Soy-based inks are the way of the future

  • 2011-03-06
With more and more emphasis on green business practices and environmental responsibility in business, soy-based inks are becoming increasingly popular. Printing companies in Newmarket are dedicated to finding solutions that do less damage to the environment and soy-based inks are an important part of this dedication.

In the 1970s, the Newspaper Association of America began researching soy-based ink. They tested over 2,000 different vegetable oil combinations before deciding that soy-based ink worked best. In 1987, the first test-run of the ink was completed successfully and by 2004 almost all of the newspapers in the US were using soy-based ink.

Soybean oil is gently refined and then blended with pigment, resins, and waxes. The ink gives off very little volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are notorious for causing both indoor and outdoor air pollution. Soy-based ink degrades twice as fast as petroleum-based ink making recycling of the paper it is used on easier and less energy consuming. It also gives brighter and more accurate colours. Soy-based ink also helps to lengthen the lifespan of most printers.

Many worry that green printing practices will cost more money; however, the prices of soy-based ink are comparable to the prices of petroleum-based ink. Also, because the colours from soy-based ink are brighter, it takes less ink to Print whatever is required.

Soy-based ink is rapidly replacing petroleum-based ink in various countries and printing companies in Newmarket are confident that these green printing practices will soon become the norm worldwide.
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