Verified Printing Machine Manufacturers in India
A printing machine puts ink on paper, board, film or fabric in factory volumes. Printers, packaging converters and publishers buy it. diipl introduces these buyers to Indian makers it has verified and sets up a meeting between them.
Also called: printing machinery, printing press, offset printing machine, flexo printing machine, screen printing machine.
in India
from abroad
this machine
What is a commercial printing machine?
A printing machine, or printing press, transfers ink from an image carrier to paper, board, film, foil or fabric, again and again, at factory speed. The carrier depends on the process. Offset presses use a thin plate and a rubber blanket, flexographic presses use a flexible relief plate fed by an engraved anilox roll, gravure presses use an engraved metal cylinder, and screen printing pushes ink through a stencilled mesh. Sheet-fed presses take single sheets and web-fed presses run from a reel. Dryers set the ink, and guards, stops and a control panel protect the operator.
This page covers commercial and industrial presses for printers, publishers and packaging makers; desktop, office, hobby and home printers are not covered.
How diipl verifies printing machine manufacturers
diipl checks every printing machine manufacturer before a buyer meets them. Every seller is GSTIN verified and capacity audited. IEC and the certifications your product and market need (ISO, CE, REACH, BIS) are confirmed before any meeting; Certificate of Origin and EIC inspection are arranged per shipment where required.
For printing machines, the capacity audit also covers:
- A live print trial on the buyer's own paper, board or film at the rated speed, with colour register and print sharpness checked on the printed sample
- The machined frames, cylinders and rollers: bearing fit, surface finish and alignment of the cylinders when the press is running under power
- The reel or sheet path: unwind, tension control, feeder and delivery, with the web or sheets run through the whole press without breaks or jams
- The control panel and drives: wiring to drawing, tested emergency stops, interlocked guards and nip bars, shown working in front of the auditor
- Which parts the factory makes and which it buys in, such as drives, dryers, anilox rolls and engraved cylinders, and the spares held for them
We match your requirement to a manufacturer that has passed these checks and arrange a direct meeting.
Types of printing machines we cover
Indian printing machine manufacturers on the diipl bench build these commercial and industrial types.
| Type | Typical buyers |
|---|---|
| Sheet-fed offset printing machine, one to four colours | Commercial job printers, book and stationery printers, form and packaging printers |
| Web offset printing press, tower and folder lines | Newspaper publishers and book printers |
| Central impression (CI) flexographic press | Flexible packaging and film converters |
| Stack-type flexographic printing machine for bags and rolls | Makers of food paper bags, handbags, vest bags and clothes bags, and printers of paper and non-woven rolls |
| Rotogravure printing machine | Flexible packaging converters printing BOPP, polyester and LDPE film |
| Screen printing machine: flatbed, carousel and cylindrical | Garment and fabric printers, and makers of bottles, containers and pails |
Sheet-fed offset printing machine, one to four colours
Single sheets pass through plate, rubber blanket and impression cylinder units, one colour per unit. One Faridabad maker lists one-colour, two-colour and four-colour presses, with maximum sheets from 460 x 640 mm up to 609 x 940 mm on single-colour models and speeds of 2000 to 8000 impressions an hour. Choose it for multicolour sheet work on stock from 30 to 400 gsm.
Web offset printing press, tower and folder lines
A web offset press prints from reels and folds the printed web in line. More than a dozen Indian makers build presses two broadsheet pages wide and one page round (2 x 1), as towers with folders. Newspaper lines commonly use a 546 mm cut-off, while book lines run between 508 and 578 mm. Choose it for long runs of newspapers and books.
Central impression (CI) flexographic press
All colour stations sit around one large drum, which keeps thin, stretchy film steady between colours. One press made in Kolhapur is an eight-colour gearless model with a 1,300 mm web and a top speed of 350 metres a minute, with options such as corona treatment, register control, inspection and in-line slitting. Choose it for tight multicolour register on PE, PP, BOPP, PET and paper reels.
Stack-type flexographic printing machine for bags and rolls
Printing units are stacked one above another on a frame, each printing one colour. One Faridabad maker lists a four-colour stack machine printing 160 to 1560 mm wide at 10 to 80 metres a minute, with registration within 0.3 mm, on HDPE, LDPE, PP, paper and non-woven rolls. The same maker lists a roll-to-roll model for food paper bags, supermarket handbags, vest bags and clothes bags. Choose a stack machine for paper and thicker rolls.
