As the print industry goes on facing significant challenges in becoming sustainable, especially given its integral role in our daily lives, each part has its own flaws that hinder environmental responsibility. The textile industry has been particularly under scrutiny when it comes to unsustainable production practises, particularly regarding water use. According to research by the UN Trade and Development, the textile and fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of water, accounting for about 20 percent of global wastewater. As a market leader in LED-UV technology, MIMAKI’s UJF, JFX and UJV printers tackle energy consumption concerns with the use of ultra-violet light to instantly dry or cure the ink as it is being distributed across the substrate. According to MIMAKI’s own research, the company’s UV roll-to-roll printers consume 5 times less power compared to solvent printers and 8 times less power compared to resin printers on the market.
This is primarily due to the power consumption and heat generation of LED lights being remarkably lower than those of metal halide lamps, traditionally used to dry inks. It’s important to look to the small changes as well as the major technological innovations, for example with inks. The majority of MIMAKI’s printer inks used with sign graphic and industrial printers have achieved the GREENGUARD Gold certification and last year, 84.7 percent of the company’s ink sales for these two markets were GREENGUARD Gold certified. For textiles, MIMKI offers a range of water-based pigment inks suitable for both direct-to-fabric and transfer printing. (PHOTO: WTT)
