1. a) Contracts requiring the procurement of offset printing services shall specify the use of soybean oil-based ink or vegetable oil-based ink unless a State Purchasing Officer determines that 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 university.
2. b) This preference does not apply when a university requires digital printing services, a printing method that 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.
3. 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 43 Ill. Reg. 1781, effective February 15, 2019)