The following tips will help you make your printed materials greener. Start off slowly and realize that using any of these tips is a step in the right direction for our environment.

Tip 1

Consider eco – friendly design elements when designing your printed materials

a) Choose finished size for your printed materials that make the most efficient use of standard paper size.

b) While bleeds (ink bleeding: off the edge of the printed piece) may look nice they often increase the paper waste stream as larger sheet size are need to produce the bleed effect.

c) Minimize ink coverage by eliminating full bleed or large solids ink areas if possible. Using less often means saving press time paper and money.

d) Work with designers & printers early to achieve the most environmentally friendly design.

Tip 2

Print on recycled paper containing a minimum of 30% post – consumer waste.

Tip 3

Use chlorine free papers when possible. Ask your printer for choices 

Tip 4

Request soy / vegetable based inks for offset printing.

Tip 5

Avoid the use of metallic or fluorescent inks as these inks contains more harmful elements in the pigments.

Tip 6

Minimize page count

a) Reduce margin space when possible –e.g. using ½’’ page margins on a 200 page book versus ¾’’ margins will reduce the page count to approximately 180 pages.

b) Use a font’s size that is readable yet the smallest possible. Generally 10pt is good for Aril Helvetica while 11pt is acceptable for Times New Roman.

c) Print using both sides off the sheet

Tip 7

Request online proofing of files whenever possible.

Tip 8

Deliver your materials to the printer electronically via FTP sites or email.

Tip 9

Print what you need.

a) check your mailing list for errors

b) dub check printing proof for mistakes

Tip 10

Choose recycled binding elements. Choose recycled plastic coil some contain up to 80% post consumer waste plastics.

Tip 11

Instruct recipients that your printed pieces can be recycled. Tell them it can be recycled or describe how to recycle it when done with it. Plastic binding elements can be easily removed from a book thereby making the entire publication recyclable.

If you have additional tips we can include please send them to: Don Curry print Manager at Sycamore Printing- info@sycamoreink.com