Ink has a demonstrably significant impact on the quality of recyclate. Previous use of a standard NC ink system did not deliver the desired results. Decomposition products discolour the regranulate and significantly deteriorate the mechanical and sensory properties. The cross-sector project ‘Recyclate Initiative’, organised by leading companies from the plastic, ink and recycling industries, including […]
Much of the drive to ditch plastics comes from consumer pressure – they are appalled at the damage plastic waste causes. If people choose not to buy a product because of its plastic packaging, sellers have to respond. This is especially urgent in sectors already under threat to change their business models, such as newspaper […]
Nick Kirby, writing for drupa, discusses digital print on corrugated applications, how it has evolved, and how it has challenged analogue methods. My great grandfather, Thomas Kirby, once said, ‘Wisdom lies not in regretting the inevitable but in adapting oneself to the altered condition of things.’ He printed this statement in his publication, ‘Saddlery and Harness’, […]
According to Focus Label Machinery, making the best equipment decision involves doing your research, knowing your market, testing your preferred option, doing the maths and investing in the best systems you can afford. For this reason, sourcing a used digital press requires careful consideration. You may have wondered whether the costs of a new press could […]
Technology is improving for more efficient and sustainable production. Print plants are opting for automated production management and waste control, even as the range of decorative and design options available to packaging designers expands, particularly for the metal decoration market. Along with book printing, packaging is one of the few areas of print that is […]
International Print Day is an annual celebration of the global print industry that provides education through 24 hours of open knowledge sharing on social media. Taking place on 21 October, the day provides participants with access to a wealth of information on global companies, products, and services from the print and integrated marketing community, and serves […]
According to Solimar Systems, the power of an optimised workflow is the ability to take on more work, push that work through your production processes with minimal interruption or manual intervention, and deliver a quality product to your customers in the shortest time frame possible. The needs of any business changes over time and so […]
There ought to be some sort of sliding scale for greenwashing, running from nought to ten, with ten the most honest of claims. Zero would be untruthful or disingenuous sustainability claims and ten would be the justifiable and bulletproof sustainability boasts. That is a start, but what would be good examples of either extreme? Let […]
Testing, compliancy and drying are just some of the issues to consider when it comes to food contact inks. The food industry is subject to a lot of safety regulations regarding food-contact packaging and labelling. This extends beyond food safe substrates to the inks used in the process. As a packaging or label printing business, you […]
The International Standards Organisation (ISO) technical committee responsible for graphic technology standards is TC130, and within that committee various working groups look at tools for different parts of the industry. Their work ranges from developing data formats such as the PDF-X series and CfX, through to carbon footprinting and process control for different printing methods. […]
