The ecological inks They are the majority in any type of printing that is done today. But this has not always been the case, since traditionally offset printing has used mineral-based inks that contain derivatives of Petroleum.
Keep in mind that we understand by ecological inks those that seek the minimal impact on the planet. They are not made up of chemicals or varnishes and are made from raw materials of organic origin. In addition, they have a minimum amount of volatile organic compounds (VOC), which are those toxic products that easily become vapors or gases and usually contain carbon, chlorine, bromine, nitrogen or sulfur. These types of materials, which also include oil or plastic, are highly polluting and their presence in inks can cause enormous environmental damage. For an ink to be considered eco it must be composed of less than 5% VOC.
At present there is already a wide variety of this type of ink, in whose manufacture it is used from water to different vegetable compounds, and even latex. Keep in mind that the inks made with it are called resin inks.
Next, we are going to analyze the different types of ecological inks that exist, according to the classification established by Ecological.eco.
Vegetable-based inks
They are those who bet on vegetable oils as the main element of its composition. They usually come from crops such as soy, which is an easily renewable and biodegradable organic material, which gives these inks their ecological character. And it is that with soy it is possible to manufacture inks with effects that are practically identical to those made from fossil fuels and other polluting elements.
Another important factor of these inks is that they do not contain any chemical element, a circumstance that helps us a lot to clean our machines. With simple cleaning products and water we can do maintenance and cleaning without resorting to solvents.
In addition, they practically do not contain toxic elements and must be approved for use and marketing.
latex inks
These latex inks, also considered ecological inks in their composition, are made up of pigment particles and synthetic polymer particles, which are suspended in a water-based solution with humectants and humectants so that the ink adheres to the product. They are ideal for printing indoor media because they are odorless inks and they are also very flexible, durable and resistant to outdoor use.
UV or UVI inks
We use them for direct printing on the material that we are going to personalize. It is a fairly ecological ink because it does not produce chemical elements nor does it contain harmful materials such as lead, mercury or ozone in its components. It is an ink that remains in a liquid state until we use it for fixation by means of ultraviolet rays, which allows us to last longer without using it inside the printers.
Advantages of using ecological inks
Non-toxic inks are especially recommended for printing on paper, cardboard, posters, photographs, artistic material or interior signage. According to the company Artyplan, these are some of the benefits of its use:
- In a large number of cases, they provide greater quality and durability than traditional inks.
- They offer a wider range of colors.
- They facilitate the recycling of the material according to its use.
- They have no or very little odor.
- They consume less energy because they do not need special ventilation and do not affect the printer’s health.
- Some of these types of eco-friendly inks are more weather resistant.
- In some cases, depending on the ink, they are much cheaper than traditional ones.
- They are usually compatible with most materials.
- They have a very good adhesion.
- They are not flammable or combustible.
As we have been able to observe, for more than two decades, the use of ecological inks in digital printing as environmental awareness, due to its variety of uses and its competitiveness.
