Straight answers about printing on recycled paper

Eco-friendly printing means choosing materials and processes that take less out of the environment than conventional printing does: recycled and responsibly forested fiber instead of virgin pulp, vegetable- and soy-based inks instead of petroleum-based ones, and chlorine-free bleaching instead of elemental chlorine.

It also means printing the right quantity on the right stock, so less of the job ends up in a recycling bin six months later. Almost every job we run uses recycled, FSC-certified paper, soy-based inks and chlorine-free processing as the default, not as a paid upgrade you have to know to ask for.

The four parts of an eco-friendly print job

• Paper: high post-consumer recycled content, FSC certified and processed chlorine free.
• Ink: soy or vegetable-based inks on offset work.
• Finish: coatings and finishes that keep the piece recyclable.
• Quantity: a run size that matches how many pieces will be used.

Our why eco printing page explains what each of these changes, and how to spot greenwashing covers what to ask any printer.

Three reasons come up most often.

The first is environmental. Recycled fiber keeps paper out of landfill and takes less energy and water to produce than virgin pulp. Soy inks avoid the volatile organic compounds that come with petroleum-based ink, and they release more cleanly during recycling, so the sheet comes back as better fiber.

The second is commercial. Customers, procurement teams and grant committees increasingly ask what your printed materials are made of. An FSC-certified recycled stock is an answer you can put in writing, with documentation behind it.

The third is practical. It costs less than most people expect. Recycled stocks are competitive with virgin paper, and we will let you know when a spec adds cost without an environmental benefit.

The commercial reason matters most for organizations whose work is tied to the environment or the community. Nonprofits, associations and mission-driven companies often find that printed pieces on recycled paper match what they say in their own materials. Our page on printing for nonprofits and associations covers the pieces those groups order most.

Recycled paper also prints well. Most of our stocks are 100% post-consumer recycled, and they are available in smooth, textured, coated and uncoated finishes, so a recycled sheet can suit a business card, a brochure or a photo-heavy book. Our guide to sustainable marketing materials shows how this works for everyday business printing.

You can read more about our approach on the why eco printing page, or see our article on what makes a printing company eco friendly.

The biggest source of waste we see is over-ordering, not the press itself. A customer prints five thousand brochures because the unit price looked better at that quantity, then throws away three thousand when the phone number changes.

These four steps help:

• Order the quantity you will use during the time the information on the page stays current.
• Proof carefully, so you do not need to reprint the whole run because of a typo.
• Design to standard sheet sizes, so less of the parent sheet is trimmed off and thrown away.
• Pick a stock and finish that stay recyclable. Some laminates and foils can keep an otherwise recyclable sheet out of the recycling stream.

Short runs make smaller orders practical. Digital printing has very little setup, so it is often reasonable to print a smaller quantity now and order more later, instead of storing boxes of pieces that may go out of date. Our article on digital vs offset printing explains where the break point usually falls.

The design can also help a piece last longer. Details that change often, such as prices, staff names and event dates, are better kept off long-run pieces like brochures and folders. Putting them on a small insert or on your website lets the main piece stay current for much longer.

Careful file setup prevents another common source of waste. Missing bleed, low-resolution images and the wrong color mode can all lead to a reprint, and our guide to print-ready files covers how to avoid them. For more ideas at the design stage, see what designers can do to make a print job greener.

Our blog covers paper stocks, certifications, ink and the practical side of specifying greener print. The articles cover the same advice we give customers on the phone.

Good places to start

• Why eco printing matters, which explains the paper, ink and process we use and what each one changes.
• Printing guides on standard sizes, paper weights, file setup and finishes.
• Paper stocks, with the recycled content and certification of each sheet we run most.
• Eco questions, short answers on FSC, recycled content, soy ink and greenwashing.

Outside sources

The Forest Stewardship Council publishes its certification standards, and most paper mills publish specification sheets with recycled content and certifications for each grade. Those documents are the best way to check any claim, including ours.

