Eco-Friendly Inks
Printers discuss environmentally friendly inks and their role in the sustainability equation.
July 2008 by Missy Smith
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More than 20 years before “sustainability” became the buzz word it is today, Flower City Printing (FCP) was already rethinking the inks it was using in its pressroom. In 1985, Executive Vice President Bill Oliveri began replacing petroleum-based inks with vegetable-based inks, as well as eliminating alcohol in press fountain solutions.
“Inks made from renewable resources were already in existence, but mainly used for newspaper production,” Oliveri reflects. “FCP was one of the first printers to experiment with vegetable-based inks for the offset sheetfed industry. Switching to vegetable-based inks [resulted in] a reduction in VOCs (volatile organic compounds), less ink [required] in the print process, and [the use of raw materials for inks made from] domestically produced renewable resources. Eliminating alcohol was also a priority that coincided with the switch to vegetable-based inks.”
Flower City Printing worked with ink and solution suppliers to develop a balance between alcohol-free fountain solutions and inks composed of renewable resources. “We modified our equipment and added infrared dryers to accelerate the drying time. In the end, we were able to continue to produce high-quality printing in a much safer environment,” says Oliveri. “Alcohol has not been used in the FCP pressroom since 1986.”
Instead, the company uses vegetable oil-based inks from its main ink supplier, Van Son. “All of Van Son Vs3 and Quickson Series Inks exceed the U.S. Government regulations for containing at least 20 percent vegetable oil, while most average between 40 and 60 percent vegetable oil.” Vegetables and seeds including soy beans, linseed, canola, grapeseed, tung, and otocica are used in manufacturing these inks. Van Son’s eco-friendly inks are also made with low-vapor-pressure solvents. They emit lower VOCs (less than 5 percent) and minimize potential negative impacts to the environment.
In addition, “FCP installed a central ink pumping station that delivers CMYK inks directly to each press to increase efficiency and eliminate waste from non-recyclable metal ink containers,” says Olivieri. “Process inks are stored in recyclable ink bladders inside of reusable 55 gallon drums and are pumped to each press via an overhead system of pipes. We also use ink blending and recycling software to reformulate excess special color inks into other colors in order to extend their life and usefulness. ‘ThINK Green’ is the name of our ink recycling initiative in the pressroom.”
Taking the initiative
“Inks made from renewable resources were already in existence, but mainly used for newspaper production,” Oliveri reflects. “FCP was one of the first printers to experiment with vegetable-based inks for the offset sheetfed industry. Switching to vegetable-based inks [resulted in] a reduction in VOCs (volatile organic compounds), less ink [required] in the print process, and [the use of raw materials for inks made from] domestically produced renewable resources. Eliminating alcohol was also a priority that coincided with the switch to vegetable-based inks.”
Flower City Printing worked with ink and solution suppliers to develop a balance between alcohol-free fountain solutions and inks composed of renewable resources. “We modified our equipment and added infrared dryers to accelerate the drying time. In the end, we were able to continue to produce high-quality printing in a much safer environment,” says Oliveri. “Alcohol has not been used in the FCP pressroom since 1986.”
Instead, the company uses vegetable oil-based inks from its main ink supplier, Van Son. “All of Van Son Vs3 and Quickson Series Inks exceed the U.S. Government regulations for containing at least 20 percent vegetable oil, while most average between 40 and 60 percent vegetable oil.” Vegetables and seeds including soy beans, linseed, canola, grapeseed, tung, and otocica are used in manufacturing these inks. Van Son’s eco-friendly inks are also made with low-vapor-pressure solvents. They emit lower VOCs (less than 5 percent) and minimize potential negative impacts to the environment.
In addition, “FCP installed a central ink pumping station that delivers CMYK inks directly to each press to increase efficiency and eliminate waste from non-recyclable metal ink containers,” says Olivieri. “Process inks are stored in recyclable ink bladders inside of reusable 55 gallon drums and are pumped to each press via an overhead system of pipes. We also use ink blending and recycling software to reformulate excess special color inks into other colors in order to extend their life and usefulness. ‘ThINK Green’ is the name of our ink recycling initiative in the pressroom.”
Taking the initiative
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Go Green Profitably
Emerging Strategies: Green Printing and Sustainability
Chemistry for the Graphic Arts
What the Printer Should Know About Paper