How Green is Your Process?
Some buyers think sustainable print means adding certification logos. But it's really about the process.
By Bill Esler, Editor in Chief -- Graphic Arts Online, June 1, 2008
One of the nation's largest and most respected printers told me that designers and buyers are quick to ask for sustainable print production, but balk at the up charge for chain-of-custody certified papers (10% or more), wind power (20% premium) and low-VOC chemistries. While the steps to being certified to apply those little logos (FSC, SFI, PERC) can be modest, maintaining facilities and records requires methodical tracking and improved processes.
Another aspect getting attention in green printing is minimization of dampening and cleaning solutions on press. Automated blanket cleaners cut VOCs by metering miniscule amounts of cleaning fluid. Filtration systems reclaim and reuse fountain solution, extracting sludge and contaminants, and adding small amounts of chemistry to refresh and balance systems.
Alcohol substitutes and alcohol-free fountain solutions are gaining ground as local emissions standards tighten. But getting to truly alcohol-free dampening can mean reestablishing shop standards for ink-water balance, say experts.
The elimination of alcohol and other VOCs in dampeners means other agents must be found to break the surface tension of water—so that it disperses readily through halftones and non-image plate areas. Flint and Sun Chemical have established lines of low-VOC chemistries compatible with their inks. Two others with positive buzz in blogs and forums are Amerikal and BST Pro Mark. The latter has licensed a Spanish technology, AquaDelta, that oxygenates a specialized alcohol-free dampening fluid and, thereby, improves its wetting properties.
Amerikal was an early advocate of sustainable pressroom chemistries with its Genesis products now in use at 900 plants worldwide. In 2006 Amerikal unveiled BRIGL, a biodegradable offset blanket and roller wash. The firm says it was the first to develop a single-step fountain solution to run without alcohol or substitutes (some of which contain alcohol derivatives, by the way). Its food-grade chemistries combine with a pressroom adoption regime that includes heavy hands-on support.
With paper critical to green print, Natural Source Printing's FiberStone Papers are certainly interesting. Tree-free, it has a white glistening surface, say printers who've used it. And no rocks are injured in production; it's 80% limestone quarry waste.
SFI Printers
Chain-of-custody certified print firms under criteria established by the Sustainable Forestry Inititative as of May 26, 2008: www.sfiprogram.org.
| Company, Certifier, Location | Sustainable Forestry Initiative Cert. # |
| *SFI lists these Quad/Graphics sites under one certification number: | |
| Abbott Printing, SGS Intn'l., Maitland, FL | NCS-SFICOC-086 |
| AC Graphics, SGS Intn'l., Hialeah, FL | NCS-SFICOC-032 |
| Academy Graphic Comm., Inc., Bureau Veritas, Cleveland, OH | BVC-SFICOC-US 07000140 |
| Accell Graphics, SGS Intn'l., London, ON, Canada | NCS-SFICOC-054 |
| Acme Printing Co., Inc., Bureau Veritas, Wilmington, MA | BV-SFICOC-205608 |
| Action Envelope, SGS Intn'l., Lindenhurst, NY | NCS-SFICOC-100 |