If you have a specific question, ask it when you request a quote or call Greg directly.

It starts with the paper. We buy from mills whose recycled content and chain of custody we can document (Sustana, Monadnock, Neenah and Mohawk among them), and the stock we print on is FSC-certified.

Bleaching is chlorine-free, which avoids the dioxin by-products associated with elemental chlorine. Inks are soy- and vegetable-based rather than petroleum-based. We also help you order the quantity you will use, which reduces waste.

Most of our stocks are 100% post-consumer recycled, which means the fiber comes from paper that people have already used and put into recycling. That is different from pre-consumer waste, such as mill trimmings, which some papers count toward their recycled content. Our article on post-consumer recycled paper explains the difference, and what FSC certified means covers how chain of custody works.

Chlorine-free processing has its own labels, and the terms PCF, ECF and TCF are easy to confuse. Our answer on the difference between PCF, ECF and TCF paper explains what each one means.

The process also matters after the paper is chosen. We recommend finishes that keep a piece recyclable, point out when a laminate or coating would make it harder to recycle, and suggest sizes that make good use of the press sheet. When a job truly needs a material that is not recycled, we will tell you before the job is quoted.

If you need certification details or a mill spec sheet for a client, an RFP or a grant application, ask and we will supply them. You can also request samples from our paper samples page.

Recycled stocks vary more in texture, shade and opacity than virgin paper does, and a screen will not show you any of that. That is why we treat paper choice as part of the quote, not an afterthought.

The paper stocks page lists the mill, the recycled content, the certifications, the weights and what each sheet suits for the papers we run most. Most stocks also link to the mill's own specification sheet, which shows the full range of colors, finishes and weights.

Choosing a stock without guessing

• Tell us how the piece will be used, for example handed out, mailed, framed or used outdoors.
• Mention whether photos, solid colors or fine type matter most.
• Say whether you prefer a smooth or textured feel, and a bright white or a natural shade.

If the feel of the stock is important to the job, mention it when you request a quote and ask about samples. We will help you choose the stock that suits it.

Each one suits different jobs, so the answer depends on what you are printing.

Soy and vegetable inks are made from a renewable crop rather than petroleum, release far fewer volatile organic compounds, and, importantly, they de-ink more cleanly at the recycling mill, so the paper they were printed on comes back as better recycled fiber.

Non-toxic toners avoid solvents too, and they suit very short digital runs where the setup cost of an offset job is not worthwhile. For most of our offset work, soy ink is the better choice. For a run of fifty pieces, digital toner may be the better choice. We will recommend the option that suits your job.

The choice usually follows the printing method. Soy and vegetable inks are used on offset presses, which transfer ink from plates to the paper and are efficient for larger quantities. Toner is used in digital printing, which needs no plates and very little make-ready, so less paper is used getting the press ready on a short run. Our articles on offset printing and digital vs offset printing explain the two methods.

For most jobs, the paper has a bigger effect on the footprint than the choice between ink and toner. A run printed on recycled stock with either method is a better result than a run on virgin paper with the greenest ink available. Our guide to recycled paper printing covers how to choose a recycled sheet.

You can read more about how soy ink behaves on press in our article on soy based ink printing.

No. Recycled paper runs on the same offset and digital presses as virgin paper, and soy-based inks run on the same units as petroleum inks.

What changes is sourcing and experience. A printer needs to know which recycled stocks hold a solid without mottling, how soy inks behave on an uncoated sheet, and which coatings and finishes keep a piece recyclable. We have decades of experience buying and running these materials.

What does make a difference

• The paper. Post-consumer recycled content, FSC certification and chlorine-free processing are decided when the stock is chosen.
• The ink. Soy and vegetable-based inks replace petroleum-based inks on offset work.
• The finish. Plastic laminates and some foils make paper harder to recycle, so we suggest alternatives when they suit the job.
• The quantity. Printing what you will use avoids the biggest source of waste.

