Harris LithoGraphics is one of the first printing companies to custom mix vegetable-based inks onsite, avoiding unnecessary waste. Vegetable and soy based inks avoid the use of petroleum, and release less volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. This makes breathing a whole lot easier for everyone near a printing press and better overall quality of air for all of us.
Soy ink was developed in the 1970′s in a response to the oil crisis. Soy-based inks are made with soybean oil, and vegetable-based inks are made with vegetable oil. Vegetable-based ink encapsulates the soy realm but it also includes other organic matter rather than simply soybeans.
Vegetable-based inks are recognized as better because it’s not restricted to one crop, plus the process takes the best qualities of various different plant matter in the use of the ink. Furthermore, it doesn’t compete with the thriving market for biodiesel fuel (soybean oil goes into the making of this fuel).
Our vegetable based ink system consists of 51% sustainable materials including vegetable oils and modified rosins. These inks are also formulated with organic materials that do not contain any animal-based byproducts. The overall volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for these inks are are less than 1%. Many soy-based inks do not have this low of VOC emission.
The vegetable-based ink system by Earth Pride is an environmentally responsible ink system that was developed with the environmentally conscious printer in mind. Earth Pride UV Coatable inks contain bleed resistant pigments to meet the requirements of printing designed to be solvent laminated, UV coated, aqueous coated, or foil stamped. They have exceptional press stability and provide excellent scuff and rub resistance.
