How Designers Can Save Paper

• Think digital ! Offer alternative promotional materials to traditional flyer and brochure campaigns.
• Learn about and suggest guerilla and viral marketing when appropriate

• Instead of a direct mail campaign, suggest the client does an html emailer campaign. These can be more effective if well targeted.

• Proof your designs on-screen. Learn about monitor calibration and colour profiles to do this, and find printers that do the same. Think about all of those print-outs !

• Send pdf proofs to clients instead of printed copies

• Minimize the use of whitespace (Take a deep breath. Know that exquisite typography and thoughtfully designed layouts don't really need half a page of white to make them great. Trees will thank you.)

• Use smaller point-size for your type if it means "still legible while saving a full sheet of paper."

• Make elegant "thin" business cards, or square cards for up to 50% less raw material per card.

• Ask your client to be more precise. Cut out wordiness and create smaller brochures. Diptych your Triptych.

• Make sure your packages designs don't include 3 layers of wrap before finding the product. It's lavish, it screams couture - but it's also highly wasteful.

• Design unique packaging that can be reused or repurposed. Create a solution that people won't want to throw away.

• Use recycled paper. But not any recycled paper. Prefer 100% post consumer waste options. They are out there ! Check out Mohawk Papers.

• Try to use papers that have been recycled without the use of chlorine. Chlorine-Free your world - and if you can find papers that use less water in the process, then give yourself an extra pat on the back.

• Look for paper that is certified sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council

• Print on both sides of the paper

• If you need to print physical proofs for specific colours, print out smaller proofs (i.e.: 4, 8, or 12 per page) to see differences in colour. You can get all the colour proofing done in one shot and one sheet this way, and save ink and paper in the long run. (All of those toxic plastic plants making less cartridges and all of those standing trees will make a difference in the long run.)