Our why eco printing page explains each of these in more detail.

FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. It is an independent certification that tracks fiber from the forest through every company that handles it, a chain of custody, so a certified sheet can be traced back to forests managed to standards covering replanting, biodiversity, water, and the rights of workers and local communities.

The certification follows the paper through the mill, the merchant and the printer. To carry the FSC logo, a printed piece has to be produced by a printer with chain of custody certification, or through a certified partner.

The three FSC labels

• FSC 100%: all of the fiber comes from FSC certified forests.
• FSC Recycled: all of the fiber is reclaimed, recycled material.
• FSC Mix: a combination of certified, recycled and controlled fiber.

FSC and recycled paper

FSC certification and recycled content answer different questions. FSC tells you where the fiber came from and that it can be traced. The post-consumer percentage tells you how much of it was used paper. The stocks we run most are both FSC certified and high in post-consumer content, and each one is listed on our paper stocks page.

Ask which certified stocks suit your job when you request a quote, and we will confirm what can appear on the finished piece. Our guide to what FSC certified means covers the labels in more detail.

We print more than 50 products, including business cards, brochures, flyers, posters, coasters, banners, signage, packaging, invitations, notebooks and full book publishing. We also take on custom work that does not fit a single category.

The six product families

• Marketing materials: business cards, brochures, flyers, postcards, letterhead and menus.
• Trade show printing: banners, table throws, ID badges and floor graphics.
• Product packaging: boxes, mailers, labels, stickers and hang tags.
• Invitations and cards: wedding invitations, greeting cards and envelopes.
• Publishing: books, magazines, catalogs and cookbooks.
• Promotional products: tote bags, apparel, coasters and calendars.

Paper products are printed on recycled, FSC-certified stock, and banners and apparel use recycled, organic or PVC-free materials where they are available. You can browse the full catalog on the products page. If you do not see what you need there, contact us, since much of what we print is custom.

Yes. The sizes listed on each product page are the ones we run most often, not a fixed menu. Size, stock, ink, finish, folding and binding are all open, and unusual formats are a large part of what we do.

Tell us what you have in mind, and we will explain what it takes to produce it, what it will cost, and whether a simpler spec could give you a similar result at a lower price.

Examples of custom work

• Die-cut shapes for hang tags, coasters, door hangers and packaging inserts.
• Square, slim or rounded business cards.
• Folded pieces with unusual folds, such as gate folds and accordion folds.
• Books and booklets in non-standard trim sizes.
• Boxes and displays made to your product's dimensions.

Why size affects price

Paper comes in standard parent sheets, and a size that fits the sheet well wastes less paper and costs less. A size that is slightly larger can mean fewer pieces per sheet. We can suggest a close standard size if it saves money. Our printing guides list the common sizes.

A press-ready PDF is the easiest file for us to work with. That means fonts embedded or outlined, images at 300 dpi at the size they will print, and colors set up for print.

A quick checklist

• Set the document to the finished size of the piece.
• Add 1/8 inch of bleed on any edge where color or images run off the page.
• Keep text and logos at least 1/8 inch inside the trim line.
• Use CMYK color for full color jobs, or name the Pantone colors for spot color jobs.
• Export as a PDF with fonts embedded.

Our guides to print-ready files and bleed explain each step.

If you do not have a press-ready file

If you have a Canva link, a Word file, an old business card or a rough sketch instead, mention it when you request a quote. Design help is part of what we do, and it costs less to fix a file before the job is priced than after it is on press. See design services for more.

Yes. We are based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and we print for clients across the country.

The business started in Northport, New York in 1990 and we still print for Long Island clients. Today our home base is in Northeast Florida, where we work with clients in Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach and St. Augustine. Finished work ships to you nationwide.

Most of the relationship happens by phone, email and Zoom, and a job does not need an in-person meeting at any stage. A typical order follows these steps:

• You send the details through our quote request form, or call us at (904) 567-4166.
• We recommend a paper and a specification and send you a price.
• You send artwork, and we send a proof for your approval.
• The job is printed and shipped to the address you give us.

