Here you will find blogs from Digital Dots and Verdigris covering technology and sustainability advances in the graphics industry over the last 25 years.
Eco-warriors just love the printing industry: all those dead trees, all those stinking solvents. And because of the high volumes and the fleeting value of their content, newspapers are an especially popular target. After all, newspapers are printed on polluting paper, on massive high-speed, energy-hungry presses. Their distribution relies on extensive heavy duty road and … Read more
There are a number of myths about recycling that are frequently mistaken for facts, particularly when it comes to paper. The two most common are that using recycled paper saves trees, and that recycling paper is harmful to the environment because of the bleach used to get the ink off, neither of which are true. … Read more
Carbon offsetting is a major tool in the fight against man-made climate change, yet it is much maligned with some people calling it a permit to pollute. So, what is carbon offsetting, and does it have a part to play in establishing a way for printers to be more environmentally friendly? The basic idea behind … Read more
PrintCity recently published a report on Sustainability, Energy & the Environment, which is available free from the PrintCity website (www.printcity.de). We urge anyone with an interest in print to download it and read it. We also urge readers not to lose hope part way through because although this 24-page report requires some doggedness on the … Read more
It’s relatively easy to recycle paper, but what can be done about more complex hard wearing materials such as those commonly used for outdoor signs? Signs for outdoor use are, by their nature, weather resistant and therefore not easily biodegradeable. Yet a great many banners and posters are designed for relatively short term use, and … Read more
The growing awareness of the need for action against unnecessary use of energy, chemicals and fuel, has spurred both vendors and individual printers within the graphic arts industry to take real action. With around 1500 employees and a turnover of €210m, Elanders is one of the largest printers in Sweden. The company has production centres … Read more
Welcome to Verdigris! Verdigris is a project to provide the graphic arts, printing and publishing industries, as well as print buyers, with information about print media’s environmental impact. This is the first of a regular series of articles looking at all things green for printers. If you’re looking for ideas about how to improve your … Read more