Going Green: Questions to Ask Your Printer
Ready to dive, head first, into the waters of sustainable print production? Perhaps you’ve taken a peek at some of the sites provided in “Going Green: 45 Educational Resources” and now you’re eager to take off the arm floaties?
What about your print partners? Are they swimming in the same ocean or are they knee-deep in the cesspool? There was that postcard you received that said “we’re green printers”. That means they’re doing everything they can to provide an eco-friendly product. Right? And, they’re FSC-certified and that’s all that really matters. Right?
Time to throw in the life-preserver? How about a questionnaire, instead? Asking these questions will help you determine how well your print partners REALLY swim in the eco-friendly waters.
Inks & Chemicals
- What is being done to minimize emissions, including VOCs, in your shop?
- How much soy is used in your ink?
- Are your inks nonhazardous or nontoxic?
- Can you provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on your inks?
- Are the cleaning solvents used safe for human health and the environment?
- How are your employees safeguarded from toxicity?
Recycling
- What is the post consumer waste (PCW) content of your primary or house stock?
- Has your shop established a solvent recycling program?
- Describe how and where you dispose of chemicals, solvents and trash?
- Describe how your production methods reduce print overruns, waste allowances, and in-process waste.
- Do you go beyond regulatory requirements?
Internal Programs & Certifications
- Are you FSC- and/or SFI-certified?
- Is your shop ISO 14000-qualified?
- What other certification programs do you take part in?
- Does your organization have a dedicated manager for environmental health and safety?
- Describe any technologies, such as non-process printing plates, remote or soft proofing, etc. that your organization has incorporated into daily practice.
- What is being done to minimize your shops’ energy consumption?
- Does your organization purchase electricity generated from renewable resources?
- If you also manage data files (direct mail processing), what steps have you taken to ensure or assist with list management and data cleansing?
External Programs & Community Involvement
- Describe your organization’s environmental commitment.
- Does your organization’s mission statement include mention of environmental stewardship or corporate responsibility?
- Do you currently have a “green” education program for your customers?
- Describe any additional steps your shop has taken to promote the environment, including community engagement practices?
- Describe any additional eco-friendly practices not already mentioned?
Here’s an idea: Send these questions, along with any others that come to mind, to each of your print partners. Compile the (private) answers together into one spreadsheet to create an at-a-glance reference guide.
Can you think of any other important questions to ask? I’d love to hear them in the comments below.
One more thing: My next “Going Green” post will be all about meandering through the Environmental Certifications maze. If you don’t want to miss it or any others for that matter, connect to The Production Side through the RSS feed or email notifications in the right side-bar.
Photo courtesy PhotoXpress.com
Put Your Coat On!
Now that spring is in full swing, chances are you’re organizing your coat closet—cleaning coats to store until they’re needed again, donating those that have served their usefulness. How many coats do you have? One? Two? More than a few? Some serve the sole purpose of protecting you from the bitterness of winter, while others are more fashionable.
Coatings for print can offer the same options—protection and aesthetics. Not only can a coating protect from fingerprints, over use, scratching and the occasional coffee stain, it can also add texture and depth. Today’s coating options may even allow you to simulate other substrates or add a scent to your printed piece. Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of varnish, aqueous, UV and laminate. Perhaps it will help you to determine which “coat” to wear today . . .
Varnish
Think of varnish as a colorless ink. It’s that old coat you grab without thinking. You know the one. The coat that’s never quite warm enough, but happens to be the most comfortable one in your closet.
Varnish is applied on press, either inline or dry trapped, through an inking unit and is available in a variety of finishes. Varnish can be applied to flood the entire page or added to specific areas. Since a separate varnish plate is used, it will hold dot-for-dot registration.
One down side to varnish is its tendency to yellow the sheet over time, which tends to be more noticeable on silk, dull and matte coated sheets. Varnish also requires a more lengthy dry time. Additionally, the use of spray powders to prevent pages from sticking together before they are completely dried can affect the look and feel of the final product.
Aqueous
Pull out the zebra-print trench coat! Yep. Trendy. Warm. Lookin’ good, too!
Just as the name implies, aqueous is a water-based liquid applied inline through a separate coating tower. It can be applied to the entire page or to specific areas, though spot aqueous may require a special plate to achieve desired results.
Unlike varnish, however, aqueous does not yellow with age and dries quickly. It also offers better protection against fingerprinting and smudging. Aqueous coating is available in gloss, satin and dull finishes, as well as custom finishes (e.g., soft touch, metallic, tinted, pearlescent) and is typically the lowest-cost coating option.
UV (Ultraviolet)
Now we’re talking heavy duty. Wool. Stylish. Add a bright scarf and hat. Make a statement and stay warm!
UV is a liquid coating that is cured instantly using an ultraviolet light. It can be applied inline or dry trapped to the entire page or as a spot. UV coatings are available in gloss, satin, dull, plus a wide range of textured and scented finishes.
While UV coatings offer more protection than varnish or aqueous and cure/dry instantly, they are vulnerable to cracking and fingerprinting. UV coating also tends to accentuate imperfections in the stock it’s applied to.
Laminate
Grab the parka! Yes, film laminates offer the most protection to your printed project.
Classified by thickness (measured in mils, or thousandths of an inch), laminates can be made of polypropylene, polyester or nylon. Since they are applied off line to either one side or both sides of the entire page, laminates require longer lead times, at a higher cost.
While I doubt you’d pair that zebra-print trench coat with a parka, you can mix some coatings. Be sure to discuss your desired results and end-use with your printer. Together you can be fashionable AND protected.