Rotogravure printing machine
An engraved cylinder for each colour carries ink in tiny cells, and a doctor blade wipes the surface clean. One Indian range lists mechanical line-shaft models at 150, 200 and 250 metres a minute and electronic line-shaft models at 350 and 450, on webs 820, 1020 or 1320 mm wide. Choose it for very high volume film packaging; short runs do not suit it.
Screen printing machine: flatbed, carousel and cylindrical
Ink is pushed with a squeegee through a stencilled mesh onto the product. Flatbed machines print flat goods and fabric, carousel machines print garments, and cylindrical machines print round bottles and pails. Automatic machines move the squeegees by pneumatic or electric drives, and some cure the ink at once with ultraviolet light. Choose it for garments, containers, glass and plastic items.
What to specify when buying a printing machine
A clear printing machine specification gets you comparable offers and a faster meeting. Share these points with diipl and we match them to the right manufacturer.
| What to specify | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Printing process, substrate, colours and run length | State what you print, on which material, in how many colours and how many pieces a run. These decide the process (offset, flexographic, gravure or screen) before size or speed, and each process has its own presses. |
| Maximum sheet size (sheet-fed offset) | One Faridabad maker lists maximum sheets of 460 x 640 mm to 609 x 940 mm on single-colour presses and 460 x 640 mm to 508 x 762 mm on four-colour presses. Give your largest sheet. |
| Rated speed of sheet-fed presses | One maker lists 2000 to 8000 impressions an hour across its sheet-fed range. Ask for the speed proved on your own paper or board, not the top figure on the sheet. |
| Rated speed of web offset presses | Trade reports put Indian web offset presses at 30,000 and 36,000 impressions an hour. Ask for the speed proved on your own reel width and cut-off, with the folder running. |
| Cut-off and reel width of web offset | Newspaper lines in India commonly use a 546 mm cut-off, and book lines run between 508 and 578 mm. State the cut-off your plates, folder and paper stock are built around. |
| Web width, roll size and speed of gravure and film lines | One Indian gravure range lists web widths of 820, 1020 or 1320 mm, unwind roll diameters up to 800 mm (1000 mm optional) on 76 or 152 mm cores, and speeds from 150 to 450 metres a minute by model. |
| Film and paper thickness range | One range lists BOPP from 15 to 30 microns, polyester and metallised polyester from 8 to 23 microns, LDPE from 50 to 80 microns and paper from 40 to 80 microns. Give your thinnest and thickest web. |
| Paper or board weight (sheet-fed) | Small sheet-fed presses are listed for stock from 30 to 400 gsm on single-colour models and 40 to 400 gsm on four-colour models. Give your lightest and heaviest stock. |
| Drive and register system | One Indian gravure range separates mechanical line-shaft models from electronic line-shaft models. Ask which drive the press has, how register is held, and what register it keeps at working speed on your film. |
| Register precision of flexo units | One stack-type flexo maker lists register precision within 0.3 mm. Ask what the press holds on your film at working speed, and have it measured on a printed sample. |
| Flexo plate thickness and print repeat | One maker lists plate thickness of 1.14, 1.7, 2.28, 2.84 and 3.94 mm and a standard print length of 400 mm, adjustable from 300 to 1000 mm. Give the plate and repeat your artwork needs. |
| Offset plates, blankets and rubber rollers | BIS lists Indian Standards for offset plate dimensions (IS/ISO 12635:2021), offset blankets (IS/ISO 12636:2018) and rubber rollers for offset printing (IS 11610:2023). Ask whether the press takes standard sizes so spares are easy to buy. |
| Drying or curing method | Dryers between colours set the ink so the next colour prints clean, using hot air, infrared or ultraviolet light. Name your ink type and ask which dryers come with the press and which are options. |
| Guarding, nip bars and emergency stops | A workplace safety regulator's guidance for older presses lists interlocked guards, nip bars within 6 mm of the cylinder or roller surface, limited movement with guards open, and a stop at each print unit of web-fed presses with nip bars. |
Who buys printing machines
Printing Machines are bought by these commercial and industrial buyers, in India and abroad.
Buyers in India
- Newspaper publishers adding towers or new press lines
- Book, textbook and commercial printers for stationery, forms and brochures
- Flexible packaging and film converters printing pouches and bags
- Label and packaging printers for food, medicine and consumer goods
- Makers of paper bags, handbags and vest bags
- Garment makers and fabric printers using screen printing
- Makers of bottles, containers and pails that print their own products
Buyers abroad
- Commercial printers in the Middle East and newspaper printers in North Africa
- Newspaper publishers in South Asia adding web offset lines
- Garment and fabric screen printers in South Asia buying automatic screen printing machines
HSN code and ITC-HS code for printing machines
The code for printing machines depends on which printing process the machine uses, offset, flexographic, gravure or screen, whether an offset machine prints from reels or from sheets, and, for a screen printing machine, what it prints on. Choose the line that matches your machine:
- 84431100 (off set printing machinery, reel fed) when the press is an offset press that prints from reels, such as a web offset press or a printing tower.
