Prisma has always been conscious of the environmental impact of commercial printing. In the Spring of 2007, Prisma became the first sheetfed and web shop in Arizona to gain FSC Certification.
One way to make an immediate impact on the environment and reduce your company’s carbon footprint is to request soy-based inks for your print projects. In comparison to traditional inks, soy-based inks are naturally low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their usage can lower the emissions that cause air pollution.
Aside from the obvious reasons, here are a couple of other reasons to consider using soy-based inks for your next project.
Benefits of Using Alternative Inks
• Rich vivid colors: Soybean oil’s clarity allows pigments to reach their full potential, resulting in deep, rich bright colors.
• Safe, sustainable and a renewable resource: The rate of which soy beans can be replaced is much higher compared to petroleum or any other chemicals found in traditional inks.
• Ink stability: Soy ink maintains its stability throughout the entire print job, so the press operator makes fewer adjustments and rejects fewer copies due to variations. Fewer adjustments leads to consistent color and quality throughout the press run.
• Lower rub-off: Soy inks show a greater rub resistance. This is especially important for web-based printing projects that utilize newsprint.
• Soy inks are cost effective – The prices of soy inks are competitive with conventional inks since most of the cost derives from the color pigments used and not the vehicle portion of the ink formulation. Because soy ink provides more intense color, printers may not use as much ink. As a result, more materials can be printed with less ink and thereby reducing their costs.
• Easier to recycle: Soy ink is a helpful component in paper recycling, as soy ink can be removed much easier than oil-based ink from the paper during the bleaching process.
Sounds simple enough, right? Don’t believe us, try it out for yourself. Please consult your Prisma Sales Representative and ask about our soy-based ink option for your next print project. We think you’ll be happy you did!
