Game Changers of the Indian Sign Industry- Sign and POP Magazine

SIGN & P.O.P DEC-JAN ‘154
10 Innovative Concepts
54 Event Calendar
56 Newswire
66 Resource Guide
COVER STORY
32 Soft signage: Is the
Indian market ready?
SIGNAGE
52 Max Flex unfurls made in
India vinyl
Max Flex & Imaging Systems
Limited
42 Excellence personified!
Hewlett-Packard
FEATURES
26 Drone-vertising- Hit ‘n’
miss or here to stay?
OOH ADVERTISING
12 Game changers of the
Indian Sign Industry
38 Gionee’s slimmest phone
goes big with JCDecaux
JCDecaux India
24 ‘Fixing’ with panache!
MOMS Outdoor Media
Solutions
28 Corporate
communication-
The digital way
Aopen Inc.
46 Pantheon building in
Paris gets an Agfa wrap
Agfa Graphics
CASE STUDIES
REGULARS
44 Toronto’s signage revisited:
Iconic knockdown’s
losing battle to modern
times
INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO FEATURE
50 Graphic films that hold on!
3M
PRODUCT FEATURE
CONTENTS
40 Media Expo Kolkata:
A lucrative platform for
the Eastern market
EVENT COVERAGE
10 26 28

Sign & P.O.P World is a bimonthly magazine, published by Baljeet S. Juneja on
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Sign & P.O.P World is published by Baljeet S. Juneja on behalf of
Media 2000
The Indian Sign Industry has undergone
a fascinating transformation in the last
decade. The digital printing industry
specially has seen a revolutionary growth,
displaying a quick transition from
traditional to modern printing technologies
and with it new possibilities of better
solutions for unlimited applications. It has
also created a new market for specialized
inks thus bringing newer printing media
substrates to the forefront. We pay
homage to some of the entrepreneurs who
contributed to this vivid change in our
cover story- “Game changers of the Indian
Sign Industry.” We highlight their growth
over the years and their vision for 2015.
The latest buzz doing the OOH rounds
this year was drone-vertising. When it
comes to outdoor advertising campaigns,
ad agencies have resorted to numerous
whacky ideas that have also landed a few
of them in trouble with the authorities.
However, some of these crazy tactics work
and companies are not shy in landing
themselves in controversy. Drone-vertising
falls right into this category and companies
such as Google and Coke are readily testing
the waters. Will this medium take off or get
stubbed only time will tell.
Interesting facts and updated industry
news can all be found in this issue’s articles,
case studies, features, product features,
innovative concepts and news updates
from around the globe. So I hope you
enjoy the last of this year’s issue and as
2014 comes to a close, here’s wishing you a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Vol 11 Issue 4 Dec-Jan, 2015
Publisher
Baljeet S. Juneja
Editor
Himani Gulati
Marketing Head
Gaurav Juneja (9810301644)
Design Studio
Access Solutions
(9810116910)
Customer Relations
Mrs Singh
Media Correspondents
Lily Shanker
Amandeep Kaur
Design & Print Production
Ravi Pandey

Mr. Kipling launched their brand’s new
message- “Life is better with cake” in an
extraordinary edible billboard. Measuring 6m
X 3m, the world’s first poster made entirely
Japanese cosmetics brand,
Shokubutsu Hana along with TBWASMP
created a floating billboard in Philippines.
Made up of Vetiver, a perennial, non-
invasive grass often used to treat
wastewater, the billboard was displayed
at the Pasig River. The Vetiver-covered
billboard is expected to clean nearly
8,000 gallons of water daily. Not only it
was environment-friendly but presented a
soothing sight to the eyes.
The Edible Billboard
out of cake was displayed outside Westfield
Shopping Centre, London. The billboard
was made using 13,360 Mr. Kipling cakes
and 2000 glace cherries. The idea was high
on interactivity and the fact that people can
actually taste these delicious items was an
‘icing on the cake’!
The Floating
Billboard
INNOVATIVE
CONCEPTS

DEC-JAN ‘15 SIGN & P.O.P 11
Advertising agency, AMVBBDO, London
revamped the city’s bus shelters into a
vending machine. To introduce the new
flavors of Walkers’ Crisps, PepsiCo Inc. came
up with an incredible idea of ‘Tweet to Eat’.
Commuters at the bus shelters were enticed
to ‘tweet’ to get a free pack of Walker’s
Crisps. What added to the astonishment was
the digital image of a person sitting inside
the machine who was trying to engage
commuters and entertain them to go for the
free trial pack.
A Vending Machine with a ‘Twist’
McDonald’s
Lunchbox-Shaped
Restaurant
Throwing out their super-sized lunch meal idea, McDonald’s
recently came up with a giant-sized lunch box restaurant which was
actually a pop-up kiosk. Touring around different cities of Australia,
this temporary restaurant was opened up to celebrate the launch of
rump steak wrap. The huge-red lunch box had a lid which flips up as
service window to serve the eager customers.
The Chocolate
Pyramid
This festive season, Italian confectionery giant Ferrero along with
experiential agency ‘Vibgyor Brand Services’ crafted a 25 feet long
& 17 feet wide 3D pyramid. As part of the ‘Light up your Diwali with
Gold’ campaign at Ambience Mall, Gurgaon, shoppers were engaged
in personalized experience wherein they got a chance to win limited
edition of Ferrero Rocher T96 Pyramid and other treats.
The chocolate pyramid had a golden base along with a string of lights
running across the whole structure, creating a mesmerizing view.
Shoppers took photographs beside the glowing golden pyramid &
approximately 5,000 personalised pictures were uploaded on social
media platforms.
INNOVATIVE
CONCEPTS

COVERSTORY
Game Changers of
the Indian Sign Industry
CSC O V E R S T O R Y
T
he Indian Sign Industry is going through a transformational phase. The last decade has witnessed several changes that have led to the
organized industry we see of today. From sourcing to manufacturing and end product development, the Indian Sign Industry has adapted to
the changing times and demands with fervor. Technological developments have played a crucial role in causing this transformation as well
as factors like growing retail and infrastructure industry, increasing need of advertising and growing number of MNCs in India that are providing a
further boost to the signage industry.
A distinct change in the functioning of the Indian Sign Industry can be noted in how the industry is slowly moving towards domestic sourcing of
raw materials and manufacturing rather than relying on foreign imports; an aspect that has more or less ruled the market till date. The number of
manufacturing units found in the country has shot up in the recent past and R&D has taken centre stage in most company agendas. Secondly, the
government is concurring with Indian companies to encourage domestic manufacturing by providing subsidies and tax rebates.
If we take a look at some industry statistics, the large format printer market value is expected to reach up to $9171.20 Million at a CAGR of 6.69%
from 2014 to 2020, the inkjet printing market is forecasted to reach $67.3 billion by 2017, revenue from digital display signage systems is expected
to surpass $14 billion in 2014, growth projections for the digital signage market range from the single-digits to more than 40% per year over the
next few years and the market for UV inkjet printed products will reach $15.9 billion by 2018, while the UV inkjet equipment market will double in
size, reaching $1.02 billion, across the same period.
The above mentioned statistics shows a clear leap in various signage-related markets. Sign & POP World reviews the contribution of some of
the top Indian manufacturers that have caused seismic industrial change in the Indian signage industry. Owing to various collective initiatives
undertaken by them, things such as raw materials, inks, flex, CNC routers etc. are now being manufactured in India. Some of the companies that are
worth mentioning are Pioneer Flex, Technova Imaging Systems Private Limited, SRF Limited, Suresh Indu Lasers Pvt. Ltd. Mehta Cad Cam Systems,
Astrojet, QR Flex, Colorjet, Negi Sign Systems & Supplies Co., Trinity Inks and many more.

A reputed name in the signage industry,
ink manufacturer Trinity Inks was established
in 2003 with a key focus on the design and
development of inks. The company is based
in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
According to Mr. Amar Patel, ”When Trinity
Inks was first established, the ink industry
was importing ink from foreign markets. At
present 80% of the total ink industry is now
controlled by Indian manufacturers.”
Over the years,Trinity Inks’ strength has
increased considerably, expanding its
present production capacity with the latest
Indian as well as foreign technologies. Trinity
Inks’ wide product range encompasses:
solvent printing inks, aqueous printing inks,
eco solvent printing inks, and print head
cleaning solutions.
Trinity Inks manufactures eco-friendly base
curable inks using negligible energy, thus
coming of age as an environment friendly
manufacturer
It has grown leaps and bounds in terms
of infrastructure too over the years. It
now boasts of a manufacturing facility, a
fully equipped R&D Centre, state-of-the-
art laboratory, a wide network of sales &
distribution offices across India and an
international marketing office in the U.S.
Trinity’s vision is to cater inks for all type of
solvent machines and eco solvent machines. It is
TRINITY INKS
Mr. Amar Patel
now working towards creating dye sublimation
and reactive inks for the textile market.
The company is planning to expand across
several verticals such as production capacity,
employing technicians, and discovering
dealer markets in remote areas in India.
Email: amar.patel@trinityinks.com
Website: www.trinityinks.com
INKS
Inks are an essential element in the printing process. With a lot of FMCG companies entering the Indian market, the use of inks for signage
printing has also grown exponentially. The different types of inks used for signage printing are solvent printing inks, aqueous printing inks, eco
solvent printing inks etc. that offer high quality visuals and sharp color resolution, greater durability, excellent print quality, light resistance and
water resistance. Several global brands have been dedicatedly doing ink manufacturing in India. Trinity Inks & Aqua Tint Inks are amongst the
popular ink manufacturers in India.
A.T INKS
Mumbai-based ink manufacturer A.T Inks
has been in the business for the past 50
years. Its long stint in the industry makes it a
trusted name and formidable competitor in
the industry today.
Backed by vast experience and heightened
market knowledge, A.T Inks displays
expertise in both impact and non-impact
printing on a number of substrates like
paper, textile, flex, PVC, vinyl, backlit, frontlit,
clear vinyl, reflective media, wet on wet
printing on ceramic glaze tiles etc.
A.T Inks’ commitment to providing the best
solutions in the industry can be amplified
through its state-of-the-art Research and
Development center which is engaged in
developing cutting edge technology in the
area of colors.
Taking a step forward in customer service,
A.T Inks provides its customers with ICC
Email: info@atinks.com
Website: www.atinks.com
profiling service on their machines using A.T
inks to get the precise color gamut as per
their needs. This way the user is tuned to the
exact color gamut the ink can give and this
helps in providing better control over the
quality of printing.
Contact Details
Contact Details
COVERSTORY

