Scenic Signage Scenes of Shillong

Megha Impression, All about creativity

One of the leading signage players in Shillong, Megha Impression is indeed an impressive signage corner in the city. Subir Paul, Proprietor of Megha Impression, says they follow the ‘creativity’ that works and clicks the mind of their customers from all sectors. The company has been serving a host of reputed clients from local and corporate domains. The list includes some big brands like Reebok, Reliance, Kisna, and many other local companies and institutional establishments.

“We have been involving in branding projects for many local companies in and around Shillong. With our close partnership with many of our peer groups or partners based in Guwahati, we have handled and accomplished quite a number of projects across North-East India as well as other regions and cities like Kolkata,” mentions Subir, adding, “We are looking forward to expanding our footprints further into newer geographies or regions.

Engaging in whole gamut of printing including commercial graphics and screen printing, Megha Impression boasts of offering everything under one roof. For the large-format and signage applications, the company’s production facility is equipped with an EPSON SureColor S40670 and other finishing equipments. Subir says they have a small team of four highly-skilled printing professionals taking care of everything, right from printing, fabrication and installation.

Creative Sign Designs (CSD), Designs of impression

Located in Mawlai area of Shillong, Creative Sign Designs (CSD) spreads its footprints across four districts of Meghalaya to serve customers from different market segments and individuals (walks of life). In this respect, Hunlang Lyngdoh, Proprietor, Creative Sign Designs, says, “We have been concentrating in the regional domain. Our motto is to impress and serve our local customers to their utmost satisfactory levels.” He further mentions that CDS is meant for the locals.

CSD has a production facility equipped with some of the high-end printers and machines like Roland VersaEXPRESS RF-640 inkjet system as a key system along with others for plotting, routing and finishing. Hunlang mentions that they have a production team of six well-qualified designing, printing and production professionals. “We are quite active in maintaining deadlines—whether it could be for printing or final installation of the project,” he emphasises.

Talking about the company’s future plan, Hunlang says they are desperately looking forward to adding some new and advanced machines and technologies which CSD could create new designs of impression. He specifically mentions about some flatbed systems to be added in the company’s current portfolio of machines. In addition to upgrading the machine portfolio with a flatbed printer, Hunlang says they are planning to expand manpower too, prioritising the locals.

Modern Arts, A continuing legacy

Located in Laitumkhra, an uptown market area in Shillong, Modern Arts is one of the oldest and popular signage companies in the region. The company is a lineage of three generations involved in the fully family-owned business. “If we look back to the days how the business started, our genesis is dated back to our grandfather’s time, around 57 years back. He was an artist who prepared posters, store-front displays and such works, manually and impressively,” says Lakhi Mallick, Manager, Modern Arts.

She adds, “Unfortunately, we had a fire broke out at our production facility that destroyed the entire machines and infrastructure. It’s really sad. So, after the mishap we shifted to a makeshift premise in 2014 where we are equipped barely with a Kalix digital wide-format printing system with Konica Minolta 512i printhead. You can say we are now on the road to recovery.”

Modern Arts has a team of three boys which takes care of everything as on today. In this, Lakhi says they deliberately hire some experienced professionals when it comes to large-scale fabrications and installation projects in and around Shillong. Some of the company’s key customers include SBI, North East Council (NEC), and many government projects. She states that they are now chalking out plan for upgrading the machine portfolio with the addition of laser engraving machines.

Mawsawa, far beyond local

Mawsawa is the name that has no bound when it comes to talking about the popularity of this regional signage player located in a serene corner of Shillong. Stanford Dkhar, Partner, Mawsawa, says they have been tied up with all sorts of customers from diverse sectors, whether hospitality or entertainment. “Our client list is a mixed bag containing everyone from everywhere,” he adds.

He continues, “We can say that we are not confined in Shillong or North-East India when we count our clients. Excel Entertainment, a film production company based in Mumbai is our long-term customer. Our attachment with the company started when we teamed up during the shooting of the movie Rock On-2 in Shillong for works like stage crafts and others.”

Mawsawa boasts a state-of-the-art production facility equipped with a line of high-end machines, printers, post-press equipments, which include ColorJet Irisjet, EPSON SureColor S40670, among others. With a team of around 50 highly-trained printing and production professionals, the company geographically expands its footprints across other North-East Indian states of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, apart from local projects in Meghalaya.

Print World, Moving ahead for expansion

Perhaps, one of the youngest signage players in the block of the league of PSPs in Shillong, Print World has been around Shillong barely over the last couple of years. Telling about the company’s journey till date, Aqib Ahmed, Proprietor, Print World, narrates, “We were basically from Assam. My father started the printing business which primarily engaged in commercial printing. Now, as a second generation I’m taking part in the venture to diversify into the signage/digital large-format printing.”

He adds, “Now that we are expanding into the market, we have some plans set for future. As on today we have installed just one machine, ColorJet Neptune, we purchased from ColorJet Group. We have a long road ahead to explore the digital large-format or the signage market of North-East India. In this, I would like to say that there are a lot of verticals such as LED-based display solutions which we need to tap for further expansion.”

According to Aqib, Print World is planning to create a world filled with the whole gamut of technologies and applications to fulfil the need and requirement of customers from diverse industrial clusters. “After all, we will not confine our presence only in Shillong or a particular part of a region. So, we are expanding with a new office at Naogaon in Assam which will be opened soon,” mentions Aqib.

Ell Gangte, An outdoor expert

Like many others in the market whose legacy is dated back to a generation or more, Ell Gangte is an offshoot of a company that started as a mere printing shop which eventually transformed into an outdoor expert today. Richie Wallang, Proprietor, Ell Gangte, recalls, “My company was established in the late 1980s as a brainchild of my parents. They engaged in advertising business which included all sorts of ads such as classified ads and all.”

He continues, “When we came to know about the growing potential of the digital large-format printing and the outdoor signs in Shillong, we geared up to open this separate division exclusively for the signage displays and solutions. Then we had invested in a couple of digital large-format printers—WitColor and Challenger with Konica Minolta 512i printhead. Now, we keep chalking out plan for further expansion of the machine portfolio.”

A highly dedicated team of dozen sign makers, fabricators and installers is the vigour behind the overall competency and workforce of Ell Gangte. The company is currently working for some corporate and public sector departments for a string of outdoor projects carried out across Meghalaya. SBI, Amity College, ACFAI, to name a few, are some of the regular and key clients of Ell Gangte.

Singhania Printing Press, Oldest bastion amongst all

Singhania Printing Press is a synonym of what the evolution of printing took place in Meghalaya. The company is now running by a fourth generation. In this respect, Abhishek Singhania, Proprietor/Partner, Singhania Printing Press, says their forefathers came to Shillong many decades back even before the capital city was shifted from Cherrapunji to Shillong.

He continues, “We are now into the printing business engaging in all verticals of printing, whether it’s commercial graphics and digital large-format printing for indoor and outdoor applications.” He adds, “We have installed a couple of HP Latex 300 printers as well as others including advanced TrueColor.” Two production facilities of the company are based in Shillong and Guwahati.

“We have a bigger set up in Guwahati where installed a set of Komori and Heidelberg presses. We have around 50 employees in Shillong and 150 in Guwahati, ” mentions Abhishek, adding that the company’s clientele are predominantly the small printers from all over North-East India. Despite the job works, Singhania Printing Press is a home to government tender projects. In this, Abhishek says nearly 90 percent of the company’s projects are form the public sector.