
East Indian printers and converters have a new source of flexo prepress services following Sagar Scan’s investment in a Flexcel NX Wide 4260 System from Miraclon. The device was sold and installed at Sagar Scan’s new flexo-only production hub in Kolkata by Monotech, Miraclon’s channel partner in the region.
Sagar is an established name in the Eastern zone for gravure and offset prepress solutions. The company was founded in Patna in 1988, initially serving the gravure market, and expanded into offset in 2004. In 2023 Sagar completed its portfolio of prepress solutions, diversifying into flexo prepress with the acquisition of Kolkata prepress provider Fine Flexo.
“With the addition of flexo, we are now a holistic prepress solutions provider,” explains Subodh Gupta, managing director of Sagar Scan, adding that the Eastern zone “presents significant opportunities for the company to build a presence in the mid-web market for flexo labels and packaging. Flexo is taking off in the region – in the last year or so a number of new flexo presses have come on-stream, serving Kolkata and beyond, including West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand. Our plan is to grow alongside this expanding base of presses and enable printers to maximize the benefits of modern flexo with Flexcel NX Technology.”
Several trends account for flexo’s take-up in the region, believes Subodh. “Talking to customers, there’s a recognition that offset has its limitations in terms of automation and inline production, both of which matter when skilled operators are scarce. Flexo is an excellent choice for printers and converters looking to grow through diversification — it has the distinct advantage of providing consistent, predictable and repeatable print results on short and long runs, which is a big advantage over other processes.”
“Investing in the Flexcel NX System gives our customers access to the best flexo plate technology that enables them to get the most out of their press investment. Flexcel NX Plates are known and chosen for their quality and consistent performance on press, and the control that is vital for producing challenging work. Any leading trade shops that wish to cater to a wide spectrum of customers, especially those looking for technology that brings greater value on press, invest in Flexcel NX Technology,” says Subodh.
Amit Koul, sales manager for North & East India and Bangladesh, concludes, “The Flexcel NX Wide 4260 System delivers benefits to a wide range of players in the flexo printing industry: trade shops, flexo platemakers, and even printer-converters looking to bring their plate production in-house. By minimizing press stoppages, improving printing speeds, and helping achieve sustainability goals, the Flexcel NX System delivers the benefits of modern flexo to printer-converters. It also empowers them with ease of use; from prepress operators to pressroom personnel, everyone involved in the packaging value chain experiences a simplified workflow.”