Flex & Raw Material
Flex is a sheet of polythene which is widely used to deliver high quality digital print for hoardings and banners. PVC flex plays a crucial role in the
signage and banner advertising. There are two types of PVC flex- front lit flex and backlit flex that are used for applications such as billboards,
indoor & outdoor displays, banners, bus shelters, exhibitions etc. Flex offers a strong structure & is resistant to various chemical solvents and
that’s how it became one of the popular choices for the traditional out-of-home advertising. Pioneer Polyleathers Pvt. Ltd. is the first in India to
manufacturer and offers a range of front lit & backlit signage flex widely used for digital printing of flex banners. Let’s take a glimpse at some of
the leading flex and raw material manufacturers in the Indian signage industry.
PIONEER FLEX
Pioneer is India’s first and one of the
world’s largest integrated manufacturers of
frontlit/backlit flex banner, PVC foam sheet
and self-adhesive vinyl.
Established in 2008, the company has
grown to become the largest player in the
fast growing Digital Media industry. Factors
such as consistent quality, customer service,
customized product and a complete range
to compete with Chinese as well as Korean
high quality products have contributed to
Pioneer’s growth in the market over the years.
Pioneer first started manufacturing frontlit
flex and went on to expand its product
line by introducing backlit flex for outdoor
and indoor signage, vinyl for outdoor/
indoor signage and in-shop branding and
foamboard for printing and pasting vinyl
for all types of signage. The company
introduced the new Celluka Board this
year for the furniture segment and signage
router cutting.
Mr. Vijai Kapoor
The company factory, spread over 10 acres
has multiple production lines for flex banner,
foam sheet, vinyl and reinforcement fabric. It
produces flex banner in different color tones
like bluish, whitish, yellowish, pure white,
and off white.
Pioneer uses imported machines and
technology from Taiwan, Germany, Korea,
and China to bring out quality products for
the international market.
Commenting on the company’s anti-
dumping stance, Mr. Purnendu Kashyap, G.M.
(sales & marketing) says, “Back in the days
flex was imported from China and Korea
and the minimum gsm in the market was
340 gsm. At the time when Pioneer started
production, China started supplying 260 gsm
and started dumping material in India. This
forced Pioneer to support anti dumping.”
Pioneer has a PAN India network and also
exports to various countries. An advantage it
offers its national and international clientele
is low prices made possible through low
cost of Indian manpower and low ocean
freight from India. This has led to Pioneer
successfully capturing the markets of Nepal,
Bangladesh, UAE and Singapore.
Email: sks@pioneerflex.in
Website: www.pioneerflex.in
SRF LIMITED
Mr. Sushil Kapoor
SRF Limited, the erstwhile Shri Ram Fibres
established itself in 1970 as a manufacturer
of nylon tyre cord fibres, becoming one of
the first companies in India to do so.
Over the years, the company expanded
its product line in technical textiles and
also diversified into other businesses like
chemicals, packaging films and engineering
plastics and hence changed the company’s
name to SRF Ltd. Today with a turnover
of around Rs. 4000 crore and a global
workforce of around 5,500, the company is
the market leader in most of its products
in India and also enjoys global leadership
for some of its products such as Nylon 6
Tyre Cord (global no 2) and Belting Fabrics
(global no. 2). Besides, SRF is the only Indian
manufacturer of ozone friendly refrigerant
HFC 134a and polyester tyre cord fabrics.
Known and respected for its indigenous R&D
capability especially in the field of fluorine
chemistry, SRF is well on its way to becoming
a force to reckon with in this segment.
Currently, the focus is on enhancing and
enriching the basket of speciality chemicals
to be able to cater to the increasing demand
Contact Details
COVERSTORY

of all global agro and pharma majors.
In the past, SRF did make a few unrelated
business diversifications into auto
components, finance, IT and healthcare
before deciding to divest them and
concentrate only on its core businesses.
Technical Textiles Business
The Technical Textiles Business continues
to be the largest business segment of SRF
constituting almost half of the total revenue
of the company. The company is also
recognized as the largest manufacturer of
Technical Textiles in India. With a range of
products in its stable, the business caters
to different industries for a wide gamut of
applications.
The Technical Textiles Businesses of SRF
comprises 7 manufacturing plants with two
international operations, one in Thailand and
the second in South Africa. The company
boasts of supplying to most of the global
major players in all its product segments.
Giving a perspective on the business,
Sushil Kapoor, President & CEO, Technical
Textiles Business, SRF, explains, “Building
on our R&D capability, we will continue to
leverage our market leadership to find newer
applications through continuous focus on
product and process innovations.” He further
adds, “The demand for NTCF will continue
despite radialisation of medium and heavy
commercial vehicles.” The growth in the
demand for NTCF, according to him, will
essentially be driven by two-wheeler and off-
the-road vehicles.” As regards future plans,
he says, “As a company we will keep looking
for opportunities to expand in our chosen
area of businesses.”
Research & Development
Committed to providing cutting-edge
solutions to its customers, most of SRF
businesses boast of their own dedicated
R&D centers. The Technical Textiles Research
& Development Center located in Manali
(Tamil Nadu) is a premier institution,
leading the industry through continuous
improvements in technology and processes
for futuristic products. The centre also offers
joint product and process development with
customers, providing them with customised
products to suit their specific requirements.
Green initiatives
SRF recognizes its responsibility to
minimize the impact on the environment
by reducing waste and emissions from its
operations. Reduction of carbon footprints,
energy conservation, water conservation,
replenishment of groundwater and resource
conservation are some of the areas where
the company has been working proactively
to optimize the usage of natural resources.
Corporate Social Responsibility
The company through its social wing,
SRF Foundation, remains committed to
contribute towards the cause of education,
health, vocational skills and affirmative
actions.
Email: mukundtrivedy@gmail.com
Website: www.srf.com
TECHNOVA IMAGING SYSTEMS PRIVATE LIMITED
TechNova Imaging Systems Private Limited
is one of the world’s leading Imaging
Solutions provider company and was
established in 1971. It has been a pioneer
in the graphic imaging industry and offers
complete integrated solutions that include
consumables, systems, software solutions
and services for the print, publishing,
packaging, textile, engineering, cartography,
signage and photo industries. It’s also a
pioneer of the “Go Green” revolution in the
Indian Printing Industry.
TechNova indigenously manufactures its
media at the state-of-art plant located
in Taloja MIDC in India. The decade long
journey for their Digital Print Media
(commonly known as coated substrates)
started with the development of media
for HP aqueous dye printing. With the
back bone of indigenous R&D, TechNova
collaborated with leading hardware
manufacturers to custom design the
full range of media for all printhead
technologies. Today it has the widest
Mr. Thyagarajan Iyer
Contact Details
COVERSTORY

portfolio of inkjet & laser media.
Today its full spectrum of Wide Format
Digital Signage Media consists of Photo
Media, Poster Media, Banner Media,
Backlit Media, Specialty Canvas Media and
Sublimation Media. These media are offered
in a choice of surface finishes (gloss, satin,
matte), in various sizes and thicknesses and
with or without self-adhesive back.
The popular brands under which TechNova
sells its wide format digital signage media
are “NovaJet” & “NovaSign”. The NovaJet
range of media consists of coated media
for aqueous dye & pigment-based inkjet
printing. The NovaSign range of media
consists of media for eco-solvent, solvent,
UV and latex printing.
TechNova markets its widest range of
products both in domestic and international
territories with the objective to suit every
customer’s needs and to match every pocket.
Mr. Thyagarajan Iyer, Chief Operating Officer,
Digital Imaging & Positive Solutions Digital
Print Media states, “We at TechNova are
determined to offer a complete range of
digital media for all printhead technologies
like aqueous dye & pigment, eco-solvent,
solvent, UV, latex and sublimation printing.
This makes it convenient for print service
providers (PSPs) with multiple technology
printers installed, to use a suitable media
for each technology. We at TechNova strive
to offer a variety of media which is not only
consistent in quality and finish but also
comes at an affordable price. TechNova
offers off-the-shelf access to high-quality
media, 24x7 total technical support and
value-added services like color management
assistance, logistics, marketing support and
training.”
Email: chetan@technovaindia.com
Website: www.technovaworld.com
MAX FLEX & IMAGING SYSTEMS LTD.
Max Flex & Imaging Systems Ltd. was
established in the year 2002 and started
off in digital printing consumables; a time
when the market was highly segmented and
unorganized. Over the years it has expanded
its product portfolio by including LED
modules, offset printing chemicals & plates.
Speaking of the market scenario back
then, Mr. Jaspal Singh, Sr. Vice President
– Information Management and Public
Relations, Max Flex and Imaging Systems
Limited says, “Back in 2002 when we started,
the market was completely unorganized with
no national player in place. The market was
controlled only by unorganized players who
had a very limited reach geographically. We
at Max Flex believe that we entered into the
market at the right time as a national player
with a wide variety of products and services
bundled together for the industry. Our target
customers are the printers and convertors
in India, irrespective of their location of
business and their size of operations.”
Max Flex currently employs over 400
professionals and has 21 branches and
3 CNF agents across India. A huge leap
and pride for the company in terms of
infrastructure has been the setting up of a
manufacturing unit at Badlapur.
“The reason for setting up the manufacturing
units is backward integration. We were
importing goods from China and other
countries and it needed us to stock a
higher level of inventory and also forced a
longer lead period for the goods to arrive
at our warehouses. With the manufacturing
Mr. Hitesh Jobalia
facilities in place, we will be able to provide
the goods of the required specifications
immediately upon the orders from the
customers and there will be no lead time
involved and also that the quality will be
completely controlled by us. It will also
extend a cost benefit to us which we would
share with our customers”, says Jaspal Singh.
Max Flex has one of the widest ranges of
signage consumable products in India. Its
product portfolio consists of: Flex, vinyl,
sunboards, sunpacs, lamination films, wall
papers, wall-graffiti media, offset printing
chemicals and plates, LED lighting solutions
and more.
At the forefront of pushing the possibilities
of media technology, Max introduced two
outstanding products this year: the Max
Wall-Graffiti Media and Max Vinyl and Max
Lamination Films which are manufactured in
its factory at Badlapur, Maharashtra.
“We have over the years worked with a
mission of being a ‘one-stop-shop’ for
the signage industry in India. Living with
this mission, we always look forward to
introducing new products into the market,
thus enabling our customers to buy all their
printing and signage consumables needs
from us directly and not feel the need to find
multiple suppliers for different products,”
says Jaspal Singh.
In 2009, Max was awarded the “Excellence
Award” as a certificate of excellence in
productivity, quality, innovation and
management by the Institute of Economic
Studies, New Delhi.
Email: jaspal@maxflex.in
Website: www.maxflex.in
Contact Details
Contact Details
COVERSTORY

