The trend of green printing technology has been gaining new ground over the last few years in the wide-format printing industry. And ‘sustainability’ is the idea behind this ‘green’ revolution in printing. Here, sustainability can refer to many things—one among the most-concerned points is that of sustainable environment. This means that the process of printing or the impact of printing on environment should be minimal or thoroughly reduced, which in turn would bring in a long-term safety for the industry and people in it.

Most of all, there is another deliberate reason why wide-format printing firms must ‘go’ for green technology. These days, if you are a PSP planning to work for some corporate clients, what you could expect from them in the first place is a question: “How green is your wide-format printing?” Of course, you have to prove it to them! Apart from the concern of environmental impact, graphics that printed on ‘green’ technology-based printers or machines produce finest textured graphics, rather different from any conventional print.

With this growing trend of ‘green’ technology, many big and small PSPs keep switching to eco-friendly printers that are now available in varied configurations whether in entry-level or production models. Unlike earlier days, printers with UV, Latex and LED technologies are available affordably to everyone looking for new startup in eco-friendly printing. Apart from the printing technologies, substrates or consumables, such as inks and media, are a big sustainability topic today. Use of low-VOC and UV-curing ink is vital because printing professionals often get risky when associated with solvent and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs).

Textile is yet another material, which is completely ‘green’, versatile and innovative for a gamut of applications that corporate biggies are always demand for. Use of textile material is a polite way to say ‘no’ to PVC media. Biodegradable or recyclable quality of the material makes textile acceptable everywhere, whether it could be in hospitals, child care centers and schools where safety is a major concern.

When our traveling team meets with around a dozen of PSPs in Chennai for the ‘Region Exclusive’ coverage this issue, most of them in the city are found to be ‘green’ technology conscious lot who have already gone for it. Every one of them knows the quality and value of sustainability in using ‘green’ printing technology. And finally, this means that time has come for everyone today to hook to ‘green’ technology for a sustainable future and business. Let’s go ‘green’, together!

– Sonal Khurana
sonal@smediagroup.in