A common misconception when businesses think of “going green” is that it will cost more to do so. The truth is, smart printing and design choices can save your company money while cutting down waste. With careful planning, you could reduce unneeded costs in production by reducing the amount of paper you use. We offer three easy options to get started on the path of a more eco-friendly business.

Digital printing
Even though digital printing has been around for a while now, not every one is aware of the benefits.

a. Is your product or offer changing soon? Previously we would have avoided printing materials until after the change for fear that we would have to toss them out, wasting paper and budget. With digital printing just print the amount you need to get through without the high cost of short runs. Short runs (from 50 to 2500 in quantity) are perfect for this technology. Print the exact quantity you need with no waste. Customize and print different versions based on the recipients' demographics. Do a small test mailing of a new offer without committing to large quantities to get the best pricing.

b. The quality of color and technique has gotten very good. It is still difficult to manipulate color on press, so for all but the very precise color proofing, feel free to use it. Digital printing has size limitations, so check before you begin to plan.

c. Variable data digital printing – printing variables in the text or graphics – allows you to customize your piece to each recipient. Use their name and address as the variable data and skip the additional step of printing mailing labels. Tailor the offer to their buying habits. Use your customer's name in the headline and grab their attention fast!

Piggybacking
No, I'm not talking about riding on the back of your best friend when you were a kid, but the practice of adding print pieces to the unused portion of the paper when you print. Most print runs have some wasted paper, as jobs are printed on larger sized paper than your project's trim size. Depending on the paper you've chosen and your project's size, you could get a bookmark, postcard or even a small brochure out of the paper that would otherwise be wasted. Keep in mind that you will only be able to use the colors that you are already printing, you will need to have artwork ready quickly or you'll loose the opportunity and there will probably be a small charge to set up the artwork and trim the additional piece. This is a great way to get additional marketing pieces at a fraction of the cost and save paper waste and can be used with both digital (to a lesser degree) and offset printing. Think a little ahead, be creative and you'll always have marketing pieces in your arsenal.

Flexible Design
Always check that your piece is not just 1/2" too large to fit on the standard paper. When that happens the printer must go up to the next size paper sheet causing paper waste at a greater cost. At the Forman Group, we like to be flexible and consider how much waste we'll be creating with our designs. My standing instruction when getting quotes, is to make me aware if we are wasting paper. If we are not best utilizing the sheet, we can probably design our piece to better fit the sheet without loosing creativity.

If you'd like to take advantage of these cost and eco-saving ideas, the Forman Group can help. Call D' and ask her to give you a piggy-back please!