With masks becoming mandatory in India’s public spaces to stop the spread of coronavirus infection, many people are complaining about losing their identity behind the piece of cloth that can help shield them against the contagion.
But a digital artist has come up with a novel solution to protect people while letting them keep their physical appearance and business is booming.
Binesh G Paul from Etumanoor in the southern state of Kerala is now digitally printing a photograph of people’s face onto a mask so they can still look like themselves.
"People are losing their identity because of the masks. I am giving them a chance to stay safe and also get easily recognised," Mr Paul told The National.
Mr Paul, who has been running a digital photo studio for 10 years, came up with the idea on a visit to buy groceries when the owner didn’t recognise him behind his mask.
“I am a regular customer at this particular grocery store, but the shopkeeper failed to recognise me. I thought of printing my face on the mask as a solution,” he said.
His face printed mask became a huge hit among friends who suggested he sell them. Soon, orders for customised masks started pouring in.
Mr Paul has sold 4,000 masks across the country and is receiving bulk orders every day. He sells two varieties of mask for $0.79 (Dh 2.64) and $1.32 (Dh 4.85).
The Indian government has made wearing of masks mandatory in public places as it struggles to stop the spread of infection that has crossed 150,000 cases.
The 38-year-old digital artist uses dye-sublimation printing, a computer reproduction technique which uses heat to transfer dyes onto materials such as card, paper, fabric or plastic.
He uses high-resolution pictures of the customer to carry out the sublimation printing and transfer the image to the white cloth mask by heating at 360 degrees Celsius for 40 seconds.
The whole process takes 20 minutes but with orders increasing every day, he has bought three machines worth $330 (Dh 1,101) each.
“I was distressed with the lockdown as our studio was closed. I suffered losses and was worried about the future of the studio, but now I am ecstatic that my business is reviving,” he said.
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
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THE SPECS
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