Wait! Before you go struttin’ down the runway, consider connecting to this blog through the RSS feed or email notifications. I’d love it if you came back for more!
PS – Thanks for your patience. It’s good to be back. And, yes, I do own a zebra-print trench coat.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossbelmont/4273178858/
Mr. Data and the Fine-Tuned Guitar
Once upon a time at The Company not so far away, there lived a database. We’ll call him Mr. Data. As a youngster, Mr. Data was one hot dude. He was squeaky clean and error-free. His records were pristine. Not a typo or undeliverable address could be found! Mr. Data was the talk of The Company and the envy of data everywhere.
When Mr. Data heard terms like UAA (Undeliverable As Addressed) or NCOA (National Change of Address), he would proudly chuckled, “Oh that nonsense doesn’t apply to me.”
So, instead of asking for regular updates, getting scrubbed and allowing critical database maintenance, Mr. Data frittered away his days. He spent countless hours watching Mr. Hero, the guitar. Mr. Data was lulled by Mr. Hero’s smooth and pure sound. He was mesmerized by Mr. Hero’s power and beauty.
He watched as Mr. Hero’s owner meticulously tuned him prior to each strumming session—first the sixth string, then the remaining five. Though he never really understood why tuning Mr. Hero was so important, he was intrigued by the owner’s dedication and determination to perfect tone.
Mr
. Data began to miss the good ‘ol days when his fields were tickled with entries and he was scrubbed from top to bottom. He wanted to be the talk of data everywhere, just like it used to be. Oh, those were the days! He felt unloved and deprived. He knew he deserved better treatment and he regretted not asking for those updates. What a young fool he had been. Mr. Data knew there was a better place . . .
Meanwhile back at The Company, sales were dropping, ROI was out of control, postage costs were skyrocketing, undeliverable percentages were unbelievably high, and serious consideration was being given to the benefits of direct mail.
Then one day Mr. Data simply was no more. He vanished, never to be seen again. Some believe he’s still out there somewhere, a vagabond in the dark night. Alas, The Company will never know.
The Moral of the Story:
Don’t lose your data to neglect. Data files that are not consistent, clean and accurate can cause delays in preparation, require additional expenditures for clean up, and may result in delivery problems. Quality and aesthetics may also be compromised. Your Mr. Data deserves better.
Photos courtesy PhotoXpress.com
Printer Proof Reviews and The Ticking Clock
A few weeks ago my husband announced a business trip that would take him away for two nights. My immediate (secret) reaction was “Yes!” I promptly began to dream of the wonderful, enticing possibility of two full nights’ sleep with no noisy snoring and no obnoxiously loud fan. (I think that’s a guy thing.)
My plan for a sleep-filled eight hours in full motion, the long-anticipated first night of bliss arrived. As I walked down the hall to the bedroom I smiled in celebratory anticipation. It was all about me. I turned off the obnoxiously loud fan, hopped into bed and snuggled my head on my pillow. Bring on the sleep!
And then . . . tick, tock, tick, tock, tick.
Oh no! All these years of attempting sleep through the noisy snoring and obnoxiously loud fan and I never realized that the clock on the wall was not meant to coexist with silence. That clock was loud!
As I contemplated how the clock would meet its demise, it occurred to me that my plight was like reviewing printer’s proofs. Printer’s proofs are the last stage of a project before hitting the press. It’s so easy to focus all of your attention on one or two potential problem areas while reviewing them that you forget to check for other possible mishaps. You may, for example, focus so much of your attention on correct image color that you miss an inconsistent rule. It’s easy to do.
Remember to take the time to review ALL aspects of the proof. Don’t forget that there may be a ticking clock waiting to jump off the page after your project is completed. Try this five-step review process:
1. Take It All In
The first step is to look at your proofs as a whole project. Don’t zero in on one area (yet).
2. Check Your Concerns
Next, take a look at the photos and areas you have concerns or issues with. Go ahead. You know you want to!
3. Inch By Inch
Now it’s time to check EVERYTHING else. And I do mean everything. Don’t miss a single inch. For example: Are all images/photos included and properly placed? Are photos cropped correctly and showing correct color? Are all fonts correct? Is the text clean and nicely kerned? Has all text been proofed and properly placed? Have you checked all names, addresses, email addresses, website URLs and telephone numbers? Have you noted any dust spots, printing marks, or dirt marks on the proofs? Have you confirmed that bleeds extend beyond the trim marks? . . . and that’s just a partial list, but I think you get the idea.
4. Specs Check
Next, confirm that all project specs have been clearly articulated and that the printer understands your needs. Be sure to verify and confirm page order and numbering, folds, trim size, quantities and substrate, ink colors and coatings, finishing requirements (e.g., die cut, foil, embossed), due dates and delivery requirements.
5. Take It All In Again
Have you forgotten anything? Are you sure your notes are clear and concise? Have you made any adjustments that could compromise other aspects of your project? If the edits you’ve indicated are made, will you be pleased and ready to go on press?
While I haven’t covered everything that needs to be checked and confirmed as you review printer’s proofs, I do hope I’ve convinced you to remember the ticking clock. Do you have a process for reviewing proofs? Do you have any proofing lessons learned? I’d love to read your thoughts on the subject in the comments below.
Oh, my second night of blissful silence? Let’s just say that clocks don’t work without batteries. I wonder when the next business trip will be . . .
Photo courtesy PhotoXpress.com
