TNTB&ESC

Printing & Distribution of Text books

Procedure of Printing of Text books

Normally once in 5 years textbooks are revised. High level Committee is constituted by Government to finalise the syllabus. Various sub Committees are also constituted for drafting the syllabus for different standards.

A panel of authors, Reviewers under the chairmanship of eminent professors from Universities and Colleges Subject experts and practicing teachers write the Textbooks for each subject separately. The textbooks are submitted to Textbook Corporation in the form of CDs and Laser print outs. The CDs are then scrutinized by the Textbook Corporation and print orders are issued.

In order to reduce load of textbooks and to implement the system of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation, the government introduced the Trimester Pattern of education from the academic year 2012-2013 for standards from 1 to 8. Under this system, the textbooks are divided into three for the 3 Terms.

Now the trimester books for standards from 1 to 8 are being brought out in A4 size. For standard 9th and 10th the language books are being brought out in Journal size and other subject books are in A4 size. The books for 11th and 12th standards are being brought out in A4, A5 and C5 sizes. To ensure quality of books, books for the standards from 1 to 10 are being printed in 80 GSM HT Map Litho paper and in multi colours. 11th and 12th standard books are being printed in 60 GSM and 70 GSM papers in single and multi colours.

Technical Printing Process

Printing process is mainly classified under four major categories

Letter press printing process
Offset printing process
Gravure printing process and
Screen printing process.

Among all printing processes, offset printing process is suitable and highly adoptable for mass textbook printing in paper with high standards.

Offset Printing Process

Offset printing process should be categorized with 3 stages as

Pre – press work
Press work
Post – press work

Pre-Press work:

From pre-press work in respect of print orders given, CD’s / Film materials issued to printers CD’s / Film material are verified and imposed for correct pagination. CD’s digital proofs are taken initially to inspect the contents of books in proper manner. With correct impositions and alignments machine proofs should be taken from the offset printing machines for final strike order approval. Approval machine proof strike orders should be free from all corrections mentioned by editorial and technical wing of Tamilnadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation.

Press Work:

In press works, two modes of printing is adoptable as

Sheet fed mode of printing
Web mode of printing

1. Sheet fed mode of printing:

In sheet fed mode of printing individual sheets of papers are printed one by one as 8 page / 16 page forms in A4 / C5 size sheets. Printer should ensure every copy of book printed by them is in very high standards as prescribed by Tamilnadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation tender norms.

2. Web mode of printing:

In web mode of printing, paper reels are used for printing on both sides. Simultaneously both sides of paper are printed, folded as forms in 3 folds / 4 folds accordingly. In web offset, printing should be done in single reel only to ensure very high quality in each and every printed copies printed by them.

Post press work:

In post press work, binding and dispatching of books covered mainly. Binding operations should be carried out stage wise as:

Folding and gathering
Stitching of books
Wrapper Fixing of books
Trimming of books
Bundling of books
Despatching of Finished books

1. Folding and Gathering:

Printed forms are folded nicely to present a good look in automatic folding machines. Folded forms are collected and gathered neatly to form a complete gathered book with correct sequence pages readably.

2. Stitching of books:

Saddle wire stitching is to be done for 96 pages and less. For more than 96 pages, binding should be done by side wire stitching.

3. Wrapper Fixing:

Wrapper fixing should be done by printed wrapper pasting on the spine side of the book with correct creasing marks to open the book easily.

4. Trimming of books:

Books should be trimmed in three sides with equal margins and in prescribed sizes by automatic cutting machines. Trimming should ensure all pages of books opened freely and present a good look of all corners equally.

5. Bundling of books:

In bundling correct number of books should be tied with 5ply jute / tape in each four corners tightly with intermediate sheets present in between books and kraft sheets. After bundling with kraft sheets, labels to be pasted on both sides.

6. Despatching of Finished books:

All books which are ready for delivery should be dispatched to the destinations given by sales section of Textbook Corporation in prior time without any damage in transit.

Entrustment of Printing work

The quantum (Reams) of printing work is entrusted to the rate accepted printers on the basis of the machine capacity available with them and the value of Securities like EMD, Bank Guarantee and Insurance (Fire and Burglary) furnished on an equitable basis. In case of any emergency arises limited quantity will be allotted for a shorter period of time in order to meet out contingency.

Technical Audit for Quality

The Tamilnadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation continuously strives for the printing and supply of quality Textbooks to the students. The Technical Staff is supervising the quality of printing, size of the Book and other Technical Para meters prescribed by the Corporation. The technical staffs needs to furnish a pre-inspection report before the books moved from the press for delivery.

During the inspection the Technical Staff concentrate on the following Items:

Whether Paper and Board used by the Printer are given by the Corporation
Quality of Inks used
Blanket marks
Whether ink-set off avoided
Whether there is any mis-registration of colours
Folding of the Forms
Whether there is any missing of forms or any repetition
Whether while wire stitching proper jacking of head and spine side are correct
Whether good quality of adhesives used for wrapper pasting and used firmly
Whether there is any hollow back of spine
Whether there is any untrimmed pages or any cross cutting

Based on the pre-inspection report, the books are delivered by the Printers at the Regional Godowns of Tamilnadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation or at the places directed by the Corporation within Tamil Nadu.

Distribution of Text Books

The priceless Textbooks i.e. the Free Copies are supplied to the School Education Department and Welfare Departments. Sale Copies are distributed throughout the state by the via media of Online Sales, TACTV CSC Center, Retail Sales Counters and Licensed Retailers.

Distribution of Free Books

The Government has announced free Textbooks for all students studying in Government Schools and Government Aided Schools from 1 to 12 Standards from the academic year 2005-06. The Free Textbooks are directly delivered by the Printers at the nodal schools identified by the Director of School Education and the Director of Elementary Education at the District level for all the DEEOS and CEOS of all 32 Revenue Districts. Then the books will be distributed to the Schools from there. The requirement of ADW Department, BC and MBC Department, Welfare Schools, Kallar Reclamation schools and Social Welfare Department schools are supplied at the concerned Directorates.

Free Tamil books to the Students studying in other States:

Tamil text books from standards 1 to 12th are being supplied free of cost to the Tamil students studying in the States of Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and etc. every year by Tamilnadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation as per the orders of Government.

Distribution of Sale Copies

Sale Copies are distributed throughout the state by the via media of Online Sales, TACTV CSC Center, Retail Sales Counters and Licensed Retailers. Apart from the above channel of distribution a Sales Emporium is functioning at the Ground floor of the TNTB&ESC’s building, DPI Campus, 68, College Road, Chennai-600 006 to facilitate the students and parents to get their requirement of all Textbooks from I to XII Standards of State Board syllabus and Minority language books of Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada Urdu, Sanskrit and Arabic at one place.

The New licenses are being issued for Retail sales in order to make easy availability of Textbooks to the students. The stationary selling shops registered under the Tamil Nadu General sales Tax Act have been selected and issued new Licenses after collecting the Security Deposit of Rs.10,000/- and Registration fees of Rs.50/-. Now the Retailers have been increased to more than 2000.

As far as city is concerned the Licenses are being renewed by the Secretary and in respect of other places it is being renewed by the Regional officers concerned. These arrangements enable all the students in both the urban and rural areas of the State to get their copies easily without any difficulty.