NAVRATAN SPECIALTY CHEMICALS LLP
Navratan Specialty Chemicals LLP was
established in 2012 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
and has become the most sought-after
brand in in the Indian signage industry
today. It produces both frontlit and backlit
flex available in economy grade as well as in
premium grade under its brand Megasign
which is one of the leading flex brands
available Pan India.
It recently launched PVC self adhesive vinyl Email: suresh@navratanllp.com
Web: www.navratanllp.com
JINDAL SPECIALTY TEXTILE LTD.
A subsidiary of Jindal Cortex Ltd (JCL),
Jindal Specialty Textile Ltd is a leading
manufacturer of PVC laminated products for
boats, trucks & tarpaulin.
JSTL’ main product line is PVC laminated
product, front banner fabric, backlit banner
fabric, and inflatable fabric for boats. The
annual capacity of its plant is 20000 TPA.
R&D: The Company’s R&D lab is fully
computerized and equipped with the latest
hi-tech quality control gadgets like Evenness
Tester, Hvi Spin Lab, Classidata, Fibre
Contamination Testers, Hairiness Tester and
other various quality control tools. The R&D
lab is also equipped with knitting to ensure
the finest quality during end use.
Email: info@jindalspecialty.com
Website: www.jindalspecialty.com
Signage Machinery
In today’s scenario, the booming Indian market and exhaustive list of signage applications calls for an advanced, highly specialized and user
friendly technology. This is where machinery & equipments plays a major role to boost the industry in a big way. Various Indian and international
signage machinery manufacturers are collaborating to produce supreme quality products.
Since, signage making is a complex process; the whole production cycle demands a specialized set of machinery to deliver a good quality
‘signage’ as an outcome. Machines like CNC Router, digital inkjet UV curable flatbed printers, solvent/eco solvent printers etc. are the major tools
that are generally used in the signage manufacturing process. Corporate giants like Colorjet, Arrow Digital, Apsom Infotex, EtchCut are some of
the leading Indian brands that deal in machinery manufacturing and are going places, thanks to their technology & innovations. Following is a
preview of some of these companies.
COLORJET
Mr. Sultan Singh
Colorjet India Limited was established
in the year 2005 with a vision to deliver
the highest quality products and services
to the digital inkjet printing fraternity.
Continuing the journey with the same
zeal and an indefatigable spirit, Colorjet
has established its products for print in
multiple market segments. Today, the
company has an impressive portfolio of
products. For the signage industry, Colorjet
is the premium supplier of entry level
and the higher performance printers- The
Neptune and Polo.
The company’s diversification into the fabric
print industry has yielded rich dividends.
Colorjet offers both direct to fabric as well
as the transfer technology solutions to the
discerning and demanding buyers. To add to
this rich portfolio, Colorjet has released the
digital inkjet UV curable flatbed printers for
serving the rigid print requirements.
The rich spectrum of products includes
signage- fabric and rigid that helped
Colorjet achieve a dominant share in the
Indian and South Asian markets.
Talking about the success of the company,
Mr. Sultan Singh said, “We owe this success
entirely to our clients who have supported
Contact Details
Contact Details
COVERSTORY
Mr. Lalit Patel
available in gloss and matt and PVC form
board ranging from 2mm to 10mm and
plans to launch hot laminated UV stabilized
material soon.
Navratan obtained the ISO certification for
quality standard this year.

our endeavors and projects with their
indubitable faith in our products, promoted
by our business partners and supported
by our untiring support team who has
seen Colorjet reach greater heights every
Email: sales@colorjetindia.com
Web: www.colorjetindia.com
successive year. Colorjet sees a huge
potential in the marketplace for its existing
supplies. Colorjet will continue to strive
to use the latest technologies in its R&D
to further develop products of greater
Contact Details
COVERSTORY
IDEA FACTORY EQUIPMENTS PVT. LTD.
Starting with a small unit in a 100 sq. feet
room and stretching up to 40,000 sq feet
area within 7 years, is the journey worth
traveled by Idea Factory Equipments Pvt.
Ltd. “Etchcut”, a brand of Idea Factory,
has the widest range of automated metal
etching and cutting machines which can
etch and through-cut any metal up to 1.2
mm with precision. 100% made in India,
these machines give the production
cost of 70 paise per square inch and is
known for its hairline precision cutting,
which is unmatchable with any laser or
water jet technology. Idea Factory has
been catering to the signage and export
industry since 2004.
The company offers low-cost etching
machines and rapid exposure technology
(only 12 Volt as compared to bigger
exposure machines). All the machines are
patented and use branded electrical spare
parts that are easily available across India.
Mr. Ajay Wadhwa, Director of Possibilities,
Idea Factory said, “The USP of Idea Factory
is high precision and exposure received
in addition to the low-maintenance cost.
The company’s etching unit is based on
spindle jet etching technology which is
Mr. Ajay Wadhwa
relevance and usage”.

SURESH INDU LASERS PVT.LTD.
Suresh Indu Lasers was conceived by
Dr. Suresh Shah, a world-renowned Laser
scientist (ranked among the top Laser
research fellows, since 1975). He has been
involved in the designing and production
of Laser systems for various industrial and
research applications. Suresh Indu Lasers
was established by Dr. Suresh Shah in 1990.
With SIL, his mission was to bring engraving,
marking and cutting systems, based on
Lasers and allied technology to a wide range
of clients and verticals. Today, the company
is one of the leading manufacturers of laser
engraving, cutting, marking systems, CNC
metal laser cutting systems and welding
laser systems in India.
The company has a registered office and
two manufacturing units located in Pune.
The company’s new branch office is situated
in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The 20 year old
journey of SIL can be summed up as follows-
• ISO 9001:2008 Certified company as well
as a CE Mark company.
• Launched industry’s first low-cost entry-
level C02
laser engraving & cutting sys
tem: Yag Marking Systems
• Laser marking systems
• Pulsed YAG welding systems Economical
Dr. Suresh Shah
COVERSTORY
Email: info@etchcut.com
Web: www.etchcut.com
Contact Details
used in high-end machines only. Since the
machines are compact, they are suitable for
installing in shops.”
Products
Idea Factory offers 18 models of chemical
etching & cutting machines catering to the
signage industry for PCB etching, metal
cutting & chemical etching. Some of the
popular machines from the brand are Rapid
Etcher, Rapid Exposure, Color Plus, Dual Jet
Etching machine, Electroforming machines,
Stripping machines and Etching line.
Achievements
• EtchCut is currently exporting to 22
countries worldwide
• Received an award from Ambassador
of UAE in 2013 among 19 participating
countries
• The company shares platform with
international leaders of the sign industry
like Mimaki, GCC and many others.
• Famous designer Rohit Bal’s showroom
was designed using EtchCut Technology
The company has a production capacity
of twenty machines every month. EtchCut
regularly receives foreign clients in their
manufacturing facility. EtchCut machines are
used for applications in various industries
like jewelry, signage, wedding cards,
corporate gifts, awards, business cards etc.

MACART EQUIPMENTS PVT. LTD.
Macart Equipments Pvt. Ltd. (MPEL) is
the only inkjet equipment manufacturing
company in India. It was established in the
year 2000 under the strong vision of Mr. Atul
Gandhi. The company is headquartered in
Pune, India and has two manufacturing units
with a modern R&D center specialized for
designing high quality inkjet printers for sign
industry and other industrial applications.
The company has a dedicated team of more
than fifty qualified engineers across India
along with a strong sales & service network
so as to reach every nook & corner of the
demand-supply chain.
The company has a lot to offer from its kitty
of endless services for the sign, decorative
and packaging industry. The main products
include flex printing, wallpaper printers,
curtain printer, UV label printers, water-
based label printer, box jet corrugated
box, sheet printer and variable data
printers. Apart from RIP softwares, inks and
electronic kits, the company also offers
hi-end electronic equipments. Macart has
undertaken various product development
projects in digital printing and inkjet printing
application using its powerful VLSI and
embedded-based technologies.
Throughout its highly successful growth
years, Macart has developed several
products related to inkjet printing. The
company is OEM’s of Xaar UK, Fujifilm
Dimatix USA, Seiko Japan, Kyocera Japan,
Konica Minolta Japan, Fujifilm Sericol UK
and Toyo inks Japan. MEPL has supplied
thousands of printers to various print
houses, advertising agencies and sign
makers across the country.
Email: sales@macartworld.com
Web: www.macartworld.com
Contact Details
Britomatics Group, a leading solution
provider in wide-format digital technology
was established in 1995. The company
envisions being a world-class company in
providing innovative and technologically
advanced solutions & services for the
commercial graphics industry.
Milestones
1995: Established headquarters in New
Delhi, India
1998: Set up delivery centers for adhesive
tapes partnering with Beirsdorf AG and 3M
2000: Introduced outdoor printing substrate
from Star Flex, Korea in Indian signage
market
2004: Opened state-of-the-art R&D center
and factory in Greater Noida along with
its 1st
international office in Singapore to
support the South East Asia & Middle East/
Africa market
2005: Became one of the first XAAR OEM
partner in India
2007: Became one of the first Spectra OEM
partner in India.
2008: Became one of the first Konica OEM
partner in India.
2009: Opened its office in Chicago, USA to
support North America and Latin America
market
2009: Established state-of-the art large
format equipment manufacturing facility in
Shanghai, China
COVERSTORY
BRITOMATICS INDIA PVT. LTD.CSC O V E R S T O R Y
laser cutting systems
• High-speed laser cutting machines
Popular Products
Over the last 20 years, SIL has developed
larger sized, low-power-consumption laser
systems. The company has expanded their
product Iine to offer the latest marking and
cutting systems that integrate the most
advanced laser source technology.
• Laser engraving & cutting machine- Large
format, small & medium format
• Laser marking machine- Fiber Laser Mark
ing Machine, CO2
Laser Marking Machine
• CO2
laser metal cutting machine
• Fiber Laser metal cutting machine
• Nd YAG : Laser spot welding machine
• Nd YAG : Laser welding machine
• YAG Laser metal cutting machine
• Die-board Laser cutting machine
• CNC router
• Laser cladding machine
• Laser optics
• CNC metal laser cutting systems
• Welding laser systems
New Launches
SIL is all set to launch new products in the
market. These include- CNC router NAMO
1325 and Fiber Laser Metal Cutting Machine
F-3015.
Contact Details
Email: sales@silasers.com;
laserever@hotmail.com; vshah@silasers.com
Web: www.silasers.com
The company has been in the laser
business longer than anyone else in the
Indian market. The huge number of laser
installations backs the fact for seemingly
endless applications of the machinery. SIL’s
systems are used both within India, as well
as in the global markets. The company has a
strong network of suppliers and distributors
who offer endless support to the customers.
SIL is known for implementing new and
useful features that enhance the customers’
ability to work more efficiently and gain
higher profits.
Mr. Atul C. Gandhi
Mr. Sumit Dev

