Wide format digital printer manufacturer MUTOH & wide format media manufacturer GRAFITYP announced that they have obtained an Indoor Air Comfort Certificate (IAC) for the Grafityp Ecological non-PVC self-adhesive film (GEF-ES) printed with Mutoh Universal Mild Solvent (UMS) inks.

This product certificate issued by Eurofins, an independent test organisation and world market leader for Volatile Organic Chemical (VOC) product emission testing, guarantees full compliance with all regulations on VOC emissions into indoor air that exist in any EU Member state.  Certification involved test chamber testing of printed film with maximum possible ink coverage, VOC measurement for some 200 VOCs after 3 & 28 days as well as an in-depth third party audit of the production sites.

“This product certificate demonstrates Mutoh’s commitment in offering digital printers and inks that provide environmental protection and sustainability”, says Stephan Heintjens, Mutoh Belgium’s Product Development Manager.  “Our UMS inks have been specifically formulated to offer a unique and innovative blend of high quality durable colour pigments, a new mix of resins and, last but not least, a new combination of milder and non-aggressive solvents”.

“This IAC certificate will offer ValueJet series printer owners as well as print buyers full peace of mind in regards to long-term consumer protection after installation of the final digitally printed products, as well as full compliance with green building programs and ecological regulations for indoor air quality,” Heintjens concludes.

“At Grafityp we are delighted with this important environmental acknowledgement”, says Harald Jumelet, Grafityp’s Sales & Marketing Manager.  “This pan-European IAC product certificate assures that wide format prints made on our Grafityp Ecological Film printed with Mutoh UMS inks will contribute to the comfort and well-being of building inhabitants.  It will assist building owners, brand owners, planners, indoor decorators and architects to select low polluting products and to achieve good Indoor Air Quality”, concludes Jumelet.

“Several Member States of the EU require a documentation of product emissions of VOCs.  CE marking of construction products and wall coverings including digitally printed self-adhesive non-PVC film is expected to follow soon”, says Reinhard Oppl, Head of Eurofins’ Certification body.  “Our Indoor Air Comfort Certification Program aims at providing one global label for Europe.  Tests are based on the ISO 16000 series standards and are performed in accordance with the harmonised CEN/TS 16516 horizontal testing method for VOC emissions” continues Oppl.

”The Indoor Air Comfort product certification implies compliance with emission requirements of all applicable specifications issued by authorities in the EU Member States covering Belgian regulation, French regulation class A, German regulation AgBB, upcoming Lithianian regulation and E1 classification (recommended for production of home furniture and wooden floorings).  After issuing the certificate, we are also following up with repeated audits to ensure continuous low emission values”, concludes Oppl.

The UMS inks offer an outdoor UV resistance of up to three years without lamination. They offer an unrivalled colour gamut and a unique gloss preservation.  The CMYK ink set covers 83 % of the Pantone C® colour chart.  The inks are fixed and dried at temperatures below 50°C and are suited for both high quality and high speed printing.

GEF-ES, the latest development within Grafityp’s COLIBRI range, is an environmentally friendly PVC-free film with a thickness of 135 microns.  The film comes with a high quality print coating, which has been developed especially for solvent (eco-mild-hard) inks.  With this new eco film Grafityp meets the ever growing demand for alternative environmentally friendly solutions.  Combined with the COLIBRI laminates, the film is a unique environmentally friendly solution for all kinds of large format printing applications.

With over 17,000 staff in around 200 laboratories across 36 countries, Eurofins Scientific is the world leader in food and biopharma product testing, and on several other fields. The Danish branch Eurofins Product Testing A/S is the world leader in VOC testing and operates the "Indoor Air Comfort" certification program for products with low VOC emissions into indoor air.

Grafityp Selfadhesive Products nv is located in Houthalen (Belgium) and is a manufacturer and distributor of self-adhesive sign making films, digital print media, laminates and automotive & deco films.  Grafityp can boast more than 70 years of outstanding service to the sign industry.  40,000 m² of modern production facilities (including 3 coating lines, a casting line and a cast extruder) on 65,000 m² of premises allow us to strive for perfection.

Grafityp’s roots are to be found in Amsterdam (Netherlands), where "Stanserij Holland" was founded back in 1945.  As premises soon became too small in Amsterdam, the company moved to Houthalen (Belgium) in 1969, and its name was changed into GRAFITYP LEADERS IN LETTERSYSTEMS NV.  In 1984 Grafityp Leaders in Lettersystems was the first company to launch a cutting system completely steered by PC (named CSR - Computerized Signmaking Robot).