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Environmental Benefits
Green Printing. Sustainability. Environmental Impact. Carbon Footprint.
These concepts were all but unheard-of a decade ago, and now they dominate much of the discussion of the future of printing.
What Do We Mean By "Going Green"?
When buyers of print specify green printing, what are they really asking for?
The Online Print Company purchased a Presstek 34DI for the environmental advantages it carries.
Chemistry-Free Platemaking
- Eliminates chemistry-based platemaking with its associated chemistry and waste (including waste water) and VOCs - a major environmental advantage
- Reduces remake waste due to errors with automated simultaneous chemistry-free on-press platemaking versus the variable-laden chemical process of imaging plates off-press and then manually having to mount them on the press
- Reduces footprint by not requiring offline equipment for platemaking and plate processing
- Dispenses with the need for a special lighting environment with daylight-safe plate handling and imaging
- Time savings mean printing more jobs in less time
Waterless Printing
- Reduces VOCs by 75% with DI's waterless press design versus conventional printing environments
- Preserves water
- Eliminates chemically tainted wastewater generates by traditional offset presses and keeps this chemically tainted water out of the water treatment system
- Provides a truly waterless printing process
- Improves employee working conditions
- Significantly reduces paper waste with efficient makeready and consistent colour quality
Automated Blanket & Roller Wash
- 80% reduction in blanket wash
- Low-VOC blanket wash solvents can be used, including types that contain no more than 100 grams of VOC per litre
- Minimises wash amount used by eliminating manual intervention through automated washing of ink rollers and blankets
Ink
- Use of vegetable-based waterless offset inks; reducing toxins in the waste stream
- Provides a less toxic method for printing versus VOC emissions from traditional petroleum-based offset
- Faster makeready means less less makeready waste, which reduced paper and ink usage
Paper
- Creates less waste by using paper more efficiently; delivering sellable colour in 20 sheets or less
- Eliminates overrun paper waste and its required floor space storage by printing on an "as needed" basis with economical run length quantities as low as 250
- Uses substrates including recycled stocks, chain-of-custody (CoC) paper etc.
Footprint
- More efficient use of space with almost 50% smaller footprint than a comparable conventional four-colour printing press with its associated platemaker and processor
- Reduces expenditure of labour, materials and energy to maintain as compared to a digital electro-photographic press
As a major print service provider to the UK and beyond we are experiencing a demand for shorter run lengths, faster turnarounds and lower cost printed products. To compete, we have had to streamline our printing operation and increase efficiency.
By using The Online Print Company you too will be doing your bit for the environment and passing all of these great benefits onto your customers.