Make your mark using eco-friendly inks

Most people think “eco-friendly stationery” has everything to do with the paper. Just as important (and often overlooked) is the ink used to create the images and impressions we see on paper.

However, not all inks are created equal! “Traditional” inks are considered toxic to the environment because they don't decompose in landfills, they emit air pollution in the form of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and are based on petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Unfortunately, these inks are commonly used in printing processes because they are readily available and considered to be cost-effective. Thankfully, there are alternatives. Here are some suggestions on how make a 'green' impression on paper:

Use vegetable-based inks (soy, flax, canola or safflower)

- emit low VOCs
- derived from renewable resources
- easily stripped from paper in the recycling process
- biodegradable
- available for commercial and personal printing equipment
- provide high-quality, vibrant prints

Remember that less is more

Source short-run printing using solid wax ink or by digital press using liquid ink. These processes can print small quantities with less setup and chemical clean-up required.

Lasso’d Moon Designs: eco-friendly printer, uses wax based solid ink.

Even better: print only what you need. Source stationers who print by hand using block print, silkscreen or letterpress.

(left) Feterie: Eco-Luxe Gift Wrap is hand silkscreen-printed with soy/veg-based ink | (right) Artful Sentiments: Each card is an original work of art, hand printed

Hire a calligrapher for your stationery package or envelope addressing (you can also do it yourself).

Betsy Dunlap: calligraphy by hand

Design considerations: choose designs that use less ink or none at all. Look for minimalist designs or letterpress that incorporates ‘embossing’, where the impression into the paper creates the design without ink.

Paper stories: embossed letterpress design

Go digital: where possible, eliminate the ink altogether. Use wedding websites for wedding day information (such as Accommodation or Direction details) and send “Save the Date” notifications via email.

Eco-saavy consumers on a quest for eco-friendly stationery should look beyond recycled paper. Work with stationers who resource low-VOC ink solutions with the capacity to run small quantities and you'll be doing your part to support sustainability!

- Lianne Tokey, baron*cards

Digital Printing Basics

digitally printed wedding invitation by Bride Design

A few weeks ago I posted about the basics of offset lithography printing, the most commonly used high-volume, commercial printing process employed today. As discussed in the article, offset printing shines when used for large print runs, where precise color matching is required or where specialty paper stocks are being used. But what if you only need 100 invites, with just text and line art, printed crisply on standard 70 lb. text weight paper? Then perhaps digital is the right choice for you.

With offset lithography, the printing press needs to be specially set-up to print your job. As you print more and more offset pieces, those set up costs are absorbed, making it more affordable when working in high-volumes. With digital printing, there are little or no setup costs, making this method an excellent choice for low-volume jobs. Little set-up also means quick turnaround times, so if you need your job in a hurry, digital printing generally offers faster delivery. Digital printing also provides easy and accurate proofing, since your proof will be an actual sample of the final printed piece. What you see is exactly what you should be getting in the end.

If your designer is using spot colors to achieve exact color matching, then digital may not be the best option. Digital printing's four-color process (also known as CMYK), is forced to simulate precise colors like those from the Pantone Matching System, by using cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks. Offset lithography and some other printing methods, allow the use of pre-mixed inks in highly targeted colors in addition to the traditional four-color process. That being said, if you are looking simply for affordable four-color printing, digital has the advantage.

For more on digital printing, continue to check our site for additional posts. If you have questions about this or other printing methods please send us an email at stationeryguides@gmail.com. Our expert stationers will answer reader questions on Fridays, and we're always happy to discuss the methods and techniques used to create the stationery and paper products we know and love.

~Erin, Bride Design