Everyone is going green. Have you ever wondered if you can go green with your business report printing, without lowering the quality you want in your reports? Maybe you haven’t explored going green because of budget. Here are some helpful ways you can go green and not worry.
10 Ways to Go Green with Your Business Report Printing Without Sacrificing Quality or Budget
1. Go Through Your Mailing List Before You Order Business Report Printing
Business report printing can be an expensive undertaking. You do not want to pay to print out more reports than you actually need. Before printing, it is a good idea to go through the mailing lists that you will use. Update them, so they are current and accurate. You may be surprised at how many entries are outdated or incorrect. You can remove these without affecting the outcome, and reduce your cost.
2. Use Embossing, Instead of Foil Stamping
Many companies want their reports to really stand out. Using foil stamping with business report printing will make a great impression. However, foil stamping uses metallic materials that are more difficult to recycle. Using embossing instead, can add distinction and sophistication, while being a greener choice.
3. Aqueous Coatings are More Eco Friendly Than UV Coatings
Think about the coatings that will be used for your business report printing. Each coating type can have an impact on the environment. UV coatings are harder to recycle than aqueous coatings, so they do more environmental damage. Aqueous coatings are typically a better choice. They are water based, therefore friendlier to the earth and air.
4. When Laminating, Consider the Laminate Type
Business reports that are laminated will usually last longer and resist more wear and tear. Some types of lamination, however, are toxic to the environment. Whenever possible, choose laminates that are corn based or cellulose based. These will degrade faster in the landfill, and will help protect the environment.
5. Consider Reducing Your Report Size Slightly
One way to be green when you are ordering business report printing, is to think about the possibility of slightly reducing the overall report size. Making the item a quarter of an inch smaller will have little impact on the final appearance. The size reduction will save paper and lessen the waste that is involved. In some cases, this reduction may be as high as 15%.
6. Take Advantage of New Technologies to Print Less
Thanks to new technologies, the amount of print that you use can be greatly reduced. Adding QR codes and other redirection tools on your printed reports reduces the amount of text and space needed. Recipients can visit your website, or other destination, in order to get more details. This way, less information will be needed in some of the reports that your company generates.
7. Choose Your Inks Carefully
Ink selection can make a big difference in how green your business report printing is. Whenever possible, try to reduce the ink coverage that you have, so less ink of any type is used on the reports. Soy inks, or those that are vegetable based, are generally more environmentally friendly. Metallic inks, and those with heavy metals, should be avoided.
8. Create Printed Pieces That Serve More Than One Purpose
Before you are ready to order business report printing, consider whether the item could be designed so that it has more than one purpose. Could the report be used as a calendar, or a convenient notepad? When your item serves more than one purpose, it will be retained longer. This decreases what ends up in the landfills each day.
9. Coordinate Multiple Projects for Purchasing and Printing
If you want to make your business report printing as green as possible, then consider coordinating the purchasing and printing for more than one project at a time. This will result in less paper waste and fewer print orders. It will save money and help out the environment at the same time. This does require some advance planning.
10. Pay a Little More for Independently Certified Recycled Paper
Insist on recycled paper that has been independently certified, as long as this will not affect the final appearance and function of the business reports. There are a few unethical printers who will say they use recycled paper. If the recycled paper is not independently verified, you could end up paying more, without getting the environmental benefits.
We’re nearing the end of another year. If your company needs business report printing contact us now to get started!
