Deep Shah: Printed electronics is definitely the future

What is your idea of a perfect print firm in India?
For me, an ideal print firm is one that runs seamlessly without any kind of human interference, where every stage of print production is accountable and measurable in real time.

What is the trait you most deplore in our industry?
Giving extended payment credit terms to brands because we, as printers, just don’t value ourselves and our craft.

What is the trickiest colour that you have had to print?
I remember a UV offset black printing being asked by the brand to print on screen printing, which had the stroke thickness of 0.3-mm.

When and which print job or project made you the happiest?
We recently did a project for a food packaging client who had a direct food contact mithai boxes requirement. We had to bring in a whole different SOP to our organisation. From that day, we started working on direct food contact packaging.

Describe your day in two sentences?
You wake up realising that every day is a new challenge and an opportunity curve for you to explore. Life surprises you in such unexpected ways, surely.

What is your most ‘wow’ moment?
When we won the prestigious PrintWeek Awards 2022 for the Packaging Converter of the Year (F&B). Definitely a ‘wow’ moment in life.

What do you prefer – offset, flexo, gravure, screen, letterpress, digital, printed electronics, 3D, ceramics, textile – and why?
Printed electronics, because conventional electronics will soon become obsolete as more and more technological advancements come. Printed electronics is also around us in so many ways we can’t even visualise. It definitely is the future.

One print blunder you made?
Sharing failure stories is far more rewarding than success for others. One of the biggest mistakes we made in print was using a high wax ink to print a premium calendar, only to find out that it did not support any UV effects afterwards.

What is your favourite print joke?
Can you deliver this order by tomorrow? (laughs out loud)