Environmentally Friendly

We use agricultural based inks for presentation folder printing.
We use recycled, post-consumer paper for presentation folder printing.
We use Energy Conserving Lighting during presentation folders printing.

Soybean Oil

Soybean oil, also known as vegetable oil, is mainly used for human consumption. Soybean oil can also be used as a carrier for printing inks. For the production of soy ink, the soybean oil does not need to be refined that much. The soybean oil is blended with pigments, resins and waxes to make ink. The volume for soybean oil in the ink varies between manufacturers and is dependent on the application of the ink. Soybean ink is not eatable because it contains the same pigments found in conventional petroleum-based inks.

History of Soy Ink

In 1979, the board of directors of what they now call the Newspaper Association of America asked their technical staff to look for an alternative to the petroleum-based ink used by newspaper publishers. This was when petroleum prices were volatile due to problems with the OPEC countries and they wanted to work with resources that are more reliable.

After years of intensive tests on about 2000 different vegetable oil formulations researchers decided that ink based on soy oil was an excellent alternative. Soybean oil, the same non-toxic oil that we use as cooking oil, in salad dressings, mayonnaise and thousands of other foods is abundant, relatively inexpensive and exceeds all the technical demands. In 1987 after some refinements, they found a manufacturer who was prepared to produce it. The Gazette from Iowa put it to a practical test and it proved to be very satisfactory.

Soy ink has many advantages: its superior performance, its environmental friendliness and its vibrant colors.

Soy Ink and The Environment

Soy ink may be the solution to the environmental health and safety concerns of the printing industry. A new study confirms that soy ink can help to reduce the environmental burden of the printing industry. Soybean oil comes from a renewable source: soybeans. Soybeans beans are widely available at low cost. Soybean agriculture uses only 0.5 percent of the total energy needed to produce soy ink. Almost half of all soybeans produced in America need no irrigation. As soybeans are growing they temporarily remove damaging carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere.

Soy ink is naturally low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds, chemical compounds that evaporate and react to sunlight) and its usage can reduce emissions causing air pollution.

Researchers at Western Michigan University have found that soy ink is removed more effectively from newsprint than petroleum ink during de-inking, resulting in less paper fiber damage and a brighter paper. In addition, the waste is not considered hazardous and can be treated more easily, completely and cost-effectively. Residue waste ink is considered a liquid industrial waste that requires proper disposal. Many newspapers and large commercial printers are recycling their ink by mixing black ink with unused color inks. This process reduces waste and results in a more cost-effective, efficient use of ink.

Other Benefits of Soy Ink

Soy ink is available for newspapers, magazines, commercial printing, packaging, business forms and many other uses. Each form of printing requires a different type of ink and manufacturers have made various efforts to meet with the demands of customers. Soy ink has following benefits:

Vibrant colors - Soybean oil�s clarity allows pigments to reach their full potential, resulting in deep, rich bright colors. In addition, used in newspaper ink, it shows an excellent outcome of pigments. Soy ink delivers a high quality print when you switch from petroleum-based ink to soy ink, and you may even see an improvement!
Lower rub-off - Soy inks show a greater rub resistance. This is especially of important for newspaper readers.
Laser proof - This is important when ink needs to be exposed to the heat of a laser printer or copy machine. As the boiling point of soy ink is lower, there is less chance of the ink being transferred to the machine parts instead of the paper.
Stability - Soy ink maintains its lithographic stability throughout the entire print job, so the press operator makes fewer adjustments during production and rejects fewer copies because of inferior quality.