Here you will find blogs from Digital Dots and Verdigris covering technology and sustainability advances in the graphics industry over the last 25 years.
The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Decades ago George Orwell, he of Animal Farm fame, bemoaned the state of British book publishing. He said something along the lines that there were far too many books published and that only one in ten were any good. If he were around today he might want to consider … Read more
The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Following yet another tortuous and lengthy gestation period, the first part of ISO 22067 – Requirements for communication of environmental aspects of printed products, was finally published on the 4th October 2022. This first part of the series covers general printing requirements and is relevant for most print applications, … Read more
The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner It’s generally agreed that the planet is in dire shape and that more needs to be done to cut emissions. Industry and science lead the way in all sectors, including printing and publishing where we have seen impressive advances in energy efficiencies and consumables recyclability. But technology is only … Read more
The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Sounds daunting? Well fear not because ISO has recently published a document to help you make a start. ISO Net-zero Guidelines comprises a series of recommendations and guiding principles. These are all about achieving net-zero global carbon dioxide and other polluting emissions in 2050. Net-zero Guidelines has an enormous … Read more
The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner The United Nations Publishers’ Compact was introduced a couple of years ago, since when it has attracted hundreds of signatories from all of the world. Publishers from industry associations, through to research institutes and trade publishing have committed to fulfil ten action points. The idea is to jumpstart progress … Read more
The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Making a difference for the climate depends on print service providers and customers working together to cut emissions. Obviously printing companies and their supply chains recognise this, but there is still much more that must be done to change sustainability minds and attitudes. Within the book publishing sector there … Read more
The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner The seventeen UNSDGs range from eliminating poverty to preserving life below water and they probably seem completely irrelevant to the average printing company owner. But these goals should not be brushed off as someone else’s gig. The UNSDGs affect the lives of all of us and our intertwined supply … Read more
The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner The idea of using watermarking as an aid to waste sorting has been around for a while. At the moment it’s mostly relevant for packaging, but it could also matter for commercial print. As digitally printed volumes grow and recycling technologies advance, a digital watermark could make a big … Read more
The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner We recently came across the Reifenhäuser group as part of a project looking into recyclable packaging materials and developments. Reifenhäuser was founded in 1911 and has for most of its life specialised in plastic extrusion products. Such things as weatherstripping and fencing, window frames, plastic films and sheeting are … Read more
The Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner Packaging is probably the only part of the printing industry immune to the internet. We will always need to protect physical goods from damage, whether its new shoes or potatoes. And as the world slowly grows its middle classes all over the globe, people are buying more stuff so … Read more