Counter-measures for managing the impact of environmental issues are essential for the sustainable growth of society. Japan Federation of Printing Industries has taken the initiative of enlisting such measures for printing industries. In this article, we describe the following three areas of counter-measures as a major response to environmental regulations: distribution of environmental regulation lists to member companies, compliance with the “air pollution prevention law”, including the VOC emission regulation, and with the “Packaging Recycling Law”, which was formulated to reduce packaging waste and promote recycling. Further, the article describes the targets and actual figures for a low-carbon society, circular economy formation, and VOC emission reduction, all of which are voluntary activities for the printing industry. Additionally, the article describes the “green printing scheme“, which certifies environme tal conscious printing factories, print products, and printing consumables.

The SDGs mandate an integrated sustainable development of the global economy, society, and environment. It is high time for the printing industry, being closely related to global climate change, to promote protection of environment at a global level, regardless of the scale of individual businesses. Until now, the reduction of environmental burden, improvement in working environment and productivity, and realization of IoT has been achieved through remarkable technological innovation in the field of offset printing, a leading segment of the industry in terms of market size. Waterless printing technology has made a major contribution in reducing environmental burden from waste and VOC emissions. Citing this technology, “Japan WPA” has been stressing on the need for printing companies to work towards environmental protection. It also supports printing companies in their efforts to realize and reduce environmental burden. In this review, we summarize the status of progress of the eco-friendly offset printing system and describe its future prospects.

The domestic printing market has shown a tendency to contract over recent years due to media diversification owing to the widespread use of mobile terminals such as smartphones. Therefore, the demand for packaging materials for food and daily use products has risen. UV curable inks used for printing on these packaging materials dry instantaneously under UV irradiation and are durable and resistant. Similarly, the use of gravure inks, which are mainstream products in this field, has also been growing steadily. However, environmental regulations for packaging materials are getting stricter every year. The use of UV curing and gravure inks is actively regulated by environmental laws, related to CO2 reduction and energy saving. In this paper, we describe the recent trends in the use of UV and gravure inks towards environmental conservation (energy saving), as their demand is expected to increase in future.

I am looking forward to expand the scope of flexographic printing with water-based ink to domestic flexible packaging market. This type of printing provides safety of converters and is environment-friendly. However, some technical issues persist. Therefore, the converter needs to be designed from the operational viewpoint to tackle these issues. Simultaneously, each supplier needs to work consistently in this direction. To enhance the efficiency of flexographic printing, the converter requires an environment-friendly flexographic plate making system, such as water washable systems.

The United Nations referred to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as social issues, requiring social contribution from companies through their business activity; however, their wording is abstract, warranting the need to have specific guidelines. We highlighted some aspects of the SDGs specific to the printing industry; further, we introduced Fujifilm's initiatives, such as the graphic system manufacture. The printing industry, which has an important responsibility towards global environment protection, needs to implement “green printing” to reduce CO2 emissions, and follow industrial safety and health laws. Moreover, the companies need to operate business in a better manner in terms of cost, quality, and productivity. Fujifilm addressed the following specific points of the SDGs: 1) Improvement in the energy source generation in factories, 2) Aluminum recycling in PS/CTP plate, 3) Digital press dissemination, 4) Processless CTP plate dissemination, 5) Remote workflow system XMF promotion, 6) Press chemicals safety improvement, and 7) Improvement in corporate culture in terms of openness, fairness, and clarity. It also launched the “green graphic project” that utilizes carbon offset system providing CO2 emission credit to customers who use Fujifilm Superia processless CTP plate. We, at Fujifilm are committed to contribute to SDGs specific to the printing industry in the form of new CSR plan, Fujifilm Sustainable Value Plan 2030.

We provide an overview of the Thai printing industry. As of now, it comprises more than 5,000 companies; further, it is fully integrated with paper manufacturers, ink makers, pre-media agencies, machinery/materials sale representatives, pre-press houses, and post-press houses. Overall, Thailand's printing establishments offer six major printed products - books, commercial prints, packaging, labeling, security prints, and newspapers, for both the local and export markets. The market size of this industry is valued over US$ 20 billion. There are 2,700 printing houses registered at the Department of Industrial Work, Ministry of Industry, most of which are of small-to-medium scale; the large scale establishments account for approximately 1% of the total number of printing houses. The total revenue from these houses in 2016 was approximately US$ 8.9 billion. Thousands of these establishments are involved in packaging and labeling industry. The magnitude of revenues generated by large and fully integrated companies in 2016 from carton folding and paper bag & flexible packaging was around US$ 2.1 billion and US$ 2.2 billion, respectively. Thailand's labeling industry has witnessed rapid growth due to its high production capacity and demand from local and export markets. The market value of labeling in 2016 was around US$ 1.0 billion. We expect an annual growth of 3-4 % in the above-mentioned categories. The demand for flexible packaging in Thailand is increasing faster than that for other packaging types.

We present a simple and low cost method for using a naturally hollow fiber, named Kapok fiber, and chromic materials, to produce color changeable sheets that can be used as rewritable paper, electronic paper, and anti-counterfeit paper.

A well-dispersed self-assembled silver nanoparticle (AgNP) ink of high purity was synthesized from the AgNO3 emulsion. This emulsion was prepared by blending AgNO3 aqueous solution with paraffin solution, produced by mixing Tween 80 and Span 80. The ink maintains the emulsion state at lower temperatures; however, after a sintering procedure, it produces AgNPs and shows high conductivity and stability at nanoscale (diameter of 10.23-14.40 nm). During the entire procedure, Tween 80 acts as a surfactant, reductant, and stabilizer. It undergoes autoxidation, during which a free radical is formed in ether oxygen's α-position by hydrogen abstraction. Smaller mean sizes of the emulsion particles can be obtained with lesser water content, higher ratio of surfactant, and higher concentration of AgNO3 aqueous solution. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum, X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrum, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized for the characterization of synthesized AgNPs.

Technology in Information system was growth very fast and significant develop into any industries. Digitalism in any department line also well developed, like ERP, MRP, MIS, MCS, etc. Today the impact of digitalism in any section, industry culture and system, many industries change their production line into automation in order to achieve efficiency and effectivity in processing. Investment on technology was invested although it took very high cost but in the next it will give good efficiency in cost and effectivity in time.

Transition from conventional to digitalism always facing many companies as big problem. Cultural Gap and Low knowledge in this area is high. The benefit using technology as big data and control system is very powerful in useful. This research was held in PT. Suara Merdeka Press, it is newspaper publisher company since 1950, family business model which still using conventional management. The problem occurs since technology enter all industries. Previously this company has difficulties in many functions, such as coordination and controlling, trace ability function, waste control in production, material resources planning and income outcome control.

This Electronic Data Processing (EDP) was introduce in this company with target is efficiency and effectivity in all departments related with production processing. In the beginning investment on software and peripheral was big problem in this company because costly, after two years running, efficiency was occurring in human resources, paperless and operational cost. This paper will be explaining EDP and ERP process in this company.

Well educated human resources in IT is a must to be considered in Industry, this company and academic.

Finally, the target will achievement total in next 3 years running, operational cost and efficiency will completely clear.

UV-curing inks are advantageous due to their rapid curing and no-VOC character. We have investigated the application of polysilanes as a photoinitiator of UV-curing inks. The adhesion properties on the polyester films and the paper substrates, on which the UV-curing inks were printed, were characterized by an adhesion test. As results, the UV-curing inks including polysilanes brought a remarkable improvement of the printing qualities. The printed matters with mat finish were obtained by using polysilanes.