Vinsak and Iwasaki chart a label printing future built on adaptability and trust

Ranesh Bajaj, managing director at Vinsak, challenges one of the industry’s biggest misconceptions — that offset is a dying technology. “Offset is far from dead,” he says. “It is evolving, and perhaps now better suited to the demands of short-run, high-quality jobs than ever before.” He notes that many printers default to flexo or digital without reconsidering what modern offset can deliver, often overlooking offset’s ability to deliver sharp detail, consistent colour, and a broad substrate range at a fraction of the original cost.

Naoki Ogawa, sales director at Iwasaki, reinforces the point with numbers. “In Japan, we have over 600 offset intermittent presses running successfully. More than 90% of short-run pharmaceutical jobs are printed on offset,” he says. These presses are no longer relics of long-run print but precision tools built for today’s market complexity, running jobs from a few hundred metres to a few thousand while maintaining colour stability within five metres of startup.

The perception that offset is slow or inflexible, Bajaj explains, comes from legacy workflows. With the new generation of Iwasaki presses, makeready is faster, plate changes are semi- or fully automated, and quality is equal to — or better than — flexo, especially for fine type and vignettes. Modern semi-rotary systems avoid the plate cylinder changes that once slowed down production, cutting setup waste to as little as 10 metres compared with 30 metres or more on rotary presses.

Offset plates cost around INR 200, making them the lowest-cost origination method for short runs. For converters handling multiple SKUs, where each small design change means a new plate, offset’s economy becomes compelling. “Every time your client adds a zero sugar or a limited edition burst, do you really want to pay for a new flexo plate?” Bajaj asks. The savings stack up quickly on work like short-run nutraceutical labels or seasonal cosmetics, where SKUs change frequently.

Both companies’ presses run from 300 to 4,000 metres per job and handle substrates from 12 to 500 microns, from Nescafe shrink labels at 40 microns to textured wine papers. 

Vinsak’s Rotatek presses maintain register across the full range, while Iwasaki’s waterless offset technology ensures no ink–water balance issues. This versatility allows converters to switch quickly between FMCG, luxury, and industrial label applications, targeting India’s growing label market.

In Bajaj’s words, “This is offset’s time to bounce back.”

Where automation meets agility
Ogawa frames Iwasaki’s approach clearly: “We are not selling machines. We are selling time savings.” The presses feature automatic pre-registration, servo-driven plate cylinders and tension-controlled web paths to cut human error and speed up changeovers. In semi-rotary mode, operators can change repeats without changing cylinders, boosting efficiency in markets like cosmetics and pharmaceuticals where order sizes fluctuate.

A standout is auto job recall. With one button, the press restores plate positions, tension settings and ink zones from previous runs. This dramatically reduces waste on repeat orders and makes the press ideal for just-in-time production. In India, where many jobs are under 5,000 impressions, Bajaj says this level of automation creates a real margin.

Vinsak’s Rotatek presses use up to 21 servo motors per print unit, with all settings memorised in a central console. This means consistent repeat jobs without manual intervention. Speeds reach up to 150 metres per minute, and integration with offline die-cutters ensures that finishing keeps pace with printing.

Iwasaki’s semi-rotary flexo, such as the IFSI-Savi model, is designed for ease of use, addressing operator shortages in India, where Ogawa notes “the young generation doesn’t want to work in the printing industry.” Automatic registration, closed-loop colour control and elimination of dampening adjustments lower the skill threshold so operators with flexo experience can adapt quickly.

The presses also include register correction systems with high-speed sensors, maintaining alignment on varied substrates. This is critical in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications, where one misprint can erode brand trust. Ogawa points out that with 10 metres of startup waste, converters can save up to 20% in material compared with older technologies.

Makeready efficiency rivals digital presses — job changes can be completed in under five minutes. Bajaj notes that flexo cannot keep up with that pace when every job is different. In markets where SKU counts rise annually, this speed impacts profitability.

The offset–digital handshake
Both speakers stress that the future is hybrid. “Offset, flexo, digital. These are tools. The smart converter uses the right one for the right job,” says Bajaj, likening it to a chef choosing knives for specific cuts.

