Green Options » digital printing

Care About Green Printing? Better Tell Your Printer!

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:22:09 +0000

I’ve blogged a lot about how the printing industry is far greener than people give it credit for. The presses are more efficient. Paper often has high recycled content. Marketing strategies emphasize smart use of data over volume production. There are many ways that printing is green — greener, many argue, than electronic media. But what about individual printers? To what extent are they consciously pursuing a green strategy? It can be a significant investment, after all. Are their customers making it worth their while?

Last year, the commercial printing industry information portal What They Think released a report on the status of green in the printing industry. This month, in Printing Continues to Go Green, WTT updated the report with fresh data, comparing the numbers year over year.

In the June 2009 survey, WTT researchers found the following year-over-year changes:

Printers are far more likely to identify themselves in their marketing and promotional materials as environmentally sensitive businesses — 33%, up from 26% last year
They are slightly more likely to justify new equipment purchases because of their more favorable environmental impact — 22%, up from 20%
They are more likely to have special “green” certifications from independent organizations (Forest Stewardship Council, Green Seal) — 22%, up from 15%
They are slightly more likely to say that promoting their green efforts helps their business image — 39%, up from 35%.

But it’s not all good news. Commercial printers don’t see a lot of customer gratitude for their efforts. In the June 2009 survey, they were noticeably less likely to say that it was essential to their customers and more likely to say that it was a major expense without a major business benefit. Only 2% said it was critically important to their customers.

This is a real problem. Why?

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Marketing Report: Making “Green Printing” Work

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:16:04 +0000

An increasing number of marketers are turning to toner- or inkjet-based printing in order to green their print marketing programs. It’s not that offset presses are inherently ungreen. On the contrary, printing as a whole is a whole lot greener than many people give it credit for. But digital printing has some compelling green benefits.

Lower start-up waste
Smaller, more targeted production volumes
Presses with a higher percentage of recycled (or recyclable) parts
Lower energy use (in certain cases)
Ability to drive document management models that can reduce print waste and unnecessary print volumes that can reduce your carbon footprint and save money at the same time

All the while boosting your marketing effectiveness at the same time.

But for these digital-print-driven applications to work, it takes more than a digital press. That’s just the tool. It’s the smarts behind them — the marketing savvy and understanding of the technology — that drives results. To this end, Digital Printing Reports can released an October 2009 update to its “Digital Printing: Transforming Business Models & Marketing” training and educational report, incorporating the latest software and hardware technologies from Print 09.

The report is designed to help marketers get their minds around the issues that drive digital print production and marketing applications and make the most of them. It has five sections:

Technology discussion from a marketer’s perspective
Application classifications with illustrative case studies
How digital printing greens marketing
More effective ways of evaluating marketing program success
Best practices for greatest marketing impact
Conclusions and additional resources

Incorporating applications driven by digital printing is not only a step in the green direction. Done right, it’s also smart marketing.

Can You Cook a Turkey in Your Copier?

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:19:28 +0000

Did you know that copiers consume the most energy of all types of office equipment? That they consume power even when they are sitting idle? Simply by switching to a more energy-efficient type of printer, you can take a chunk out of your carbon emissions.

In addition to their cost efficiency, this is one reason that many businesses are looking at inkjet. Increasingly, even office-style machines have terrific image quality (commercial-quality inkjet presses are now as high as 1200 dpi) and they produce little or not heat. That means low energy use.

A very funny promotional video from RISO explains it well. Grandma may like her color copies because they are “nice and toasty,” but this is because of the heat generated by the machine and, consequently, their high energy consumption. Hence the line, “You could cook a turkey in there!” (I’ll leave the animation to your imagination).

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The New Green Media: Print

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 11:27:06 +0000

I know I’ve been a bit like a dog on a bone about the fact that print is not necessarily the enemy, but I think it’s important. Marketers are being hit like a locomotive with the idea that e-mail and other electronic media are green because they don’t use paper, but there is a lot more to environmental friendliness than cutting tree. Like . . . energy use.

This week, the print industry will gather in Chicago at Print 09 (September 11 - 16), one of its largest annual trade shows. There, the The Print Council will promote a new position paper titled, “Why Print Is Green.”

“Our industry is a leader in recycling, sustainability and pollution control,” says Ben Cooper, executive director of The Print Council. “In fact, we pioneered putting those concepts into widespread practice over the past three decades. But we did so quietly, to the extent that there is a lack of awareness regarding the environmentally responsible nature of print.

“Why Print Is Green” describes ten specific ways in which print is green, from the responsible products used, renewable energy sourced, increased recycling rates, to improved design and delivery methods. The report is intended to demonstrate why print media is the environmentally sound choice for communicating with the audiences they want to reach.

Among the facts the white paper documents:
In 2008, more than 57% of paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling, more than any material.
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Fab Fabrics: Spoonflower Offers Organic Cotton

Jackie Hernandez — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:13:04 +0000

Digital textile printing now available on organic cotton from Spoonflower!

