Alia explores innovations in packaging with HP Indigo WS4500

Speaking exclusively to PrintWeek India, Sethunath Padmanabhan, director at the firm, said, "The core purpose of the investment was to be able to innovate and produce prototypes and mock-ups with press-like quality for the customers. Also, we use it for proofing the flexo and gravure jobs."

 

The firm claims to be the largest packaging prototype producer with about 200 prototypes churned out each day for both, its national and global clients. "We are focusing on creating the closest simulation of packaging for the brands with respect to actual substrates and matching colours."

 

Besides this, the firm has created Pack Lab, a dedicated space, which replicates the shelf of a retail store. The Pack Lab showcases packages as they would appear on the shelves. A joint initiative by Alia and HP, the lab will, according to Sethu, enable Alia to incorporate various innovations in the print-packaging space, including the substrates, inks and the runs of the job.

 

While the HP workhorse is capable of producing 50,000 labels that are cost-effective and profitable, Alia has restricted the production to produce mock-ups only. Justifying the investment, Sethu said, "We are not printers and hence we don't want to print volumes. The number of jobs we produce on the Indigo are very few as compared to a printer, but we are not driven by those numbers." “Moreover,” Sethu added, “We were seeking a system, which would provide proofs with a close match with gravure or flexo presses."

 

A Appadurai, country manager, Indigo and inkjet press solutions, HP India, said, “We are pleased to be associated with Alia Creative Consultants. They have fantastic capabilities to cater to the unique demands of the leading brand owners in the country and they always stay ahead of the curve with world-class innovations in the print-packaging space. With HP Indigo WS4500 digital press, Alia creative would be able to offer various packaging concepts in the form of  labels, flexible packaging, shrink sleeves and specialty products, to the brand owners, which in turn will change the way these brands engage with their consumers.”

 

"The brands are more global today. They need a system in place to ensure accurate reproduction from multiple units across the globe. Our expansions and investments are driven by these demands. We thank our customers for pushing us and our boundaries," concluded Sethu.

 

Alia has been at the forefront of investing in colour management systems. The Indigo is the latest addition to the already existing set-up of two Epson Stylus Pro 7900 proofers powered with the Esko Kaleidoscope and Star Proof colour management software. The company is planning to invest in GMG's colour management solution.