MAN Roland GB marketing director Murray Lock said: With many customers now expecting their suppliers to perform best practice with regard to environmental issues, printers need to be aware of such elements in the process in terms of usage and waste.

UniSensor, which makes the Alcoprint range, has installed over 700 units, which it estimates has saved printers from using 10m litres of alcohol.

The Alcoprint range can be retrofitted to all presses. It uses an infra-red beam to continually measure the fountain solution and automatically adjust if necessary.

This is for those who want more detailed and accurate alcohol measurements, rather then working on a tolerance, said Lock.

He said European printers had taken to UniSensors devices faster than UK printers, but that there was a growing awareness of green issues and keeping greater control of materials here.

Story by John Davies