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Print Marketing Materials: Sustainable Choices
The first step in making more sustainable choices in print marketing is to work with a
designer who understands how to design for sustainability. There's a lot of detail
involved in sustainable design and printing, and you've got other things to think about.
This introduction should give you just enough background to feel comfortable finding
and talking to an appropriate designer.
It's also a good idea to consult with your (sustainable) printer up front, when first
thinking about the design concept. They may be able to advise on getting the impact
you want while saving on production costs.
Choosing Recycled Paper Has Gotten Easier
Recycled papers have evolved tremendously over the last few years. The chances are
high that you can find the kind of paper your marketing piece requires, in a brand with
a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content. You can find high gloss
paper with up to 60% post-consumer content, and you can find higher percentages of
post-consumer content in paper with silk and satin finishes.
Size Matters
It seems logical that making a brochure or other printed piece smaller would save
resources, but it takes some care to make that true. Paper comes in a few standard
sheet sizes, so you and your designer need to plan carefully for smaller sizes or you
will just end up with more scrap on the printer's floor.
To save paper, use a size that fits multiple pages efficiently in a standard sheet size. A
standard 11 by 17 inch sheet makes one 9 by 12 inch page (with a lot of waste) or two
8 1/2 by 11 inch pages (with no waste). Want something smaller? Go for four 8 1/2 by 5
1/2 inch pages. Or, use fewer pages in your printed piece (this saves postage on
mailings, as well).
Whatever size you select, remember that if you are printing something for mailing,
you'll save money and resources by making sure it will fit in a standard envelope. If it
doesn't, you'll pay a lot for non-standard envelopes, and you'll also have to pay
additional postage.
Inks: Bad, Good and Better
There are dozens of ink types for different surfaces and applications (e.g. for use with
a specific coating or varnish). Each type of ink is made by many companies, and each
of those companies has a different "recipe" to produce similar visible results.
The most responsible inks on the market now have close to zero VOCs (volatile organic
compounds). Ask for non-toxic inks (don't specify soy; you'll see why).
Petroleum inks were originally considered desirable because they dry fast. That's
important to printers who need to dry both sides of a printed sheet in the same day.
Unfortunately, petroleum-based inks are toxic and use a non-renewable resource.
In the last decade, there has been a movement to using soy and other vegetable-based
inks. Soy inks are very vibrant in color, allowing the use of 10-15% less ink than
petroleum inks. Many of today's inks are soy-based, whether they are labeled as green
or not.
Today there are ink alternatives that are superior to soy. Using soy is a bit like using
corn in ethanol--it can drive up the price of staple foods. And soy is not a sustainable
choice when rainforest is cleared to grow it in a monoculture. Flaxseed and linseed oil
can fill the same role as soy, with lower land and water requirements.
A final note on inks: try to avoid designs that call for metallic inks and foil stamping.
The metals cannot be recycled and the paper they are on may not get re-pulped,
either. Metallics break the cycle on paper (and metal) recycling.
Coatings and Varnishes: Good, Bad and Ugly
Coatings and varnishes are used to produce certain surface effects, and to protect inks
so they don't rub off the printed piece. Some are sustainable choices; some are not.
- UV (ultraviolet) coatings are used for their high gloss and because they
harden immediately to allow instant printing of both sides of a page. While this
coating seals in any VOCs, it also makes the paper virtually unrecyclable. Use low
VOC inks and skip the coating.
- Aqueous varnishes are based on a combination of water and ammonia. While
less harmful to the environment than UV coatings (they can be recycled), these
can cause respiratory or allergic reactions in people exposed to them. Varnished
sheets dry in 15-30 minutes.
- Vegetable-based varnishes are non-toxic to printing staff and have a much
lower environmental impact. They are a challenge to printers as they take four to
eight hours to dry. Matte, satin and glossy vegetable-based varnishes are all
available.
Sustainable print production requires thinking a bit differently, as well as a little more
planning ahead (a rush job may not be possible with slower drying inks and varnishes,
for example). The key to success is finding a designer and a printer who can take the
stress out of making sustainable choices.