In the late ninetieth century, mechanical printing presses were set up in different parts of India. Presses made printing easy and produced in large number. Therefore these prints can be sold at lower price.

Some artists wanted their depiction of certain themes to reach the wider public. Hence, they wanted to produce cheap popular prints. Raja Ram Verma of Travancore in Kerala was one of these painters, who come to know about the responding huge popular appeal of such painting so, he decided to set up a picture production team and printing press on the outskirt of Bombay.

Cheap prints have helped in spreading certain ideas among the masses. For example; paintings depicting the Bharat Mata must have helped in instilling a sense of nationhood among the Indians.

Some artists produced cheap popular prints so that color prints of religion paintings could be bought even by the poor people.