Green Business
of the Week

November 16, 2008

Salsedo Press

Salsedo Press has been the go-to printer for progressives in Chicago for four decades. All the flyers for peace, brotherhood and the environment they’ve printed over the years would blanket the earth. So it should come as no surprise that Salsedo has been going green all along the way.

This worker-owned, minority-owned, union printer started using soy inks fifteen years ago. It took about two years to work through all the drying problems, but they persevered. And today, 98 percent of the inks they use are soy-based. They’ve replaced fluoridated hydrocarbons with citrus solvents for cleaning the presses. They use radiant heat in the shop. And they offer the widest possible selection of recycled papers, although Salsedo’s Chris Burke is dissatisfied with what’s available. Paper manufacturers are not moving fast enough for him, in part because they can put the recycled seal on papers that contain as low as 30 percent post-consumer material, 10 percent for coated paper.

Salsedo’s reputation for quality is unquestioned. And they are remarkably easy to work with, probably because they have so much experience with not-for-profits and activist groups that can’t afford fancy designers. Salsedo will work with what you can bring to them and give you the best possible product.

Salsedo Press does banners, posters and signs, books and brochures, business forms and cards, Calendars, Catalogs and Magazines, among other things. So, whether you’re picketing or promoting or publishing your memoirs, check out Salsedo Press. For more information, go to www.salsedopress.com.