Basics Of Digital Printing That Is Eco Friendly

By Mattie Knight


In a bid to conserve our environment the world is increasingly embracing eco friendly technologies. The main challenge is the fact that it has bit difficult to achieve the best quality without increasing the costs of production unnecessarily. The traditional printing techniques have been shown to be harmful not just to the users but to the environment as well. We will look at some of the ways in which you can adopt digital printing that is eco friendly.

Ink is made of many components among which are a number of heavy metals which include lead, cadmium, selenium, nickel, chromium and mercury. A majority of these metals impact negatively on the environment when used in very large quantities or over a prolonged period of time. Chromium is also an important component of screen lacquers. When washed into the environment, it pollutes the soil and water sources.

There are a number of heavy metals found in ink. They include mercury, chromium, cadmium, lead, selenium, nickel and so on. Most of these elements are harmful to the environment particularly when used in large quantities or for prolonged periods of time. Apart from being used for making ink chromium is a component of lacquers used in the screens. It is a known pollutant of both water and soil.

Water is without a doubt one of the biggest raw materials which go into the printing process. In an inefficient system, most of it ends up as waste. Being conscious about the environment means recycling and reusing this water. Research has established that slightly over 60% of water can be recycled and reused at various levels of the process. Such a move will reduce operating costs significantly.

The next area you need to evaluate is the type of machine used. Two types of printers exist: the conventional printer and the digital printer. The former has been known to be rather inefficient with regard to the use of energy, ink and water. Modern digital machines use only a fraction of these raw materials and end up with superior quality impressions on the fabrics.

Quite a number of chemicals are used during pre-treatment. Urea is the most important chemical here. As the urea is broken down during steaming carbon dioxide is released into the environment. The gas has well-known effects on the ozone and its reduction should be minimized as much as possible. There is a special foam available to be used in place of the urea. This foam is more eco-friendly.

Engraving is an energy intensive process. Digital techniques use less energy by employing laser energy this has helped reduce the total amount of energy required. The other option is to turn to alternatives of inks such as the use of pigments. Pigments have the advantage being used on almost any type of medium. They do not require pre and post treatment. For this reason, they require less water and energy.

Greener technologies are no longer just about the environment; they are everything for businesses. With consumers getting more enlightened about the environmental damage caused by chemicals, they are more inclined to purchase eco friendly products. You need to re-position your business such that it meets the needs of this emerging market. Most governments have formulated policies which favor eco-friendly manufacturing.




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