| Adams Lithographing, SGS Intn'l., Chattanooga, TN | NCS-SFICOC-021 |
| Advanced Printing of NY, Bureau Veritas, New York, NY | BV-SFICOC-US08000113 |
| Agility Press, Inc., SGS Intn'l., Jacksonville, FL | NCS-SFICOC-040 |
| Albuquerque Printing Co., SGS Intn'l., Albuquerque, NM | NCS-SFICOC-116 |
| All Out Print Comm., Inc., Bureau Veritas, Woodridge, IL | BV-SFICOC-US070000243 |
| Allied Litho, Inc, Bureau Veritas, Kansas City, MO | BV-SFICOC_US-08000225 |
| American Sheetfed, SGS Intn'l., Carol Stream, IL | NCS-SFICOC-107 |
| Anstadt Printing, Bureau Veritas, York, PA | BV-SFICOC-US08000106 |
| Arcade Marketing, Inc., SGS Intn'l., Chattanooga, TN | NCS-SFICOC-023 |
| Arizona Public Service Co., Bureau Veritas, Phoenix, AZ | BVC-SFICOC-US 07000130 |
| Arkay Packaging, Bureau Veritas, Roanoke, VA | BV-SFICOC-7000028 |
| Associated Printing, Bureau Veritas, Miami Lakes, FL | BV-SFICOC-US08000097 |
| B&G House of Printing, Inc., Bureau Veritas, Gardena, CA | BV-SFICOC-US07000241 |
| Bassette Co., SGS Intn'l., Springfield, MA | NCS-SFISCOC-051 |
| Beacon Printing, SGS Intn'l., Waldorf, MD | NCS-SFICOC-085 |
| Best Press, Inc, Bureau Veritas, Addison, TX | BV-SFICOC-209994 |
| Boaz Printing, Bureau Veritas, Boaz, AL | BV-SFICOC-US08000062 |
| Bowne & Co., South Bend, SGS Intn'l., South Bend, IN | NCS-SFICOC-005 |
| Bowne Business Comm., SGS Intn'l., Secaucus, NJ | NCS-SFICOC-014 |
| Bowne of Houston, SGS Intn'l., Houston, TX | NCS-SFICOC-034 |
| Bowne of Toronto, SGS Intn'l., Toronto, ON | NCS-SFICOC-105 |
| Brilliant Graphics, SGS Intn'l., Exton, PA | NCS-SFICOC-096 |
| Brown Printing, SGS Intn'l., Waseca, MN; Greenville, PA; Woodstock IL | NCS-SFICOC-118 |
| Campbell Printing, SGS Intn'l., Dalton, GA | SGS-COC-004398 |
| Capital Offset, Bureau Veritas, Concord, NH | BV-SFICOC-US08000220 |
| Capital Printing, SGS Intn'l., Middlesex, NJ | NCS-SFICOC-011 |
| Cardinal Colorprint, SGS Intn'l., Chicago | NCS-SFICOC-057 |
| Cary Printing, SGS Intn'l., Morrisville, NC | NCS-SFICOC-024 |
| Central Florida Press, Bureau Veritas, Orlando, FL | BV-SFICOC-US08000077,-76 |
| Cenveo-Baltimore, Bureau Veritas, Baltimore, MD | BV-SFICOC-US08000022 |
| Chicago Press, Bureau Veritas, Chicago | BV-SFICOC-US07000237 |
| Chromatic Inc., Lithographers, SGS Intn'l., Glendale, CA | NCS-SFICOC-033 |
| Classic Color, Inc., SGS Intn'l., Broadview, IL | NCS-SFICOC-020 |
| Co/Color, SGS Intn'l., San Dimas, CA | NCS-SFICOC-046 |
| Collinsville Printing, Bureau Veritas, Collinsville, VA | BV-SFICOC-US 08000160 |
| ColorDynamics, Inc., PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dr. Allen, TX | PwC-SFICOC-269 |
| ColorMark Printing, Inc., SGS Intn'l., Kansas City, MO | NCS-SFICOC-060 |
| Continental Press, SGS Intn'l., Concord, ON | NCS-SFICOC-074 |
| Corporate Graphics, Bureau Veritas, Chicago | BV-SFICOC-US08000024 |
| Media Graphics/Total Lithography SGS Intn'l., Los Angeles | NCS-SFICOC-113, |
| Creative Carton, SGS Intn'l., Minneapolis | NCS-SFICOC-059 |
| Creative Press Inc., NSF-ISR, Anaheim, CA | NSF-CoC-6R461 |
| Cultivate Comm., Bureau Veritas, Canoga Park, CA | BV-SFICOC-209976 |
| Daniels Graphics, SGS Intn'l., Asheville, NC | NCS-SFICOC-108 |