If you want to see and feel the paper before you decide, our paper samples page covers the stocks we offer. Our guide to print-ready files explains how to set up artwork so the proof stage goes smoothly from a distance.

Our office hours are 8 AM to 6 PM Eastern, 7 days a week, so clients on the West Coast can still reach us during most of their working day. You can also reach us through our contact page.

If you are outside the United States, contact us before you plan your job. International shipping is possible on some jobs, and we can discuss cost and timing with you before the job begins.

At Eco Friendly Printer, recycled stock and soy inks are the standard, not an upgrade.

At a conventional printer, recycled stock and soy inks are often a line item you have to request, priced as an upgrade, and the person quoting you may not have experience with the stock you are asking about. Here they are the default, and the sourcing behind them (which mills, which recycled content, which certifications and which stocks perform well on press) is what the company has been built on since 1990.

We are also direct about cost. If a spec you want is expensive without being meaningfully greener, we will say so.

That experience shows up in the advice you get. We can tell you which recycled sheets hold photographs well, which ones take letterpress or foil, and which ones are easy to source on a tight schedule. Most of our stocks are 100% post-consumer recycled and FSC certified, and you can see them on our paper samples page before you commit to a job.

We also print a wide range of work. Business-to-business and trade show printing are our specialty, and we print everything from business cards and brochures to packaging, banners, books and wedding invitations. When a job needs a material that is not recycled, we can print on it and explain the tradeoffs before the job is quoted.

If you are comparing printers, our article on what makes a printing company eco friendly lists the questions worth asking, and what FSC certified means explains the most common paper certification. You can also read why eco printing matters to us.

You can reach us by email at info@ecofriendlyprinter.com or by phone or text at (904) 567-4166, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Eastern, 7 days a week.

This is a small, family-run company, and calls and emails are handled by the people who price and run the work. When you call, you are usually talking to Greg Barber, who has run the business since 1990.

Which way is best

• Call or text when you have a deadline or a quick question about a job.
• Email when you have artwork, a spec sheet or a previous job to share.
• The quote form when you know what you need and want a price. It goes straight to Greg.
• A scheduled call for larger projects such as packaging or a book. See schedule a meeting.

Our contact page lists all of the ways to get in touch.

There is no shopping cart on this site because print pricing depends on quantity, size, stock, ink coverage and finishing. Each job is quoted individually.

Send the details through the quote request form, or call (904) 567-4166 if it is easier to talk it through. Your quote is prepared by someone with decades of experience pricing this kind of work, and we will include other stock options when they suit the job.

What to include for an accurate quote

• What it is, for example business cards, a tri-fold brochure or a 48 page book.
• The quantity, or a range of quantities.
• The finished size, if you know it.
• Any paper, color or finishing preferences.
• The date you need it.

None of these are required. If you are not sure, describe the project and Greg will help you work out the details. To lower the cost, see how to save money on printing.

It depends on the product. Minimums are listed on each product page, and short runs are available on most items.

The minimum usually comes from how the job is printed. Digital printing has very little setup, so small quantities of business cards, postcards, booklets or invitations are practical. Offset printing has plates and press setup, so it makes more sense at larger quantities, where the setup cost is spread across more pieces. Some products, such as custom boxes, printed bags or apparel, have minimums set by the material or the supplier.

If you need fewer than the listed minimum

Contact us before you rule it out. A smaller job can sometimes be arranged, particularly if it can share a sheet with another job or if it can be printed digitally.

What to send

Tell us the item, the quantity you need and the date you need it when you request a quote. If you are not sure about the quantity, give us a range, and the quote can show the price at more than one quantity.

Typical turnaround is listed on each product page. It varies by product, since a business card run and a perfect-bound book are very different jobs. Many jobs are ready in one to two weeks from artwork approval.

