Friday 21 June 2013

Ideas On Options Of Digital Printing That Is Eco Friendly

By Lana Bray


Fabric digital printing methods continue to develop with time. Many changes have taken place in recent years. Most of these changes have sought to make the methods used cheaper and more environmental friendly and at the same time to improve on the quality of the final products. To adopt digital printing that is eco friendly, there is need to overhaul the pre-existing components of textile manufacturing. Areas which can be changed include product design, pattern making, grading and cutting

One of the options which can be used to ensure sustainability is to use clean consumables. For example, there is need to reduce the amount of chromium found in the lacquer which is used for the screens. Consequently, when these screens are disposed of later on, there will be less environmental degradation. At the same time, there has been increase use of nickel to make holes in the screen so as to reduce pollution associated with the use of other metals.

Another way of taking care of the environment is to have an efficient waste water treatment system. This system will ensure that water use is efficient. What is released from your plant will be recycled and reused and this will go a long way in saving on production costs. Some of the uses of recycled water include, among others, the rinsing of printer blankets and pumps. A very efficient system may recycle up to 65% of its water.

This efficiency should be extended to involve other areas of production as well. The machines used in the process whether digital or conventional must have a design which helps in energy, water and ink conservation. The high temperatures needed for the drying chambers can be created in a number of ways other than direct electric heating. For instance, radial extraction techniques can be adopted so that the residual warmth resulting from the process is used for the drying chamber.

Many of the available printing techniques require the media to be pre-treated before the impressions are created. Urea is the common choice for most artists for this exercise. One of the disadvantages of urea is the fact that there is production of high levels of carbon dioxide during the streaming process. The other disadvantage is that water is required to wash off residual urea. Adoption of a special types of foam by some printers has helped reduced the pollution and the need for water.

Another option which can be considered is a technique called digital engraving. Here, direct laser is used to form impressions on the desired type of medium. Its biggest advantage is the fact that there is a short turnaround time compared to other methods. Less water and energy are required.

Apart from engraving, the other option which can be considered is the use of pigments rather than dyes for printing. The pigments can be used for almost any type of media. When using this method pre-treatment and post-treatment are not required. This is in contrast to conventional methods which rely on pre-treatment to set the dyes. The pigments are associated with less water, chemical and energy usage.

There are a number of legal requirements that must be met for adoption of digital printing that is eco friendly. This is because environmental conservation is of global importance and has for this reason resulted in creation of many laws. These laws differ as you move from one place to another and you, therefore, need to know the exact policies which are in place in your location.




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