Section 1.4515  Soybean Oil-Based Ink and Vegetable Oil-Based Ink

a)         Contracts requiring the procurement of offset printing services shall specify the use of soybean oil-based ink or vegetable oil-based ink unless an SPO determines another type of ink is required to assure high quality and reasonable pricing of the printed product.  [30 ILCS 500/45-15]  The SPO will make this determination based on justification submitted by the State agency.

b)         This preference does not apply when an agency requires digital printing services. This printing method includes, but is not limited to, the electrostatic process of transferring ink or toner to a substrate and that may use photo imaging plates, photoreceptor drums, or belts that hold an electrostatic charge. Digital printing also includes the process of transferring ink through a print head directly to a substrate, such as ink-jet printers.

c)         Offset printing includes lithography, flexography, gravure or letterpress, and involves the process of transferring ink through static or fixed image plates using an impact method of pressing ink into a substrate.

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 10208, effective June 2, 2022)