We are pioneers in the field, even in environmental matters. We are the only operator in Finland to have moved to a new era in photographic printing. We print photos on photographic paper in an environmentally friendly way without chemicals, because the chemicals used in traditional photographic printing end up as environmental waste. Modern technology also improves the quality and permanence of the photos.
The more environmentally friendly process gives the photos a 200-year permanence guarantee
Globally, photographic printing with the silver halide process has been almost entirely replaced with solutions that do not create environmental emissions and waste. In Finland, Kuvaverkko is the first and only photographic printing operator to have replaced chemical printing of photographs with the new, more environmentally friendly HP Indigo press.
HP Indigo is made from durable components that can be recycled after use. An independent research institute (Wilhelm Imaging Research’s WIR study) examined the permanence of photographs printed with HP Indigo and gave them up to a 200-year permanence guarantee.
We do not produce hazardous waste or carbon dioxide emissions
Traditional silver halide printing uses paper coated with silver halide, onto which the image is exposed. The photo is then developed and fixed to the paper with chemicals that remain after the process as hazardous waste. The photos of one thousand children consume over 200 kg of chemicals. This would mean approximately 80,000 kilograms of hazardous waste per year at Kuvaverkko volumes. In addition, any extra light-sensitive paper expires annually for recycling, while standard photographic paper remains good for years.
On paper coated with silver halide, the white of the photos looks like ‘painter’s white.’ When this light grey coating is not required on the surface of the photo paper, the white of the photo is pure white. Thus, these non-chemical photographs also look brighter and sharper.
In non-chemical printing, the ink is transferred directly onto the photographic paper. Thanks to this, no hazardous waste or carbon dioxide emissions are created during the printing process.