Britomatics Middle East was established to
support Middle East and African market
2011: Britomatics America Inc. became
official OEM partners for Seiko Printeck Inc.
Product Range
With a wide gamut of products related to
wide format technology including inkjet
printers, print heads, inks and related
consumables for commercial graphics
industry, Britomatics have come a long way.
Some of the popular products from the Email: arjundev@indiasigns.com
Web: www.indiasigns.com
Contact Details
COVERSTORY
company are-
Printers
Konica: Britejet 3304/3308 KB (KM 512/42),
Britejet 3304/3308 KB (KM 512/14)
Sepctra: Britejet 330 SW+, Britejet 330
Polaris (15 PI)]
Xaar: Britejet 3308 B+/330 Speedy, Britejet
3304/3308 PB (Proton 382/35)
Seiko: Britejet 3304/3308 SB
Printheads
Xaar: Printhead Xaar 126, 128, 500
Spectra: Spectra Nova JA 256/80 AAA,
Spectra SE-128 AA, Spectra SL-128 AA,
Spectra SM-128 AA, Spectra Skywalker JA
128/50, Spectra Galaxy JA 256/50 AAA,
Spectra Galaxy JA 256/80 AAA
Konica: Konica Minolta 512 14pl/42pl
LOTUS PRINTERS PRIVATE LIMITED
Lotus printers have earned a name for
themselves as one of the leading presses in
Bengaluru. The company was established
in the year 1969 and caters to a wide
spectrum of national & international
software & hardware companies, educational
institutions, research organization,
advertising agencies, financial institutes and
government organizations.
The company serves its customers right from
designing to printing stage. With years of
expertise, constant upgradation of printing
infrastructure coupled with induction of new
techniques, Lotus Printers offers a perfect
blend of highest parameters of printing
technology, creative implementation and
quality. The company is in the list of offset
printers in India and supplies the best offset
printing services in the country.
Email: info@lotusprinters.com
Web: www.lotusprinters.com
Contact Details

CONCLUSION
By charting the journey of some of the many established companies in the Indian signage market today, it can be established that the move to
domestic manufacturing has effectively contributed to the Indian economy and resolved numerous issues that have been plaguing industry players
so far. Some of the aspects that have resulted in positive measures due to domestic manufacturing include: reduction in the import bill, better after-
sales service, fewer addressable issues regarding complaint of foreign products and increased competitiveness in the domestic market.
We’ll continue to elucidate on the transformation of the signage industry in India in the next issue as well by featuring a few more game changers
that have played an imperative role in shaping the industry as it stands today.
COVERSTORY
NEGI SIGN SYSTEMS & SUPPLIES CO.
Negi Sign Systems & Supplies is a
renowned company that deals in distribution
of wide-format printing with high-
quality hardware, software, consumables
and finishing solutions since 1995. The
printers, sublimation transfer printers, direct
sublimation printers, direct reactive printers,
cutting plotters etc. The company offers a
wide range of printing inks under the name
‘PZO Inks’. These inks are used for eco-
solvent printers, Xaar Head, Konica Head,
Spectra Head, Spectra Polariz Head and
textile inks such as reactive dye, acid dye, &
disperse dye.
The company is in partnership with
industry’s key strategic printer manufacturers
like Mutoh Japan (Exclusive distributor
since 1995). NAC Online, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Negi Sign Systems & Supplies
Co. (NAC) is an innovative concept by the
company to serve the OOH graphic needs.
There are more than 200 authorized set-ups
across India.
Email: sales@negisign.com
Web: www.negisign.com
Contact Details
MEHTA CAD CAM SYSTEMS PVT. LTD.
Established in the year 1987, Mehta Cad
Cam Systems is one of the oldest companies
in the signage industry. The founder of
the company, Mr. Shailesh Mehta says that,
“The success of the business is powered by
its people and principles that defines the
company”.
Infrastructure
The company has a well trained staff of
electronics engineers, software engineers,
marketing team and administration staff that
are assets to the company. Spread across
10,000 square feet of area, the company’s
headquarter is located in Ahmedabad and
possess in-house demonstration room
with a wide range of machinery for training
purposes. There are 23 branch offices
across India in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai,
Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Patna,
Ludhiana, Nagpur, Indore, Lucknow, Jaipur,
Cochin, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Surat, Pune,
Raipur, Jodhpur, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Ranchi,
Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Hubli and Vizag.
Dilse (India) Pvt. Ltd. is the sister concern of
Mehta Cad Cam that deals with new items
& consumables in the field of gift industry,
trophies, awards & mementos.
The company mainly deals in wide format
hybrid UV flatbed printer, digital solvent
printer, vinyl cutting plotters, CNC engraving
& router machine, laser engraver, laser
cutting machine, digital flat bed printer,
acrylic polishing machine, CNC mould
making machine, thermocol cutting machine,
counter top tool engraving & marking
machine. Mehta Cad Cam now manufactures
CNC routers in India.
Super Wide UV Flatbed Printers, CNC
Engraving & Router Machine, Laser Engraver-
Mercury III, U-Marq Counter Top Tooling
Engraving and Marking Machine are their
upcoming products.
Mr. Shailesh Mehta
Email: sales@mehtaindia.com
Web: www.mehtaindia.com
Contact Details
Mr. G. S. Negi
company caters to a multitude of verticals
and application segments like sign &
graphic industry, textile printing industry,
architectural segment, and ceramic
industry through its wide range of printers.
The company has a manufacturing unit in
Dehradun under the brand Negijet Solvent
& Textile Printers for assembling printers
in India.
With state-of-the-art facilities at their
unit, Negi Sign Systems has a lot to offer
to the industry. Their products include
water-based solvent, eco-solvent printers,
digital textile printers, UV printers, ceramic

COVERSTORY

‘Fixing’ with Panache!
I
n an attempt to come up with an
innovative strategy to promote Dr. Fixit,
a popular waterproofing brand, MOMS
Outdoor reached out to ‘Mumbaikars’ in one
of their favourite modes of transport- auto
rickshaws. Going with the theme of fixing
the water dripping problem, MOMS used
an OOH advertising strategy which fits the
situation and the brand concept aptly.
PROJECT CONCEPTUALIZATION
Dr. Fixit, a waterproofing solution from
Pidilite Industries, is relevant in the cities
especially in the season of monsoons. It is
a one-stop solution for waterproofing key
CASESTUDY
Campaign Title:
‘Paani Roke’
Advertising Agency:
MOMS Outdoor Media Solutions
Location:
Mumbai, India
problem areas in 4 easy steps especially
in new homes. To bring this USP to the
consumers, the team at MOMS hit upon an
innovative yet simple to execute campaign
i.e. branded auto rickshaw flaps.
SOLUTION
Since, auto rickshaws are one of the most
popular modes of transport in Mumbai,
it was considered as the focal point of
advertising the brand while reaching out to
the masses. The campaign involved installing
branded flaps on the sides of a thousand
auto rickshaws in order to keep out the
rains. The flaps carried the brand logo and
the waterproofing message along with the
contact details facilitating a call for action.
This idea not only had a utility value similar
to the brand promise of waterproofing
homes, but also generated awareness and
curiosity about the brand- ‘Dr. Fixit’.
The bright yellow color of the brand goes
well with the peculiar color of an auto,
branding it distinctly, catching the eyes
against the auto rickshaw background,
creating quite an impact on passengers and
onlookers alike.
EXECUTION
Various auto rickshaws plying in different
areas of the city such as Andheri East,
Thane, Sion, Juhu, Borivali & Chembur were
targeted to ensure sufficient geographical
spread. The focus was to bring in the brand
under the limelight with maximum number
of people watching it, creating brand identity
and popularity. The campaign was smoothly
implemented in a short span of 4-5 days.
RESULT
Begun on 8th
August, this campaign, set
to run for a month, has already grabbed
eyeballs with its ‘Paani Roke’ message. The
medium itself emphasises the message
superbly. The simple, yet effective execution
has successfully created huge awareness
amongst the consumers and enhanced the
brand promise of Dr. Fixit waterproofing.

Drone-vertising-
Hit ‘n’ Miss or Here to Stay?
T
he number of innovative marketing
strategies that are rolled out every
year are innumerable and while most
fall flat, others rise to the occasion and
become trendsetters. A new advertising
medium that is causing quite a shocking
sensation is ‘Drone advertising’. Far from
the conventional, this hi-tech advertising
medium has attracted mixed reactions.
WHAT ARE DRONES?
Drones are unmanned aircraft systems
(UAS) most commonly used for military
applications. Experts have cited a large
OOHADVERTISING
INDIA
The Mumbai-based pizza outlet became
the country’s first to run an experimental
test-delivery using a drone. A viral video
showing a four-rotor drone delivering a
pizza to an apartment in a high-rise building
caused much excitement for the public but
unfortunately didn’t go down well with the
Mumbai police.
At present, there are certain restrictions
on the regulatory front such as a drone is
not allowed to fly above 400 feet altitude
and is also barred from flying over security
establishments. However, there are no laws
in place regarding the flying of drones.
Even though the experiment was a great
success, the company still needs to
overcome a number of technical difficulties
like a limited operating radius of 8 km after
which the batteries go dry, and limited load
capacity.
The American Federal Aviation Authority’s
regulations on usage of drones, expected
to be announced next year will greatly help
clear the stance on drone flying in India for
commercial purposes.
growth in areas related to private work
such as field inspections, surveillance of
construction sites or the investigation of
hurricanes. However, advertising is one area
that is excitedly tapping into this medium all
over the world.
THE GREY AREA
There has been a whole lot of debate on
whether it is legal to operate UAV’s but
since the technology is still new and open
to multiple possibilities, there are still no
concrete regulations that define how UAVs
can be used.
A main concern for authorities is the safety
and the breach of privacy if unmanned,
remote-operated drones with built-in
cameras fly unregulated in cities.
DRONES TAKE TO INTERNATIONAL
SKIES
Amazon was the first big company to
announce the drone delivery business
model. Entrepreneurs and Ad agencies
inspired by the concept went on to test the
unknown waters by making drone deliveries.
Here’s a look at some of them:
Francesco Pizzeria flies high
A new advertising medium that is causing quite a shocking
sensation is ‘Drone advertising’. Far from the conventional,
this hi-tech advertising medium has attracted mixed
reactions.

