The
Innovative Printer category saw a close fight among the contestants, two of
whom topped the chart with equal points. Last year’s winner Parksons Graphics
and Vasai-based Spectrum Scan were declared winners, for the usability factor
and for creating a product that emphasises the “wow” factor.
Parksons
Graphics, the Mumbai-based company, which picks up three Awards this year, had
a winner in the ACK Media’s Trolly Bag. Parksons, which promotes itself as a
solution provider, says, “It’s our duty to understand the pain areas of our
clients, and during one of our visit to ACK Media, we stumbled on a problem of
theirs.”
According
to Parksons, ACK Media wanted to market around 300 titles of their Indian
classic titles, mythology, bravehearts, visionary, fables, etc together. They
also wanted to add 10 hard case books of comics into this pack. The challenge
was: how to pack these and display it in their book stalls?
Parksons
fabricated a box using four-ply double wall heavy duty corrugated, 300gsm
three-M-duplex board, and printed the titles with illustrations (in
four-colour) on the outer side of the box, with its Heidelberg XL 105. All the
titles were placed in the box. Since the box was around 45kgs, four castor
wheels were fitted to the box to make it mobile. The fabrication of box makes
it a multi-purpose items. The lid of the box has been created in such a way
that it can be pulled out and used as a handle for the trolley. The box can also
be used as a chair and a table to write. “This is not only a solution but a
marketing triumph,” says Parksons, because ACK Media could sell a large number
of its titles to NRIs.
Spectrum
Scan’s The Cadbury thermoformed large-format is a high-impact display item. The
back-lit, print and formed backlit signage was designed in-house. The pre-press
included colour and graphic correction and pre-distortion to compensate for
thermoform distortion. Semi-automatic screen printing machine was used to print
the PET G acrylic sheets. In-house thermoforming machine was used to form the
shape of the bottle. CMYK colour was used to produce and a special colour was
used to compensate for the distortion of colour and day and night effect.
Spectrum
Scan recently opened an experience lounge, what it claims is, an unique
concept. It is called the Bazaar, a 2,500 sq/ft showroom of POP and POS items.
It has also installed an interdeck- six-colour + coater (28inch x 40inch)
Roland press and a new custom-made 5 x 10 thermo-forming machine. “This
technology has opened up new markets and opportunities and we are now looking
at the next exciting investment,” says Amit Shah of Spectrum Scan.
According
to the judges, the two ideas by itself would not have made it an award-winner,
but the ability to leverage its use beyond display, has taken it to that level.
“Innovative products with a purpose,” said one.
Commended
Jasmine Art Printers (Navi Mumbai)
PrintExpressions (Gurgaon)
Shree Printwell Offset (Rajkot)
Spectrum Scan (Mumbai)
Thomson Press (India) (Faridabad)
Vibgyor Arts (Kolkata)