| Datatel Resources Corp., Bureau Veritas, Monaca, PA | BV-SFICOC-US-08000133 |
| Documation LLC, SGS Intn'l., Eau Claire, WI | NCS-SFICOC-038 |
| EarthColor, SGS Intn'l., West Orange, NJ | NCS-SFICOC-044 |
| LoyaltyExpress/Little Moose LLC, Bureau Veritas, Woburn, MA | BV-COC-080316 |
| Elk Grove Graphics, Bureau Veritas, Elk Grove Village, IL | BV-SFICOC-US08000001 |
| Ellison Graphics Corp., SGS Intn'l., Jupiter, FL | NCS-SFICOC-064 |
| FCL Graphics, SGS Intn'l., Harwood Heights, IL | NCS-SFICOC-027 |
| Flower City Printing, Bureau Veritas, Rochester, NY | BV-SFICOC-US08000081 |
| Forum Comm. Printing, Bureau Veritas, Detroit Lakes, MN | BV-SFICOC-217384 |
| Frank Grumpert Printing, Bureau Veritas, Annapolis, MD | BV-COC-US07000151 |
| Frank Parsons, Bureau Veritas, Baltimore | PwC-SFICOC-271 |
| Goetz Printing, —, Springfield VA | — |
| Gopher State Litho Corp., SGS Intn'l., Minneapolis | NCS-SFICOC-036 |
| Rocky Mountain Printing, Bureau Veritas, Orem, UT | BV-SFICOC-07000022 |
| Graphic Comm., NSF-ISR, Aliso Viejo, CA | NSF-SFICOC-6L211-C1 |
| Graphic Comm. Corp., SGS Intn'l., Lawrenceville, GA | NCS-SFICOC-081 |
| Great Western Industries, Bureau Veritas, Dallas | BVC-SFICOC-US_07000107 |
| Groupe Produlith, SGS Intn'l., Longueuil, QC, Canada | NCS-SFICOC-075 |
| HM Graphics, SGS Intn'l., Milwaukee, WI | NCS-SFICOC-028 |
| Hutchison-Allgood Printing, Bureau Veritas, Winston-Salem, NC | BV-SFICOC-210028 |
| Jostens Inc., SGS Intn'l., Winston-Salem, NC | NCS-SFICOC-111 |
| JTP Printing, Inc., SGS Intn'l., Bethesda, MD | NCS-SFICOC-022 |
| K & D Graphics, SGS Intn'l., Orange, CA | NCS-SFICOC-050 |
| Kennickell Print, Bureau Veritas, Savannah, GA | BV-SFICOC-US08000026 |
| Kirkwood Printing Co., Bureau Veritas, Wilmington, MA | BV-SFICOC-US 07000004 |
| Lake County Press, Inc., SGS Intn'l., Waukegan, IL | NCS-SFICOC-088 |
| Las Vegas Color Graphics, Bureau Veritas, Las Vegas | NV, BV-SFICOC US 08000217 |
| Lawton Printers, SGS Intn'l., Casselberry, FL | NCS-SFICOC-110 |
| Letter Perfect, Inc., Bureau Veritas, Charlotte, NC | BV-SFICOC-US 07000178 |
| Malloy Inc., Bureau Veritas, Ann Arbor, MI | BV-SFICOC US-08000229 |
| Master Print, SGS Intn'l., Newington, VA | NCS-SFICOC-071 |
| Metro Label Ltd., SGS Intn'l., Napa, CA | NCS-SFICOC-079 |
| Meyers Printing Co., SGS Intn'l., Brooklyn Park, MN | NCS-SFICOC-049 |
| Miracle Graphics, SGS Intn'l., Atlanta | NCS-SFICOC-098 |
| Mossberg & Co., SGS Intn'l., South Bend, IN | NCS-SFICOC-117 |
| Mulligan Printing, Bureau Veritas, St. Louis | BV-SFICOC-US08000020 |
| Nahan Printing, SGS Intn'l., St. Cloud, MN | NCS-SFICOC-041 |
| Napco, Inc., Bureau Veritas, Sparta, NC | BV-SFICOC-US 08000161 |
| Newsletters Ink, Bureau Veritas, Salt Lake City, UT | BV-SFICOC-210004 |
| Original Impressions, Bureau Veritas, Miami | BV-SFICOC-US08000129 |
| Paradigm Printing Inc., SGS Intn'l., Dalton, GA | NCS-SFICOC-066 |
| PBM Graphics, Bureau Veritas, Greensboro, NC | BV-SFICOC-US08000126 |
| PBM Graphics, Bureau Veritas, Durham, NC | BV-SFICOC-US08000126 |
| PCI, Paper Conversions, Inc., Bureau Veritas, Syracuse, NY | BV-SFICOC-7000032 |
| Phoenix Color, Bureau Veritas, Hagerstown, MD | BV-SFICOC-7000021 |
| Pictorial Offset Corp., SGS Intn'l., Carlstadt, NJ | NCS-SFICOC-008 |