OOHADVERTISING
RUSSIA
When noodle company Wokker wanted to
draw the attention of potential customers
and raise the number of orders from a
number of local business centers, creative
agency Hungry Boys came up with an
unusual route by taking its advertising to the
skies with the help of drones.
Hungry Boys utilized ten drones as a
squadron of aerial billboards in Russia’s
first “drone-vertising” campaign, targeting
Moscow’s financial district and promoting
lunches to busy office workers in tower
blocks.
The drone-vertising technique proved
successful with 40% up in sales in the
campaign areas.
SINGAPORE
As part of Coke’s international campaign
called “Where Will Happiness Strike Next?”,
2,500 migrant workers working atop
Singapore’s high-rises were given a pleasant
surprise when several drones dropped off
Coke cans tied with photos of Singaporeans
holding messages of support. Coca Cola
took the help of ad agency Ogilvy & Mather
Singapore and non-profit organization
Singapore Kindness Movement to create a
memorable drone experience.
AUSTRALIA
Under Google’s Project Wing, ‘self-flying
vehicles’ are being used to deliver goods.
The company’s Project Wing team tested
the technology in Australia using drones to
make deliveries to farmers in Queensland
who received radios, water, first-aid kits,
cattle vaccines, dog treats and candy bars.
Project Wing is being developed by Google
X, a division of Google that works on secret
cutting-edge technology and research.
Google’s drone strategy will also be critical in
pushing the Federal Aviation Administration
to establish a viable commercial airspace
structure for drones.
NOVEL IDEA OR JUST A FLIGHT OF FANTASY?
It is clear that aerial advertising has its advantages and drones have exclusive access to advertising spaces no other message can reach. Just how
feasible is it to make it legal is still up for serious debate.
From national security to equipment malfunction, unmanned aerial vehicles may come cheap but are heavy on repercussions. How far is too far when
it comes to pushing the envelope in OOH advertising? We’ll have to wait and see where aviation authorities decide to draw the line on this one.
Wokker’s campaign reminds workers it’s lunch time
Coke drones visit workers at skyscrapers in Singapore
Farmers delight in Google’s drone delivery system

INTERNATIONAL
CASESTUDY
Corporate Communication-
The Digital Way
Client: CROC
Location: Russia
Domain: Corporate Communications
Products Used: Digital Engine DE67-HA
D
igital signage has become a common
mode of corporate communication
across the world. This dynamic
mode of communication is not only fast and
flexible in terms of message transactions but
is interactive and versatile. It reaches to a
large group of audience in a snap of a finger.

iNTERNATIONAL
CASESTUDY
Following the global trend of digitization,
CROC, a leading systems integrator in
Russia (the number one systems integrator
according to IDC reports 2002-2013) gave
a swift makeover to its entire premises with
AOPEN Digital Engine media players that
were used to control information displays
across the office building.
THE CONCEPT-EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT
With an intention to improve staff
involvement in corporate projects
and improve communication between
departments, the concept of digital signage
was conceived by the management. Nearly
twelve digital screens located in elevator
halls on three most crowded floors were
used to display important information. These
screens give an insight into the company
news, upcoming events, staff programs, etc.
In a way, these signage are also used as a
tool to give office visitors an insight into the
company’s activities.
FINDING THE RIGHT SOLUTION
Initially, the 12 displays installed in the
elevator halls were controlled by regular
PC’s which were hidden in the ceiling panels
above each display; after six months, the
company’s IT department had to replace
them because of a failure as technicians had
to take a double ladder and reboot control
devices manually ‘above the ceiling’.
There was an urgent need to find a more
reliable and manageable solution. Hence,
CROC decided to install AOPEN Digital
Engine media players (DE67-HA) across the
premises. These are designed for 24/7 usage
under constant load. These systems allow
for automatic rebooting in case of error, to
ensure minimized down time.
PRODUCT USED
Digital Engine DE67-HA
The digital signage installed at the CROC
building used highly-efficient Digital
Engine DE67-HA that made information
transaction much easier, raising the
employee engagement level. With the

growing demand for dynamic interactive
apps such as video conferencing, social
media, interactive menu boards, kiosks, HD
movies and many more powerful, content
heavy applications, the DE67-HA(I) allows
one to stay ahead of the curve. Aimed at
those with the most demanding multimedia
and computational workloads, the DE67-HA
(I) provides stunning performance and razor
sharp graphics to intensify the computing
experience. The versatile design of the DE67-
HA (I) provides:
• Flexible integration opportunities, thanks
to a unique small form factor
• Ultra reliable hardware with 24/7
operability
• Energy-efficient green computing
• Long life cycle
• High performance full HD 1080p content
playback
RESULT
Easy Content Management
The Human Resources and Marketing
Department of the company submit content
to the project support service consisting of
two technical specialists who manage the
content using software of YCD multimedia.
These tools provide the possibility to create
display schedules and playlists controlled
on a centralized basis, with content
automatically delivered to specific displays in
the network. All this is done in real time.
Cost-efficiency
Since, the information displayed on the
screens comprises of complex content, the
network set up required powerful CPU and
graphics controllers. AOPEN Digital Engine
was an ideal choice as it offered reliability
and cost-effectiveness.
Functionality
The system automatically shuts down for
the weekend and at night, saving up to 30%
on energy. Over the long term, this power
efficiency combined with hardware reliability
represents even more cost savings compared
to commercial PC’s. On top of that, AOPEN
devices reduce total cost of ownership by
minimizing failure percentages.
ABOUT AOPEN INC.
Founded in 1996, AOPEN is a leading global
electronics manufacturer, specializing in
multi-platform, ultra-small form factor
computing for both home and business,
with a focus on digital signage. AOPEN
welcomes a wide range of different partners,
from hardware to software and services, to
enhance its full solution offerings. Part of
the Wistron group, AOPEN has a presence
in over 100 countries. AOPEN’s customers
and partners range from governments and
financial institutions to retailers, retail design
firms, strategic consultants and branding
agencies.
For more information visit: www.aopen.com
INTERNATIONAL
CASESTUDY

SIGNAGE
Soft Signage:
Is the Indian
Market Ready?
S
oft signage are signage or display graphics that are printed
on a fabric or textile-based substrate that are used with an
intention of advertising or promoting a product. The material
used in soft signage eliminates the need of hard substrates like PVC
or vinyl which are cumbersome as compared to fabrics.
Marketing tools such as roll ups, tablecloths and covering, ceiling,
wall-mounted and freestanding signage are some of the common
indoor applications of soft signage. Expanding its presence,
variations like backdrops, flags & pennants, hanging banners, rally
banners, fence and building wraps etc. are adding on to the growth
spurts of outdoor soft signage market.

SIGNAGE

MARKET FOR SOFT SIGNAGE
The blooming textile & fabric printing
industry is supporting the soft signage
market by acting as a precursor to initiate
the popularity and growth of these softer,
lighter and eco-friendly marketing media.
Today, nearly 70% of the entire digitally
printed textiles comprise the soft signage
market, and this includes fabric often found
in retail spaces, trade show graphics and
seasonal promotions.
Although, soft signage is a non-traditional
medium of textile applications, it is one of
the fastest growing areas of digital printing.
Different forms of soft signage include
backdrops, flags & pennants, freestanding
banners, giant flags and bow flags, hanging
banners, light pole banners, parade banners,
table covers etc.
ADVANTAGES
Some of the astonishing benefits of
soft signage include easy storage, more
professional, out-of-the-box promotional
ideas, reusability, light-weight and easy
transportation & maintenance.
When printed on polyester or canvas, soft
signage can create innovative, upscale and
delicate visual effects which can create
wonders if used for promotion in retail.
These are flexible, durable, easily folded and
hence, can be assembled really fast & easily.
They can be reused at multiple events hence,
reducing the cost.
APPLICATIONS
The applications are never-ending
when it comes to soft-signage. Whether
its architectural signage, in stadiums,
airports, shopping malls, designer/fashion
stores, showrooms or retail outlets, soft
signage can be used anywhere to create
a perfect atmosphere especially in festive
season, during sports championships or
just to add to the décor. Being easy on
maintenance, installation and removal,
soft signage has proved to have an
immediate, positive impact on the sales.
Since, these can be hung with the ceiling,
wall-mounted or freestanding depending
upon the requirements and aesthetics of the
surroundings, their acceptability, usage and
buying possibility is extremely high.
MEDIA
A wide variety of media including cotton,
polyester blends, satin-finish polyester and
cotton are used for creating soft signage.
Although polyester is the most common
media used for soft signage, new materials
with special features like ‘universal coating’
to support varied inks types with improved
ink adhesion or different types of weaves
with small or bigger gaps to lightweight,
semi-transparent fabric or heavy/opaque
fabrics. Fabrics with special qualities like
greater stretch, flame-retardant or special
coatings are also available in the market that
is used in case of any special requirements.
• The total textile printing market is valued at $43 billion with digital printing
accounting for around 1.5% (645 million m2).
• The digital textile printing is progressively growing worldwide and volumes are
expected to grow to 1.4 billion m2 by 2017.
• The Indian digital textile printing output was between 30-40 million m2 and is
estimated to grow at 29% annually to become 75-98 m2 by 2017.
• In both high & low end markets, 3/4th output on dedicated roll-to-roll textile
printers is soft signage & 1/4th is the other apparel related output.
SIGNAGE

PRINTING TECHNIQUE USED
Digital printing has added wonders to
the applicability and has expanded the
usage of this media in a wide gamut of
application areas. The two main processes
that are generally used for creating soft
signage i.e. textile based substrates are
direct-to-fabric and dye-sublimation. Apart
from these 2 main techniques, there are
ample of ink technologies like UV, solvent/
low-solvent and aqueous etc. that can be
used to produce soft signage. Here are
some snapshots of the popular soft signage
printers by the leading companies.
Colorjet’s Transjet
Built on industrial grade drop-on-demand
print heads from Konica Minolta of 14PL,
the printer is available in 4 colors. It is
completely odorless & offer applications
such as soft signs, banners, point-of-sale and
flags, wall coverings and furnishings. Some
of its main features are-
• Gravity-fed negative pressure ink supply
• Pressure purge for individual color
• Curing enhancement-pre & print heater
• Digital PID temperature control system
• Auto take-up system with deviation
control
EFI Vutek TX 32050r (USA)
A dye-sublimation printer with high
productivity, high quality output and
application versatility, Vutek TX 32050r
is perfect to fulfill the growing demands
of the soft signage and digital textile
printing.
Mutoh’s Valuejet 1624W
Aimed at start-up companies, the latest
addition in the range of Mutoh (BE) soft
signage printer, the Valuejet 1624W is a 1,
6 m transfer printer with 8-channel head
technology and a speed range from 9-38
m/h.
SIGNAGE

