The Tortoise Website

The Tortoise Website
Click on image to go to Author website. "THE RACE IS NOT TO THE SWIFT." Eccl. 9:11

Thursday, 25 June 2015

Finding Digital Printing That Is Eco Friendly

By Grace Soto


As we become increasingly aware of protecting our environment, printers too are opting to go the green route. For many of them this is more than just lip service and affects every aspect of their business. Fortunately, technological advancements, such as digital printing that is eco friendly, has made this process of going green more possible and affordable. The offset press is excellent when it comes to long runs of high quality. However, digital printing comes into its own with small runs. It is not only cost effective but reduces the amount of volatile organic compounds emitted.

The offset press produces high quality prints and this is still the process of choice for materials needing long runs. However, it involves using chemicals to develop film, make plates as well as the use of wet inks, resulting in a great deal of toxic waste. Paper too, is often wasted in large quantities due to the nature of this process.

Digital print works very well for shorter runs of full color business cards, stationery, and any other work that involves fewer than 1,000 sheets. The toner used is non-toxic and by eliminating printing plates and wet inks, many other cleaning agents and solvents are also eliminated.

Offset printing has the disadvantage of being too costly for smaller quantities. Great advances in imaging technology has improved the quality of digital prints significantly, meaning that it is no longer seen as an inferior option. Small quantities of quality full color prints can now be produced at a fraction of the setup time and cost.

The use of the internet for emailing customers has also helped to reduce costs. It is easy to send off a proof for approval and keep the customer in the loop throughout the process without wasting time and gas. This also means less chance of errors. With increased efficiency, costs come down and the impact on the environment is also reduced due to less wastage.

Many printers offer various types of recycled paper for use. The 100 percent recycled papers available today are comparable in quality and cost to virgin paper. There is no real reason for clients not to use them anymore. However, they are also offered the option of using papers with various percentages of recycled fiber should they prefer this.

A green printer will direct clients away from petroleum-based inks that contain volatile organic compounds. Vegetable-based inks are biodegradable and come from renewable resources like soy, linseed and cottonseed. These inks contain a very low amount of volatile organic compounds.

More and more printers are developing environmentally conscious policies. They are not just offering lip service to going green by offering recycled paper but are implementing these policies in every aspect of their businesses. With the developments in technology, they are able to do so without affecting their bottom line too much. It is becoming an affordable option for clients to choose environmentally-friendly printers who are committed to reducing waste and choosing materials and processes that have as little impact as possible on the environment.




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