Turnaround time starts when artwork is approved, not when the inquiry comes in, so sending print-ready files early is the most helpful thing you can do to meet a deadline.

What affects the schedule

• Whether the artwork is ready or needs design work first.
• Whether the stock you want is in stock or needs to be ordered from the mill.
• Finishing such as binding, die cutting, foil or letterpress, which adds steps.
• Shipping time to your location.

Working to a date

If you are working to a firm date for a trade show, an event, a mailing or a launch, tell us the date when you request a quote so the schedule can be planned around it. For a tight deadline, see eco friendly printing on a rush job.

The most effective way to save is to gang the run, which means printing several designs together on one sheet. Most of the cost of a short card run is in setup (plates, make-ready and press wash), and that cost is nearly the same whether you print two hundred cards or two thousand. Printing several designs on one sheet, or printing a year of cards in one run instead of four, spreads the setup cost across more pieces.

It also helps to use a standard trim size so you are not paying for custom cutting, to choose a stock we already buy in volume, and to consider whether the job needs a coating. These four choices usually affect the price more than the paper itself does.

Standard sizes save money on envelopes as well. A 5 x 7 in card fits a standard A7 envelope, and a 4.25 x 5.5 in card fits an A2 envelope, so you do not need custom envelopes made to fit. Our guides to invitation and greeting card sizes and envelope sizes list the common pairings.

Skipping a coating can also make the cards easier to use. Uncoated recycled stock takes pen and ink well, which matters for a card that people will write a note inside. Our article on coated vs uncoated paper explains the difference in look, feel and cost.

Planning ahead is the last step. If you know you will need holiday, thank-you and everyday cards over the year, send all of the designs together when you request a quote, so the run can be laid out to use each sheet well. You can see the options on our greeting cards page.

Greenwashing is when a printer or a product makes an environmental claim that sounds better than the facts behind it. In printing it usually shows up as vague wording, such as "eco paper" or "green printing," with no detail about what the paper is made of or how it was processed.

A few signs to watch for:

• "Recycled" with no post-consumer percentage given.
• "Chlorine free" on a paper that is actually ECF, which still uses chlorine dioxide.
• Certification logos with no documentation available on request.
• One green feature, such as soy ink, used to suggest the whole job is low impact.

The simplest test is to ask for specifics in writing: the mill, the post-consumer content and the certifications for the exact stock being quoted. A printer making honest claims can answer those questions. Our own approach is explained on the why eco printing page.

"Recycled paper" only means that some of the fiber in the sheet came from recovered material, and the amount varies a lot from one paper to the next. Historically, US guidelines set minimums of around 30% post-consumer content for uncoated paper and 10% for coated paper, so a sheet could be called recycled while most of its fiber was still virgin pulp.

There are also two kinds of recycled fiber. Post-consumer waste (PCW) is paper that people used and put in a recycling bin. Pre-consumer waste is trimmings and scrap from mills and converters that never reached a user. The post-consumer figure is the one that matters most, because it keeps used paper out of landfill.

When you compare quotes, ask for the post-consumer percentage of the exact stock. Our preference is 100% post-consumer recycled paper, and you can see the stocks we run most on the paper stocks page.

These three labels describe how a paper was bleached.

• PCF (processed chlorine free) applies to recycled paper. No chlorine or chlorine compounds were added during the recycling process. Some of the original fiber may have been bleached with chlorine before it was recycled, which cannot be undone, so PCF is the standard used for recycled stock.
• TCF (totally chlorine free) applies to virgin fiber that was bleached without any chlorine or chlorine compounds.
• ECF (elemental chlorine free) means chlorine gas was not used, but chlorine dioxide still was. ECF paper is not chlorine free, even though the name can make it sound that way.

Chlorine-free processing is standard on the paper we print on. If a quote lists an ECF paper as a chlorine-free option, ask about it, since the two are not the same thing.

