Green Options

Like it or not, “green” is a relative term. If you purchase a truck that gets 18 miles per gallon, is that good or bad for the environment? If you were driving a truck that got 13 miles to the gallon, it’s good. The same applies to many marketing technologies.

It’s easy to look past traditional offset and gravitate to digital and electronic technologies because of the perception that they are greener. But the fact is, traditional offset is still a necessary component of a successful marketing program. Fortunately, as I’ve written here before, offset technologies are getting greener and marketers don’t need to feel guilty about using them.

For example, Heidelberg is currently doing the media rounds announcing that its Speedmaster XL 105 offset press (pictured above) consumes between 10–20% less energy than comparable systems. Although energy costs only account for between 2-3% of the production costs of a print job, every little bit helps.

According to Heidelberg,

When you think about “greening” your print marketing, do you think about the age of your printer’s press? If the printer is running “big iron,” or a traditional offset printing press, then the age of the press can have a significant impact on the environmental sustainability of your print.

Why? Because newer presses are designed for maximum efficiency, both in consumables and paper waste. This is great for your printer because it keeps his running cost down. But from an environmental sustainability perspective, it’s great for you because fewer consumables, less paper waste, and faster makeready means a less impact on the environment in terms of chemical, solid waste, and energy use.

As just a single example, take the MAN Roland 700 DirectDrive press introduced at Graph Expo ‘08, a commercial printing and publishing trade show held in Chicago, IL, over the last two weeks.