Three Ways To Make Your Printing Greener
Sustainability is more than just a buzzword when it comes to printing. Despite the talk about paper-free offices, there's still a great deal of printing that needs to be done, from business cards to mailers and fliers to catalogs. Going green with your printing not only reduces its impact on the environment – it's also something you can advertise to your clients to set yourself apart from the competition.
Choose Recycled Paper and Vegetable/Soy Inks
Environmentally friendly printing starts with your choice of materials. Nearly all printers offer recycled paper as an option for printing today, and some use it exclusively. But while recycled paper is a good choice, it's also a very common one. If you want to stand out and take things a step further, make sure the inks you're using are also good for the environment.
Soy- and vegetable-based inks are manufactured using fewer chemicals, making their production greener than traditional inks. But their impact doesn't stop there; they actually reduce the difficulty of cleaning printing presses between batches as well. Simpler cleaning agents can be used instead of the toxic ether-based cleaners required for traditional inks.
Limit Ink Coverage
In addition to using environmentally-friendly ink, you can help reduce the impact of your printing by choosing a more minimalist design approach. Large areas of solid printing mean using more ink and toner in the printing process. Photographic printing with gradients also uses a large amount of ink.
The question is how to create something eye-catching without using large blocks of color. But minimalist design can still grab attention. In fact, simplified imagery that relies on reducing a design to its essential elements can get an image or idea across more quickly. Consider the difference between a color photograph of a tree and a brushstroke-style outline; the detail in the photograph can actually be distracting, which is why you rarely see that level of detail in logos.
Maximize Recyclability
One of the best things about printing is that you are producing something that's easily recycled. But there are some post-printing options that can reduce how recyclable your materials are. Spiral binding complicates the recycling process, for instance; if you are producing a booklet, opt for water-based binding instead. Avoid laminating and waterproof paper if possible – if you need something to be more durable, consider using thicker paper; for in-office use, plastic sheet protectors are a reusable way to protect pages from spills.