Ask specific questions and expect specific answers. A printer that works with sustainable materials every day should be able to tell you the following without much trouble.

• The post-consumer recycled percentage of the stock being quoted, not just the word "recycled."
• The FSC chain of custody information for the paper, provided on request.
• Which inks are used, such as soy or vegetable-based inks.
• Whether the paper is processed chlorine free, rather than ECF.
• How waste is handled, and whether they will help you order a run size you will actually use.
• Whether their claims match the documentation they can provide.

Be cautious of broad claims with no detail behind them. Our standard materials are described on the why eco printing page, and you are welcome to include any of these questions when you request a quote.

It depends on the job, and neither one is always the greener choice.

On a small offset run with one or two colors, spot color can use fewer inks and fewer plates than four-color process, which means less setup material and less make-ready waste. A logo printed in one or two spot colors on a business card or letterhead is a common example.

Once a design includes photographs or many colors, four-color process is usually more practical, since matching that range with spot inks would take more plates, not fewer. For very short runs, digital printing avoids plates altogether.

The two methods work differently. A spot color is an ink mixed to a set formula, usually from the Pantone system, and each spot color runs on its own plate. Four-color process builds every color from cyan, magenta, yellow and black, so it always uses four plates no matter how many colors appear in the design. Our guides to Pantone color matching and CMYK vs RGB explain how to set up files for each.

Color consistency is another factor. A spot color matches a brand color closely from one run to the next, which can prevent reprints when a logo has to look the same on every piece. Four-color process can come close to many Pantone colors, but some bright or specific shades are hard to reach with process inks alone.

Our article on offset printing explains plates and make-ready in more detail. Tell us about the design and the quantity when you request a quote, and we can talk through which method suits it.

Usually, yes. Recycled paper and soy inks do not slow a job down on their own. The main question on a tight deadline is whether the stock you want is available when the job needs to be printed.

Some recycled stocks are easy to source quickly, while a specialty sheet may need to be ordered from the mill or a paper merchant. Digital printing can also help on short runs, since it skips the plates and some of the setup that offset printing needs. Our article on digital vs offset printing explains where each method fits.

As a general guide, most orders are ready in one to two weeks from artwork approval. The time before approval often matters more than the time on press, so having final files and a quick decision on the proof makes the biggest difference to the schedule. Our guide to print-ready files covers the setup that helps a job move through prepress without corrections.

If the stock you prefer cannot be sourced in time, there is often another recycled sheet with a similar weight and finish that is easier to get. We can suggest alternatives when we know your date, so the job can stay on recycled paper.

If you are working to a firm date, contact us as early as you can and include the date with your quote request, so the stock and timing can be discussed before the job is priced. You can read more about scheduling in how long will my job take.

Stone paper, also sold as rock paper or under brand names such as TerraSkin, is made mostly from calcium carbonate (ground mineral) held together with a resin binder. It contains no wood fiber, so it is considered tree free.

It has some useful properties. It is water resistant and tear resistant, which makes it a good fit for labels and other pieces that get wet or handled often.

It also has limits. Because of the resin, stone paper does not belong in paper recycling. It can only be recycled in some plastic recycling streams, and those are not available everywhere. For most printed pieces, a 100% post-consumer recycled paper is easier to recycle at the end of its life. If your job will be used outdoors or around water, mention it when you request a quote so we can compare the options.

Tree-free papers are made from materials other than wood. Common examples include cotton, hemp, bamboo, sugarcane bagasse (the fiber left after sugar is extracted from the cane) and stone paper, which is made from mineral and resin.

They can be a good choice when you want a particular texture or look, or when a project calls for fiber from a fast-growing plant or an agricultural by-product. Bagasse and some cotton papers make use of material that would otherwise be discarded.

They also have trade-offs. Some come from crops that need farmland, water or long shipping distances, some cost more than standard stocks, and stone paper cannot go in paper recycling. A 100% post-consumer recycled paper reuses fiber that already exists and keeps used paper out of landfill, which is why it is our usual recommendation. You can compare the stocks we run most on the paper stocks page.