Agfa Graphics Ardeco 3308 & 3312
The Ardeco 3308 and 3312 is a state-
of-the art, high-end roll-to-roll inkjet
printer for soft signage applications. It
is designed for the production of high
quality polyester-based textile signage
and displays for indoor and outdoor
applications. It combines an advanced
sublimation capabilities (integrated in-
built calendar unit) with a highly accurate
textile transport system. It’s calendaring
capability printer results in an end-to-end
system of all soft signage output and
doesn’t require any additional fixation or
finishing option.
HP Scitex LX Printer series
HP Scitex LX Printer series is compatible
with a wide range of commercially available
media. The main applications include
POP/POS, interior decoration, exhibition
graphics banners, event banners, flags etc.
Special features include-
• A single system for both soft and
traditional signage
• Excellent quality on a wide range of
polyester fabrics
• Produce odorless prints (ideal for indoor
soft signage)
• No special ventilation is required
• Environment-friendly
With numerous printing solutions floating
in the global soft signage market, the Indian
sector is not far behind in catching up the
wave. Marco Boer, IT Strategies said, “It
is now possible to say that digital textile
printing has achieved breakthrough success
in soft signage and production apparel
printing. Vendor revenues for dedicated
systems and ink for digital printing of
textiles have come close to $1 billion and
are growing at 16%.” Giving his point of view
on the industry, Hary Gandy, CEO, Gandy
Digital commented, “With an average global
growth rate of around 10%, the soft signage
market represents a significant opportunity
for large format customers.” The booming
Indian market especially the textile sector
has opened up new avenues and business
opportunities like never before. Marketing
benefits, technologically advanced printing
solutions, innumerable options and wider
application sectors makes soft-signage a
potential market.
SIGNAGE

CASESTUDY
Gionee’s Slimmest
Phone Goes Big with
JCDecaux
Client: Gionee Communication
Equipment Co. Ltd
Brand: Gionee Smartphones
Advertising Agency: JCDecaux
India
Location: New Delhi
G
ionee Smartphones, a global
leader in mobile innovation
recently launched India’s slimmest
smartphone- the Gionee Elife S5.5 in March
this year. The company recently collaborated
with JCDecaux to showcase the new
smartphone on larger than life displays in
Delhi.
CLIENT BRIEF &
CONCEPTUALISATION
The core focus of the creative was on the
phone’s design and that it had to stand out
in a clutter free environment.
Acting on the client’s brief, JCDecauxMr. Arvind Vohra, Gionee Mr. Olivier Héroguelle, MD, JCDecaux
Shivaji Stadium

CASESTUDY
suggested two humongous glass facades,
one of which is believed to be the largest
format of its kind in India. The glass
facades would help Gionee Smartphones
in creating larger than life displays in the
city environment and the strategic locations
would give the brand a wide visibility.
EXECUTION
The campaign which kick-started in Delhi in
July and is being run on the two premium
glass facades at Shivaji Stadium Metro
Station and Dhaula Kuan Metro Station; both
on the Airport Express Line managed by
JCDecaux India.
Positioning Gionee Elife S5.5 as the slimmest
phone in the world to commuters driving
along the key connectivity stretches, the
campaign also promotes the hashtag
#morethanslim for customer engagement &
mobile interactivity.
In addition to the large displays, Gionee
is also currently running a campaign on
JCDecaux Citylights at premium locations
such as the Nelson Mandela Marg &
Sujan Singh Park in South Delhi to further
amplify its brand visibility.
RESULT
Commenting on the association, Arvind
Vohra, Gionee says, “Our most recent
campaign with JCDecaux, has actually been
extremely effective and successful. The
creative was optimized for outdoor with core
focus on the phone’s design and we wanted
it to stand out in a clutter free environment.
The mega branding executed at both the
facades was an absolute answer to our
objective”.
Speaking about the campaign, Olivier
Héroguelle , Managing Director, JCDecaux
says, “We cater to an audience which is
always on the go and same is the TG for
smartphones. This campaign has been
an exciting opportunity in bringing their
target audience closest to their brand
with maximum brand visibility at the most
prominent media.”
About Gionee
Established in 2002, Gionee Communication
Equipment Co. Ltd is a hi-tech company
engaging in mobile device designing,
R&D, manufacturing, sales in international
markets, and mobile internet application
services. Today, Gionee sells over 23 million
handsets per year worldwide and ranks
No.10 in the world by smartphone market
share.
About JCDecaux India
JCDecaux India is a leading out-of-home
player in the market since it was established
in 2006. Its continuously expanding portfolio
consists of world class advertising formats
both in Street Furniture and Transport
vertical, making it the most diversified Out-
of-Home network in India.
To know more about JCDecaux, please visit:
www.jcdecaux.com
Nelson Mandela Marg Crossing

EventCoverage
Media Expo Kolkata:
A Lucrative Platform for the
Eastern Market
T
he 34th
edition of Media Expo Kolkata,
and the first edition organised under
Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt.
Ltd. was concluded recently on a positive
note. The show was successful in imprinting
its position as a premium trade platform for
the eastern market in India. Held on 7th
-9th
November, 2014 at Milan Mela Complex,
the 3 day event was successful in attracting
2,100 decision makers and professionals
from advertising and media houses, print
and signage industry, hospitality, FMCG,
retail chains and other sectors.
The inauguration ceremony witnessed
the presence of some of the leading print
and signage industry players including Mr.
Deborshi Paul Choudhary, Business Head,
Apsom Infotex Ltd., Mr. Ravinder Tyagi, CEO,
Astro Jet India, Ms. Bhavna Saluja, Country
Marketing Head, Hewlett-Packard, Mr. Pankaj
Tyagi, Managing Director, Satyakrity, Mr. Ajay
Wadhwa, Managing Director, Idea Factory
Equipments Pvt. Ltd. and Mr. Raj Manek,
Executive Director and Board Member of
Messe Frankfurt Asia Holding Ltd.
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
Comprising an amalgamation of trend
setting brands, the fair saw a wide range of
advertising and signage solutions at the best
competitive prices on display. Some of the
key highlights included-
• The spectra Starfire high-speed solvent
printer by Mehta Cad Cam Systems Pvt. Ltd.
• Automatic V cutting machines by Neenjas
Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
• The Konika 6ft. machine for small printers
by Astro Jet India
Exhibitors & visitors at Media Expo Kolkata
seemed highly impressed with the wide
range of products & technologies showcased
at the fair & was highly satisfied with the
great response received for all the machines
and products. Bustling with interaction, the
show has been remarkable and opened
lucrative opportunities for industry
professionals, leaving its audience with even
higher expectations for the coming editions.
The next edition targeting the commercial
capital will take place from 16th
-18th
January
at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon,
Mumbai.

Feature
H
ewlett-Packard (HP) has opened a
new Centre of Excellence (CoE) and
has expanded the HP Indigo ink
manufacturing facility in Singapore. The
facility aims to educate and inspire printing
companies and their customers including
brands, agencies and print buyers in Asia
Pacific region and Japan about the new
opportunities that can be made possible by
HP digital printing solutions.
In the same context Gido Van Praag, VP,
Graphics Solutions Business, HP Asia
Pacific and Japan said, “Brand owners are
facing increased competition as consumer
choice and expectations have exploded.
As a result, they’ve moved into the digital
world to connect more powerfully with
their customers. The new HP Centre of
Excellence aims to give them the tools
to compete, helping brands identify
new ways to combine their unique skills
with the industry’s broadest portfolio of
innovative digital printing solutions, and its
unparalleled application capabilities.”
HP GRAPHICS SOLUTIONS CENTRE
OF EXCELLENCE (CoE)
The new 21,000 square meter facility is
a one-stop access to HP’s broad digital
printing portfolio and solutions, as well
as a space to connect with experts and
share creative and technical best practices.
The center houses an extensive gallery of
applications ranging from stamps to building
wraps & provides facility to conduct end-
to-end application testing of their HP digital
printing equipment. Brands and agencies will
be able to see inspirational ideas and work
on pilot projects in a real-world production
environment. In addition, a training center
will help increase operator proficiency and
expedite return on investment of HP Indigo
Digital Presses, HP Scitex Industrial Presses,
HP Latex and HP Designjet Printers.
EXPANSION OF HP INDIGO INK
MANUFACTURING FACILITY
Scheduled to be open in 2015, the
10,000 square meter expansion to the
ink manufacturing plant will support
the growing demand of the Indigo next-
generation presses, which are reaching
150 installations worldwide (an addition to
more than 6,000 HP Indigo Presses, now in
120 countries). The new facility will further
support worldwide Indigo ink volume
production by expanding local capabilities
from the current ink series to the fast-
growing new generation of inks for the
HP Indigo 10000, 20000 and 30000 Digital
Presses.
The Indigo 10000, the first B2-format digital
press with offset quality, enables print
Excellence Personified!
HP opens Graphics Solutions Centre of Excellence (CoE); expands its indigo Ink plant
in Singapore.
Spread across 21,000 square meters, the new facility offers a preview of HP’s broad
digital printing portfolio and solutions. With provisions of training center & end-to-
end application testing, the CoE has a lot to offer.

service providers, photo specialty shops
and book printers to provide high value,
high productivity applications. The Indigo
20000 and the Indigo 30000 Digital Presses,
released to the market earlier this year are
the first digital presses designed to meet
the needs of label & flexible packaging and
folding carton converters.
The plant will also manufacture Pantone®-
licensed spot color inks to allow customers
in that region to order and receive more
than 3,000 specially mixed ink colors within
short lead times. Substrate testing and
certification capabilities will also be built in
the plant to enable substrate manufacturers,
suppliers and HP Indigo press owners from
Asia Pacific, Japan, Europe, the Middle
East and Africa to evaluate substrate
compatibility with HP Indigo Digital Presses.
ABOUT HEWLETT-PACKARD (HP)
HP creates new possibilities for technology
to have a meaningful impact on people,
businesses, governments and society. With
the broadest technology portfolio spanning
printing, personal systems, software, services
and IT infrastructure, HP delivers solutions
for customers’ most complex challenges in
every region of the world.
For more information about HP, please visit:
www.hp.com
Feature

INTERNATIONAL
PHOTOFEATURE
T
wo buried bridges, 250 private streets,
a house sawn in half, a subway once
designated as a nuclear fallout shelter
and washrooms beneath streets, Toronto hits
you with the unpredictable, the quirky, and
the kitsch.
The same can be said about its signage
too. From the iconic flashy billboardsto the
colorful signs in Downtown Toronto, the city
has owned some memorable signage. While
some have been pulled down, replaced, or
just stored away, the heritage that some of
these iconic signs carry can be seen in the
city authority’sinterest to relocatesome of the
disused establishment signsor the citizens’
enthusiasm to simply buy off old street signs
as memorabilia.
Toronto’s Signage
Revisited:
Iconic Knockdowns’
Losing Battle to
Modern Times

