Editor's Note: Spring Into Sustainability

I vividly remember the excitement I felt when my elementary school let us out of class early to participate in an Earth Day cleanup. As a parochial student, we were allowed to “dress down” that day in our chosen Earth Day attire ordered through the school catalog. At the time, part of the excitement stemmed from getting out of the classroom and into nature — although I’m sure being able to wear a T-shirt and spend time with my friends also played a part. I still have — and wear — my T-shirt from that Earth Day event. (Shout-out to the mid-1990s apparel decorator that produced the tee I chose because it still looks fantastic.)

My Earth Day shirt circa the mid-1990s still looks (and fits) as great as it did when I first got it (although it's very wrinkly).

As I sit here and look back, I attribute those school events and Girl Scouts outings for cultivating a love for Earth Day and Earth Month. That love and appreciation for nature has followed me into my adulthood and into my current role.

With Earth Month in mind, you’ll notice in the April printed issue of Printing Impressions we have a few articles dedicated to the demand for more sustainable printing practices, both from the customer and the regulatory perspective. We’ve got an article exploring how ganging jobs can help reduce costs and waste, as well as an article highlighting small steps print service providers can take to be more sustainable.

April isn’t only Earth Month, it’s also the host month of the annual Inkjet Summit. This year marks the 13th edition of the highly anticipated event. Our cover story, “The Future of the Production Inkjet Market,” written by industry expert Marco Boer, is intended to provide a detailed analysis of the state of the inkjet industry and an outlook for the future. Stay tuned to Printing Impressions' website as it will be released as a resource in the next few weeks.

To highlight one particular inkjet success story, we also have a profile on the installation of new inkjet technology at Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, which involved bringing the press through a fourth-floor window.

Whether your company is transitioning to inkjet or implementing sustainable practices, your next strategic move might help your business bloom.