Chennai-based RS Graphics is a 5-decade-old company providing high-quality printing and packaging for local and overseas customers. VB Shridharan, managing director of the specialized manufacturer of cartons, labels and tags, has in the past year invested in three Esko prepress software modules and more recently, in the Kongsberg X Starter digital samplemaker.

RS Graphics first installed Esko ArtiosCAD 3D, Deskpack Advanced and Plato. ArtiosCAD 3D is a very powerful and widely used packaging structural design software for corrugated boxes, folding cartons, POPs and FSDU design. With its extensive library of templates and standards the software helps in the structural design of any packaging with high precision.

Esko Deskpack Advanced is a collection of highly use-friendly packaging prepress plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. It helps in making graphics printable with professional tools and finesse. From importing structural design files, over trapping production files, all the way up to creating repetitions of print-ready production files. Esko Plato is a powerful tool for the creation of print-ready layouts with step and repeat and nesting for cartons and labels. It is the production gateway between the prepress department and the pressroom.

The Kongsberg X Starter comes in standard configurations for sample making, signage and display production. It offers a broad selection of tools and provides quality results on a wide range of cutting, creasing and plotting tasks. Driven by Esko digital design software, it cuts and creases at a maximum speed of 50 meters per minute for quick samples of cartons, labels or finished POPs and signage on a variety of materials such as corrugated, folding carton, solid board, foam, spot coating blankets, wood and various types of plastics. Kongsberg is the most widely used cutting table in the packaging Industry in India and world over.

According to Sridharan, there were many options available but he decided to go for a comprehensive solution from Esko for both the prepress software and samplemaking. He believes in always investing in the best tools and says, “I found the Esko software and the Kongsberg X to be most suitable for our requirements as these assist in faster turnaround of jobs and are extremely user-friendly.”

Carton samples ready in half an hour

Sridharan further adds, “We invested in the Esko Kongsberg because we do a lot of exports. Since we are in exports, we invariably need the samples faster, say within two days’ time or so. Traditionally, one first needed to make a die to make a box and that takes a lot of time and apart from the cost there is a lack of flexibility in case there are changes. With the Esko Kongsberg, the carton sample is ready within half an hour. So it has helped us reduce our production time and saved us a lot of resources that go into the making of a die. The level of perfection achieved with the machine is 100% and we are extremely happy with our investment.”