I sprang to my feet when I saw the message in my e-mail from Spoonflower this morning. After much urging by eco icons including Betz White, Harmony Susalla and customers, they now offer digital textile printing on organic cotton! The new 4.5 oz organic cotton sateen is certified organic by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard). It has a 58-inch printable area for only $27/yard. The fabric is ideal for apparel and pillows.

Fab Fabrics: Karma Kraft On Demand Fabric Printing and Sewing Services

Jackie Hernandez — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:51:01 +0000

The popularity of on demand fabric printing continues to grow in the craft and design communities. We have shared with you before a couple on demand printers like Spoonflower and Fabric On Demand. Today I would like to introduce you to one of the newest on demand print services called Karma Kraft. But Karma Kraft is way more than just a digital printer, they have taken the on demand service to a whole new level.

I originally discovered Karma Kraft through an ad on True Up and now they have a fabulous interview with Karma Kraft founder Susan Lu. With a background in the textile industry and a passion for the craft and design communities, it was only natural for Susan to create Karma Kraft to advance the accessibility of on demand fabric printing.

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Greening Print Marketing: No Office Needs Six Identical Mailers

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:53:33 +0000

I was browsing the blogs of one of my favorite marketing firms, Trekk Cross-Media, and was pleased to see that they are looking at print marketing in terms of maximizing its results while minimizing its environmental impact.

In its Creative Zone blogs, one of its company bloggers, MJ Anderson, made a not-so-humorous post about extra print volumes that really struck me and I thought I’d reproduce part of it here.

Today I received a direct mailer at work that on the surface was funny, but after some thought was pretty sad. As a service to our clients, we buy printing from any number of companies with varying levels of expertise. As a result of this, we also receive solicitation for services from all sorts of different print service providers.

In today’s case, the direct mail piece was intended to tell me about the company’s new “environmentally responsible” policy on paper and soy based inks. Sounds like a great idea, right? I thought so, too, until I realized that not only did I receive this mailer, but six other people in my small office received the same mailer. Most of the recipients are not in a position to procure, use, or influence the purchase of printing services. The piece in question was a pretty elaborate envelope and well-designed brochure, letter and insert.

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Greening Print Marketing: Inkjet Recyclability Suspect

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 03:20:55 +0000

I got a surprise this month. I was writing on “green” issues related to inkjet ink, and much of what I expected to write went out the window.

In the world of offset printing, the difference between solvent-based inks and water-based inks matters—a lot. In the world of toner-based inks (digital inks), on the other hand, there really is no difference. As I’ve written here before, this is because nearly all toner-based inks are dry toner inks, which are solvent-free. Of those inks (liquid toner) that do contain solvent, it’s such a mild form that the practical difference is negligible.

But on the issue of inkjet, the issues are completely different. Solvent vs. water inks matters very little, but for completely different reasons.

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Greening Print Marketing: Getting Serious About Greenhouse Gases

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:51:43 +0000

Many printers say they are “green” or “eco-friendly” because they print using soy inks, are FSC-certified, or print on recycled paper. But if you want an example of a printer who is really serious about its stewardship of the environment, take a look at Green Printer.

Using sources from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Green Printer estimates that it helped its customers save 74,645 pounds of greenhouse gases and 38,116 pounds of solid waste since the eco-friendly printing company opened in June 2007.

Green Printer is so serious about its environmental stewardship that it actually offers an “Eco-Calculator” that helps its customers calculate how much greenhouse gas and trees they, too, can save by using its services. These savings are achieved, among other things, by using sustainable printing methods (such as waterless printing) and printing on treeless and recycled paper. (See Green Printer’s story.)

This adds a completely new dimension to the issue of socially responsible printing—a more active sense of participation.

As I wrote last week, one of the benefits of using the document management and marketing models driven by digital printing is that you can see the positive impact you are making on the environment by what is missing—piles of wasted inventory, unread mail, and trash cans filled to the brim. But Green Printer offers another way to quantify your impact on the environment, one that allows you to “see” the invisible.

That’s a very powerful motivator to positive social action—to the tune of 74,645 pounds of greenhouse gases so far.

Greening Print Marketing: Does Sustainability Matter to Print Buyers?

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 01:59:42 +0000

When I was first asked to write for The Inspired Economist on the issue “greening” print marketing, I was excited about the opportunity to talk about something I’m passionate about—the ability to use today’s print technologies to make a practical difference in our stewardship of the environment.

After all, you can’t see the immediate effects of reducing your carbon footprint or reducing your use of virgin paper. When you use the flexibility provided by digital printing technologies to green your print market, you can.

When you move to a full “just in time” inventory management solution, you see empty space in your warehouse instead of stacks of wastestream-clogging paper, books, or leaflets.

Instead of sending 10,000 64-page four-color college coursebooks covering every class known to mankind, you send out 16-page personalized booklets containing only information relevant to each prospective student, you see a tangible reduction in your impact on solid waste—48,000 pages worth.

But do others feel the same way? According to an online “Quick Poll” conducted by Print Buyers Online, a free educational online community, 73% of print buyers do, in fact, feel that sustainability is becoming more important in their companies. This leaves some work yet to be done—26% still say no—but this is an impressive number.

