Sustainable Printing

Many print projects can be completed in a more sustainable way if a certain amount of time and planning are put into the process before the order is given to a printer.  In this series, I will focus on a few ways to ensure the most earth-friendly solutions to your printing needs.

Timing

Every part of a printing project requires time, from the initial quoting to proofing to production and finishing.  Depending on the type and amount of printing you need, your jobs may require more time than others.  By simply planning ahead, you can save yourself time, money and headaches by avoiding some tight “time crunches”.

Once a project is in the works, start getting price quotes.  You may want to wait until the files are almost ready so you have a better grasp of what the final project will be.  You could also ask your printer to price out several options before files are even started so you can format your project in a more cost-effective way.    No matter which method you choose, make sure you get an estimated turn-around time from your printer.  More economical options could take longer (especially if your printer needs to outsource part of the project), and you will need to build those extra days into your schedule.

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If you didn’t catch my Planning Your Printing - Budgeting Money part 1, I suggest you read it before continuing with this post.

In these uncertain times, it may be best to order your materials in shorter runs.  Although quantities over 5000 are often most economically run using offset press technology, unless you go through the 5000 of whatever you printed in a matter of weeks or a few months, you may want to think about ordering smaller quantities.  Sure the price per piece for 1000 brochures will be higher than ordering 5000, but what if your office downsizes and moves offices to save on rent?  If you have 5000 brochures with an old address on them, not only is that a waste of money, but a waste of paper, time, energy and resources too.

Ordering in smaller batches can also help with your company’s internal cash flow.  With budgets being tight, it might be easier to purchase $500 worth of printing 5 times a year than covering $2000 worth all at once.  Yes, in the end you pay more overall, but again, if you order on-demand, you have less risk of waste.

Especially with sustainable printers, it may be hard for you to justify the additional cost for recycled papers or soy inks.  However, if you truly desire eco-friendly options, plan ahead.  When you are making your budget for the project or for the year, call and get price quotes and estimates from some of your local green printers.  Simply plan to spend a little more for sustainable printing.  Look at the different recycled stocks (some are less expensive than others), ask about the different technologies available and discuss your needs with your printer.  Some offer discounts or special pricing to accounts that do a certain amount of business with them, so ask if there’s an arrangement that can be made.

These are just a few parts of the printing process that can save time, effort, energy and resources.  Stay tuned for future posts on other ways to plan ahead…after all, a little planning goes along way with our planet.

Related Posts 

Planning your Printing - Proofing

Planning your Printing - Graphic Design

Planning your Printing - Timing

Many print projects can be completed in a more sustainable way if a certain amount of time and planning are put into the process before the order is given to a printer.  In this series, I will focus on a few ways to ensure the most earth-friendly solutions to your printing needs.

(more…)

Many print projects can be completed in a more sustainable way if a certain amount of time and planning are put into the process before the order is given to a printer.  In this series, I will focus on a few ways to ensure the most earth-friendly solutions to your printing needs.

Proofing

A proof is a test print of what the final print order is supposed to be.  An accurate proof is supposed to be run in the same format, with the same file on the same stock as the final print run.  In my opinion, the proofing process is the most critical part of completing a print order.  Not only does this allow for mistakes to be caught before the entire project is done, but this also gives the customer freedom to change his or her mind on what he or she wants as a final product.

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Many projects can be completed in a more sustainable way if a certain amount of time and planning are put into the process before the order is given to a printer.  In this series, I will focus on a few ways to ensure the most earth-friendly solutions to your printing needs.

Graphic Design

This is a crucial part to any project.  I have already discussed how designing your items without a bleed helps save paper, but this is just one way to be sustainable.  Try building your art in a way that can fit more per standard sheet.  Want 4×6 postcards?  Try designing them as 4.25×5.5, which can fit 4-up on an 8.5×11 sheet.  This size still qualifies for the USPS postcard rate, but saves a lot on paper.  Or if you work for a company with a lot of internal documents like forms, handbooks or training materials, can any of these be printed smaller than 8.5×11?  If you reduce the size to half (5.5×8.5), you get twice the materials for about the same price and half the paper use.

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