelJet
DX-5 eco-solvent machine from Monotech
Systems and so on,” recalls Navneet
Nagar, chief curator, Ainan Enterprises.
Furthermore, the infrastructure of
Ainan Enterprises is equipped with other
machines including a laser engraver.
“We equally devote to laser engraving
as much we do as for printing,” says
Navneet, pointing at the machine from
Mehta Cad Cam Systems equipped in the
company’s state-of-the-art production
setup. In addition, Ainan Enterprises has an
extended division for offset and commercial
printing for which a Solna single-colour
and Dominant 715 offset machines and
a Konica Minolta
bizhub C224e
press are equipped.
But the division,
according to
Navneet, will be shut
down soon as they
would like to give
whole their focus on
signage or largeformat
domain only.
Ainan Enterprises
is winner of the
Indian Leadership
Award for Industrial
Development
2013 given by All
India Achievers
Foundation in
recognition of the
company’s achievement on innovation front.
Apart from the regular customers, with
whom the company has been associated
for a long time, namely SONY, Allen Solly,
Resonance, Ainan Enterprises is where big
ad agencies like Lintas (Mumbai) pitched
in for high-end prints for various landmark
projects around Rajasthan. Apart from all
these big achievements, Ainan Enterprises
is so dynamic about infrastructure update
for it there will be a UV printer and a CNC
router arriving shortly in the company’s
facility. “Perhaps we will be the first timer
again—of UV technology,” smiles Navneet.
Vijay Signage
Oldest bastion
Shailendra Vijay and Surendra Vijay
|
Yes! The oldest sign maker in the
vicinity, that everybody around
Kota knows, is Vijay Signage whose
sign making business in the city dates back
to more than three decades. Use of modern
technologies when sign-making was just a
matter of manual job was the forte of the
company during the first half of the 1900s.
The company adopted perhaps the first
cutting plotter in the city when everything
went manual all around. With which (the
cutting plotter) they then started crafting
innovative display items, using woods,
acrylics, MDF and such items. “Scope of
signage in the city of Kota was very narrow
earlier; but with the advent of ultra-modern
printing technologies, things get changed
with wider prospects in business,” says
Shailendra Vijay of Vijay Signage.
In addition to the company’s couple of
solvent printers, what has been keeping
as future expansion plan of Vijay Signage
is to upgrade the portfolio with new
technologies, such as eco-solvent and
routing machines. “Routing and
engraving are still a missing
ingredient in our activities,” tells
Shailendra, adding flex printing
is now saturated to a certain
extent and creative jobs in other
realms like routing are now
opening up in the Kota market,
which they are planning to tap
comprehensively.
A team of half a dozen of
experienced and well-trained
sign making professionals is
the vigour behind the innovative
jobs and outputs at Vijay
Signage. The company has been
loyally working for a number
of regular customers, namely,
Birla Cement, Gionee, Western
Railway, among others. “We handle some
government signage projects too though
public tenders across the length and
breadth of Rajasthan,” mentions Surendra
Vijay of Vijay Signage, adding, “Local
bodies like Nagar Vikas Nyas are also
listed in our list of regular customers.”
What is planning next at Vijay Signage is
to introduce eco-solvent technology and
LED channel letters.
Brothers Graphics
Eco-solvent corner
Jitendra Mehra
|
Over the last six years, Brothers
Graphics has proved itself as one
of the finest sign making firms
in Kota for the reason that this PSP is
equipped with a high-end Mutoh ecosolvent
printer. In a small city like Kota,
owning an eco-solvent printer counts a
lot as corporate biggies are in pursuit
of such PSPs when they are engaged to
bring out high-end campaigns around the
region. “Our Mutoh printer with Polarish
printhead, which we purchased from
NEGI Sign & Supplies, meets all demand
of quality prints corporate companies
normally stipulate,” states Jitendra
Mehra, marketing head,
Brothers Graphics.
Some of the big corporate customers
that have been associating with Brothers
Graphics since a long time include Allen
Solly, Cruse and Total Lubricant, for them
the PSP keeps supplying the finest range
of graphic prints. In addition to print
service, fabrication and installation jobs of
Brothers Graphics are worth mentioning.
A team of eight sign making professionals
are engaged in the overall activities of the
company. “If required, our team will travel
miles for installation job outside Kota
city,” says Jitendra.
In addition to digital large-format
printing, Brothers Graphics has its
commercial printing division where
equipped a Xerox press. “When people
coming down to us for signage prints, they
sometimes require commercial prints like
brochures, pamphlets, cards and others,
for this purpose we are equipped with a
digital printer,” mentions Jitendra, adding
conclusively that they always keep sniffing
the latest trend in the printing market to
update their machine portfolio.
