Video: Our Approach to Sustainable Printing Practices
Our good friends and colleagues, Jean Ponzi and Jon Heaney shared their thoughts on our efforts in sustainability.
You've got to see it to believe it!
Real world examples of how Advertisers Printing can take your print strategy to the next level.
Our good friends and colleagues, Jean Ponzi and Jon Heaney shared their thoughts on our efforts in sustainability.
When printing with conventional inks, it’s common for customers to request that their projects have an aqueous coating added during the process to make their pieces more resistant to scratches and scuffs. However, there are some drawbacks associated with the use of aqueous coating that, until now, haven’t had a comprehensive solution to resolve. Enter: Advanced LED-UV Curing Technology. Because Advertisers Printing offers LED-UV curing on our newest press, aqueous coating is no longer needed on the vast majority of projects, and our customers are able to receive higher quality pieces, faster, and in a more environmentally friendly way. Here are five of the biggest benefits that go along with replacing aqueous coatings with the LED-UV curing process. UV LED Printing Benefit #1: Reduced Cost – Passed on to YOU! You may be curious if leveraging this cutting-edge technology comes along with an increased price tag or some kind of catch. The good news is that the cost of printing with LED-UV is comparable to the cost of printing with traditional offset, so you’re essentially getting a number of new perks without a big price hike. The other good news is that, for legacy work, we will trim 5% off the bill when you choose UV LED printing over aqueous coating. We’re already well known for our exceptional turnaround time – now we can take it to a new level! The LED UV printing process enables instant curing (drying) of both sides of the print sheet, eliminating any wait time before the job can be sent off for finishing. The RMGT’s Insta.Color automation also cuts make-ready (setup) time by ⅔. Combined, these features make the UV printing process more efficient on the front end and the back end, and throughput time can be decreased by 1-2 days on a variety of jobs. That means, depending on the project, you can expect to receive your printed materials 1-2 days faster when you choose LED-UV over aqueous coating. UV LED Printing Benefit #3: Greater Levels of Consistent High Quality In keeping with our reputation for consistent high quality, instant ink curing via LED-UV allows you to achieve harmonic color (live job matches the exact color specified in the sample) on any substrate. In fact, the only way to achieve harmonic color on uncoated paper is through the LED-UV process. With aqueous coatings, if there is even a slight hiccup such as the coating soaking too much into the paper or ink, there’s a greater chance of “dry-back” where the ink dries faster than it should. Dry-back often results in colors that don’t match up and gloss levels that are lower than desired. Eliminating aqueous coating and choosing LED-UV also permits you to see the contrast between the ink and the substrate being printed by setting the inks before they have a chance to set in. As our designer and creative friends know, this is another huge benefit as contrast is crucial for creating eye-catching pieces that “pop.” This separation also means that the ink-layer thickness is rock hard, making your pieces resistant to fingerprints, scratches, and scuffs during the mailing process and post-delivery. Plus, with LED-UV curing, there are almost no limitations to the types of special effects and superior finishes you can experiment with to enhance your print communications. UV LED Printing Benefit #4: Reduced Environmental Footprint LED-UV curing aligns with our commitment to sustainable operations, providing several significant advantages in this area. The LED-UV process does not emit any ozone and LED-UV inks are 99% VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) free, compared to conventional inks which can contain up to 30 times more VOCs. In addition, the LED-UV curing system consumes 90% less power than a conventional arc lamp system, and the press uses 20-25% less energy than the smaller offset press it replaced. The press also allows for a 70-75% reduction in make-ready (set-up) material spoilage on everyday jobs. When comparing these energy efficiencies against the use of aqueous coating, the manufacturer of the press notes that LED-UV “uses 75% less energy than single-side presses that use aqueous coating.” Zero ozone emissions, minuscule VOC release, and much greater energy efficiency are some of the biggest sustainability attributes of using LED-UV. UV LED Printing Benefit #5: Health and Safety As mentioned above, LED-UV inks are 99% VOC free, while conventional inks often contain a much higher ratio of VOCs. Because the GEW LeoLED Modular Lamp Array immediately sets the inks, the trace amounts present in LED-UV inks are not released into the air. This is important from a safety standpoint, as our pressmen typically work 8-10 hour shifts and maintaining the health of our staff is one of our top priorities. Of course, our workspace also complies with OSHA guidelines regarding indoor air quality and ventilation systems so that our staff are safe no matter what type of project they’re working on. LED-UV curing just means less pollutants to filter out and less of the strong odors associated with aqueous coatings and certain types of varnishes. It’s important to note that, while we hope you don’t have to use it, we still retain the ability to print with aqueous coatings. For small or personalized runs, the application of such a coating is still a viable technique that can ensure the longevity of certain projects. Have any questions about the benefits of LED-UV printing or want to bounce some project ideas off one of our print strategists and receive insightful feedback? Contact us today and we can schedule a time to chat soon!
