As the art market is being flooded by prints the environment is being flooded with toxic chemicals. Increasingly print manufacturers are offering artists ways to have their art produced as giclées and other printed products in order to increase their profits, never giving a thought to how they are contributing to environmental damage. Do you know how the prints you buy and sell are manufactured? You may be in for a few surprises as Mary Lou Dauray’s article, based on her interview with Rick Colson, founder of Eco-Visual Lab, and expert on 100% “Green” printing, sheds light on the destructive inks and papers used today. You’ll learn how the terms “eco” and “recycled” don’t always mean what you think. As always Mary Lou informs, educates and motivates us to make more intelligent, conscious choices. ~ Renée Phillips
Thankfully many artists are now becoming more conscious of taking steps to make their entire art process “green”. This means that they are choosing materials that can be recycled and are less environmentally damaging. Now, when the artist wants to reproduce or print photos of the artwork, he/she can turn to people like Rick Colson who has created Eco Visual Lab, the world’s first virtually, 100% green, digital photo lab, based in Massachusetts.
Colson, after experiencing the loss of his wonderful wife, Stephanie, from cancer due to environmental causes, decided that life was too short to continue in an unhealthy life and business trajectory. As a result, he came up with three guiding principles for creating a printing business that in a small way does not contribute to damaging the environment. Colson said he “decided to always work in the most sustainable, healthiest way possible; provide world class service and field-leading expertise; and never settle for less than museum quality and archival standards for custom prints.”
Beware of Some “Eco” Inks and Giclées
After much research, and working with one of the world’s largest paper companies, he found that today, large format printing was mostly green washing. What this means, according to Colson, “is using so called eco-inks when the ink manufacturer readily admitted that “eco” stood for “economical,” not ecological.”
Unfortunately, he noted that companies printing with solvent inks on vinyl canvas, who then describe the product as archival giclée reproductions, unfortunately offgas toxic chemicals that are known respiratory and neurotoxins. These giclées are obviously not healthy and also not archival.
He also discovered that while the use of pulp-based papers may have been stated to be recycled, they had been chlorine bleached and were not archival. According to Colson, it is significant to note that chlorine and wood pulp combine together to create dioxins–the single most carcinogenic group of chemicals known.
You Can Choose Better Alternatives
The papers Colson uses have no optical brighteners and they are acid free — one more factor in making them toxin free. The primary papers he chooses are made from the pure recycled cotton remnants of food-grade cottonseed oil manufacturers. The inks he prints with are water-based, pigmented and free of all volatile organic compounds. “Every custom print produced by Eco Visual Lab is printed on 100% sustainable, tree-free media made of pure cotton, which is totally chlorine free, recycled and recyclable”, Colson emphasizes.
Colson says he has helped businesses “create more sustainable graphics, collateral and identity products.” He has “redesigned office environments using healthier materials that reduce captive VOC (volatile organic compound) and increase recycled content.” Furthermore, he designed his “lab” and his residence in Watertown, Massachusetts to be 100% solar electric.
Colson’s photography is included in many private collections and has been exhibited in galleries and at The Griffin Museum of Photography. He also presents talks on the environmental impact and health impacts of art materials.
Advocate For Safer “Green” Options
I hope after reading this article art buyers and artists who use paper will consider what Colson has done and take a moment to reflect about the type of paper they choose to work on. They may want to contact manufacturers and advocate for more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and recyclable art paper.
To learn more about Eco Visual Lab visit www.ecovisuallab.com
To see Rick Colson’s photographs visit http://rickcolson.zenfolio.com/
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Mariya says
Hello! My name is Mariya, and I am a Canadian landscape photographer looking for sustainable print-on-demand services. Thank you for the great article – I will definitely check out the organization, as well as explore this page too.
On my end, I have a growing audience ready to purchase my work; however, I have not found a solution that meets my printing & packaging needs yet. If anyone would like to connect, please don’t hesitate to reach out. My goal is to find a sustainable, Canadian-based print-on-demand service that offers packaging solutions for landscape prints. Thanks in advance! Kind Regards from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. – Mariya (https://www.mspvisuals.com/)
Aaron Rose says
This is so helpful. I’ve been having health issues for years and it never occurred to me that the canvases that I’ve printed at Canvas on Demand and CG Pro Prints could be toxic to my office/homespace. Does anyone know if those two vendors (who I’ve been pleased with) are using toxic inks/materials? It would really help to know.
Thx
Renee Phillips says
Aaron, both companies have contact information on their websites where you can submit your questions about the types of inks they use. Canvas on Demand: https://www.canvasondemand.com/help/contact-us/ and CG Pro Prints https://www.cgproprints.com/contacts
Generally, a “green” printing company should provide such information on their “About Us” page.
Sara says
You are all amazing! I’m so excited to find this community. Thank you.
Renee Phillips says
Welcome Sara! I’m glad you found us. I hope you’ll become a subscriber to our free weekly email newsletter.
Sarah Filipi says
This article makes me feel like I’ve found my tribe! As a photographer, I make sure to offer clients ecologically friendly products from companies that I believe in & support. Thank you for pushing this & I would love to connect!