Avinashilingam installs an Autoprint kit to aid student work

"It is a dream come true for us. The addition of this kit follows the good news that our department is accredited for three years under Tier 1 by National Board of Accreditation (NBA). We thank the management who allotted considerable budget as a token of appreciation for our accreditation to set up a production unit. This will ensure our students get better exposure and are better equipped to join the industry," said Dr TKS Lakshmi Priya, head, department of printing, Avinashilingam University.

The production facility includes an Xrite spectrophotometer from Pressman, Grafica’s screen printing machine, plus modules of Esko Suite and CorelDraw.

"The new printing unit will be operated by the students and technical persons of the department – all women," she added.

Rajashree Ashok, managing partner, Autoprint said, "Congratulations to the staff and students of BE (Printing Technology), Avinashilingam University, Coimbatore on acquiring an Autoprint 1510 Colt for the department." Rajashree Ashok has been a Board of Studies member for the last three years, and has been "closely associated with the faculty and students and have seen firsthand their passion towards printing."

She said, "Other than class room lectures, the students are sent for orientation and exposure, to reputed printing presses, where they see and experience what was taught in class. Demonstrations, guest lectures and internships, give the students a strong edge which they can put to good use in their career as printing technocrats. I am sure a running machine in the University department premise, will boost their confidence and expose them to hands on training on operating, maintaining and managing print jobs. This is a sure way to put to use their bookish knowledge and to gain the much-needed practical experience.

The Department of Printing Technology at Avinashilingam Institute was started in 1996 in the Satellite Campus. The department was designed exclusively for women with a foresight to tap the immense scope for women in the printing sector. Saradalaya Press, the university press in main campus has served as a real-time laboratory for the department since 1996. Therefore the departmental fund was spent on purchasing machinery for the Saradalaya Press."

"We look up to the industry to hand-hold us in this new venture and to soon make it a production unit that grooms their proud printing princesses into young women print entrepreneurs," Dr TKS Lakshmi Priya concluded.