Climate change, deforestation, and calls for environmental sustainability are hot-button topics in our current social and political lives. What used to be a matter of debate is now considered an urgent global crisis. Environmentally Friendly Printing Our environment is quickly changing with the help of environmentally friendly printing we can change the world. And, believe it or not, it affects how businesses are interacting with their consumers. Most notably, environmentally friendly businesses are now being praised by customers for taking a stand in the fight for a clean and sustainable environment. Environmentally Sustainable Companies Are Preferred According to a Nielsen report titled Sustainability Sells: Linking Sustainability Claims to Sales, one thing is clear: “Customers prefer working with and supporting environmentally sustainable companies.” Businesses around the world are beginning to convert to more environmentally friendly practices to take advantage of the monetary and reputational benefits that doing so can bring. But how can your company support this cause when you also rely on print marketing to succeed? Partnering with an environment-first print company for your creative marketing and promotional needs allows you to support the noble cause of protecting our beloved planet. As a bonus, it leaves a positive impression on your customers and can even boost your profits. Environmentally Friendly Companies Are Looking at the Facts There has never been a better time to work with environmentally friendly companies to meet your marketing and brand awareness needs. According to the aforementioned Nielsen report, “Brands that are able to strategically connect (sustainability) to actual behavior are in a good place to capitalize on increased consumer expectation and demand.” Consider these facts: Over half of consumers are willing to pay more for products from environmentally conscious companies. 70% of consumers believe it’s important for brands to take a public stand on social and political issues. 87% of consumers say they will switch brands if a different brand of similar quality supports a good cause. So why are consumers favoring environmentally sustainable companies and choosing to support them through their purchases? The answer lies in the benefits of operating as an environmentally friendly company. Saving Money with Recycling Recycling keeps our environment healthy, but there are some real, tangible benefits for businesses as well, especially in the printing industry. More companies are recycling unwanted material; in doing so, they’re opening the doors to huge savings. Special access to exclusive government grants and an improved company reputation are just a few additional benefits of going green. Environmentally friendly printing companies tap into these benefits by recycling ink, paper, metal plates and other materials throughout their operations. All of this can easily be done without sacrificing the quality of a print project. At Advertisers Printing, we target an ambitious 85% landfill avoidance and continually strive to limit our waste and consumption with comprehensive recycling of ink, paper, metal plates, and other materials throughout our operations. In addition to tackling recycling in house, we also offer programs to help our customers recycle unwanted products to support clean and efficient production processes. Partnerships like our School Share Paper Donations program help schools recycle and repurpose paper goods that are no longer being used or needed. Eco-Friendly Printing is Trading Carbon for Cleaner Ink Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are compounds that have a high vapor pressure and low water solubility, many of which are man-made chemicals In simple terms, they evaporate easily—at room temperature—and can contribute to global warming via the greenhouse effect. Ink high in VOCs can also be harmful to the health of print workers operating the presses if not properly handled That’s why Advertisers Printing aims to keep use as few VOCs as possible for eco-friendly printing: for example, our new LED-UV press uses inks that contain no solvents and are 99.5% VOC-free. In addition, these inks are instantly cured (dried), which eliminates any greenhouse gas or health concerns. Energy Efficiency at Its Best Using energy more efficiently is one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, and meet the growing energy demand. The official Advertisers Printing environmental policy encourages regular improvements to our facilities and vehicles to enhance energy efficiency and utilization. Increasing energy efficiency saves unnecessary costs and allows us to focus our resources on providing the absolute best service to our customers. Incorporating environmentally friendly resources such as our fleet of seven Prius hybrid vehicles and the addition of 25kW solar panels on our roofs reduces waste, helps keep costs down, and has proven time and again to be far more efficient and cost-effective than traditional energy use. Partnering with a Sustainable Print Company Although completely transforming your current business into an environmentally friendly organization is ideal for the planet, it may not always be feasible for numerous reasons. As an alternative, partnering with an environmentally friendly company such as Advertisers Printing can shine just as much of a positive light on your own business as going green yourself. Advertisers Printing is one of only 50 U.S. printing companies to have earned SGP (Sustainability Green Partner) Certification, the industry standard for excellence in sustainable operations. As a full-service, sustainable printing company that offers assistance from initial project planning to final distribution, we have decades of experience printing materials ranging from professional business cards to annual reports. Contact us today to learn more about our sustainable print services by speaking with one of our print strategists. Let us help you bring your print vision to life in an eco-friendly way!