INTERNATIONAL
PHOTOFEATURE
Honest Ed’s quirky kitsch signis one of Toronto’s most colorful icons.
Opened in 1948, its marquee-like sign lit by 23,000 flashing light
bulbsand ad-strewn façadeensures it’s highly visible and recognizable.
After nearly 30 years, the sign will soon come down after the store was
sold last year.
Located at Yonge Street which is noted for its kitschy signage,
Canadian record store chain Sam the Record Man’s giant neon spinning
discs grew to be an important fixture in Toronto’s musical landscape.
Nowlying disassembled at a storage lock-up, the signmight see
brighter days as City official’splan to relocate it.
Toronto’s Downtown Chinatown is known for its high concentration
of ethnic Chinese residents and businesses. The colorful signage
makes this part of Toronto distinguishable from the rest and you can
find elegantly stroked Chinese characters grace store and street signs
everywhere.
Toronto began replacing its beautiful old black-over-white street
signs back in 2007, swapping them out for new ones with a more
readable typeface.
Artists Denise St Marie and Timothy Walker (TIMEANDDESIRE)’s new
sign installations are quite amusing. Exploring new-genre public art,
text art/signage and socially engaged installations, the artists have
brought a bit of rebelliousness and fun to Toronto streets.
GioRana’s Really, Really Nice Restaurant, an elegant Italian eatery,
ditches the obvioussign for a giant sculpted nose that marks its
location. Unusual at its best!
OLD, UNIQUE AND BYGONES
THE CONTEMPORARY
THE KALEIDOSCOPIC THE WAYWARD

INTERNATIONAL
CASESTUDY

INTERNATIONAL
CASESTUDY
Panthéon
Building in Paris
Gets an Agfa
Wrap
Installation: “Au Panthéon!”
Location: Panthéon building, Paris
HISTORIC RESTORATION OF THE
PANTHEON
One of the largest restoration projects in
Europe has finally kicked off. The Centre des
Monuments Nationaux, the French body
responsible for caring for state monuments
has prepared a €100m programme to restore
the Panthéon, a neoclassic structure that has
become an expression of national pride.
CONCEPT & EXECUTION
In the initial stages, the structure was to
be covered in scaffolding with awnings
featuring work by a contemporary artist.
The first phase which rolled out in June this
year had outdoor advertising cooperation
JCDecaux Advertising and the Parisian
municipal team in charge of events develop
and install more than 3000 m² of canvas
both on the inside and on the outside of the
building.
Project sponsor, Centre des Monuments
Nationaux, commissioned the design of the
canvas sheets to JR, a contemporary and
internationally renowned artist who created
a participatory work encapsulating the
humanistic and universal values embodied
by the Panthéon.
“AU PANTHÉON!” + AGFA
GRAPHICS
The artwork consists of more than 5000
portraits which were taken of visitors to
nine national monuments, or uploaded to
the project’s website earlier this year. The
canvas walls and the floor were printed at
Agfa Graphics customer BS2i. JR’s installation
covers the dome, the cupola, and the floor
of the Pantheon. The visual on the floor was
composed of more than 70 panels, which
were printed on an Anapurna M2500 large-
format inkjet printer from Agfa Graphics.

“The applications for using inkjet technology have
moved beyond printing posters and displays. Recently we
have seen multiple projects where inkjet technology is
used to reproduce art for exhibitions or (like in the case
of the Pantheon in Paris) even to help the artist create
the artwork”.
Paul Adriaensen, PR Manager, Agfa Graphics
INTERNATIONAL
CASESTUDY
Paul Adriaensen
Manager PR-Agfa Graphics

RESULT
The realization of the project which
required more than eight months of study
and validations finally culminated into
an astounding piece of artwork and a
monumental achievement for the artist.
The outside artwork will be exposed
throughout the construction on the
Pantheon’s upper parts, whereas the inside
installation will remain until October 5th,
2014.
ABOUT AGFA GRAPHICS
Agfa Graphics offers integrated prepress
solutions to the commercial printing
industry, the newspaper printing and
publishing industry and the sign and
display, decoration and industrial inkjet
printing industry. These solutions comprise
consumables, hardware, software and
services for production workflow, project and
process management, cloud software and
image processing.
Agfa Graphics has also developed a
prominent position in the new segments
of industrial inkjet. It offers a wide range of
inkjet presses and a complete assortment of
high-quality inks.
For more information,
visit www.agfagraphics.com
INTERNATIONAL
CASESTUDY

PRODUCTFeature
Graphic Films
That Hold On!
The new 3M™
Scotchcal™
High Tack
Graphic Film IJ39
offers a low-
surface energy
solution
to graphic
manufacturers.
The Film 1J39
is designed
specially for
hard to stick
on surfaces.
W
ith new innovations popping up
everyday in the graphics and
printing sector, 3M, one of the
leading companies in this segment, is on its
toes to deliver new products & solutions that
serves the needs of the industry in the best
possible way.
3M Commercial Graphics has recently
introduced a new high track 3M™
Scotchcal™ Graphic Film IJ39 that serves as
a perfect solution for challenging surfaces.
The new 3.5 mil vinyl film has a high tack,
pressure sensitive adhesive that makes it
easier for the manufacturers to wrap hard-
to-stick-to-surfaces.
Designed for solvent, UV, latex-based and
inkjet printing, Film IJ39 is also used in
screen printing where a superior quality film
is required for short to long term indoor
and outdoor promotional graphics. The key
features of the film are as follows-
• Available in 54-inch x 50-yard rolls
• An expected performance life of five years
• Adheres to low energy surfaces such
as plastics (including polyethylene and
polypropylene) and powder coated paints
• Matte finish
• A low-surface energy solution
APPLICATION CHARACTERISTICS
The 3M™ Scotchcal™ High Tack Graphic
Film IJ39 encompasses a wide range of
application area including motocross bikes,
coolers and powder-coated paints to low-
surface energy plastics such as polyethylene
and polypropylene. The Film IJ39 is an ideal
solution for signage - non-backlit, fleet and
vehicle, label etc.
3M and Scotchcal are trademarks of 3M
Company. The 3M™ Scotchcal™ High Tack
Graphic Film IJ39 can expand wrapping
opportunities and help increase business for
graphics manufacturers and installers. The
film has been optimized to perform well with
a variety of inkjet printers and inks as well as
screen printing inks and processes.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
3M manufactures or certifies lighting
solutions‚ graphic films and graphic
protection‚ flexible substrates as well as
inks and toners used to create large-format
finished graphics that are consistent‚ reliable
and durable. 3M Commercial Graphics help
customers build brands by providing large-
format graphics and light management
solutions worldwide.
For more information-
Email: 3mindiagraphics@mmm.com
Web: www.3M.com/in/graphics
ABOUT 3M

PRODUCTFeature

Feature
Max Flex Unfurls
Made in India Vinyl
M
ax Flex & Imaging Systems Limited
has been a frontrunner in the
manufacture and marketing of
a wide variety of industrial and domestic
printing consumables in India. Its recently
launched state-of-the-art product Maxx
Vinyl is yet another impressive addition to
its existing comprehensive product portfolio,
and has so far received only good reviews.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Global 5 Technologies, engaged in trading
and consulting of high-end capital
equipment goods for the digital printing
industry by partnering with global brands
like HP, recently launched the HP LATEX L300
at a well-attended event in Mumbai this
July where Max Flex also made the debut
of its new vinyl. The event marked Global 5
and Max Flex’ shared endeavor to provide
new things to customers through either
applications/media.
Global 5 invited its elite customers from
Mumbai & its suburbs for the launch. Over
150 customers came to view the new HP
Max Flex & Imaging
Systems Limited
has been busy in
the launch and
marketing of its
new product ‘Maxx
Vinyl’- a 100 micron
vinyl manufactured
at its factory at
Badlapur, Mumbai.
model and also got an opportunity to
witness a live demonstration of its printing
capabilities on the new Maxx Vinyl.
Upon inviting Max Flex to launch its new
media at the event, Global 5- director Mr.
Prashant Khomne says, “Max always provides
value for money solutions to the customer.
Max’ reach to the end customer & to the
corporate has made them a leading brand
in this segment. We appreciate the effort
taken by Mr. Hemang Mehta & his team
to bring a ‘Made in India’ solution into the
market which is not only cost effective but
has a better quality than imported media.
In our show all, the customers appreciated
the compatibility of the media with latex
technology & the printer’s fabulous print
quality on the media.”
OVERWHELMING RESPONSE AT
MEDIA EXPO, DELHI
After receiving an overwhelming response
from the Mumbai event, Max Flex next
showcased its new vinyl at Media Expo 2014
Delhi, an event that attracts thousands of
marketing professionals in the signage and
advertising business every year.
A product test run was demonstrated at
the Hewlett Packard booth on HP latex
printers. Speaking on the visitor response,
Devang Karia, Category Manager, HP says,
“We tested the new made in India Maxx
Vinyl from maximising at Media Expo and it
worked like a breeze on the new L300 Latex
series of printers. Customers were amazed
with the image quality and consistency of
this product.”
“True to our newly inducted PMs message of ‘made in
India’, Max has responded swiftly & introduced new
ranges of printing solutions which are not only cost
effective but also of outstanding quality. Result of MAX
vinyl “made in India” on Roland RA 640 is simply wow
& outstanding and after printing on latex machine,
the vinyl glue strength is far superior to import &
premium media.”
Sairam Thiagaraja, CEO, Sab Creations Pvt Ltd, Mumbai
“We printed on Maxx ‘made in India’
vinyl on our solvent machine for bus &
tempo wraps and hoardings. The color
gamut & gumming on media was the
best I have used till date. Even the print
result on my eco solvent Roland RA 640
was amazing.”
Prakash Madhukonar, Director, JM Adv
Prints, Mumbai
Prashant Khomne, Director Global 5
(L-R): Mr. Rana Raychoudhury, Worldwide Principal Technical Consultant HP Large-
Format Production, Hewlett Packard, Mr. Devang Karia, Category Manager LFpro, Hewlett
Packard- India and Mr. Hemang Mehta, Sr. VP Sales & Marketing, Max Flex & Imaging
Systems Ltd. at the HP booth, Media Expo 2014.