Jain Graphics
Model makerr
Neeraj Jain
|
No walk-in customers may be seen
at the reception lobby of Jain
Graphics. Because this display
item maker is a sole provider of bulk items
to schools, colleges, corporate companies,
organisations, etc in and around Kota.
“We make mementoes, trophies, gift items,
table top displays and other customised
pieces,” says Neeraj Jain of Jain Graphics.
The root of the company dates back to
the early 1990s when cutting/routing
technologies were not so popular, but their
popularity got rocketed.
Apart from the company’s outsourced
routing, production facility of Jain
Graphics is equipped with jigsaws and
a Canon ImagePro Press installed to
enhance the overall production line. And
the company’s near future plan is to
upgrade the portfolio with a CNC router.
Neeraj feels that they would get into a
new pace when their production facility
is equipped with the required equipments,
soon in near future. “Perhaps we will
be looking at the overall upgrade, both
in manpower and infrastructure, for a
new level of development to serve our
customers to the utmost satisfactory level.
Jain Graphics boasts a list of prominent
customers from different industrial
clusters. Of them, Rajasthan Rotary Club,
Jain Samaj, Government Medical College
(Kota), Rajasthan Jain Association (RJA),
Bansal Glasses and others are some
regular lot. “Around 99 percent of gift
items, mementoes of Jain Samaj in the
city are prepared by us over the years,”
mentions Neeraj, adding that they are now
looking at the constant adoption of latest
precision cutting machines/technologies
for further enhancement.
Flex Line
Quality printing
Abid Ali
|
Considered to be one of the core
printing corners in the city of Kota,
customers buzzing at the reception
corner of Flex Line are predominantly
local walk-in lot and they are all a satisfied
host. “Customers’ satisfaction is our prime
motive. We always consider the efficiency in
quality and on-time delivery a top priority,”
says Abid Ali of Flex Line. He adds that
some old customers of the company are
still in close connection with them since
a long time. Even some from Jaipur
and Ludhiana put print orders to Flex
Line—the reason could be the quality and
affordability.
Incepted in the year 2011, Flex Line is
one of the most sought after flex printing
corners in Kota and the company is in the
growing mode to upgrade its infrastructure
and manpower to a new standard sooner
than later. In this, Abid asserts that they
are now planning to recruit a strong
marketing team to march down the market
for direct marketing with corporate biggies.
“In addition to flex job, we would surely
be expanding our sign making activities to
a new level, embracing new technologies
like CNC routing, laser engraving and the
like for new enhancement in business,”
mentions Abid.
As on today, Flex Line is a single-machine
PSP whose production facility is equipped
with a PicoMax printer from Macart
Equipments. “We are fully satisfied with
the PicoMax now running in our production
facility. But we look at adding some more
upgraded printers soon to magnify our
overall production volume,” mentions Abid,
adding that the LED or glow sign segment
is yet another domain they are planning to
explore deeper in future.
Beyond Studio
Designing corner
SN Verma
|
Beyond Studio is indeed something ‘beyond’ printing.
It’s beyond printing because the company’s activities
exclusively involve into graphic designs designed for all
purposes, especially including signage. “We have been into the
printing business since a long time back. After seeing the need
of professional graphic designing in the city we finally came out
to open Beyond Studio, engaging in design creation of brands
and products,” narrates SN Verma, founder and
designer, Beyond Studio. He further mentions that
the company’s main motto is to create designs that
their customers imagine.
A team of four designers, led by SN Verma, is the
overall dynamism behind the swing of creativity at
Beyond Studio. The studio is one of the most crowded
corners at Tirath Plaza in the city where customers
of all sorts from different walks of life and market
clusters rush in for best ever graphic designing. “The
stretch of our activities covers whatever anything under the sun. Be it
a business card or a roadside hoarding, we deliver instantly to the need
of our customers,” assures SN Verma.
Beyond Studio has brought in the professionalism of designing,
very closely working with a number of PSPs in the city. “Good
concepts and ideas of designing could change the dullness in
layouts and graphics of a signage item,” explains SN Verma,
adding that they look forward to working with leading firms at
pan-India level.
Kohinoor Publicity
Long legacy
Asif Khan (L) with colleagues
|
Outdoor publicity, in addition to its widely acclaimed print
service, is the main forte of Kohinoor Publicity—one
of the oldest sign makers in Kota. Today, the company’s
reputation as a leading sign maker in the region has spread into
many other cities and towns of Rajasthan, far beyond Kota.
Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur are three major cities in the state
where old clients of Kohinoor Publicity are dwelled. “Kota being a
city full of academic institutes, we have some customers from this
sector, who have been tied up with us for years,” says Asif Khan,
managing director, Kohinoor Publicity.
