Print industry in competitive mode

Until a few years ago, machinery for rigid boxes was largely unavailable in India. Now, with the increased availability of Chinese machinery, the manufacturing of rigid boxes has come a long way, as was evident in the samples. A Jury member observed, “It is curious to see the shift to rigid boxes from mono cartons. The design and embellishments are great to see.”

In an online poll conducted by PrintWeek, respondents were asked what the most important factor in printing and packaging design is to them —  39% prioritised sustainability, 33% thought it was visual appeal, 18% chose functionality, and 10% prioritised affordability. In terms of design and innovation, printers and packaging companies upped their innovation game, too. Whether it be corrugated sculptures, printed electronics, LED lights embedded in boxes, jigsaw puzzles built into books, or fresnel labels — this edition of the PrintWeek Awards Jury saw it all.

People like Francis Wolle and Margaret Knight invented machines to make paper bags almost a century and a half ago. Today, the humble paper bag lives on, with value additions aplenty. One of the samples was a bag that had a logo cut out from the paper, with mesh pasted on the inside. This small value addition elevated the paper bag to look elegant on its own.

It was a wonderful year for photo albums — with improvements that increased the premium feel of the product. Some products went as far as to incorporate different substrates like tracing paper within the book for special effects. Others featured carefully chosen substrates that did not take away from the qualities of the photos and paintings themselves. This was a testament to the recent improvement in finishing that the industry has seen.

According to another online poll conducted by PrintWeek, 74% of the respondents preferred reading physical books as opposed to books with multimedia features, audiobooks, or eBooks. To that end, bookmakers showed their bookbinding skills.

One of the samples in the print-on-demand category was a two-kilogram book on case law in corporate restructuring with 1,788 60-gsm pages, a hardbound cover and a round spine. This book had a run of 25, with a turnaround time of two days.

All in all, regardless of whether the companies were servicing national or international clientele, navigating short runs or long runs, the finishing quality reigned supreme. As a jury member observed, “When it came to big volume, we were always beaten by China. Not anymore, and that’s what makes me very happy.”

Finally, the buzzword that has entered all conversations that have to do with print and packaging of late — sustainability. Paper-based packaging has increased. However, as noted by several Jury members, when it came to a sustainable approach to production, there were very few samples. Some pharmaceutical companies have let go of the use of metPET. But, by and large, the maxim of reduce, reuse and recycle was missing from the entries at the 14th edition of the PrintWeek Awards.

A Jury member remarked that the Indian printing and packaging industry has finally come of age. That was certainly the renewed optimism that propelled the Jury week. The winners will be declared on the Awards night at The Westin Mumbai Powai Lake.

Dibyajyoti Sarma is associate editor at PrintWeek and WhatPackaging?.