In Japan, some Iwasaki customers print base artwork on offset and add barcodes, serials and batch codes digitally. This keeps quality high and enables personalisation without paying for digital’s full-page coverage. In certain FMCG applications, this approach cuts cost per label by combining offset’s low origination cost with digital’s variable capabilities.

Offset also works well with embellishments such as foil stamping, screen varnish, and tactile effects, either inline or offline. Iwasaki’s modular design allows converters to scale up as demand grows, adding units for varnishing, embossing or even hybrid digital modules.

For converters aiming to expand without committing to high-end digital presses, offset offers a strong entry point. Short-run cosmetics, nutraceuticals, multilingual packs and regulatory labels are prime candidates for this dual approach, especially in export markets like the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

From cost-saving to value-adding
Bajaj makes a clear point. “You are not in the business of saving the client money. You are in the business of making their brand look and perform better.”

Offset’s high-resolution graphics, fine detail and substrate flexibility make it ideal for sectors like pharma and personal care, where clarity and compliance are critical. In pharmaceutical cartons, for instance, maintaining precise registration on 400-micron board ensures legibility of dosage and safety information, while in luxury cosmetics, tactile varnishes up to 200 microns add perceived value.

In Japan, Ogawa sees converters shifting from being label suppliers to “packaging partners, a change that supports premium pricing based on quality, consistency and expertise. “The customer doesn’t want labels. The customer wants outcomes,” he says.

Bajaj warns that many Indian converters are stuck in a pricing trap. They compete on rates instead of capabilities. “If your press floor looks like 2010, your client base will too,” he says.

Offset also offers steadiness in quality-critical jobs, avoiding the consumable and calibration variability that can challenge digital. This consistency builds trust in sectors like pharma, where colour deviation can cause regulatory non-compliance.

Supporting converters beyond sale
Ogawa explains that Iwasaki’s service model includes training, calibration, preventive maintenance and rapid part replacement. “We want the printer to grow with us, not just buy from us,” he says.

Vinsak manages this in South Asia, from press room design to workflow training. Bajaj shares an example of a first-time Iwasaki user in India scaling from zero to 100 short-run jobs a month in under a year, made possible by Japanese-led training and strong local support.

The support extends to future upgrades, allowing presses to be reconfigured for new substrates, embellishment modules or compliance needs. This flexibility keeps investments relevant and production floors competitive.

Both companies also address sustainability. Presses use LED dryers to cut power consumption by 40–50%, and Iwasaki’s waterless offset brings setup waste down to about 10 metres. Compared with traditional rotary systems, this not only saves substrate but reduces energy requirements in drying and web tensioning.

Vinsak’s Rotatek systems print cleanly on recycled substrates, run thin films down to 12 microns, and reduce VOC emissions. Some Iwasaki presses have been running for 70 years, and Bajaj adds a telling example of durability closer to home: a 42-year-old Rotatek press still runs in India, with Vinsak supplying parts to keep it in operation, proof that good engineering and proper maintenance pay off over decades.

The presses are already producing a wide range of work across markets.

In FMCG, these presses turn out shrink sleeves at 40 microns, HDPE film labels, and lubricant labels with 80-micron tactile varnish logos. In the luxury segment, it prints wine and cosmetic labels on textured papers with 200-micron tactile varnish finishes. In pharma, it handles multilingual cartons on 400-micron board and pharmaceutical leaflets on 25-30 gsm paper.

For nutraceuticals, it produces large, short-run labels for premium supplements. Industrial applications include roll-to-sheet labels for engine oils, with inline Braille. 

These examples show not just versatility but the ability to secure profitable niche markets without over-investment.

A call to rethink print ambition
Bajaj closes with a challenge: “The biggest boundary in our business is not flexo, offset or digital. It is a mindset.” He urges converters to think like brand partners and anticipate what capabilities customers will demand two years ahead.

Ogawa notes that in Japan, successful converters talk about shelf presence, compliance and reorder predictability, not just print specs.

“Offset is not old. It is precise. It is efficient. And when combined with digital thinking, it becomes lethal,” Bajaj says. His advice is to pilot, test and explore now, rather than wait for competitors to prove the model.

For both Iwasaki and Vinsak, the mission is clear: integration, quality and future-readiness. “If your print job has changed,” Bajaj says, adding, “Then why are you still using the same tools to deliver it?”n