Green printing benefits the environment and the helps eliminate toxic chemicals that may harm future generations.  Many people are aware that commercial printers use a lot of paper which involves cutting down trees, but most are not aware that old-style print companies also release toxic waste as part of their process.

Traditional inks are made from petroleum products.  These inks contain a variety of heavy metals such as barium, copper and zinc that help spread the pigment across the paper and quicken the drying time.  These metals contaminate the soil and groundwater and release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air.  They create smog, irritate the respiratory system and are thought to be carcinogenic.   

There was a study done in Canada a few years ago that showed that women who were exposed to solvents during pregnancy – including alcohols and metals used in the printing industry – had a much higher chance of incurring serious birth defects.  The chemicals used in printing have also been linked to cancer.  Workers in the print industry have a higher incidence of cancer, especially bladder cancer, as a result of being exposed to organic solvents.  So the goal of green printing is to remove these dangerous substances from the printing process.
 
One commercial printer that has made the switch to green printing is Conquest Graphics.  They are a large commercial printer that provides on-line ordering for all types of companies that need printed products.  Conquest decided many years ago, to look at their entire print process and make changes to help reduce their output of toxins.  They also increased their use of recycled papers and decided to switch to soy-based inks. 

Soy inks are made from soybean oil that is mixed with pigments and resins to produce the color necessary for printing.  These new inks come from a renewable plant source and are low-VOC products.  This means that soy ink does not release toxic metals and chemicals into the air.  Not only is this ink more environmentally friendly, printers also found that they needed use less ink overall so this helps keep the costs more comparable with traditional inks.

Also many green printers use alcohol-free dampening solutions in their printing to eliminate another dangerous substance from their process.  Dampening solutions are necessary to keep the ink off the non-printed area of the paper and help lubricate the plate and blanket of the press. The use of alcohol-free solutions are another way to reduce the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and keep the air cleaner.  Like the plant based inks, printers found that the new dampening products can actually produce a cleaner, sharper image on the paper.   

If you like the idea of working with a company which fosters a safe work environment and which does not contribute to the world’s environmental problems, you should do business with a green printer on your next print job.  Conquest Graphics is a leading green printer that employs many environmentally friendly practices in their process.  They are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council for their commitment to eco-friendly printing and responsible forest management.  As a large on-line commercial printer, they provide excellent pricing for all types of print materials which makes it much easier to go green.  For your next print project, check out Conquest Graphics first - you will be happy with their price and service and the planet will be safer as a result. 

Green printing is on the rise, but there are still biases against using recycled papers. A study recent study in Britain found that over 1/3rd of business owners preferred not to use recycled paper due to outdated reasoning.  Here are the top 5 myths that were cited:  

Myth 1: Recycled paper just doesn’t look as good.  It is not as professional and it is not as smooth and white as non-recycled paper.
Fact: Over the years, there have been huge improvements in the quality of recycled paper and many people could not tell the difference between virgin and recycled paper without a notation that states the paper is recycled.  There are different grades of paper available depending on your print needs but if you want an ultra-white, smooth paper, then you can get that with recycled products today.

Myth 2: The print quality isn’t as clear on recycled paper.  The ink tends to bleed and the color isn’t as vibrant.
Fact: There is no difference in print quality on recycled vs. non-recycled paper.  The ink coverage and color concentration will be the same depending on the grade of paper used (recycled or not).

Myth 3: Recycled paper costs more than regular paper.  
Fact: The difference in paper costs is narrower than in the past and the most commonly used grades of recycled paper are only slightly higher than virgin paper. Buying in bulk and with adequate lead time can help minimize the small cost difference.

Myth 4: All paper is recycled these days so you do not need to make a special request for it.
Fact: Actually 90% of the paper used today is made from virgin fiber even though recycled paper is more available today than years past.  Because many customers assume that paper is recycled, they do not ask before placing a print order.  Look for a green printer, such as Conquest Graphics, that are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified or be sure to ask that your print job be printed on recycled paper.  