Alien Coaching, Bajaj, Shubham Computer, among many others,
are some of the recurrent clients of Kohinoor Publicity, for them
the company provides prints and outdoor hoardings all around
Rajasthan. “We are known to our clients since a long time, may be
more than 30 years, since my father started the firm as a painting
shop then,” narrates Asif Khan, adding that it’s just been around
three years the company adopted a
set of Caldron printers now running
in its current production setup.
Around 80 percent of the outdoor
hoarding sites in Kota are owned
by Kohinoor Publicity and there
are approximately 250 rooftop
displays operational in the city and
more than 400 in other parts of
Rajasthan. These outdoor advertising spaces are booked by a host
of the company’s old clients from different industrial clusters,
such as real estates, academic coaching firms, nagar nigams,
among others. After all these activities, Kohinoor Publicity is now
gearing up to switch to LED displays, focusing on LED walls and
illuminated scrolled graphics.
Chishty Graphics
Young player
Md Akram and Md Ali
|
Barely two years in the signage
printing market of Kota, Chishty
Graphics is considerably one of the
most promising PSPs that deliver finest
prints in the city and the swarm at their
doorstep is proof of it. While talking to
Sign & Graphics for this coverage, Md
Akram stood up twice to attend executives
from two big corporate companies who
came down for some big projects around
Kota. “Our constant maintenance in
quality prints, on-time delivery and
commitment to installation services is all
what it impressed our customers to build
up trust upon us,” he says. “We are quite
new in the market; but our stance with
quality outputs and proficient in service
help us find our customers in different
industrial clusters,” mentions Akram.
It is not that the activities of Chishty
Graphics are confined just around Kota.
The footprints of the company are traced
beyond the city in neighbouring towns and
cities, viz Jaipur, Bondi, Jaisalmar, Tonk,
among others across Rajasthan. “Projects
of our corporate clients are implemented
all across the state. That’s why we need
to cover the whole Rajasthan under our
roof,” explains Akram. A team of half a
dozen professionals of Chishty Graphics
sitting at its Kota office will be backed by
a third party when it comes to handling
big projects, outside Kota.
Some of the well-known customers
for which Chishty Graphics has been
partnered with to execute big projects
all over Rajasthan include Reliance
Digital, Whole Mart, Reliance
Communication, among others. Asked
about the biggest challenge in carrying
out the state-wide projects, Akram says
‘deadline’ is the prime factor in any
given project, but they have to complete
everything without any compromise in
quality and timely wrap up.
H’Shagun Graphics
Expanding soon
Irfan Khan
|
Yet another young player in the
block of sign makers in Kota city is
H’Shagun Graphics, which is considerably
a one-stop printing corner. This
company is said to be a one-stop corner for
being a printer of fancy stickers, bill books,
pamphlet, letter pads, envelops and posters.
“We are equipped with a Caldron CJ solvent
printer to handle the signage printing
activities and rest we somehow collaborate
with a number of commercial printers
around the city for joint projects,” explains
Irfan Khan, founder, H’Shagun Graphics.
It has been just a couple years since
its inception, H’Shagun Graphics has
positioned itself to mark a recognition in
the signage/commercial printing market
of Kota and all-time rush at the reception
counter of the company is of a host of
walk-in customers coming from different
walks of life. “We entertain customers of
all profiles, whether they come for business
cards, bill books, hoarding; but we are now
planning to focus on signage with gradual
expansion of our machine portfolio,” says
Irfan, adding
that the manpower of the company will
also be enhanced soon.
“As on today, I and my brother handle
everything right from designing to
machine operation here at H’Shagun
Graphics. Soon, we are planning to
recruit a team for marketing as well as
sign making professionals for a brand
new momentum we would like give
to our business,” mentions Irfan. Even
the aim of H’Shagun Graphics is to
expand its footprints beyond Kota.
Preet Signage
Channel letter maker
Sher Pal Singh
|
The legacy of Preet Signage is dated
back to decades when Sher Pal
Singh’s father used to run the firm
making signage and display items painted
manually. But three years back, he took
over the responsibility from his father
to run the signage company, introducing
digital large-format flex printing with a
Caldron CJ printer. After that things get
changed gradually and activities of the
company multiplied. “We are fortunate
that some leading corporate companies
select us as their Kota vendors. For them,
we are exclusive signage solution provider
in the city,” explains Sher Pal. Some of
the big names in the corporate world like
Vanilla Ice Cream, Lalco Tyre, First AID
and ACC Cement are Preet Signage’s
customers, closely tied up since the
company’s inception.
“LED-based glow signs are now making
new wave in the signage market of Kota;
this is what we are trying to add to our job
profile,” mentions Sher Pal, adding that a
couple of printers, including an eco-solvent,
will also be arrived in the production
facility of the company soon. Talking
about the making of glow signs, Sher
Pal narrates that LED display is durable
and cost effective when compared it to a
conventional glow sign system;
but one must select the components
wisely to maintain the value.