The question is, how is this sustainability being accomplished? Is it “pie in the sky” idealism? Or is it being accomplished through practical, achievable steps?

Greening of print marketing through changing business and marketing models through the use of just in time printing, Web-to-print-driven marketing models, 1:1 (personalized) printing, and others is a practical, achievable step. The question is, if yours is one of the 73% of companies that sees sustainability and environmental issues becoming more important, are you looking at—or overlooking—the real “greening” opportunities print marketing provides?

Greening Print Marketing: New Report on Digital Printing

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:05:18 +0000

This week, everybody is watching the stock market and talking about the economy, but I want to do a little reality check here. Other than tweaking our portfolios, there isn’t much we can do about it. Was the bail-out the right decision? Was it not the right decision? Talking about it makes us feel better—as if it gives us some kind of control—but the reality is, it doesn’t. Why not take all that nervous energy and channel it into something really productive? A place where we can make a difference right away?

Did you know that by making some basic changes in your document management and print marketing, you can reduce your carbon footprint, use fewer trees, use less petroleum, and improve your bottom line at the same time? In today’s time of financial crisis, that ought to get any company’s attention. It starts, not with the paper or ink you spec, but with the fundamental way you print at your documents.

By utilizing today’s digital production technologies, you can move to document management models that have a major impact on the environment. By printing shorter runs—even for high-quality, four-color documents—you eliminate warehousing costs and the cost of outdated print, but on the environmental side, you avoid cutting down trees for nothing. Every time a book, a pamphlet, a flyer goes out of date and gets thrown in the trash, you just contributed to needless deforestation.

By making smarter use of your database—say, mailing to only the top 10% of your customer base—you reduce the amount of printed material you use. If you combine it with smart use of print personalization, you could earn even more revenues than on a larger static mailing.

Some great examples can be found in a new report on digital-printing-driven marketing models entitled “Digital Printing: Transforming Business and Marketing Models,” released yesterday.

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Greening Print Marketing: Are Digital, Solvent-Based Inks “Green”?

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:32:45 +0000

Last time, I listed four characteristics of digital print production that endears it to those looking to green their print marketing. The fact that one of the three primary ink types used by digital presses (HP’s ElectroInk) uses solvent, however, may raise suspicion.

Solvent-based inks are used in other digital production processes—most visibly wide-format inkjet used for applications like banners, vehicle wraps, and signage—and those presses release VOCs and require venting. What makes ElectroInk different?

From an environmental marketing perspective, not all solvents are created equal. In the wide-format/display environment, the inks need to perform two Herculean tasks.

They must adhere securely to non-paper substrates like vinyl.
They often must be lightfast.

If they are used for applications like vehicle wraps, they must do both.

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Greening Print Marketing: Four “Green” Characteristics of Digital Printing

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:03:45 +0000

If you want to “green” your print marketing, one way to do it is to print using digital production printing. How is digital production “green”?

There are three types of digital print production:

Dry toner (xerography)
Liquid toner (used exclusively in the HP Indigo presses)
Continuous inkjet (used both for light production and high-volume presses)

Because of the number of variables that impact the lifecycle of a printed product, and because of the strides being made by offset printers to green their operations, it is difficult—if not impossible—to make a categorical statement that “digital production is greener than offset.” However, there are some unequivocal factors about digital print that will please those looking to become more environmentally sensitive in their production and management of print.

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Greening Print Marketing: Eco-Printing — A Nice Bonus to Digital Printing

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:49:50 +0000

The trash can…or not. Although many marketers consider the today’s applications driven by dry toner, liquid toner, and inkjet digital printing to be the technology’s greatest asset, the “green-ness” of the technology is a nice bonus, too.

This is important to marketers because environmental printing is no longer just good social responsibility. It’s good marketing. Companies with “green” programs have a marketing advantage through positive association. By utilizing environmentally responsible printing practices, this gives you a nice plug for your business.

How is digital printing “green”?

1. The output technology is socially responsible. 1:1 printing is output from digital presses. These presses use no process chemicals (although liquid ink presses and inkjet presses may use solvents in their ink formulations; dry toner presses do not). They use no film or plates. Start-up waste is minimal—10 sheets or less, compared to 100 or more sheets for most offset presses.

Although conventional wisdom is that digital inks are difficult to remove during the recycling process, this is outdated. An increasing number of digital press manufacturers are now promoting the de-inkability of their toners, even from recycled paper. This is true even of HP, whose liquid toner “ElectroInk” produces at or near offset-quality photographic quality but is suspended in a mild solvent, and even of high-speed inkjet presses like Kodak Versamark.

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Greening Print Marketing: It Doesn’t Have to Hurt

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:19:30 +0000

One reason many businesses hesitate to “go green” is because environmental responsibility seems too time-consuming and overwhelming. It’s not that they don’t care. It’s that, with all of their other responsibilities, it seems like too much.

Just the thought of measuring the corporate environmental footprint—from measuring the carbon output of every office copier to the impact of the transportation methods of employees—is enough to send the poor manager tasked with the job into apoplexy.

But while “going green” may seem overwhelming, in reality, I see it as being a lot like my relationship with my dishwasher.

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