| Preferred Printing Co. Inc., SGS Intn'l., Trumbull, CT | NCS-SFICOC-119 |
| Printed Specialties, SGS Intn'l., Carrolton, GA | NCS-SFICOC-089 |
| Printing Concepts, Inc., Bureau Veritas, Erie, PA | BV-SFICOC-US07000166 |
| Printing Specialist Corp., Bureau Veritas, Glen Burnie, MD | BV-SFICOC-US 07000173 |
| Printmasters Prof. Printers., SGS Intn'l., Greenville, SC | NCS-SFICOC-095 |
| Quad/Graphics, Inc., SGS Intn'l.* (see footnote) | NCS-SFICOC-13 |
| Quality Color Graphics, SGS Intn'l., Elk Grove Village, IL | NCS-SFICOC-026 |
| Quebecor World Inc., SGS Intn'l., Augusta, GA | NCS-SFICOC-006 |
| Quebecor World Inc., PricewaterhouseCoopers (see footnote)** | PwC-SFIC-260 |
| Reliable Graphics, Bureau Veritas, Van Nuys, CA | VB-SFICOC-US 08000189 |
| Response Envelope Inc., SGS Intn'l., Ontario, Canada | NCS-SFICOC-080 |
| RockTenn, —, Norcross, GA | — |
| Rowland Printing, SGS Intn'l., Phoenixville, PA | NCS-SFICOC-016 |
| RR Donnelley, NSF, Chamblee, GA | NSF-SFICOC-6T661 |
| Service Web Offset, SGS Intn'l., Chicago | NCS-SFICOC-127 |
| Sigler Companies, Bureau Veritas, Ames, IA | BV-SFICOC-US07000075 |
| Sleepeck Printing Co., SGS Intn'l., Bellwood, IL | NCS-SFICOC-029 |
| Smith Litho, SGS Intn'l., Rockville, MD | NCS-SFICOC-055 |
| Standard Press Inc., Bureau Veritas, Atlanta | BV-SFICOC-US08000171 |
| Standard Register Co., Bureau Veritas, Salisbury, MD | BV-SFICOC-US 08000128 |
| Steinhauser, Inc., Bureau Veritas, Newport, KY | BV-SFICOC-US-7000133 |
| Sull Graphics, Inc., Bureau Veritas, Roswell, GA | BV-SFICOC-US08000005 |
| Superior Printers Inc., SGS Intn'l., Winter Park, FL | NCS-SFICOC-084 |
| Taylor Graphics Inc., SGS Intn'l., Irvine, CA | NCS-SFISCOC-058 |
| The Drummond Press, SGS Intn'l., Jacksonville, FL | NCS-SFICOC-083 |
| The EPI Companies, SGS Intn'l., Marietta, GA | NCS-SFICOC-019 |
| The FSA Group, SGS Intn'l., Markham, ON, Canada | NCS-SFICOC-047 |
| The John Roberts Co., PricewaterhouseCoopers, Minneapolis | PwC-SFICOC-274 |
| The Kelly Companies, SGS Intn'l., Cheverly, MD | NCS-SFICOC-087 |
| The Odee Co., Bureau Veritas, Dallas | BV-SFICOC-US 08000177 |
| The Scan Group, SGS Intn'l., Waukesha, WI | NCS-SFICOC-056 |
| The Veitch Printing Corp., SGS Intn'l., Lancaster, PA | NCS-SFICOC-061 |
| Thoroughbred Printing, LLC, SGS Intn'l., Lexington, KY | NCS-SFICOC-030 |
| Timeplanner Calendars, Bureau Veritas, Charlotte, NC | BVC-SFICOC-US 08000151 |
| Town Crier, Ltd., Bureau Veritas, Pella, IA | BV-SFICOC-US08000003 |
| Triangle Printers, SGS Intn'l., Skokie, IL | NCS-SFICOC-099 |
| Tukaiz, LLC, Bureau Veritas, Franklin Park, IL | BV-SFICOC-US08000018 |
| United Book Press, Inc., Bureau Veritas, Baltimore | BV-SFICOC-210043 |
| United Graphics, Bureau Veritas, Louisville, KY | BV-SFICOC-US07000239 |
| Universal Lithographers, Bureau Veritas, Sheboygan, WI | BV-SFICOC-US08000085 |
| Wolf Envelope Co., SGS Intn'l., Angola, IN | NCS-SFICOC-092 |
| Zumbiel Packaging, —, Cincinnati, | — |
-
My previous post, which was a post that did not get posted on PrintCEOBlog.com, apparently was not posted due to automatic filtering of some kind and not due to censorship. This has been corrected and this post is now also on PrintCEOBlog.com. I just wanted to correct the comments I made.
