Catherine Diamond, Associate Editor08.01.17
Back in the 1980s, inkjet inks were not nearly as widely available as they are today. In fact, the primary manufacturers of inkjet inks were inkjet printer manufacturers themselves. For Ishwar Mansukhani and Ruth Brand, this presented a unique opportunity.
In 1981, Mansukhani, an inkjet chemist, and Brand, a physical chemist, decided to start selling inkjet inks under the company name Brand M.
“What was not possible for large operations was possible for the small developer and manufacturer,” said Brand. “Namely, to develop inks for special conditions, different substrates and unique uses.”
Starting out with solvent-based inks for coding of metal cans with video-jet printers, the business soon expanded to all types of inkjet like CIJ, DOD, and thermal/piezo as well as other non-contact systems. Reacting to the increasing concern about VOCs in the graphic industry, the effort to produce water-based inks was emphasized and led to today’s offer of low VOC inks.
“The original approach of setting quality over quantity has been retained and Brand M, Inc. continues to be known for its excellent customer relations and fast service,” Brand said.
Brand M takes particular pride in its customer service philosophy. According to the company, the framework for every customer interaction is as follows:
Brand M receives a request for a color matched ink through one of two ways: either a PMS color specifying whether the ink is intended for use on coated or uncoated stock, or a printed sample that the company needs to match. For a PMS color, the color is provided. For a printed sample to be matched, Brand M will determine what the color is.
Once the company has an idea what the color will be, it creates a simple test formulation. The sample ink is printed onto the appropriate substrate. The resultant print is tested, and based on the results, the company will modify the formulation.
Once Brand M is happy with the color, it sends a sample to the customer. The customer then tests the ink. If they are satisfied, the ink is produced. If for any reason the customer is not satisfied, a Brand M representative will often visit the customer’s plant and tweak the ink on-site until the customer is satisfied.
“If you’re a customer of ours, we take good care to ensure that your ink and printing environments are running smoothly and that in the long-run, you save money,” Brand said. “We feel a responsibility to make sure that our ink works. And if it doesn’t, we’ll fix it. We put our name on our ink.”
Today, the business is led by Brand, its president, who is an expert in analytical chemistry and a physical chemist. She has tremendous global experience and has been a featured industry presenter on issues related to inkjet ink. She views systems as puzzles to be solved and brings clarity and explicitness to printing environment problems.
Pravin Mansukhani is Brand M’s vice president. He attended Rochester Institute of Technology Print Media program with a concentration in color science. He has hands-on color-matching experience and is Brand M’s expert on color, producing the company’s water-based ink solutions.
Ishwar Mansukhani, director of operations, developed the first commercially viable high solid inkjet ink and is one of the nation’s leading developers of premium industrial ink. He brings 50 years’ worth of experience and knowledge to his customers. He began making ink in India using a method that dates back to 19th century Europe, and has been making inkjet ink since the 1970s.
Prem Mansukhani is Brand M’s director of engineering/sales and marketing manager. He holds a master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and computer science, and a bachelor’s degree in physical chemistry.
Today, day-to-day operations and customer demands are primarily handled by Brand M’s next generation, sons Prem and Pravin Mansukhani. This includes PMS colors matched for individual substrates, water-based inks that can print up to 600ft/minute, and solvent-based inks up to 1200ft/minute. The next product that is now being developed is a water-based ink to adhere to most surfaces, plastics, metals and other types of non-absorbing substrates. After passing rigorous tests in the lab, it will now be tested in the field.
Brand M, Inc.
P.O. Box 522
Neenah, WI 54957
Phone: (+1) 920 729 1139
Fax: (+1) 920 722 5474
www.brandm.com
ink@brandm.com
Specialities: PMS colors, water-based inks, solvent-based inks
In 1981, Mansukhani, an inkjet chemist, and Brand, a physical chemist, decided to start selling inkjet inks under the company name Brand M.
“What was not possible for large operations was possible for the small developer and manufacturer,” said Brand. “Namely, to develop inks for special conditions, different substrates and unique uses.”
Starting out with solvent-based inks for coding of metal cans with video-jet printers, the business soon expanded to all types of inkjet like CIJ, DOD, and thermal/piezo as well as other non-contact systems. Reacting to the increasing concern about VOCs in the graphic industry, the effort to produce water-based inks was emphasized and led to today’s offer of low VOC inks.
“The original approach of setting quality over quantity has been retained and Brand M, Inc. continues to be known for its excellent customer relations and fast service,” Brand said.
Brand M takes particular pride in its customer service philosophy. According to the company, the framework for every customer interaction is as follows:
Brand M receives a request for a color matched ink through one of two ways: either a PMS color specifying whether the ink is intended for use on coated or uncoated stock, or a printed sample that the company needs to match. For a PMS color, the color is provided. For a printed sample to be matched, Brand M will determine what the color is.
Once the company has an idea what the color will be, it creates a simple test formulation. The sample ink is printed onto the appropriate substrate. The resultant print is tested, and based on the results, the company will modify the formulation.
Once Brand M is happy with the color, it sends a sample to the customer. The customer then tests the ink. If they are satisfied, the ink is produced. If for any reason the customer is not satisfied, a Brand M representative will often visit the customer’s plant and tweak the ink on-site until the customer is satisfied.
“If you’re a customer of ours, we take good care to ensure that your ink and printing environments are running smoothly and that in the long-run, you save money,” Brand said. “We feel a responsibility to make sure that our ink works. And if it doesn’t, we’ll fix it. We put our name on our ink.”
Today, the business is led by Brand, its president, who is an expert in analytical chemistry and a physical chemist. She has tremendous global experience and has been a featured industry presenter on issues related to inkjet ink. She views systems as puzzles to be solved and brings clarity and explicitness to printing environment problems.
Pravin Mansukhani is Brand M’s vice president. He attended Rochester Institute of Technology Print Media program with a concentration in color science. He has hands-on color-matching experience and is Brand M’s expert on color, producing the company’s water-based ink solutions.
Ishwar Mansukhani, director of operations, developed the first commercially viable high solid inkjet ink and is one of the nation’s leading developers of premium industrial ink. He brings 50 years’ worth of experience and knowledge to his customers. He began making ink in India using a method that dates back to 19th century Europe, and has been making inkjet ink since the 1970s.
Prem Mansukhani is Brand M’s director of engineering/sales and marketing manager. He holds a master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and computer science, and a bachelor’s degree in physical chemistry.
Today, day-to-day operations and customer demands are primarily handled by Brand M’s next generation, sons Prem and Pravin Mansukhani. This includes PMS colors matched for individual substrates, water-based inks that can print up to 600ft/minute, and solvent-based inks up to 1200ft/minute. The next product that is now being developed is a water-based ink to adhere to most surfaces, plastics, metals and other types of non-absorbing substrates. After passing rigorous tests in the lab, it will now be tested in the field.
Brand M, Inc.
P.O. Box 522
Neenah, WI 54957
Phone: (+1) 920 729 1139
Fax: (+1) 920 722 5474
www.brandm.com
ink@brandm.com
Specialities: PMS colors, water-based inks, solvent-based inks
