Press manufacturers and also ink and paper manufacturers are working constantly to develop new and better products. These products have to keep up with advancements in machine technology, i.e. faster printing speed, which challenges the printing inks, paper and fountain solution to carry out all the functions that the press operator is used to. Printing ink manufacturers are working on ink formulations that help with establishing a fast ink/water balance on press, but at the same time giving excellent dot reproduction, a low ink film thickness, achieving excellent print quality and fast setting and drying times. Of course, the fountain solution, the paper, the blanket and many other factors also play a vital role in influencing the overall print quality. I have seen many press rooms in my 10 years in the ink manufacturing industry, and I have seen print jobs turn bad – and it was not the fault of the consumables involved.
Many innovations in regards to consumables are driven by cost. The ink manufacturers would like to produce the same or better quality with less costly raw materials. Fountain solution manufacturers are working on ways to make a certain solution suitable for a wide variety of press configurations and varying tap water qualities. Blanket manufacturers are looking into optimizing the surface properties of the printing blanket so it releases the ink more quickly, but can also be washed properly with the wide variety of press washes that are on the market.
Paper manufacturers are now being challenged by many customers to provide paper that is FSC certified and/or contains a certain amount of recycled fibres. If a paper contains recycled fibres, it does not mean that its overall quality will be lower or less than a paper that has been made from new fibres only. These days, papers have to be able to be printed on at high press speeds (18,500 i/h), so the paper surface has to be strong enough to withstand the pull from the inks as well as the grippers moving the sheet either to a transfer cylinder or directly to the next printing unit.
What is new in the world of printing inks?
In the last couple of years, many printers have switched to UV inks for many reasons. One major reason is probably the fast turnaround time that UV inks offer. Due to the way these inks are cured, they are instantly dry and almost no time has to pass before the printed material can be sent to the bindery department. The UV-technology used by many print companies these days uses mercury doped lamps that emit a lot of heat and UV radiation as well as that part of the UV spectrum that is needed for curing the inks. A new technology uses LEDs for curing UV inks. UV-LEDs offer the advantage of being instantly on and require no warm-up time, even after a short stop during make-ready or production. UV-LEDs can be mounted much closer to the paper path, since they don’t emit much heat. UV-LED curing systems also offer power savings of up to 60 per cent and no ventilation system is required since the LEDs don’t generate ozone during production.
The main difference between UV-LEDs and mercury vapour lamps is the part of the UV spectrum that is emitted by the UV-LEDs. They emit in the long range part of the UV spectrum and, therefore, the UV inks need different types of photoinitiators than the current inks require.
Many ink companies have been working to develop printing inks for the offset and flexo printing processes that can be used with this new UV-curing technology. At Print 09, some companies showed a variety of new inks for various applications and improvements to existing product lines.
Paper trends
The use of old growth forests for paper manufacturing is being frowned upon a lot these days, if not seen as an old business practice that won’t get many print companies to order paper from paper suppliers, or paper merchants for their customers. It is more common business practice these days that print companies use or specify only paper that comes from FSC-certified sources.
But what does FSC-certified mean? First, FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. Second, it means that the forests that are cut for paper production are well-managed and being replanted so that clear-cut logging is not taking place anymore.
There are two types of FSC certification; one is in regards to forest management and the other is called Chain of Custody certification. For print companies, the Chain of Custody certification applies. More information on FSC certification can be found at www.fsccanada.org/default.htm.
Another certification program is the SFI initiative or Sustainable Forestry Initiative. This certification was created by a collaboration of paper producers. Its goals are similar to the FSC initiative. More information in regards to the SFI initiative can be found at www.sfiprogram.org.
A third program for certification is the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and is more geared towards European countries. More information about PEFC can be found at www.pefc.org/internet/html.
One might wonder why should a print company in North America become PEFC certified? There is a good reason for this, since more and more European papers enter the North American market. If you are using European papers for your clients, and you have written sustainability and recycling all over your company, it’s a good idea to also get PEFC certified. Since additional cost for registration and an audit are involved, not many companies get tri-certified, but if you do, it might give you a competitive edge when you bid for a print job.
Green trends
Starting with programs like FSC-certification, a green wave has swept through the print industry. Everyone is trying to minimize their environmental footprint and use principles of sustainability in their business practices. Becoming more sustainable not only means that less raw materials and more recycled products are being used, but also incorporating consumables that have been recycled, refurbished or have undergone some kind of recovery process that reuses some of the original material. For example, if you use a packaging material that has been made from pre- and/or post-consumer fibres, it is more sustainable than a similar product made from some kind of plastic. Sustainability means that you can use less of your current consumables, yet still achieve the same quality. It also means if you can switch to less harmful chemicals like press washes and other cleaning supplies.
Overall, sustainability means that the toll your operation has, directly or indirectly, on the environment is reduced and minimized. This can be done through a variety of ways. In regards to consumables, you should talk to your supplier(s) about more ecological products. It goes without saying that the more environmentally-friendly products should still give you the same quality as before. However, it might be necessary to change some operational procedures to achieve it.