Feature
Mr. Roman Babaro, Worldwide Marketing Head-Latex, Hewlett Packard and Mr.
Hitesh Jobalia, MD, Max Flex & Imaging Systems Ltd. at Media Expo 2014
Hemang D. Mehta, Sr. VP Sales & Marketing,
says, “The client response was fantastic and
corporate floated us inquiry and advised us
procedures for getting registered with them.”
On the benefits of using domestically-
manufactured vinyl, Mr. Mehta says, “The
benefits that we can extend to our customers
through our own manufacturing are
competitive pricing, easy and fast availability
as against the lead time for imports
and consistent and controlled quality of
products.”
Maxx Vinyl is available at all the company’s
25 branches. For further queries, please
email: hemangm@maxflex.in
Max Flex & Imaging Systems Limited is a
‘one-stop shop’ for signage consumables
in India. The Maxx brand is highly reputed
due to its global quality of products and
consistent supplies to its customers all
across India. Over the years Max has
developed extensive product development
capabilities and is committed to introducing
new products for the next generation
printing needs of the Indian Printing Industry
in the future.
For more information, visit: www.maxflex.in
About Max Flex & Imaging
Systems Ltd
Devang Karia, Category Manager, HP Hemang D. Mehta, Sr. VP Sales & Marketing

JANUARY, 2015
SGI Dubai 2015
Date: 11th-13th January, 2015
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE
Web: www.signmiddleeast.com
MARCH, 2015
D•PES Sign Expo 2015
Date: 6th-9th March, 2015
Venue: Poly World Trade Center Expo, Pazhou, Guangzhou, China
Web: www.chinasignexpo.com/en/
APPPEXPO 2015
Venue: China Expo Complex
Web: www.apppexpo.com
FESPA BRASIL 2015
Date: 18th-21st March, 2015
Venue: Expo Center Norte, São Paolo, Brazil
Web: www.fespabrasil.com
APRIL, 2015
ISA International Sign Expo 2015
Date: 9th-11th April, 2015
Venue: Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
Web: www.signexpo.org
MAY, 2015
European Sign Expo 2015
Date: 18th-22nd May, 2015
Venue: Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany
Web: ese.fespa.com
LED EXPO THAILAND 2015
Date: 21st-24th May, 2015
Venue: IMPACT Exhibition Center, Bangkok, Thailand
Web: www.ledexpothailand.com
JULY, 2015
Gifts World Expo 2015
Date: 25th-27th July, 2015
Venue: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India
Web: www.giftsworldexpo.com
EVENTCALENDAR
Event Calendar
JANUARY, 2015
Media Expo Mumbai 2015
Date: 16th-18th January, 2015
Venue: B.E.C., Goregaon (East), Mumbai
Web: www.themediaexpo.com
DIGITAL SIGNAGE EXPO 2015
Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, USA
Web: www.digitalsignageexpo.net

NEWSWIRE
For these stories and more, see www.signandpop.com
Pragati Offsets includes Esko’s
Equinox Solutions; Expand Gamut
Printing
Pragati Offset, Hyderabad has successfully
implemented Esko’s Equinox solutions for
the implementation of extended gamut or
fixed inkset printing. Generally applied in
the prepress department when preparing
jobs for press, the Equinox Expanded
Color Gamut (ECG) technology is Esko’s
patented technology for converting
packaging graphics from CMYK and spot
color to a seven-color process. While the
company sees the use of Equinox as hugely
advantageous for offset printed cartons and
label printing on its 8 color flexographic
presses, it feels that Equinox is the right
solution for any project with high gamut
requirements from garment catalogues,
coffee table and paint swatch books, and
even calendars and diaries.
3M Launches its New Customer
Innovation Center
The company has unveiled a new innovation
center at its UK head office. Professor Brian
Cox, the physicist and presenter of science-
based television and radio series launched
the Customer Innovation Center that has
been created to share & demonstrate
3M’s story of innovation and collaboration
with customers, business partners as well
as young scientists and engineers. There
is a creative showcase of a wide range of
innovative products that range from digital
stethoscopes for earth-bound doctors,
double sided tapes capable of holding
vehicles together; brightness enhancement
and energy saving films for mobile devices
and LCD TVs; a talking virtual mannequin;
microscopic needles that deliver drugs
without pain; and much, much more. 3M
is a strong and active supporter of the UK
government initiatives to encourage more
young people to study the STEM subjects
of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics. The main innovation area,
the center incorporates workshops and a
number of breakout areas that offer flexible
meeting spaces for customer collaboration.
EFI Unveils the New Ceramic Tile
Printing Technology
EFI has recently unveiled a range of new
ceramic tile printing technology- Cretaprint
C4 printer, which boasts a width of up to
745mm along with a whole range of new
features. These include a new vacuum
system that will help improve efficiency, the
ability to detect and correct missing nozzles,
as well as a new transport system that the
manufacturer said will help achieve greater
accuracy with precision alignment. Cretaprint
C4 offers a more compact footprint, is
30 percent lighter and requires lower
maintenance costs and energy consumption
than its previous editions. Alongside the
new Cretaprint C4 device, EFI has launched
the Cretaprint C3+ and Cretaprint P3+
printers that offer widths of up to 700mm
and 1,400mm respectively and a new set of
ceramic inks that allow the ceramics industry
to take full advantage of UV-curing inks.
These inks offer a color gamut that includes
dark blue, reddish brown, yellow, golden
yellow, beige, pink and black, as well as
special effect inks such as sinking ink, extra
white, matte glaze, glossy glaze and luster
– all of which may prove popular in the
ceramics industry.
NEWSWIRE

Roland DG Showcases
Innovation at Media Expo
Delhi 2014
Roland DG in conjunction with
Apsom Infotex Ltd. displayed
their innovative technology in the
recently concluded Media Expo
Delhi 2014. Roland launched their
new VersaEXPRESS RF-640A wide
format printer at the show that
attracted huge attention. Jerry
Davies, MD, Roland DG (UK) Ltd.
said, “To be launching the RF-640A
at Media Expo just a few months
after launching the Versa UV LEF-20
in Mumbai, demonstrates Roland
DG’s commitment to be at the
forefront of innovation”. Also at
display was VersaUV LEF-20 that
allows personalisation of a huge
range of items such as corporate
branded giveaways, souvenirs,
awards, promotional items, novelty
gifts, USB sticks and phone cases
etc. in addition to enabling users to
diversify into printing onto industrial
parts or producing small-scale signage.
A number of new videos featuring “I’m a
Roland user” campaign were also displayed.
The Versa Camm VS-i series all in one print
and cut device that diversifies into new
applications such as decals, labels, heat
transfers for garment decoration, retail POS
displays, window, wall and floor graphics
also added to the innovations Roland has
to offer. M.S. Dadu MD, Apsom Infotex Ltd.
said, “Visitors from across India’s Northern
states and even further afield were eager to
learn more about Roland DG’s technology
and the vast range of applications its wide
format printers and engravers can produce.
Our market is on the cusp of the next phase
of economic growth and the products on
display represent those required by any
progressive print business to benefit from
growing consumerism and the associated
printing opportunities.”
Gandy Digital Launches Soft
Signage Printer- ‘Softjet’; Targets
Textile Sector
Gandy Digital has recently announced the
launch of a high resolution, digital dye
sublimation printer- Softjet. Slated to be
previewed at SGIA, Las Vegas for the first
time, Softjet printer is designed for textile
printers and large format print houses who
are looking to increase print quality and
productivity. Softjet enables cost-effective
short to long run full color jobs, with market
leading print quality by providing print,
curing (sublimation heaters) and cutting
capabilities in a total solution package,
providing an ideal platform to enter the
soft signage market or to upgrade the
existing service capability. As a roll-to-roll,
direct to fabric printer available in, 6ft 2in
(1.88m), 8ft4in (2.54m) and 11ft (3.35m) print
widths, the Gandy Digital Softjet is ideal for
applications including indoor and outdoor
soft signage, wall graphics, wall coverings,
flags and tradeshow displays. Available
in four and six color models, the Softjet
printer features the latest Ricoh Gen 4 and
Gen 5 print heads providing 1200 dpi print
resolution.
Mimaki and Caterham F1 Team are
now Technical Partners
Mimaki has formed a technical partnership
with the Caterham F1®
team as their official
technical graphics supplier. After this
partnership, all Formula One communication
and visuals for Caterham F1 Team will now
be printed and cut with Mimaki’s range of
solutions. Mike Horsten, General Manager
Marketing EMEA for Mimaki Europe
shared that since Formula One is all about
precision, flexibility, quality and success, the
characteristics one also associate with every
print and cut solution Mimaki develops and
puts into the market. This close cooperation
allows them to demonstrate just what
Mimaki can deliver. The company’s solutions
are as flexible, creative and qualitative as the
racing management requires them to be.
The green flag on the partnership is waved
on the first day of Viscom Paris that took
place on September 9-11 in the Porte de
Versailles in Paris, France.
NEWSWIRE
NEWSWIRE

Classic Arts Opts For FujiFilm’s
Acuity LED 1600
Classic Arts, Nashik has invested in Fujifilm
Acuity LED 1600, the first in the city, in a
bid to leverage the early mover advantage
with large-format LED UV hybrid inkjet
printer to create new business opportunities.
The signage specialist company aims to
offer solvent, eco-solvent and LED printing
services to its customers for applications like
signage, exhibition installations and displays
etc. Since, the Acuity LED 1600 enables
to print roll-to-roll as well as rigid media
using same inks for both the applications.
Moreover, the default white and clear inks
offer us the luxury of producing novel
applications with high-gloss spot finishes.
With 45 days since installation, the company
has printed over 10,000 sq/ft media adding
new clients mainly from the architecture
industry. Classic Arts hopes to achieve the
ROI in the span of two years.
Agfa Graphics Grabs Two Gold Ink
Awards
Agfa Graphics has been honored with two
Gold Ink Awards (industry’s most prestigious
print competition) from Printing Impressions
magazine. The Azura video card won a gold
award in the “Direct Mail” category and the
Agfa Graphics 2014 VIP Calendar won a
silver award in the “Calendar” category. The
video card was developed to promote Azura,
the company’s global leading chemistry-
free printing plate. The creative strategy
was to showcase the product in a piece that
integrates print and video technologies. It
was created using several Agfa Graphics
technologies including Apogee workflow,
Sublima screening, and processed through
an Avalon N8 plate setter on Energy Elite
Pro plates. Based on the theme “Connect/
Create/Care”, the Agfa Graphics 2014
VIP Calendar is a joint effort of the Agfa
Graphics community. This year’s Gold Ink
Award winning pieces surpassed their
competitors based on print quality, technical
difficulty and overall visual effect. A panel
of distinguished graphic arts professionals
judged entries over the course of four days.
NEWSWIRE
NEWSWIRE

Game Changers of the Indian Sign Industry- Sign and POP Magazine

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