Yes, we offer seed paper. It is a paper with seeds embedded in the fiber, so the piece can be planted after it has been used.

Seed paper has a soft, textured surface, so it does not hold fine detail the way a smooth sheet does. Bold, simple designs with larger type print best on it. When you need crisp printing, a die-cut seed paper piece can be attached to a card printed on 100% post-consumer recycled stock. The message prints cleanly on the card, and the seed piece can still be planted.

Seed paper can also be produced in large quantities. One client ordered 200,000 seed paper pieces cut to 2 x 2 inches. You can read more on the seed paper page.

It is a popular choice for wedding invitations, save the dates, favor tags and promotional inserts, because the person who receives it has a reason to keep the piece instead of throwing it away. Our guide to eco-friendly save the dates covers how seed paper fits into a wedding mailing.

Because the sheet is thicker and less even than standard card stock, keep important text away from the edges and avoid very thin lines and small type. Seed paper should be stored somewhere cool and dry until it is planted, so the seeds stay healthy.

If a piece is never planted, it can still be composted like other uncoated paper. Our article on biodegradable and compostable paper explains how different papers break down and what can go in the compost.

They can be. Many banners are made from vinyl (PVC), which is difficult to recycle, so we offer other materials.

• PVC-free polyester fabric, which avoids vinyl entirely.
• Fabric made from recycled PET plastic bottles.
• Biodegradable banner substrates, designed to break down under the right conditions.

The right choice depends on whether the banner will be used indoors or outdoors, how long it needs to last and how it will be hung. You can read more on the signs and banners and biodegradable banners pages.

The hardware is part of the picture as well. A retractable banner on a reusable aluminum base lets you replace only the printed graphic when your message changes, so the stand can be used for years at shows and events.

How long a banner stays in use also affects its footprint. A banner that goes to many events over several years has a much smaller impact per use than one that is thrown away after a single weekend. Keeping dates, prices and one-time offers off the banner, and putting them on smaller printed pieces instead, helps the banner stay current for longer. Storing it rolled or in its case between events also protects the print surface and extends its life.

Our banner sizes guide covers standard dimensions for events, trade shows and storefronts, and our article on eco friendly signage covers recycled paper signs for indoor use. For a full list of event pieces, see our trade show printing page.

A few choices make a real difference.

• Print on 100% post-consumer recycled cover stock.
• Skip plastic lamination, which makes a tag harder to recycle.
• Use natural string, such as hemp, in place of plastic fasteners or synthetic cord.

A tag does not need a plastic coating to feel substantial. Greg once made hang tags for the organic line of Diesel Jeans from two sheets of 100# post-consumer recycled cover glued to 26pt stock, finished with hemp string. The result was a thick, durable tag with no laminate.

The paper sets most of the tag's environmental profile. A heavy recycled cover stock holds up well on a garment, and a kraft stock gives a natural, unbleached look that suits many apparel and handmade brands. You can see one option on our kraft paper page, and our paper weight guide explains how cover weights and point thicknesses compare.

Finishing choices matter too. Ink printed directly on an uncoated recycled sheet keeps the tag in the paper recycling stream, and a die-cut shape or a punched hole does not change that. Foils, plastic grommets and heavy coatings can make a tag harder to recycle, so it is worth deciding whether each one is needed before the design is final.

The same approach applies to the rest of a product's branding. Our article on sustainable product labels covers the labels and stickers that often go on the same products as the tag.

You can read more on the custom hang tags page.

In many cases, yes. Molded plastic trays are common in product packaging, but a die-cut insert made from recycled E-flute corrugated board can often hold a product in place just as well.

E-flute is a thin corrugated board that can be cut and folded into platforms, cradles and dividers. When it is made from recycled fiber, the whole package stays in the paper stream, so the box and the insert can go into paper recycling together where corrugated is accepted.

