5 Types of Sustainable Printing Technology We Use Daily

Sustainable business practices protect the earth's future. At Duggal, our unwavering commitment to environmentally-friendly and sustainable technology drives our company ethos. We work hard to maintain a healthy workflow free of environmentally hazardous materials. Over the past 100 years, we’ve cemented our spot as leaders in the graphics space by developing innovative, reduced-carbon printing processes.

Standard Printers

Typical printers rely on solvent-based inks. These inks can take days to become fully absorbed and often require additional sprays to speed up the process.

Solvent prints are not eco-friendly because they produce Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) harmful to both humans and the environment. Rooms where these prints are prepared need to be equipped with expensive ventilation systems.

1. UV Printing

UV ink dries instantly, lessening the energy expenditure required for printing. Our UV printers are also safer for our technicians as they are completely VOC-free. Duggal currently operates six large format UV printers, including a Durst 900 flatbed printer. We set the industry standard in high-quality, wide-format UV prints.

2. Aqueous Pigment Printing

Aqueous Pigments are similar to solvent inks but are much better for the environment because they don’t produce VOCs. This style of printing produces incredibly crisp, accurate colors because the printer head is positioned much closer to the material. Aqueous Pigments are wonderfully suited for a range of substrates, including plain paper and cardboard.

3. Latex Printing

Latex printers take advantage of water-based inks. Duggal has multiple HP latex printers perfect for soft, flexible signage like wallpapers and banners. The substrate can be both coated and uncoated. Our latex printers exemplify our eco-friendly approach because the odorless inks produce very low levels of VOCs.

4. Eco-Solvent Printing

Eco-solvent printing is similar to traditional printing, but it uses mild-solvent ink that’s significantly less damaging for the environment. Solvents are used to help the ink bind to the printing material. The milder solvents used in eco-printing do the same thing, but are odorless and produce fewer VOCs. The ink is less durable, however, so eco-solvent prints are best-suited for short-term and outdoor applications.

5. Digital Offset Printing

Duggal’s digital offset Indigo presses use HP’s Electroinks. The process is almost VOC-free and mostly relies on FSC® certified and recycled papers. In addition, we can recycle all of the ink used by the digital offset presses.

All of Duggal’s printers combine technical precision with sustainable ideals.