Erskine Print Management’s tips on going green when producing print material
1. Planning & Design of Print Publications
o Use white space efficiently (e.g. use narrow margins and single-spacing)
and select typeface sizes judiciously (e.g. choose smaller fonts where
practical) to reduce the overall size of the piece.
o Utilize Eco Font – a font designed in Europe that utilizes 25% less ink or
toner. Click here for the Eco Font Page
o Design document to allow for double-sided printing
o Use a standard paper size. This will cut down on waste during the
printing process. Please consult Erskine Print Management to find out
about how to effectively develop marketing pieces to utilize press
sheets efficiently.
o Avoid fancy diecutting (e.g. cutting out decorative patterns or irregular
edges). This creates paper waste during production and is very costly.
 If diecutting is necessary, Erskine works closely with suppliers to
maximize the use of each press sheet to ensure minimal paper
wastage.
o Ensure a small section in the publication is reserved to communicate Eco
Audit information.
3.
Production of Print Publications
o When selecting a print management company, check to see that they
have in place environmental policies and practices in order to ensure
sustainable printing guidelines are met. Erskine Print Management
works primarily with suppliers that are FSC certified.
o Favour printing on substrates that allow for use of vegetable or soy
based inks in the print production process over those that require ink
blends comprised of petroleum-based, metallic and fluorescent inks.
o Request use of 100% post consumer waste (PCW) content recycled
paper that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified.
o Work with print management companies to calculate environmental
savings achieved through the selection of such paper through the use
of the Eco Audit tool developed by Environmental Defense and
communicate savings in space reserved in publication for this purpose.
Note that printers are held accountable for tracking all FSC certified
print runs.
NB: In the event that it is not feasible to use 100% Post Consumer
Waste (PCW) content recycled paper, strive to ensure that virgin
content of paper is derived from sustainably managed forests through
the selection of paper that has a minimum 30% of PCW content and is
FSC certified.
o
o
o
o
o
4.
Select a lighter weight of paper. Avoid using a separate coverstock
where possible. Documents of 32 pages or less should have only "selfcovers". The best use of paper for multi-page documents is page
counts divisible by 8.
Avoid cosmetic glosses, varnishes and coatings and avoid foil stamping.
These can make documents very difficult to recycle. When coating is
required, request use of Aqueous, a water-based, recyclable,
environmentally friendly coating which offers the same visual effect as
an overall varnish.
Gang Run or group projects together. This enables the efficient use of
the press sheet paper and is also an eco friendly method of utilizing
electrical consumption by the printing machinery.
Discuss the pros and cons of printing types, inks and processes with
your print management company. For example, consider:
 Offset printing generates excessive amounts of waste paper but
the use of vegetable based inks is possible.
 Regular presses require paper to dry by exposure to air, causing
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) to be released. UV presses
offer a more environmentally friendly alternative as they limit
the release of VOCs by drying ink instantly, but they typically
cost more to use.
 Digital printers limit the amount of paper waste generated
through the production process and do not require the drying
time required by regular presses. However, digital printers use
chemically based toner.
 Avoiding laser printers as they essentially burn the toner onto the
paper, making recycling more difficult.
When binding is necessary, request wire spiral bindings or staples as
these can be easily removed in the recycling process. Alternatively, use
reusable plastic "cerlox" binding as most print shops will accept these
for reuse. Avoid all glues in the binding process.
Distribution & Packaging
o Group project deliveries together to lessen courier vehicle travel.
o Ensure that the specified packaging is environmentally appropriate. Use
the minimum amount of packaging necessary; what is used should be
reusable and/or easily recyclable; avoid plastic shrink-wrapping. For
example, request custom sized, corrugated cardboard boxes.
Cardboard is easily recyclable and custom size boxes limit wasted space
and the need for stuffing with excess paper or other material.
o Request slip sheets rather than plastic banding to aid in counting for
distribution.