Print Buying Direct

Printing – The Green issue – 28th September 2009

One of the biggest issues at present in the print world if the environment. The coming year will see many more digital manufacturers jump on the green bandwagon. A lot of research and development has already gone into ‘greening’ digital technology, but this will intensify as manufacturers look to make their printers and presses, consumables, inks and toners as environmentally friendly as possible.

There is a lot of work being undertaken to make sure that machines are also recyclable at end of life and that consumables and papers used in all day to day production can also be reused.
This trend will escalate over the coming years.
Consumables

Like so many other areas in print, the overriding issue for consumables in 2008 will be the environment, any of the introductions to the various sections within this book have mentioned this subject, and its increasing importance, but within the world of consumables, the process of being those that are green can really make a dramatic impact on your companies environmental stance. Why? Because every printer – digital, offset, flexo, screen, or gravure- no matter what size or how much money they make, has to use consumables. And, he has to use them on a day to day basis. What is more, consumables come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are used in every department from pre-press to press, from finishing to maintenance, every day, by every employee. They are quite simply something you cannot do without. So, just imagine all those products that you presently use being switched to environmentally friendly ones, times that by the size of the industry, and you will see just how important this area could be in making a contribution to print being a cleaner, healthier and more ‘green’ ecosystem.

Going green
How to make the best use of your consumables, how to dispose of them correctly and responsibly, how to source those that provide least impact on the environment? Well, manufacturers and suppliers can help. There are now plenty of ‘green’ alternatives on the market from cleaning solutions and blanket and roller wash, to fountain solutions, and even down to hand cleaner and wipes.

One recent initiative that has been put in place is the drive by Litho Supplies to get printers to run their presses alcohol free and thereby cut their VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), which are also present in various pressroom consumables. Since the company launched the initiative a few months ago, over 50 printers have utilised the scheme to run their presses free of VOCs. Litho supplies can also help with advice on removing your pressroom consumables and their containers.

Suppliers such as Hydro-Dynamic Products offer a range of consumables that are ‘green’, and even the press manufacturers are getting in on the act, with MAN Roland announcing it’s environmentally friendly Side Frame Cleaner, which does not contain any VOCs, but keep presses looking clean.

Well known for its environmental ethos, Fujifilm launched its PresMax pressroom chemistry products at the end of last year. There are environmentally friendly chemistry and press care products that will not harm the environment. The range includes founts for heatset, sheetfed and mini web presses, in reduced alcohol and alcohol free versions, as well as washes and a number of auxiliaries such as maintenance items, plate care and cleaning products.

Think ink
On the ink front there us also a move towards more environmentally friendly products. And, even the digital boys are hopping on the band wagon and developing toners and liquid inks that are greener. There are also working on new ways to deliver the inks, as well as recycling of cartridges and even recycling of unwanted or unused toner.
One of the world’s biggest producers of printing inks, Sun Chemical, cemented its commitment to the environment when it launched a vegetable oil based sheetfed offset metallic ink that is completely mineral oil free. Metal- Eco meets the most stringent environmental requirements. At the same time as the launch last year, the company also announced that it has a long term strategy to embrace environmentally friendly solutions and aims to move 80% of its conventional ink range to vegetable oil based products.

It is crucial, and increasingly more so as time moves on, that print companies look at ways of making their processes greener. There is certainly a shift in direction from the manufacturers and suppliers, and hopefully 2008 will see this drive extending to more and more printers.

The products now available are being used most successfully in many printing houses and have proven them to be just as good as competitive products that do not include a green emphasis.

Promo - look out for our forthcoming offers on Wall Calendars, Desk Calendars, Xmas Cards, Promotional Wall Calendars and CD Calendars.

For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Digital Presses
• Digital Printing
• Offset Printing
• Print Production Management
• How to create a marketing plan incorporating promotional newsletters
• All you need to know about Digital Printing
• The Future of Printing
• Print Finishing
• Variable Data Printing
• ISO 12647 and Colour Management in Printing
• Pre-press – In Flight, Pre-Flight and Post-Flight
• Print, Paper and Recycling
• Design of the times – (Article reproduced from Printing World February 2009)
• Pre-press – 20 years of change
• Transactional and Direct Mail
• 7 Guidelines For Good Newsletter Printing
• Graphic Design
• Printing – Where in the world are we?
• Improving Your Response Rates to Leaflets, Flyers and Brochures
• HINTS & TIPS…The sales letter
• The History of Printing
• 10 Tips for Creatives in a Digital World
• Eight Easy Ways to Improve Digital Print Sales to Creative and Design Agencies
• Transactional and Variable data printing
• PUR or EVA? That is the question
• What you need to know about…… Perfect Binding
• What’s the point of Recycling Paper and Board?

Print Buying Direct is a Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd. One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for short run, long run and large format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire and delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

Tags: Desk calendars, printing, Printing House, Promotional Wall Calendars, recyclable, Wall calendars, Xmas Cards

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