“We produce more than 250 plates in our 24-hour production shift,” said Ashwani Thapar, proprietor, Pearl, “Thus, we needed a heavy-duty processor. This is the reason why we opted for the Kodak device.”

Insight Communications supplied the kit. The Kodak CTP is a thermal one, as was the earlier kit. Thapar said he believes thermal is the best technology for CTP plates.

Established in 1998, Pearl consumes around 250 plates per day. Most of its jobs are of 175 to 200 dpi. “We use FM dots for magazine covers,” said Thapar, adding that the company uses TechNova Elite plates. Pearl produces around 60 sets of jobs with run lengths ranging from 1,000 to 10,000.

In early 2015, the company made its biggest investment yet with the installation of a new Ryobi four-colour sheetfed press. The press, is equipped with online coating facility, can print sheets of 25x36-inch.

The printing segment is equipped with 17 printing units – two five-colour Heidelberg, one two-colour and one single-colour Heidelberg and the Ryobi. The company’s finishing segment is equipped with multiple cutting, folding, sewing, creasing and small fabrication machines.

Thapar, a first generation printer and a self-made entrepreneur, has more than three decades of hands-on training in the print industry. He joined the industry as a helper in 1981 and worked in two printing companies, before starting out on his own in 1998.

In a 20,000 sq/ft facility, Pearl works round-the-clock with more than 100 people, among which 35 are on payroll and the rest are on contracts. The company gets work from more than 200 clients, 150 of which are account holders with Pearl.