Plant-Based Ink from Ricoh Enhances Print Sustainability

Ricoh’s plant-based ink will help brand owners and printer manufacturers further reduce their environmental impact.

Editor's Note: While currently only available in the EMEA region, this is a development to watch for U.S.-based printers as well, as it could lead to new ways to think about sustainable printing and how to reduce the carbon footprint of the process. This is especially interesting, given that the bulk of the Fortune 500 companies have made pledges to be near or close to carbon neutral by 2030, which will impact the vendors they work with, including print providers.

Brand owners and printer manufacturers can further reduce their environmental impact with Ricoh’s plant-based ink – the first of its kind for mainstream graphics and packaging print.

The ink is a derivative of the oil-based ink created for the décor printing sector as part of Ricoh’s collaboration with German equipment manufacturer Olbrich. It has been developed to deliver excellent rub resistance and set-off performance for corrugated brown and white boards, as well as carton board.

The plant oil component creates a sustainable and environmentally-friendly ink that it is:

Quick drying, as no heat is required to fix or dry the ink. The oil penetrates porous substrates leaving the pigment near the surface. This reduces energy consumption and eliminates the need for the whole drying system.
Odor-free with improved food compatibility, as no monomers are used.
Biodegradable and supports de-inking.
Not water-based so no biocides are required to keep the ink usable.

The print heads are easier to clean and less likely to clog as ‘open time’ is much longer. This helps enhance jetting reliability, performance, and printhead life. Low ink consumption is also enabled as the same optical density is achievable using 50% less ink.

Graham Kennedy, Director Industrial Printing, Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe, says: “Brand owners and printer manufacturers are increasingly focused on reducing their environmental impact and applying sustainable practices wherever possible. With our new plant-based ink they can seamlessly introduce positive changes that make a big difference without impacting their high quality printed results.”

The ink is now available across EMEA.

Source: Ricoh Europe

The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Wide-format Impressions. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of Wide-format Impressions.

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First Plant-Based Ink from Ricoh Enhances Graphics and Packaging Print Sustainability