Do you know of a cheaper Green printer and book-binder?

August 24, 2010 2:11 AM

Green Printers and book-binders that are low cost? (preferably Europe)

I'm looking for a low cost, but high quality and reliable printer and book binder. I would prefer it to be in anywhere in Europe, but elsewhere is also ok. The printer needs to be able to print in non-petroleum based inks, and the paper needs to be recycled and non-chlorine.

Thanks in advance!

posted by JiffyQ to Shopping (2 answers total)

Just about any printer worth working with will have an extensive selection of recycled paper, and I would be surprised if most European printers weren't using soy-based inks by now. I'm sorry I can't offer any specific recommendations, but I think your best bet would be to find a printer that meets your price requirement first and then work on the green part.

One thing you may run into is green printers using "waterless presses." These are, to my understanding, fancy laser printers. This is a double-edged sword. The fountain solution in most offset presses is not exactly wonderful stuff, and it is commonly flushed down the drain. On the other hand, laser printers have lots of disposable plastic parts which often end up in a landfill. Personally, I feel better about dumping fountain solution. (Ours is alcohol based, but there are other solutions on the market.)

Addendum: Ask your printer if they are using Direct-to-Plate imaging. The chemicals used in older film-based systems are nasty, nasty business. I'd suggest adding it to your list of criteria, if you're going with offset printing.
posted by lekvar at 1:04 PM on August 24, 2010

Plus, laser printing is not nearly as permanent as actual ink.

(The waterless presses might be "digital presses" that use an inkjet sort of technology and then UV or something to cure it. You end up with offset quality without the trouble with plates and solutions.)

Actual answer: printing can be done cheaply, but binding is not cheap and you get what you pay for.
posted by gjc at 1:20 PM on August 24, 2010