Inks and Greenhouse Emissions
Conventional inks used in offset printing release volatile organic compounds (VOC) during the air-dying process into the environment and require print shops to use harsher cleaners between jobs. All of these factors contribute to high greenhouse emissions levels that can be damaging to humans and the environment. While there aren’t 100% fully sustainable inks, UV inks and water or vegetable-based inks have been reformulated to reduce the amount of VOC’s released into the atmosphere.
In terms of sustainability, UV inks are at the top of the list, as they have been formulated to cure when exposed to UV light and not through oxidation (air-drying). As the ink dries immediately after print, VOCs are trapped in the paper avoiding greenhouse emissions and speeding up the production process by reducing offsetting and ghosting.
“UV inks are at the top of the list”