- 84431300 (other offset printing machinery) when the press is a sheet fed offset press that takes sheets larger than office size.
- 84431200 (offset printing machinery, sheet- fed, office type (using sheets with one side not exceeding 22 cm and the other side not exceeding 36 cm in the unfolded state)) when the sheet fed offset press only takes small office size sheets.
- 84431600 (flexographic printing machinery) when the press prints from flexible relief plates, whether a central impression press or a stack type press.
- 84431700 (gravure printing machinery) when the press prints from engraved cylinders, as a rotogravure press does.
- 84431941 (on cotton textile) when the machine is a screen printing machine that prints a repetitive word, design or colour on cotton textile.
- 84431949 (other, within subheading 844319: printing machinery; used for printing by means of plates, cylinders and other printing components of heading 84.42, n.e.c. in item no. 8443.1) when the machine is a screen printing machine that prints a repetitive word, design or colour on material other than cotton textile, such as other textile, wallpaper or wrapping paper.
- 84431990 (other, within subheading 844319: printing machinery; used for printing by means of plates, cylinders and other printing components of heading 84.42, n.e.c. in item no. 8443.1) when the machine is a screen printing machine that none of the named national lines describes.
- 84439100 (parts and accessories: parts and accessories of printing machinery used for printing by means of plates,cylinders and other printing components of heading 8442) when a reel tension paster or a folder upgrade unit is sold on its own and is not a complete printing press or printing tower.
The tariff gives each printing process its own subheading under the printing machinery heading, so the line follows the process the machine uses and not its size or maker. Offset machines split on whether they print from reels or from sheets, flexographic and gravure machines each have a named subheading, and screen printing machines fall in the residual printing machinery subheading, where the national lines split by the type of press and by whether the machine prints a repetitive word, design or colour. No official text says which of those national lines a screen printing machine takes. A sheet fed offset press takes the office type line only when it is built for small office size sheets, which commercial presses are not. A reel tension paster or a folder upgrade unit sold on its own was held to be a part or accessory, not a printing machine.
In India the GST HSN code and the export ITC-HS code come from the same nomenclature. A GST invoice needs only the first 4 or 6 digits, depending on your turnover; the export shipping bill carries the full 8-digit ITC-HS line. The classification is shown here; the applicable GST rate is not. Official source.
Chapter
84
Machinery & Mechanical Equipment
Heading (4)
8443
Product group
Subheading (6)
Varies
International, same worldwide
ITC-HS (8)
Varies
India files this line
A classification is a fact any lookup can give you. The correct code still does not tell you which countries are buying printing machines right now, what duty each of them charges on the Indian line, or whether that demand is growing or fading. Those answers come from trade data, not from a code table, and they decide whether a market is worth entering. diipl's free Market Research Report answers them for your machine.
The markets that decide your strategy
Your free report shows who buys printing machines from India the most, where demand grows steadily, and where it is emerging, so you target the markets you can actually win.
Who buys from India the most
The markets buying the most from India today.
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Where growth is consistent
Steady, rising demand, not one-off spikes.
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Where demand is emerging
The fastest-growing import markets.
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Buying a printing machine in India
- Ask for a GST tax invoice that lists the press, each printing unit, the drive, the dryers and every accessory on its own line, with the maker's own GSTIN.
- Write installation, commissioning and a print trial on your own paper, board or film into the contract, and sign off only after a sample passes your quality check. For a web offset press, ask whether the acceptance tests follow the Indian code for such tests.
- Prepare the site before delivery: a foundation or level floor as the maker's drawing shows, a lifting route into the hall, power, compressed air where the press needs it, and room for reel stands, feeders and deliveries.
- Book training for operators, press minders and maintenance staff, and agree written safe-working rules for cleaning and for opening guards, since moving rollers and cylinders need careful guarding.
- Agree a spares list for the parts that wear, such as blankets, rubber rollers, plates, doctor blades, anilox rolls and engraved cylinders, with a written service response time.
- Ask which parts the maker buys in, such as drives, controllers, dryers and anilox rolls, and who will service them after the warranty ends.
Buying from Indian printing machine exporters
- For the European Union, ask for the CE declaration of conformity, the user manual in your language and the press safety standard the design follows. The current European safety standard for prepress and press equipment is the one to ask about.