Myth 5: Recycling paper does not help the environment because the recycling process uses so much more energy.   
Fact: Recycling paper saves trees, energy and water and it produces less pollution.  The recycling process uses more benign chemicals and less bleach than needed to produce virgin paper.  Plus, reusing the paper helps by not adding to the landfill problem.  

If you are concerned about the environment, then do your research before selecting a printer for your next project.  Recycling has many benefits and there are more green print companies available than ever.   Conquest Graphics is an FSC certified printer and allof our paper has some recycled materials.  We also use soy-based inks and print in an environmentally friendly printing plant.  

Green Printing is a term that is tossed about quite a bit but green printing comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and commitments. At Conquest Graphics our commitment to the environment is good for the environment, good for our customers and good for business.  

Conquest Graphics is certified “Green” by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody (CoC) Standards.

At every turn Conquest Graphics Online Printing Company strives to recycle, reuse or reduce the materials that are necessary to produce a printed document so as not to add pollutants to the earth. 

In fact, Conquest Graphics saves over 6500 trees a year by using recycled materials  (as measured by the Shred-it Corp from April 2010 to April 2011). 

Some key elements of our commitment to green printing include:

• ALL of our standard papers are recycled papers that are elemental chlorine-free and contain a minimum of 10% post-consumer waste.
• We offer 100% recycled paper for our business card printing.
• The inks we used are soy-based ink which is non-toxic to the environment and is easier to remove from paper prior to the recycling process
• We use clean manufacturing methods in our printing facility which means that we use alcohol-free dampening solutions and water-based, low ammonia emission aqueous coatings.
• Our pre-press area is completely digital so we no longer use any photo chemicals (many of which are highly poisonous)
• We also recycle all of our used aluminum printing plates
• Plus 100% of our waste paper is recycled

But our commitment to the environment goes far beyond green printing. We re-vamped our communication process and set a goal of implementing a totally paperless internal communication system. By the end of 2010, Conquest Graphics eliminated 90% of office paper usage which translates to saving approximately 30 additional trees.  Of course, any paper used in the office is sent away for recycling.  

Finally, even our physical production facility is “green”. Only recyclable materials were used in the construction and many factors were considered when it came to lowering energy usage.

And if you are worried about price, at Conquest Graphics, we are as committed to saving you money as we are to saving the environment. At Conquest Graphics, when you go green, you save green!

Just Ask Rocky

In our office everyone gives their best. Even our beloved mascot Rocky. Rocky is a blue merle Aussiedoodle (also called an “Aussiepoo”). We’ve found Rocky to be quite smart, well behaved and very easy to train. He’s learned quite a bit about printing and here he takes your questions about printing and anything else you'd like to ask Rocky.

Send your printing questions to info@conquestgraphics.com
 

Dear Rocky,

I've recently taken up jogging and my dog comes along. Sometimes my dog has trouble keeping up with me and I wonder if my dog likes going jogging with me. What do you think – I'm getting a dog's opinion here – do dogs like to go jogging?

Yours,
Jogging Man


Dear Jogging Man,

Well most dogs do like to jog – its just how much jogging do we like. My opinion as a dog? If your dog seems to be jogging along with you for awhile and then starts to slow down, then perhaps you are jogging too far for him. I don't know how long a jog you are taking your dog on. Try taking your dog on shorter jogs and see if his interested increases. Perhaps he'll take to jogging more, and will want to do longer jogs then too!

Yours,
Rocky

p.s. I like how jogging is very eco-friendly. We are environmentally conscious here too.

At Conquest Graphics, we are an eco-friendly printing operation. We also like to acknowledge others who help the environment.

According to WSAV.com, 13 Dartmouth students are traveling in The Big Green Bus to teach others how to be green. Some college students may spend their summer working, in summer school or just getting a great tan. But these students are teaching others how to live greener lives, and many are discovering that they can go green!

The Dartmouth students are traveling 12,000 miles – across the country – to teach people across the U.S.A. about going green. All 13 students are enthusiastic about going green but are different in other ways – from having different majors to being in different graduating years. The Big Green Bus runs on vegetable oil and helps the students teach others how to be green. Laughing about this green bus running on vegetable oil you’d typically cook French fries in? The Big Green Bus gets a whopping 67 miles a gallon and holds 290 gallons – they can travel 1800 miles on a SINGLE tank of veggie oil!

