Printing Industry

Table of Contents Keys to Using Guide U.S. Domestic Printing Industry Emerging Technologies P2 Practices in Printing Lithography Screen Printing Flexography Gravure

Keys to Using This Guide

Look around your office and count the number of items that have some type of printing on them. There are five principal types of printing processes that produce the images you see. They are lithography, gravure, flexography, screen printing, and letterpress. Each printing process includes three basic steps: preparing an image carrier; transferring the image, either directly or indirectly onto the substrate to be printed; and finishing. The finishing steps will differ depending upon the printing process. For example, lithographic printed materials may be folded, trimmed, collated, bound, laminated, die cut, or embossed, depending on the function of the final product (Pferdehirt, 1993).

The packet you hold in your hands will give technical assistance providers, both those experienced in working with printers and those just starting, a basic reference on a variety of pollution prevention (P2) and waste minimization suggestions. The packet includes a statistical overview of the industry, general pollution prevention options based on the process flow of typical printing operations, chapters on each specific printing type highlighted by case studies and a annotated bibliography.

The annotated bibliography of each section provides a basic overview of what the compilers of this document believed to be some of the more informative references pertaining to each printing type. As there are hundreds, if not thousands, of articles, factsheets, and so forth pertaining to printing, the annotated bibliography should not be considered to be all inclusive of the printing information currently available.

The four appendices cover federal regulations (up to Spring 1996), human resources, electronic resources, and a glossary of printing terms.

In putting together this packet, we have made several assumptions. First, that those reading this are already familiar with P2 concepts and the steps needed to implement a P2 program. If not, we refer you to "Pollution Prevention: A Guide to Program Implementation," distributed by the Illinois Waste Management and Research Center. Second, that any technique or technology presented here as a possible method to reduce waste will be more thoroughly investigated by the technical assistance provider as to the applicability to the facility they are assisting.

The pollution prevention options section of this packet was extracted from the myriad of factsheets, brochures, booklets and other publications developed for printers by governmental agencies-both state and federal. Of note is the fact that many, many of these materials did not present actual data such as, "technology or technique A reduced waste ink by 25 percent, from X to X, for a capital cost of $10,000. Thus the company saved $100 in disposal costs for the year." Therefore, the material presented here, outside of the case studies, has not been verified in the production of this packet. The technical reviewers of this packet helped in pointing out things that were off base, but technical assistance providers should be judicious in the pollution prevention choices they recommend to their clients. Knowing how the client runs their printing business, how the process flow of materials and machinery to produce the product, will help the assistance person in choosing the applicable P2 technique or technology from those presented in this packet.

Each printing section provides information on how the basic process works, inputs/outputs from each step in the printing process, any specific pollution prevention options for that type of process and case studies highlighting pollution prevention options in use.

Appendix A is a shortened version of the US EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic's publication, Federal Environmental Regulations Potentially Affecting the Commercial Printing Industry, EPA 744B-94-001, March 1994. It is included as a basic outline of federal regulatory issues that pertain to printers. As each state differs in their regulations, and they usually change fairly often, no attempt was made to present this material. Both regulatory and non-regulatory agency contact information are provided in the human resources appendix (Appendix B) for further information. Local and national trade associations can also provide specifics on regulations affecting their particular printing industry.

With literally dozens of private, governmental and trade associations focusing on developing pollution prevention and regulatory compliance materials for printers, new information will be accessible. The fastest growing information resource is the Internet and World Wide Web. The electronic resource list (Appendix C) provides the Internet addresses of use to technical assistance providers and printers alike (as of Summer 1996). Listservs, electronic mailing lists centered on specific topics such as printing regulations, are also available via e-mail.

Appendix D contains a glossary with often used terms in the printing industry. Appendix E contains quick reference sheets to the major types of printing, their uses, substrates, and inks. An index to the document is also provided.

PRINTING TIDBITS

In 1985, the average cost of a magazine was $2.10. By 1994, the cost had risen to $3.10, an increase of 47.6 percent over nine years.

More than 200 magazines are now available online.

There were 1,552 daily newspapers in 1993, down from 1,763 in 1960.

More than 30 newspapers have created a home page on the World Wide Web.

Commercial printing occurs at about 34,000 establishments; it employs more than double the number employed by the steel industry.

In 1995, there were over 40,000 screen printing facilities in the U.S. Approximately 50 percent of these screen printing facilities are involved in the printing of all types of textiles.

The U.S. Postal Service reports that third-class mail, the category used for bulk-mail printed material, increased by 400,000 tons in 1994.

In 1974, there were 20,000-25,000 quick printers in the U.S. By 1994, that number had risen to 38,000-42,000.

In 1995, there were more than 6,000 plants with web offset presses in the U.S.

Nearly 60 million newspapers were sold every day in 1994. During the same year, 58 percent of all newspapers were recycled.

Sixty-seven new sports magazines came onto the nation's newsstands in 1994.

Excerpts from "Alive and Kicking-Rumors of the death of paper-based printing are greatly exaggerated," in Adobe Magazine, January/February 1996, pg. 100.