Independent consultant John Zarwan investigates key industry plates and their environmental impact.

Charlottetown, PEI, Canada – February 10th 2009 -- J Zarwan Partners today announces the publication of an in-depth research study into the Environmental Impact of Printing Plates, which is available free of charge on his website www.johnzarwan.com.  

In a bid to help printers make a more informed choice when purchasing plates, and to bring a degree of clarity to an often confusing issue, the report analyses four main areas where plates can have an environmental impact – chemistry, energy, water, and waste.  The study compares the relative environmental impact between different categories of plates, as well as comparing the resources used by different plates within a category.

Major plate suppliers have made great strides in reducing the amount of chemistry required and waste produced when processing offset lithographic printing plates.  Alongside conventionally processed plates, there are a variety of reduced chemistry and ‘chemistry free’ options as well as processless plates, all of which further reduce the environmental footprint.  This study has been supported by both Fujifilm and Kodak, though it reviews plates from other leading industry manufacturers.

“While environmental considerations are only one factor in choice of a plate, it is important to be aware of the differences and the amount of chemistry and other waste involved.  Even if the result is not a change in plates used, the printer can improve awareness of processes and make improvements,” comments John Zarwan, author of the report.  “It is important to remember that virtually all plates work well in the correct application, and no single solution is appropriate for every printer.  Plates have different characteristics on press, different run length capabilities, and are not suitable for all applications.”

Graham Leeson, marketing manager for Fujifilm Graphic Systems in the UK, comments, “Environmental performance is often a grey area in terms of hard facts, so Fujifilm is delighted to support an independent report which clarifies the relative impact of the different plate technologies, I’m sure that the report will be of huge value to printers and print buyers worldwide who are looking to make educated decisions about environmental responsibility.”

Kevin Cazabon, Director Current Solutions Commercial and Publishing, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group Company adds, “Kodak has been very supportive of John in his quest to dispel some of the confusion that can arise when printers are choosing the optimal plate technology for their business. A study which looks at the key technologies and plates on the market from a purely environmental point of view is critical for printers to achieve the necessary awareness in order to make the most informed choice when striving to be a ‘greener’ printer.”

“While performance on press will remain a key factor in plate selection, we hope the information presented here will enable printers to take into account the environmental impact of their decision,” concludes Zarwan.

Plates included in study:

Conventional plates:

Agfa (Energy Elite);

Fujifilm (Brillia HD LH-PJ/PL)

Kodak (Sword Excel and Electra)

violet Agfa Lithostar Ultra LAP-V

Reduced Chemistry

There are a number of options for chemistry reductions, including the use of "intelligent processors", such as the Fujifilm FLH-Z ‘ZAC' processor with the Brillia HD LH-PJ/PL plate, or a reduced chemistry plate, such as the Agfa :Amigo.

 ‘Chemistry-free'

Agfa :Azura thermal plate

violet Fujifilm Brillia HD PRO-V (also known as EcoMaxx-V in some regions)

 Processless

Fujifilm Brillia HD PRO-T (also known as EcoMaxx-T in some regions)

Kodak Thermal Direct.

To provide some level of consistency, the following operational assumptions were made in the report:

- 8-page printer (B1, 40" press, plate size 1030mm x 790mm)

- 1000 square meters (approximately 1,200 plates) per month

- Processing 4 hours per day, standby 8 hours per day

- 5 day week (22 working days per month)

- Typical operation