- Give the maker your voltage, phases and frequency, because motors, dryers and drives are built for one supply. For film presses, also give the core size and the roll diameter of the reels you buy, so the unwind fits your rolls.
- Send artwork, substrate and run length early and ask for a print trial on your own material, witnessed by video call, before dispatch.
- Ask for the wiring diagrams, the guard and emergency stop test records, the register and speed test record, and the spares list with the invoice and packing list. Agree who prepares a Certificate of Origin if your import rules call for one.
- Agree the Incoterm in writing. Presses ship as marked sections, with rollers, cylinders and plates wrapped and protected from damp, and a separate case for the control cabinet.
- Buy a wear kit with the press, such as blankets, doctor blades and bearings, and plan remote fault checks and a commissioning visit so a register or drive fault can be looked at without a long wait.
Where printing machines are made in India
Printing Machines are made in several Indian manufacturing clusters. diipl verifies makers wherever they are based.
Faridabad, Haryana
A 2017 trade report places web offset press makers in Faridabad and Noida, making towers and folders for newspaper and book presses. A 2014 feature also covers Faridabad makers.
Kolhapur, Maharashtra
The same 2017 trade report places web offset press makers in Kolhapur, building towers and folders for newspaper and book presses.
Noida, Uttar Pradesh
The same 2017 trade report names Noida, with Faridabad, as the Delhi and National Capital Region base for web offset press makers.
Standards and certifications for printing machines
Printing Machines for each market must meet that market's rules. diipl confirms the certifications your market needs before any meeting. Each requirement below links to its official source.
| Indian standard or rule | What it covers | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| IS/ISO 12643-2:2023Graphic technology, safety requirements for graphic technology equipment and systems, Part 2: Prepress and press equipment and systems (first revision) | Safety requirements for prepress and press equipment, which covers printing presses. BIS lists it as identical under single numbering with ISO 12643-2:2023. Ask the maker whether the design follows it and for the test records. | View source |
| IS 12619:2022Printing industry safety code (first revision) | A safety code for the printing industry from small to large units. BIS states it covers machinery-specific requirements, while general building, electrical, fire and environmental rules sit under the Factories Act and state rules. | View source |
| IS 17645:2021Code of acceptance tests and purchase performance for web offset machines | For a web offset press, ask whether the factory acceptance run and the purchase performance terms follow this Indian code. | View source |
| Export requirement | Region | What it means | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CE marking, with EN ISO 12643-2:2023 as the current European press safety standard | European Union | EN ISO 12643-2:2023 gives safety requirements specific to prepress and press equipment, including added requirements for new designs and for auxiliary equipment built into the press control system. The older press standard EN 1010-2 is listed as withdrawn from 29 December 2023, the date the new text became valid. Ask the maker whether the CE technical file is built on it. | View source |
| Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, Annex I higher-risk list | European Union | Printing machines are not named in the Annex I list of higher-risk machinery. The list does name protective devices designed to detect the presence of persons and logic units that ensure safety functions, which a press can carry as safety parts, so ask whether any fitted safety parts are in those categories. | View source |
| Machine guarding rule for workplaces, 29 CFR 1910.212 | North America | This is a federal workplace rule of one North American country. It requires one or more methods of machine guarding to protect operators and other employees from hazards such as ingoing nip points and rotating parts. It is a rule for the plant that runs the machine, not a product certificate, so guards and nip protection on the press help the buyer meet it. | View source |
For printing machine manufacturers
diipl generates verified buyers for Indian printing machine manufacturers. We research which buyer segments and regions need your machine, run targeted outreach, verify each buyer's need, budget, authority and timeline, and arrange a direct meeting. We never publish your name, phone number or prices.
Start with a free Market Research Report
Tell us the printing machine you make. Our research team maps where your buyers are, then generates verified buyers matched to your capacity.
Printing Machine: frequently asked questions
Who makes printing machines in India?
Maker names are not published by diipl. Share your product, substrate, run length and target speed, and diipl looks for a printing machine builder whose GSTIN has been verified and whose factory has passed a capacity audit. It also checks the builder's Importer Exporter Code and the safety papers your market asks for, then sets up a meeting. For a press, the audit includes a live print trial on your substrate and a check of guards and stops.
Which sheet size, reel width and speed should I ask for in a commercial printing machine?
Start with your product and material, then give the largest sheet or reel width, the number of colours in one pass, the run length and the speed you need on your own substrate. Add the plate or cylinder repeat, the drying method, and the power and compressed air on your site. Ask for a print trial on your own stock before you sign.
