number of factors influence the cost of color printing methods including prepress

time, set-up/changeover costs, press production, and post-press operations (Ruggles

1996). Customers are moving to just-in-time and zero inventory and as a result the
industry is moving away from traditional long runs to shorter runs. Shorter product
life cycles and fragmentation of product markets have reduced the average print run
to below 5,000 sheets with few repeat orders. In 2 some cases, the total annual set
up time is longer than the annual net production time (Slembrouk 2007).
The quality of color print on corrugated board is sensitive to the texture of kraft
paper, the “washboard” effect from the corrugation, and the uneven absorptive
capacity of the substrate. As a result, printing methods have grown increasingly
sophisticated. The highest quality colorful printing requires a “white top”
bleached or clay-coated substrate to better reflect the colors and provide
contrast.
In contrast to post-sheet printing (using flexo post-sheet), the paper can be pre-
printed (using flexo pre-print, lithography or gravure) before the board is
combined or a pre-printed label can be applied after the board is combined. Pre-
printing is an expensive option because of the scale requirement for a long run
length to break even, which is not consistent with the increasing demand for
flexibility. A high-quality printed label can also be pasted on the combined board.
These labels are usually referred to as “litho-labeling” because most are printed
by offset lithography, although rotogravure, and increasingly, flexography are also
used for labels. The additional operation of laminating or gluing the label to the
corrugated substrate is economic only for short, high value runs. (Cartellieri
2008, Eldred 2007)
Since the 1990s the speed, print quality and the number of color reproduction
capabilities of flexographic post-print process (after the board is combined) has
improved significantly, and can print as many as eight colors. But flexo post-print
has a high production cost because of the high cost pre-press operations and long
set-up time. Also, it weakens the board because it crushes the corrugated flutes.
Furthermore, register deviation, dot gain and the washboard effect are hard to
prevent. (Massimo 2009) 3

The introduction of digital printing adds an attractive option for short POP (Point
of Purchase) runs. New generation digital printers can produce “lithography like”
print quality. Without the need for prepress steps like producing films and/or
plates, the total upfront cost has been reduced. As no plates are used in the
process, set-up/changeover time and the start-up time can be reduced to minutes.
However, there is no cost comparison to clearly show the difference in economies of
run length for the different printing technologies. This research explores the
estimated cost of producing a printed corrugated box using the traditional
processes, with special emphasis on the relative cost of low volume printing. The
research also explores the main drivers affecting the adoption of a printing
technique for a corrugated box production. The drivers involve run length, speed
and quality. The research also compares and evaluates the potential of digital
printing to compete with other printing methods.
2. OVERVIEW

The leather industry in India is a fast growing industry and occupies an important
place in Indian economy. The industry has existed in traditional form from very
ancient times. Marcopolo mentioned about the dressing of skins of various kinds in
the State of Gujarat. The Rig Veda refers to tanners and skins of animals and
manufacture of leather products by Indian artisans. The Mochies (cobblers) carried
the profession of tanning and making of leather wares since ancient times. The
first attempt in India in an organized manner towards
factory tanning and large-scale manufacture of leather goods was made in the United
Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) in 1867.
In 1881, another tanning and shoe-making factory was set up at Kanpur by M/s Cooper
Allen. They tanned hides and skins and manufactured civilian and military footwear
according to western mechanized methods. These factories in Kanpur met the demand
of the military during the war for leather goods to a very large extent. As a
result, the leather industry got a fillip and several tanneries equipped with
machinery were started at Kanpur,
This resulted in the development of Agra as a footwear industry. After the First
World War the demand of leather products decreased but the outbreak of Second World
War again gave a good fillip to the tanning industry. During 1960s, a large
quantity of hides and skins in the country was converted into semi-tanned leather.
In the beginning of the 1970s, the government realized that the country had the
capacity to manufacture finished leather. Hence, export of semifinished leather was
discouraged. The industry was encouraged to adopt the latest technology. During the
1980s, there were many changes, viz., modernization of production processes,
improvement of human skills, standardization of quality of products, these all
changes proved to be turning point in the development of leather industry. During
the 1990s, the Exim Policy favoured export of value added leather products and duty
free import of all types of leather was allowed. This helped a lot in the
development of footwear industry. Since 2000, the increasing demand of footwear
from foreign countries, government policy support, etc., have been giving strength
to footwear industry.
WHEN DID THE FIRST SHOES APPEAR?
1991 is an important date in the history of footwear because this is the year when,
at the border of Austria and Italy, archeologists found a naturally mummified human
named Oetzi from the Stone Age who died about 3300 years before our era. This
Alpine traveler was wearing shoes made from deerskin with a sole made from bearskin
and stuffed with hay. This is how it’s thought that the Stone Age footwear
production technique was like: the fewer stitches, the dryer and warmer the legs,
therefore, they wrinkled the leather. The stitches were small and they were not
very reliable given the tools people had at that time.

There isn’t a certain pair of shoes marking the beginning of the history of
footwear. This is because there were very different shoes for different climates
and different materials used for shoes were available in different regions. In
Northern regions, the footwear was made from thick leather and warmed up with fur
and hay. Meanwhile, in the Southern regions, there were mostly sandals made from
palm leaves or papyrus fiber. Despite the climate, people needed footwear to
protect their feet from natural outside effects.
Modern footwear designers often look back at history for new ideas, inspiration and
creativity. Footwear production methods, sewing structures, leather washing,
burning and painting almost hasn’t changed since the end of the 19th century.
THE MIDDLE AGES (476 – 1453)
Although the Middle Ages are considered the dark ages, it was during this time that
a lot of new footwear trends and fashion appeared. The heel was discovered and was
only worn by men at first. Also, pointed shoes, the first footwear structures and a
primitive Goodyear structure appeared.
At the beginning of the Middle Ages, espadrilles came to Central Europe from the
Pyrenees and became very popular. These shoes were made from jute canvas, were
light and comfortable but were to be worn in a warmer climate which is why they
didn’t reach Northern Europe.
Northern and Central Europe produced leather boots that were turned inside out and
sewn up with the shoe sole. It was a nearly seamless structure as the seams
remained inside the shoe, thus protecting and strengthening the shoe, but this
design could only be used with soft and flexible leather. A benefit of these shoes
is that they could be worn during different times of the year by adding some hay or
fur inside the shoe during the cold period.
During the Gothic period, unusual footwear with long and pointed tips, called
poulaines thrived. Sometimes, the tips of these shoes were as long as half a meter.
The length of the tip represented status. Some of these shoes were so long that
they needed to be tied to the legs with special laces so that it would be possible
to walk properly. This type of footwear was made from different materials, such as
velvet, and it was decorated with fancy elements.

EARLY MODERN TIMES (1453– 1918)

Men’s and women’s fashion was different during this period and until the end of the
18th century, it was mostly dictated by men. Men were the first to wear shoes with
heels. Up until the end of the 18th century, men’s legs were considered to be the
standard of beauty. Earlier, fashion changed much slower and shoe trends and
production started in countries in a good economic situation and with quickly
developing art and aesthetics. They had the fanciest decorations and patterns and
were made using the newest and most fashionable
fhfuhfiheqfoheqiofhqeoiflheiofioeqhfoieqfhiofqehiofqoiej