The sheetfed journey: sacred tenets to buy a press — The Noel D’Cunha Sunday Column

The other day, we were seated in a typically cramped cabin of a print CEO. Proofs, samples, order books. Basically chaos reigned. The print CEO asked us, what press should I buy? And then the CEO shared the homework that goes into a sheetfed press purchase. Cost, configurations, delivery time of the press which varies from two months to nine months, word of mouth recco, factory visits (thanks to professional friends in the industry). The point is, there is an increasing expectation from customers. As the print CEO said, purchase decisions are not theoretical anymore.

In this day and age of tight margins, there are acute pressures of the financial kind. The type of questions revolved around the unit price of a mono carton to the varnish cost. Also the types of financial lifelines which are available. For example, it's no longer EPCG on the radar. Now it is MOOWR. It's no longer replacement value costs but understanding the impact of duty reduction because of a FTA with Japan. The point is, nothing is left to chance. From spare parts to furlough payments. And what happens if there is an accident from the dock to the factory. What is the insurance part of the equation? Nobody wants to struggle while repaying loans.

And then, there is the acceleration of a much longer-term trend towards automation, thanks to the uncertainty over labour supply. Suddenly print and packaging businesses – especially the medium- and small-sized ones – are seeing the need to invest in systems that are much, much more automated.
 
Which is what translates into the numbers: About 95-100 brand-new presses in India in 2024-2025. As Jose Thomas of Future Schoolz says, "Many businesses are still running quite inefficient setups in India. There are a lot of offline finishing systems that require a good few human beings to move print from one area to another to finish it. Even today, there are still quite a few manual data gathering or information systems being used." Which is why purchasing a brand-new sheetfed press is important. 
 
Sheetfed market growth
Komori has seen a surge in repeat business. According to Jitendra Rohilla, general manager, sales at Komori India, the company has installed 60 machines in 2024-25, with more than 50% of these orders from Komori's existing customers. He says Komori holds an estimated 65% to 70% market share across both commercial and packaging segments. “We have a strong service team, which is present in almost all locations in India,” Rohilla adds, highlighting installations at Vijayshri Packaging in Indore and Office Now India in Kundli among multiple-repeat buyers.
 
Similar patterns are visible across other manufacturers. Samir Patkar, president of Heidelberg India, says that between April 2024 and March 2025, Heidelberg installed more than 100 sheetfed units across various formats. This growth, Patkar explains, is not confined to sheetfed presses alone — Heidelberg has expanded its presence in flexo printing with four installations and post-press with 12 machines. The company’s consumables and services division, backed by high-performance products and support infrastructure, continues to strengthen its foothold.
 
Specialised segments such as UV printing are also seeing focused traction. Aditya Surana, managing director at Indo Polygraph Machinery, which represents German Koenig & Bauer in India, noted that Koenig & Bauer holds the highest market share for brand-new UV presses in India, as per the latest VDMA statistics. “Our customer retention rate is the highest too, with many customers opting for second and third presses,” Surana says, pointing to an ongoing expansion beyond traditional large printers into newer business segments.
 
While repeat investment remains strong, a fresh wave of first-time buyers is also emerging. Vinay Kaushal, managing director at Provin Technos, observed that approximately 80 to 85 brand-new presses (PrintWeek estimates 90-95 brand-new presses and about 1,000 pre-owned presses) have been installed across India in 2024–25. “In this, Provin's number of installed machines is 15,” he states, attributing the uptick to growth in the publication sector, which continues to expand despite economic pressures.
 
Meanwhile, Deepak Walia, managing director at Manroland Sheetfed, says the company has maintained its focus on the high-volume publication and packaging sectors, particularly with installations in the 700 and 900 formats. “We have installed presses last year, and will do so in the current year too,” Walia says, noting a preference among Indian printers for equipment that supports scalable, high-volume production.
 
Larger format demand
While there is growing interest in larger-format presses among Indian printers, the shift remains selective. Press manufacturers note that although some sectors — particularly packaging — show appetite for bigger sheet sizes, most printers continue to weigh format expansion against broader production ecosystem requirements.
 
Across the market, the preference still leans towards optimising existing mainstream sizes. Rohilla of Komori India, shares that the size 103-cm remains the company's most popular format, with around 20% of its sales moving into the 105 range. Inquiries for presses beyond this size, however, remain rare. Rohilla points out that for larger formats, it is not simply about upgrading the press. "We need the complete ecosystem to run it — printing plates, blankets, and efficient post-press systems," he says.
 
The importance of operational readiness over sheet size was also stressed by Patkar of Heidelberg India. While acknowledging an increased migration from 50x70-cm to 70x100-cm formats, Patkar observes that "faster turnarounds for short-run jobs" requiring frequent colour changes have become a stronger driver than merely enlarging sheet sizes. Heidelberg's focus, he explained, is on AI-based job sequencing and technologies like ink duct foil to minimise wash-up times. For customers with genuine very large format (VLF) needs, Heidelberg offers the Boardmaster flexographic press, optimised for continuous production and recyclable water-based inks.
 
In the view of Kaushal of Provin Technos, the Indian market remains cautious. "No new machines bigger than the 106-cm size have come to India in the last few years," he says. Although RMGT offers a 32x44-inch press, demand for such large machines remains very limited.
 