Which standards or certifications apply to printing machines?
In India, IS/ISO 12643-2:2023 sets safety requirements for prepress and press equipment, and IS 12619:2022 is the printing industry safety code. IS 17645:2021 is a code of acceptance tests for web offset machines. For export markets, see the export notes on this page. Ask the maker which standards the design follows and for the test records.
What is the HSN code for printing machines?
The code for printing machines depends on which printing process the machine uses, offset, flexographic, gravure or screen, whether an offset machine prints from reels or from sheets, and, for a screen printing machine, what it prints on: 84431100 when the press is an offset press that prints from reels, such as a web offset press or a printing tower; 84431300 when the press is a sheet fed offset press that takes sheets larger than office size; 84431200 when the sheet fed offset press only takes small office size sheets; 84431600 when the press prints from flexible relief plates, whether a central impression press or a stack type press; 84431700 when the press prints from engraved cylinders, as a rotogravure press does; 84431941 when the machine is a screen printing machine that prints a repetitive word, design or colour on cotton textile; 84431949 when the machine is a screen printing machine that prints a repetitive word, design or colour on material other than cotton textile, such as other textile, wallpaper or wrapping paper; 84431990 when the machine is a screen printing machine that none of the named national lines describes; 84439100 when a reel tension paster or a folder upgrade unit is sold on its own and is not a complete printing press or printing tower. The tariff gives each printing process its own subheading under the printing machinery heading, so the line follows the process the machine uses and not its size or maker. Offset machines split on whether they print from reels or from sheets, flexographic and gravure machines each have a named subheading, and screen printing machines fall in the residual printing machinery subheading, where the national lines split by the type of press and by whether the machine prints a repetitive word, design or colour. No official text says which of those national lines a screen printing machine takes. A sheet fed offset press takes the office type line only when it is built for small office size sheets, which commercial presses are not. A reel tension paster or a folder upgrade unit sold on its own was held to be a part or accessory, not a printing machine. The export shipping bill carries the full 8-digit line and a GST invoice its first 4 or 6 digits, depending on your turnover, so confirm the line for your exact machine before you file. The HS code finder lists every 8-digit line.
Can Indian manufacturers export printing machines?
Yes. A 2013 trade report names orders for Indian web offset presses from a commercial printer in the Middle East and from a newspaper printing press in North Africa. Safety papers differ by market, so ask the maker for the declaration of conformity and the press safety standard your market expects before you order. Send artwork, substrate and run length early.
Which industries buy printing machines?
Newspaper and book publishers, commercial printers, flexible packaging and label converters, makers of paper bags, handbags and vest bags, garment and fabric printers, and makers of bottles, containers and pails buy them. Each uses a different process: offset for newspapers and books, flexographic and gravure for packaging film, and screen printing for garments and containers.
I manufacture printing machines. How do I find verified buyers?
diipl studies which printers, publishers and packaging converters need your kind of press, such as web offset towers or film flexo lines, and in which regions. It runs outreach, then confirms that each buyer has a real requirement, funds, authority to sign and a buying date, before it arranges a meeting. Keep a print sample and a speed record ready. Your company name and contact details stay private.
Should I choose offset, flexographic, gravure or screen printing?
Offset suits newspapers, books, brochures and stationery on paper. Flexographic presses print plastic and metallic films, foil and paper for packaging and labels. Gravure suits very high volume work, because each colour needs its own engraved cylinder. Screen printing handles garments, bottles, glass and plastic items. Send the maker your artwork, material and run length to choose.
What is the difference between a CI flexo press and a stack-type flexo press?
A CI press places every colour station around one large drum, which gives stable register on thin, stretchy films such as PE and PP, but access and changeovers are more complex. A stack press places its stations one above another, and holding register on very thin, stretchy film can be harder. Ask the maker which web it has proved on your film.
What guards and emergency stops should a printing press have?
A national workplace safety regulator's guidance for older presses asks for interlocked guards on in-running nips, nip bars set within 6 mm of the cylinder or roller surface where fitted, limited powered movement while guards are open, and pre-start warnings on multi-operator presses. On web-fed presses with nip bars it adds an emergency stop or stop-lock at each print unit. New presses should follow the machine safety standard.
Which press prints self-adhesive labels?
Narrow-web flexographic presses are a common route for self-adhesive labels. They print on reels up to about 50 cm wide (the source gives 16 to 20 inches), often use ultraviolet drying and can combine die-cutting and laminating in a single pass. Wide-web presses are a different machine, used for bulk flexible packaging and large films.
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