Soy Ink - why print with a plant?

History

During the late 1970s, the volatility of petroleum pricing made investigation into an alternative to petroleum based inks critical. Soybean oil was selected from over 2000 vegetable oil varieties because it is abundant, relatively inexpensive and exceeds all the technical demands.

In 1987 the first successful test of printing with a soybean based ink was completed by The Gazette in Iowa in a practical printing run.

By 1994, over 90% of American daily newspapers and over 33% of other American newspapers printed with soy ink.

With all the positives listed below, you will want to request your print projects be completed by a company that is experienced with working with soy inks, and understands the benefits to the environment, community, and economy. That company is Electric City Printing!

Cost

Color soy ink is very comparable in cost with petroleum based inks. However, black soy ink is 25% more expensive. Many newspapers use soy ink for color.

Why print with a plant based product?

In addition to great color richness and vivid bright colors that “pop” off the page due to soy oil being more clear than petroleum based products, there are many business and environmental impacts to be achieved.

Business impact:

• Supports American agriculture. Using soy ink helps the nation’s economy by providing a market for a domestic crop while reducing dependence on foreign resources such as petroleum oil.
  
• Requires less ink to print the same amount of paper when compared to petroleum based inks. Soy ink spreads approximately 15% further, and reduces clean up costs.
  Soybean oil is naturally more clear, so less pigment is necessary to obtain the same effect which reduces the cost of the ink.

Environmental impact:

• While soybeans grow, almost half require no irrigation and temporarily reduce carbon, a greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere.
• Helps prevent pollution because they are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are used in evaporative solvents to increase the speed of drying.
• Made from a safe, renewable resource.
• Recycling paper that is printed with soy inks is easier because the inks are more easily removed during the recycling process.
• Soy ink is made from natural products and decomposes without harm to the environment more quickly than petroleum based products.
• Improved indoor air quality – fewer emissions mean fewer headaches, improved productivity, and better impression on clients!

American Soy Association (ASA) There are many formulations of soy ink available and not all contain the same amounts of soy oil.

The ASA Logo can be included in a publication to promote the use of soybean oil, but the organization must meet the minimum criteria below.

The American Soy Association has set forth standards as follows:

Soybean oil as a percentage of total formula weight.

• Type of ink - percentage soy oil content
• Black news ink - 40
• Color news ink - 30
• Cold-set ink - 30
• Carbon Ink -25
• Screen Printing Ink -25
• Sheet-fed ink -20
• Business forms ink -20
• Metallic Ink -10
• Desensitizing Ink -10
• Heat-set ink -7
• UV/EB ink -7
• Stencil duplicator ink -6

What is the downside to printing with soy ink?

• Soy inks are not readily available in the non-commercial environment.


• Many say there is a slower drying time due to the lack of evaporative solvents. The importance of print production planning is increased. Allowing ample dry time between runs would be advised. However, research suggests that drying time should be consistent with petroleum based inks, per Dan Weisenback, owner of Recycled Products a company that specializes in printing using soy inks on recycled papers. “If you cut back on your ink usage and properly modify your fountain solution, you should find that soy inks dry as well as traditional inks on most substrates, including coated papers!”


• Over reliance upon a single crop which increases industry impact if there is a crop epidemic.

References:

Jennifer Proia, “Going green with your marketing materials” http://www.graphic-design.com/DTG/Business/greenprint.html Soy Ink, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy_ink Soy Ink, Soy Seal information, http://www.soygrowers.com/resources/soyink.htm Soy Ink information http://www.soya.be/soy-ink.php Dan Weisenback, “Switching to Soy Inks for commercial offset printing” QPP Magazine, February 2000. http://www.recycledproducts.com/index.php?cid=25