Menu

« Latest

PRINTING FOR THE GREENER GOOD

by Nathan Swinson-Bullough

Picture of a forest

As Earth Day looms it’s time to put climate change at the forefront of our minds.  

At Imageco, our mission to go greener is something we pride ourselves on, and we want to set the standard for sustainable wide-format printing. 

We need to be knowledgeable about the environmental issues we face today and the actions we can take to solve them. Building awareness on the impact and the role of sustainability can help us create a greener, cleaner society. 

Considering Ink: EFI Vutek LX Ultradrop Pure LED Cooling Technology 

Versatile, efficient, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly. 

To encourage eco-awareness in large format print, we’re using this latest advancement in print technology. 

The printer of choice: EFI Vutek LX Ultradrop Pure LED Cooling Technology. It comprises innovative, ink-curing technology and extends the range of supported substrates by delivering high quality and high adhesion, whilst lowering operating costs. 

With production-level speeds and continuous print functionality, we can produce jobs at a quicker rate and more efficiently at a reduced cost, whilst handling more applications. Virtually no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), fewer consumables, less waste, lower energy consumption, and the ability to print on recycled and other heat-sensitive materials without warping or head strikes, making it the greener printing solution that customers want. 

The number of VOCs varies with the ink type, with Solvents and Eco-Solvents being less benign than UV-curing or water-based inks. And now digital print manufacturers have made major efforts to make their inks as safe as possible for the environment as well as for the people who work with them. It’s an ongoing mission! 

Digital wide-format printing is far from being limited to paper-based substrates. UV-curing inks are suitable for almost any surface, including glass, perspex, metal, wooden boards and much more. Eco-Solvent, Latex inks are also able to print on a wide variety of materials. 

Streamlining RIP Software 

Raster Image Processor – RIP is designed to handle many files, file sizes and file types without limiting printing capabilities. RIP software processes files consistently, resulting in faster, efficient print times. 

Our investment into the latest version of Caldera gives us improved colour accuracy throughout our printers, also allowing us to reduce the amount of ink used to reproduce the same colour output. This will impact our overall ink consumption going forward without detriment to our productivity. 

Greener Resources 

Also, we’re working with local schools, nurseries and activity centres to donate any scrap material or useful objects we no longer need so they can be used in craft lessons, in hope that this teaches the next generation the importance of recycling and using greener materials. 

Our ethos has always been to use less energy and maximise material usage by generating cost-effective business practices and improving our green credentials. As we continue on our mission, we hope to inspire others to do the same. 

If you’re looking to work with a wide format print company with a sustainable and environmentally friendly ethos, get in touch today. 

 

If you’re looking to work with a wide format print company with a sustainable and environmentally friendly ethos. Get in touch.