The Big Green Bus has many eco-friendly options. A solar paneled roof. The eco-friendly wood floor and bamboo counters. Eco-friendly fluorescent lighting too. It’s all to inspire people that making small changes to go green can make a big difference.

The students began in New Hampshire and will finish their trip in September after visiting stops along the way.

Are you in college and want to “go green?” Here are some easy ways to go green & get started:

Add plants to your dorm room. Try adding a peace lily to your dorm room as they are one of the top plants to help purify the air. Plants overall improve air quality and will remind you of the benefits of going green.

Recycle your soda cans. Many students have in room mini refrigerators. Remember to recycle your soda cans or bottles. If your college dorm doesn’t have a recycling program, talk to someone on campus about trying to start one.

Wash your laundry in cold water if you can. Not everything you’ll want to wash in cold water at all times. But washing in cold water uses less water and is environmentally friendly. It’s a great option to help go green.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. This seems like a small thing to do but it saves so much water when lots of people do it. Get into this great habit and you’ll help save a lot of water.

Just Ask Rocky

In our office everyone gives their best. Even our beloved mascot Rocky. Rocky is a blue merle Aussiedoodle (also called an “Aussiepoo”). We’ve found Rocky to be quite smart, well behaved and very easy to train. He’s learned quite a bit about printing and here he takes your questions about printing and anything else you'd like to ask Rocky.

Send your printing questions to info@conquestgraphics.com
 

Dear Rocky,

Our company is thinking about changing their letterhead. We have some ideas about what we'd like. A designer created a new logo for us and we'd like to use that. The designer suggested that we use recycled paper for our letterhead. Why should we use recycled paper for our letterhead?

Yours,

Fresh Outlook

Dear Fresh Outlook,

New letterhead can be a great "fresh outlook" for your branding for your company, without spending a pretty penny. Most companies use their letterhead every day for both new and existing clients or customers – so you'll easily make connections.

There are many reasons to use recycled paper for your letterhead. Recycled paper is environmentally friendly, so you are helping the environment in this way. Research has shown that many customers would prefer to do business with companies that are environmentally conscious vs. others that are not. So taking this step can let your customers know you care about the environment, and may encourage you to make other changes as well – most are easy to do like using different light bulbs or using recycled paper for all of your paper needs.

Yours,

Rocky  

The green bag used to be uber functional; (okay) a little dowdy but we all carried one. We were proud to be green, to carry it to the farmer’s market, health food store or on any of our other errands. To say, “No, thanks I’ve got my own bag.”

But today green bags have become quite stylish. If you don’t have a green bag now or you’ve wished your green bags looked cuter – then take a second look at these eco-friendly bags. The green bag has gotten its own makeover and many locations that sell them now offer cute and stylish selections.

Some green bags are so attractive they look like dressy tote bags. For these green bags, you’ll want to be sure to read care instructions for washing as they may need gentle or extra care. Keep in mind your typical green bag is expected to be used for groceries and everyday errands, so you can go ahead and take this to the market and wherever else you like to go.

Don’t think your stylish green bag has to be super expensive. We’ve found quite a few stylish green bags that were less than $3.00 each. Look to “big box” stores that offer green bags as promotional items or some of your favorite stores. Trader Joe’s has fun and stylish green bags and a wide selection of them. While they do have a very visible Trader Joe’s logo on them, their colorful artwork makes them quite appealing and a fun choice for many looking for a great green bag. Best of all, they have several choices on sizes. Which brings us to….

Size! The green bag used to be only one size: a little larger than the typical tote bag. It seems retailers have gotten much wiser about the green bag and now you’ll find green bags in different sizes. So there are larger green bags (ideal for a family’s groceries) and then smaller green bags (for just a few items). It’s now much easier to find that green bag that suits your individual needs and options.

So go ahead and get a green bag – or several! Know you are making a green and eco-friendly choice by choosing the green bag and ladies; you can still stay stylish doing so!

At Conquest Graphics, we care about the environment, that's why we employ green printing practices.