This edition of drupa 2008 was indeed an eye-opener and the industry
got much more than it actually anticipated. A 14-day print technology
fest attracted a great deal of participation from all corners of the world...
justifying the event slogan one world - one drupa completely.
The quality of visitors and participants from the Far East in general and India
in particular were above average. The industry was impressed with the intensity
and quality of the trade conversations held with well-informed visitors.
Conversations focused on better innovations and products for the future. The
Indian graphic arts industry has come of age; and we too are contributing
a bit to the industry in our own way.
As we had informed in last issue, drupa 08 indeed
brought many new UV innovations. This technology
that has the probability of becoming the next big thing
for the Indian digital large format printing industry is
UV technology. And also at this drupa, all the biggies
unveiled UV innovations, be it HP, Mimaki, Oce, VUTEk,
Mutoh, Gandinnovations or Durst.
Knowing that India is a big market for all these
companies, the other interesting aspect that worth
pondering is - Is UV printing feasible in Indian
scenario. UV printing is quiet popular in the West, and most of the nations
are propagating this technology. With the UV printers, utilising UV LED
curing technology, the curing heat emitted by the UV lamps is very low.
Therefore, the printer releases less heat and moreover no harmful volatile
substances are released. The technology, being more environment-friendly,
is less harmful for operators and workers.
Considering the Indian scenario, where costing of any campaign is the biggest
issue, it is an uphill task for the printers to convince print buyers to spend
more money. High initial installation and production cost might affect the
small and medium segment printers as well. And Indian corporates are
depending mostly on solvent printing due to its affordability. So, its a real
challenge for the printers to actually educate the customer to pay more and
go for eco-friendly prints.
As the environmental issues are becoming much bigger; we all share a mutual
responsibility towards its preservation. There are many Indian companies who
are promoting environmental friendly practices as CSR (corporate social
responsibility), while for some the government rules or laws are awaited which
might convince them to go for UV printing for better and greener future.
