A day in the life of Shree Printwell Offset's Dwipal Patel

When you read your early morning newspaper, besides half tones and colour reproduction you look for...
I look for creative advertisement, inspiring news and talks of successful businessmen.

When and how do you begin your day?
Wake up at 6:30 am, sometimes go for walk with energetic music playing.

Do you plan your day, meticulously? Or is it ad hoc? Or is there a blueprint for the day?
Yes, a day before in the evening I make meeting schedules and make to-do notes for next day. I try to finish all follow ups in first one hour of the day which allows me to spend time with the team and for doing business meetings.

One person with whom you like to share your daily drive to office. Why?
Myself, because that’s the only time where I develop myself by listening to motivational audio tapes on my phone.

What’s the first thing you do on entering the office?
Pray to god and say a cheerful good morning to my Printwell team.

How frequently do you interact with print production supervisors? What do you discuss, commonly?
I interact with them once in a day, to discuss schedules and every 15 days with all department supervisors to discuss about scope of improvements in production.

With the fierce competition, high cost of entry and above all; the increasing threat from other media, do you find that traditional ink-on-paper is facing a serious threat to its survival?
Not at all. I feel it’s increasing day by day because printing is the only media where we can get attention of any person with a focus mind. I strongly believe that printing is the finest media for advertising and marketing activities for any size of company.

Which press does the best printing in India? And why?
Now lots of presses do good printing but if we look at overall finishing then Pragati Offset is best printing company in India. I like them because of their efforts and quality of printing.

How do you rate your press as compared to leading printers the world-over?
We do lag behind but we are on the way to reach there with new technologies.

If you won Rs 10 crore through Playwin which printing equipment would you invest in?
Heidelberg CD 105 six-colour with UV because this machine will open new opportunities and verticals in our product line and also allow us to innovate more.

Today, we hear of innumerable printing presses closing down or being on the verge of closing down. Why is this happening? And, what does this portend for the future of the industry?
Innovating, Upgrading and Marketing - if any printing company is not doing this, then they are dying. There is no threat to the industry but printing companies need to learn from these kind of cases.

The best break through in print technology in the past hundred years?
Digital Printing –  this technology will create new product lines for industry.

Most printers, repro houses and graphics art professionals, complain about the manner in which profit margins are being squeezed. The reasons they cite for this are: unfair under-cutting; increasing presence of canvassers; etc. Are you encountering these problems?
Yes, printing margins are squeezed because number of players in the industry has increased and start-ups do anything to take jobs from the market which has resulted in thinner profit margins.

Your favourite adda? Paan? Also which is your cell phone? Pen? Car?
Swati Snacks, Maghai Meetha, iPhone 5, MontBlanc, Audi Q7.

For a working lunch if you meet Johanes Gutenberg (the father of modern printing), what would you talk to him about?
Invention of new affordable digital printing machines.

How do you motivate your sales & marketing team? Any new promotion strategy?
We help them in their work and keep them updated with different technologies so they can provide solution at clients end without our help, which help us to provide great experience and service.

The most frequently used mantra in your organisation. Your corporate philosophy.
We provide great experience and service to our clients when they deal with us.

The craziest deadline, you've come across?
One of our regular client came to us for 19” x 19”, 60 pages hardbound building brochure with foiling, die punching, UV and bag making process. After working  day and night on the job, we managed to deliver them six hours before the inauguration. We achieved this because of our team support. Sometimes these kind of deadlines boosts up our confidence.

Your favourite excuse to your family when you’re late?
One of our client asked for a meeting and I was unable to deny them.

Has the domination of the printing industry reached a plateau with the arrival of new competitors?
Yes, now a day’s quality is must but what values you can give them becomes most important factor to win the job.

Please comment of the technology and machines (press / pre-press / post-press / others) that you have invested in, in the past few years?
Printwell has a reputation for introducing new technologies, as we invested in the first digital press in Gujarat and second PUR binding machine in India. We are always keen to invest in new technologies.

In India, the two most important barriers are technology and cost. What advice do you have for the printer?
As told earlier, if you don't keep innovating, upgrading and marketing then you will be dead. Now clients are ready to pay if they get good value for product which is easily achievable through technology.

How do you stay in touch with technological developments? In this sense, please comment on your official view on CTP technology and digital printing.
PrintWeek India has helped me a lot to stay in touch of new technology through newsletters and websites. I also visit foreign countries for exhibitions and seminar, which helps me be updated.

One person with whom you would like to have a FACE TO FACE.
Steve Jobs – one of the great minds in the universe for me.