Print and marketing firm Westamerica Communications is safeguarding its printed marketing materials with an antimicrobial surface coating that kills dangerous microbes upon contact.

To protect those handling hardcopy materials such as brochures, Westamerica treats each piece of printed marketing material with the antimicrobial coating, earning it Westamerica’s optional CLEANERPRINT symbol, which designates that the document has been treated with the coating that reduces the transmission of dangerous microbes.

Source: Westamerica CommunicationsApplied at the printing stage, the coating will adhere to the microbe's cell wall where silver ions contained in the coating disrupt the production of enzymes, thereby preventing the cell from creating energy. Consequently, the coating prevents the cell's DNA from replicating, ultimately destroying the microbe.

According to the California-based company, the finished product treated with the coating is indistinguishable from untreated documents.

In addition to marketing materials like brochures, Westamerica suggests that the following printed materials can also be treated with the antimicrobial coating: signage, paperboard packaging, calendars, newsletters, product hang tags, instruction sheets, business cards, menus, corporate folders, greeting cards, gift wrapping, direct mailers/postcards and more.