Creativity developed with poetry: R. K. Abrol, DTP Print-O-Pack, Jammu
01 October 2020: My company, DTP Print-O-Pack was established in 1994 with a screen printing unit. In 2006, I converted my unit into a fully commercial printing house by adding an offset press (20×30 mono offset). Printing is an art and I am passionate about this art. DTP Print-O-Pack, with a 720 sq. ft. printing unit, won the ‘Best of North’ awards for excellence in printing and many other awards. The printing industry in Jammu and Kashmir is growing in its outreach.
We also have a digital press (B4 mono/A3 mono), Digital Xerox multi-colour, cutting and binding unit equipment. We undertake commercial printing/ study materials for educational institutes/ school diaries /industrial printing, etc. Screen printing is used mostly for wedding cards. As for raw materials, mostly we buy from the local market but for a competent rate contract, we buy from Jalandur or Delhi market. As the lockdown was imposed abruptly, we were having diaries of a school ready for delivery but it was withheld. During this period the rats have spoiled the jackets as they had bind gel was pasted on it. During the lockdown, we received orders for regular forms of the job from Narayana Super Specialty Hospital, Katra.
In our area, the lockdown was partially lifted on 1st July. Very few orders are coming from local small establishments like bill books, visiting cards, letterheads. The quantity of these orders is very small. As I am fond of reading and writing Hindi poetry, during the lockdown I composed my complete book of Hindi poetry on my laptop, which I will soon print and publish. I read a few books of eminent authors in English and Hindi.
In my view, the future of small printers is very bleak. Now, under an order, Government departments have also stopped printing coffee table books, calendars, diaries and schedulers etc, citing a policy of going digital and go green initiative. That is a big blow to the commercial printing industry. Big players who were obsessed with government print jobs will now look into small jobs where they will compromise with rates to keep running their machines, and naturally affect the small share of the pie of small printers.