One stop shops/suppliers
In the past, it was business practice to buy your pressroom supplies from many different sources. I am not saying that you should stop doing this. If you have a good working relationship with your supplier(s) and are satisfied with their products and services, there is no need to change this. Some people might say they like to buy everything from one source, so they don’t have to negotiate pricing with all the different suppliers and only one salesperson knocks on their door. It is then their responsibility to make sure they receive constant and good quality, and if there are problems they have to sort it out.
Some press manufacturers offer their own house-brand of products. The range of products can be from prepress supplies like proofing papers and inkjet inks to press washes, printing blankets and printing inks and coatings (UV and waterbased). Not all press manufacturers offer the same range of products.
Press manufacturers are still fairly new to this game, therefore the range of consumables, besides their own, varies widely. There are, of course, other players in this field. From my days in the ink manufacturing business, I remember a company that was then called Graphic Resources. As the name implies, the company supplied the necessary resources to its customers in the graphic arts industry. These resources included paper, inks, pressroom chemicals and many other products. The business for consumables was geared towards the smaller print companies, offering them a one-stop shop for most of their needs in regards to pressroom consumables. Today, the name and owner of this company has changed and the range of products that are available has increased; and while the products have expanded into the prepress and digital print side, at the core of the business is still the supply of pressroom consumables to its customers.
There are a few other companies in the Canadian market that offer similar products. I only mentioned the previous example because I had intensive business contacts with them. There are also other suppliers of press room consumables. They offer a wide variety of products that range from inks, to pressroom chemicals to prepress supplies and equipment.
I am not recommending any specific supplier of pressroom consumables, since this article should only give you an idea what is available. You have to make the ultimate decision as to where you want to purchase your products. Do you prefer to purchase everything from one source with the possibility of getting a discount, or do you pick and chose from the wide variety of products and suppliers that are on the market?
Besides price, there are also other factors that can influence your purchase decision. In my opinion, it is very important to know what kind of after-sales service is being offered. You should ask yourself if you find the salesperson knowledgeable and open to your concerns and if the technical support people are knowledgeable and take care of your problems, so you can continue to run your organization smoothly. It is not only the immediate company representatives that should form your opinion about the service capabilities of your supplier(s); you should also pay attention to how you are treated when you place an order on the phone, whether the invoicing is done correctly and whether any of your concerns are dealt with correctly.
Another thing that you might want to look at is the possibility to place your orders online and not have to find your way through one of those automated voice command systems where you always end up in the wrong menu and when you finally do manage to connect to a real person, you have reached the wrong department.
In this article, I mentioned the FSC, SFI and PEFC programs that apply to the way paper is manufactured and where the raw materials are coming from.
The principle of using materials from renewable sources should also apply to all the suppliers that are necessary to keep your operation running. Since the “green wave” has swept, or is still sweeping through the graphic arts industry, many companies take pride in achieving certification according to the environmental standards that apply to their business.
For example, National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) has launched the BRC index or Bio Renewable Content Index. This index certifies the amount of bio-renewable content in an ink formulation. It is a step towards the sustainability and carbon footprint of a printing ink that will later include manufacturing and all the raw materials that are used in the manufacturing process. The higher the index, the higher the amount of bio-renewable material used in an ink formulation. More information about this program can be found at www.napim.org.
NAPIM has also teamed up with Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP). As it states on the website (www.sgppartnership.org), “The SGP Partnership is a certification program that acknowledges a printing facility’s sustainability efforts. It provides a central location for information on recognized printers and sustainable green printing activities. The certification assures the print customer that the printing facilities identified within the certified SGP printer listing have made significant commitments toward sustainability. The SGP Partnership strives to be the central focus for sustainable green certification for the printing industry to harmonize and eliminate the potential of competing and confusing programs. Facilities listed fall into two categories: SGP Printers and SGP Applicants.”
So far, no Canadian print company has become an SGP printer, but two print companies from the Toronto area are listed as SGP applicants.
Conclusion
Seeing this recent development means to me that the circle is closing. The various organizations and certification programs are starting to support each other and their respective programs tie in together. For you as a buyer of consumables, it means that you should pay more attention to where you are and who you are buying from. Purchasing materials that come from sustainable resources not only soothe your green mind, but also the minds of those who buy your products. Achieving one or more of the mentioned certifications is something that will give you a competitive advantage since more and more print buyers are demanding that FSC-certified papers are being used.
Depending on your own preference, you can purchase your consumables from many different sources and try to get the lowest possible price for each purchase, but cheap is not always the best solution. The saying “you get what you pay for” is still true, even more so these days. You can also choose to purchase your consumables from a merchant that carries a variety of products or even from the press manufacturer itself. What counts in the end is that you receive a quality product that is supported by quality service in all its aspects and that the product itself has been manufactured with the least amount of impact on the environment.