Application-driven decision-making plays a key role in format choices, adds Surana, of Indo Polygraph Machinery. "It's not only about fitting more ups on a sheet. Post-press equipment must be capable of handling the larger formats efficiently, otherwise the overall productivity suffers," he explains.
 
Echoing this pragmatic view, Walia of Manroland Sheetfed, said the rising interest in larger formats is primarily motivated by the need for versatility and efficiency. "This is particularly important when handling larger and more complex packaging jobs," he said, underlining that for many printers, productivity considerations still outweigh format ambitions.
 
Rise in multicolour presses
If format expansion is being approached with caution, the move towards multicolour press configurations is far more decisive. Across India’s packaging segment especially, the demand for seven- and eight-colour presses is gathering strong momentum as brand owners push for greater design sophistication and extended colour gamuts.
 
Patkar informs that among Heidelberg’s Indian customers, the seven-colour plus coater configuration has become the preferred choice. He cites the Speedmaster CX 104 as an example of how AI-driven automation, energy-efficient drying, and flexibility across substrates are being prioritised. Patkar adds, ITC, Kumar Printers, Noble Printing Press, Herald Publication, Sukee Print O Pack, White Print O Pack, Budhraja, Okay Paper Products and Any Graphics, have invested in such configurations, taking advantage of Heidelberg’s multicolour technology to reduce wash-up sequences and enhance productivity for short-run premium jobs.
 
Komori’s experience mirrors this trend. According to Rohilla, seven-colour presses are gaining traction in packaging, while eight-colour machines are finding a niche. Rohilla notes, 40% of Komori’s packaging sales last year were for seven-colour configurations. “Some printers are even opting for more than eight colours to produce differentiated jobs,” he says, citing the recent installation of an eight-colour GL 840+C+IR+UV press at Chennai-based Kora Pack.
 
As brand owners demand vibrant and sophisticated packaging, suppliers are offering more complex machine configurations. Surana points out that Koenig & Bauer has delivered configurations with eight or more colour units, double coaters, multiple dryers, and inline cold foil units. “The days of standard four-colour presses being adequate are behind us,” he said. Seven-colour presses, he adds, offer the flexibility needed to meet varied brand requirements and remain future-ready for retrofits.
 
Kaushal concurs. He says, in RMGT’s portfolio, seven-colour presses are the standard for packaging jobs, and even the book publishing sector has adopted sophisticated eight-colour configurations featuring LED-UV curing, inline density controls, inspection and registration systems.
 
Walia of Manroland Sheetfed agrees that brand demands are shaping investment patterns. “As the need for vibrant colours, intricate designs, and special effects like varnishes and metallics increases, printers will continue shifting towards presses with seven- and eight-colour capabilities, often supported by UV and IR curing,” he explains.
 
Focus on sheet optimisation
As commercial and packaging printers continue to tighten production costs and seek faster turnaround times, the drive towards sheet optimisation has become more pronounced. Manufacturers are responding with presses designed to maximise sheet layouts without compromising flexibility or print quality.
 
Among the most popular strategies is a preference for formats that balance efficiency with practicality. Patkar of Heidelberg India, says Heidelberg offers presses in the 50x70cm and 70x100cm formats with perfecting options, both powered by its push to stop automation. “Our presses automatically change plates, clean blankets, and set colour and register, which ensures faster changeovers and higher productivity,” he explains. Patkar highlights the success of the CS 92 and CX 92 models, noting repeat orders from Rahul Print O Pack and Samrat Offset. For book print specialists like Replika, Heidelberg’s SX 102 eight-colour perfector presses have proven effective, while specialised sectors such as pharma and perfumes are opting for the CX 75 and XL 75 formats for short-run needs.
 
At Komori, the emphasis is similarly on offering multiple sheet sizes across segments. Rohilla says the company has presses available in 26, 29, 37, 40 and 44-inch formats to meet the needs of publishing, packaging and commercial printers. He points to the Komori LP-140, a single-colour dedicated perfector that has gained traction among pharmaceutical and book printers. Meanwhile, the 37-inch Komori GL 437 has emerged as a favourite for publishing houses. “It saves money and resources on paper, printing plates, power and other costs,” he says, adding that over 13 units were sold at the PrintPack Expo in February 2025. 
 
Surana notes that Koenig & Bauer has a different approach by offering special medium-format sizes — 740-mm, 750-mm and 780-mm — to maximise sheet usage. “Our presses are designed to reduce paper wastage while maintaining high throughput,” he explains. In book printing, Koenig & Bauer presses can handle lightweight stocks with precise register even at high speeds, while sectors like pharmaceutical, tobacco and luxury packaging benefit from the presses’ sharp detail and compatibility with specialty coatings.
 
The economic rationale behind sheet optimisation is also reinforced by Walia of Manroland Sheetfed. He says presses that allow better sheet utilisation lead to reduced waste and greater productivity. “This is critical for applications like book printing and pharma or perfume packaging, where achieving cost-efficiency without compromising on quality is paramount,” he notes.
 
Kaushal adds that RMGT offers machines in optimum sizes tailored to customer-specific needs, ensuring that printers can maximise their sheet layouts without unnecessary compromises.