At Advertisers Printing, we constantly seek ways to reduce our environmental impact and increase our social responsibility. Our journey to become one of the most sustainable printers in the United States began in 2002 when we earned our Sustainable Green Printing Partnership certification (we are one of less than 60 SGP-certified offset/digital printers in the world). Since then, we’ve proactively implemented policies, procedures, and equipment that keep us in the top 1% of sustainable printers, and our recent acquisition of the RMGT 9-Series is no exception. Let’s take a look at some of our environmental initiatives and how the RMGT will help elevate our company and clients to the pinnacle of sustainable printing in 2021 and beyond. Why Is the RMGT 9-Series an Achievement in Sustainable Printing? In addition to enhancing our print quality and speed to market, our new RMGT enables us to print products with the lowest carbon footprint in an incredibly efficient way. Some of its most notable green features include: Reduced energy consumption – Besides being a time-saver, the RMGT’s one-pass perfecting saves time and energy by eliminating the need for a second pass. At 25 x 37 inches, it also uses 70-80% less energy than a conventional UV-IR 28 x 40 inch full size press while still delivering a standard size 16-page format. Low material waste – The RMGT’s “compact” size compared to other presses in its class means that consumable use (plates, blankets, and ink) is cut by 1/3, and make-ready (setup) paper spoilage is lowered by up to 80% on every job. Advanced UV/LED curing – Not only does the RMGT’s GEW LeoLED MLA (Modular Lamp Array) curing technology provide major speed and quality benefits, it also enables greener printing in the following ways: Reduced ink waste = no need for daily ink wash ups (saving over 1,000 lbs of wasted ink annually) Zero ozone emissions = no exhaust ventilation necessary, healthier for our staff Low heat generation, = less HVAC energy used for climate control in our facilities Light-emitting diodes = LED uses just 10% of the energy compared to a conventional arc lamp UV system (90% energy savings) Long life span = last about 15,000 hours versus 1,000-3,000 hours for conventional arc lamps Instant on/off power = eliminates the need for a large amount of standby power when the press is off So, why are we telling you all of these details about our new RMGT 9-Series? Because in our core values, we have a responsibility to communicate our ongoing commitment to sustainability to our employees, clients, vendors, contractors, and visitors – an SGP requirement. That means every time we enhance our operations to become even more eco-friendly, we want to let you know so you can feel good about choosing us as your trusted printing partner! The Advertisers Printing family believes that it’s absolutely essential to work safely, protect our community’s health and welfare, and preserve the environment all while delivering the highest quality products and superior service to our clients. In What Other Ways Is Advertisers Printing a Sustainable Company? Plenty of companies say that they are environmentally conscious, but how many have tangible evidence to back up their claims? We live in the “Show-Me state,” after all! Our team not only talks the talk, but we walk the walk – every single day. Our sustainable initiatives include: Sustainability presentations – We’ve given environmental talks at WashU, Georgia Tech, St Louis University, Canon Corp, Missouri Botanical Garden, SGP, and AIGA, among others. We are available and ready to present to your organization, too. 12-prong recycling program – We employ a comprehensive system for recycling ink, paper, metal plates, and other operational materials. Energy efficient facilities – The roof of our facility is blanketed by 25kW solar panels (offsetting energy expenditure by 20%), all of our interior lighting is LED, and our service fleet includes an EV Chevy Bolt and four Prius hybrid vehicles used for sales and deliveries. Clean inks – We only use inks that contain very low or zero volatile organic compounds, and the LED/UV process eliminates the need for aqueous coatings (a consumable). Weekly waste pickups – Our company has made such drastic solid waste reductions that we require pickup only once a week. School share paper donations – Another way we help paper goods avoid landfills is by repurposing paper at schools across the St. Louis region. ‘Know before you throw’ program – To assist our clients in becoming more sustainable, we provide them with scheduled recyclable material pick-ups and waste reduction consultations. As a result of the above efforts, our team has been recognized as some of the world’s foremost experts in sustainable printing. We work with prestigious, forward-thinking cultural organizations such as the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis Art Museum, and St. Louis Symphony, as well as large corporate clients including Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Bayer, and Ameren, all of whom are attracted to our reputation for sustainability. And, in addition to our Sustainability Green Partner affiliation, Advertisers Printing is certified by the Rainforest Alliance and the Forest Stewardship Council. We take environmental behavior very seriously: our Sustainability Director holds a Masters in Sustainability from St. Louis University and sits on the Board of SGP. Interested in using the RMGT 9-Series to create a stunning and eco-friendly print project? Or want to talk about how we can help your organization become more sustainable in 2021? Contact us today to speak with one of our print strategists – we can’t wait to hear from you!
The Advertisers Printing Company
1229 S. Vandeventer Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: (314) 652-9924
Fax: (314) 652-9049
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