Hear your ideas.

Resource-Saving Printing with Digital Printing

Industrial digital printers change the way we print

For companies that produce products, the challenge in package printing is reducing wastewater and materials and lowering the emissions of harmful chemicals used in the process. Brother aims to solve these problems with digital printing on films and labels attached to plastic bottles, cardboard, and other containers using digital printing machines from our group company, Domino Printing Sciences.

Related SDGs

Mechanism and characteristics of analog printing

In general, printing on films and labels is done with a "plate," which acts as a large stamp, by applying ink to it before transferring it to the film or label. This method is called analog printing and is suitable for printing large quantities of the same information. However, a minimum print run is necessary to cover the costs of the expensive plates. Moreover, several hundred prints are required for color matching and test printing. In recent years, there have been more diversified demands. The number of requests for small quantities and a wide variety of products has increased, and if we use analog printing to meet these needs, resources will be wasted.

Digital printing enables the production of a wide variety of products in small quantities while saving resources

As opposed to analog printing, digital printing sprays ink directly onto film or labels without using plates. With on-demand printing, we can make copies for only the required amount, and only a small number of test prints are needed, saving film and ink.

Saving water resources

Analog printing requires a plate for each color in multi-color printing. A large amount of water is used to clean the printing press when changing the plates, and the wastewater may contain harmful substances. Digital printing does not require cleaning and does not use water, even for multi-color printing or printing different documents.

SDGs POINT

SDGs goal 8 addresses “decent work and economic growth”, including target 8.4 which sets out to "improve global resource efficiency in consumption and production, while promoting sustainable economic growth and full and productive employment. Additionally, SDGs goal 9, “build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation” including target 9.4 “upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable.” Furthermore, SDGs goal 12 aims to create "responsible consumption and production" including target 12.2 which aims to "achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources” to ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns. Digital printing by Domino Printing Sciences, a Brother Group company, contributes to realizing the SDGs by reducing the emission of hazardous substances and making effective use of resources.

Share this article on social media

Learn about this initiative's SDGs

In ”SDGs at a Glance,” the 17 goals of the SDGs are explained in easy-to-understand illustrations. Click on the goal you are interested in, and you can read about it in under a minute. Let's take a look at the SDG goals featured in this article.

Related Topics