Die cutting is what makes these inserts possible. A die cuts the board to a custom shape, and score lines let it fold into a platform or cradle sized to the product. Our article on die cutting explains how the process works and what a die line file should include.

Lighter products do not always need corrugated board. A folded insert in a heavy recycled cover stock can hold a card, a sample or a small accessory, and it can carry printed instructions or a thank-you message on the same piece, so a separate card in the box is not needed.

Replacing a plastic tray also makes the package easier for your customer to dispose of. A box with a paper insert can usually go into one bin, while a box with a plastic tray has to be separated first, and many curbside programs do not accept the tray. Our guides to sustainable packaging and eco friendly packaging for small business cover the other parts of a package, such as mailers, labels and tissue.

Whether it works for your product depends on its weight, its shape and how it ships. Include the product dimensions when you request a quote, and see product packaging for the packaging we print.

Carbon neutral printing means the greenhouse gas emissions tied to a job, or to the paper used for it, have been balanced out. That can happen in two ways, and they are not the same.

• Reductions lower the emissions in the first place, for example a paper mill that runs on wind power.
• Offsets pay for projects elsewhere, such as forestry or renewable energy, to make up for emissions that still happen.

Some mills make paper lines with wind power or carbon neutral production, including certain Mohawk and Monadnock papers. When a printer or a paper is described as carbon neutral, ask what was offset (the paper, the printing, the shipping or all three) and how much of the claim comes from actual reductions. You can ask about specific stocks when you request a quote.

Many of the choices that affect a print job's footprint are made at the design stage, before the job reaches the press. These steps help:

• Use standard sizes that fit the press sheet well, so less paper is trimmed off and thrown away.
• Limit bleeds where the design allows, since a bleed needs a larger sheet and more trimming.
• Avoid plastic laminates and full ink floods, which make the paper harder to recycle and use more ink.
• Order a run size that matches how many pieces will be used.
• Specify 100% post-consumer recycled stock in the job specs.
• Add the recycled emblem to the piece so readers know what it is printed on.

Sheet size is the easiest place to start. Presses run standard parent sheets, and a piece sized to divide evenly into that sheet leaves very little trim waste. Our guide to standard paper sizes lists the common formats, and a small change to the trim size can sometimes let more pieces fit on each sheet.

Ink coverage matters as well. Large solid areas use more ink and need more drying time on press. Using the color of the paper as part of the design, or choosing a lighter tint for a background, keeps coverage down while still giving the piece a finished look.

When you write the paper spec, name the recycled content you want instead of just writing "recycled," since a sheet can be sold as recycled with only a small share of post-consumer fiber. Our article on post-consumer recycled paper explains the difference. Clean, correctly built files also prevent reprints, and our guide to print-ready files covers bleed, resolution and color settings.

There is more detail in our article on sustainable graphic design.

One job people ask about is the program we printed for The Climate Group and Tony Blair for Climate Week NYC. It was printed in 48 hours on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

Since 1990 we have also printed for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the NFL, the United Nations, Mayor Bloomberg's office, Diesel Jeans, Coca-Cola, Hazon, Green America and GrowNYC, along with many small businesses, restaurants and couples planning weddings.

Our clients have ranged from the EPA and The Climate Group to the NFL and small businesses. The same approach applies to every one of them: recycled paper, soy and vegetable based inks, and advice on which stocks and finishes suit the job.

Some of the work we are proudest of is on a smaller scale. We sponsored a student climate comic, Solar Stars vs Dark Matter, which you can read about in our post on the student-powered climate comic launch. Another recent job was a set of photo coasters for a 100th birthday, printed for a family celebration.

Greg Barber founded the company in 1990 and still works directly with clients. You can read more about his background in the Voyage Jacksonville feature on Greg Barber. If you run a smaller company, our page on printing for small business shows the pieces we print most often.

You can read more on our story page and see recent jobs on the recent work page.