Channel letters of Preet Signage are
common among many all over Kota.
Numerous local grocers, hotels, restaurants
and others around the city especially come
to Preet Signage for the illuminated signage
solution. “We use only SAMSUNG LED
components,” says Sher Pal in explanation
of how ‘quality’ in their end-products is
maintained. Adding next to the production
facility of Preet Signage, sooner than
expected, will be a CNC router to augment
the company’s activities to a new level.
New Bits Soft
Total signage
Hemant Nigam
|
New Bits Soft is ranked to be one
of the topmost among many in
the city’s sign making firms where
total solutions of signage can be delivered.
The reason is the company’s complete
machine portfolio, comprising a spectrum
of technologies, such as CNC router, laser
engraving machine, solvent printer and a
set of finishing equipments. “Way back
around two decades we started at a very
scratch level. Year after year, we upgraded
ourselves to the standard to provide
complete signage solutions to clients from
any industrial sector,” mentions Hemant
Nigam, founder, New Bits Soft. Still the
timely update of the portfolio is the main
priority of the company.
“We are indebted to Mehta Cad Cam
Systems for the LaserPro Spirit engraver,
with which we have been successful in
creation of innovative display items,”
explains Hemant. Now the overall job
of New Bits Soft is more inclined upon
illuminated display systems. “Yes, we
do handle a lot of landmark projects,
dividing tasks between flex or vinyl prints
and LED embedded display systems,” he
elucidates, adding that the reason why
they intend more to LEDs is that the glow
sign segment is still untapped properly in
Kota and a lot can be done towards this in
the city.
About the quality control in their works,
Hemant says the selection of right
materials is the ultimate mantra for
that. “Let’s take the instance of LED
signs we produce. We never go for cheap
components and frames. RISHANG,
SAMSUNG and GE are some select LED
brands we always oft for our projects.
These brands must be a bit costlier than
the conventional ones, but the quality and
life span count a lot,” explains Hemant.
Next level development of New Bits Soft is
to add an eco-solvent printer to its existing
set of flex printers.
Apex Art Gallery
Screen power
Gajendra Kumawat
|
Gajendra Kumawat, a commercial
artist by profession, started his
Apex Art Gallery decades back.
And the firm is now sweeping along the
modern trend of sign making, switching
to digital large-format printing, using a
Caldron CJ solvent printer. “Despite all
changes sweeping across the industry,
we still preserve the art of sign making
in manual manner. Still I use brush and
screen printing, if required, to craft a
signage/display item,” says Gajendra,
adding that ‘screen printing’ still has
stronghold role in graphic art production.
Apex Art Gallery is not a big catcher
of corporate biggies in the market. This
sign making corner is where a host of
local walk-in customers are buzzed up
regularly. But among the crowd buzzing
all around this signage corner are some
recognised names from the advertising
world. Ad agencies like Selvel Publicity,
National Ad and Paramount Advertising
come down to the doorstep of Apex Art
Gallery for some helping hands to their
signage projects regularly brought out
around Kota.
In addition to the existing machine
portfolio and manpower strength
(a team of four sign making
professionals), Apex Art Gallery looks
forward to updating in all aspects, for
which Gajendra says they would like
to observe the trends in the industry
before they would go for adoption of
new machines or technologies.
Sadhana Art
Preserved tradition
Rajneesh Krishan
|
Hand-painted posters, shop front
displays, portraits, vehicle number
plates, reflective vinyl signs…
these are found currently flaunting inside
the showcase of Sadhana Art. In Kota,
numerous art shops run by commercial
artists are alive and kicking. Among them
is Sadhana Art, which is a shop with
mixed tradition of traditional and modern
sign making methods. In traditional way,
the shop still produces painted posters and
portraits; then in a modern way, plotter
cut signage solutions are what the shop
is known for to many around the city of
Kota. Sadhana Arts is equipped with a
Roland cutting plotter.
“Creativity is what all we require to
produce an impressive graphic art.
Ultra-modern technologies may print
sharpest image and cut materials to
the perfect precision, but the machinegenerated
jobs sometimes lag value of
creativity when it comes to parity with our
human brain. This is what I would
like to convey my industry fellows to keep
in mind,” suggests Rajneesh Krishan,
adding that the use of high-end machines
without a creative mind may not make a
good sense at the end of the day.
More than 30 years back, Sadhana Art
was established by Rajneesh’s father
Radha Krishan, a commercial painter
then. He passed on the legacy to his son
who is dutifully handling the firm to a
paramount level, serving every walk-in
customer known to them for years since
the company’s establishment in the city.
Rajneesh looks ahead to gaining new
projects based on creative quality, not just
voluminous in quantity.