As a summary, there are great opportunities to obtain not only greener production but also lower costs if fundamental issues in the process can be properly addressed. I do hope this will be an issue in the industry soon.
Erik Nikkanen - 2008-29-6 18:38:00 MDT -
Talkback says that it wants to hear what we say. I believe that. So far, Talkback has been very gracious in permitting me to state my comments, which tend to have a touch of rant, without me being banned for life. It is important to get views known that are not always "good news" comments if they do hit important issues. ........... The following is a related comment on issues that needed to be discussed, which affect a green environment, sustainability and also cost and productivity. It was originally posted on PrintCEOblog.com in a response to "How Green is My Printshop". It turned out that the powers that be at PrintCEOblog.com did not like the comments and they proved my point by removing it from the site. Gee, I didn't think it was so bad but I admit it could be viewed as a little harsh in places. Anyway the issues presented are important and do need open discussion in the community. Here they are: .........................
.....................................
Now the issue is the environment and sustainability. Previously the issues were operator skill levels, short run printing, lean manufacturing, waste reduction, process control, etc. It goes on and on. Of course they are all related and all are important but why is there no interest in understanding the critical problems that affect all these issues. ..............................
Drupa is about products. After all it is a trade show and not a science conference. But the history in the printing industry has tended to be that technical products move ahead without much of a concern about the science of the problems that are trying to be solved. The pattern is that technologies are being applied to symptoms of problems and not to fundamental causes. This results in expensive and not always successful outcomes. .........
In many industries, the science is out ahead of the technologies. Sometimes, by hundreds of years. In computers, hardware and software, aerospace, chemistry, medicine, etc. the potential is known due to a developed science well before the technologies are available. This is not the case in the printing industry. ...................................
Theoretical science has always been a very practical guide for developing continuously improving technologies in other industries but the printing industry has at best a weak theoretical culture and in some cases none at all. ........................
In offset lithography, one of the most critical problems is the one related to ink water balance and its related density variation problem. This results in a lack of consistency and predictability. Now a days, one does not hear about ink water balance much but it still is a prime problem in the process. If one wants to have a sustainable and environmentally sound process and progress in all those other issues stated above, this problem of ink water balance and density variability must be solved. Since the same fundamental cause to this problem also exists on waterless presses, solving it will help there too. ................................
Most people do know that density variation is a problem but the industry has no explanation for it happening. What is worse is that they have no interest in developing an explanation. They don’t mind describing the observations but they have no theoretical explanation. It has never come up as a goal to have an explanation. All that is wanted is a product that promises to reduce the symptoms. ......................................
My point here is that the industry is not really interested in science but only in products. The equipment and chemical vendors are not interested nor are the graphic arts institutions, technical associations, or the trade press. None of these groups will spend a minute thinking about why density changes. Saying that a process has many variables is not an explanation. .........................
Where is the open discussion about this problem. It is no where. The reason for this is that as a community, you are happy in your ignorance. ........................................
Now as an example, let’s take a simple mind experiment. The press prints a large solid. The density is at one level. Nothing is changed except that the water is adjusted higher. The density drops to a new steady state level. The drop in density is directly related to less ink being printed. Now the question is, “Where did the missing ink go?” If you don’t know, then you don’t understand the process. ..................................
I would suggest students to ask their professors that question and see how they answer it. Do they know? Can they explain it in a clear way or do they give a confusing answer. If you can’t get an answer that makes sense, then you know you paid too much for your so called education. ..............................
When will the trade press bring this up as an issue? Maybe never because they are too much interested in products and are too impressed with technology. They have done a disservice to the industry by avoiding a public debate and not expecting answers to this critical question. ............end ..................Now was that so bad?
Erik Nikkanen - 2008-10-6 20:09:00 MDT
On the Fly & on the Mark
11/30/2000






















