This is a common request made by clients and harks back to the time prior to computer to plate (CTP).

In truth many printers never kept the printing plates as storage and quality were an issue. Printers did, however, used to keep the film separations for around two years.

Today the situation is very different.

Films are no longer required to make the plates as this stage in the print process has been completely replaced by computerised/automated plate-making. Modern presses also have automated or semi- automated plate loading on to the press that requires pristine plates to work efficiently.

The result is that printer will now  only keep the digital files for a job and as a result, if and when a reprint is required the printer will run a “fresh” new set of plates which also ensure that the plates are clean and free of any scratches etc.

The cost savings that used to be associated with such “straight reprints” are no longer apparent. However(!) the cost savings are made when the job is first originated as the charges for films have been lost completely. If you compare the cost of printing a job today with that of a similar job, say 10 years ago, it should be a lot cheaper!

“But what about the waste of all the plates?”

I don’t know of a printer that does not recycle their plates – they are collected on a regular basis by metal recyclers who will, generally melt them down and make…. more, new printing plates.

So in answer to the question “Can you keep the plates?” is…… “No!”

How much FSC fibre from certified forests do you think paper has to contain to be classed as FSC Mixed Sources?

50%? 70%? More?

You might be surprised to find that the answer is NONE.

According to current rules, paper sold as FSC Mixed Sources must be made up of a minimum of 50% FSC recycled fibre, OR a minimum of 50% FSC virgin fibre from certified forests OR a combination of both as long as it is at least 50% of the total bulk. Therefore, if the recycled content is set at 50% or more, the balance of raw material does not have to carry FSC certification and the paper still qualifies for an FSC Mixed Sources claim. We are not suggesting that this is an attempt to mislead the consumer but it is nevertheless a little confusing and probably not what people generally expect when they see the FSC logo on a printed item.

If you are wondering what constitutes FSC Recycled fibre, we have been told that this could be any post consumer fibre which as been obtained and processed by an FSC certified mill in accordance with the FSC rules. However, it is still unclear whether the recycled part of an FSC Mixed Sources sheet has to be from post consumer origin if the FSC virgin fibre content reaches 50% or more. FSC UK has promised to let us know more details as soon as they have received clarification, but given the complicated nature of the labelling it is hard to see how consumer and readers can make any accurate judgment of the embodied characteristics of a paper carrying the Mixed Sources logo.

A regular request from customers is that “vegetable inks” are used in their print- but what are the benefits and what does it mean? Vegetable oil is only the carrier agent within the ink and constitutes up to a maximum of 50% of the total content of the ink with the balance being things like solvents and pigments, including some of the more unpleasant ingredients which after use become classified as hazardous waste.

True vegetable oil based inks are only suitable for the sheetfed litho process and not currently available for heatset web offset, although some heatset web inks do contain up to 5% vegetable derived oil. Although most printers, in my experience, only use vegetable oil based inks for their everyday 4 colour work, it is also possible to specify “vege” inks for Pantone colours and even metallics.

The environmental gain is purely relevant in sustainability terms – vegetable oil is a renewable source as opposed to a mineral/petroleum based oil which logic tells us will run dry at some point. Whilst it is good practice to favour a sheetfed printer who uses vegetable based inks, unfortunately right now you won’t be able to insist on the same from from a web printer.