Adopting eco-friendly practices, or going green, benefits the environment and your business. More than 80% of people respect companies that prioritize environmental sustainability. What's more, green organizations are able to reduce operational costs as they minimize unnecessary waste. Today's advanced eco-friendly printing technology has made it easier than ever to print green invitations without sacrificing quality or budget. If your company is environmentally conscious, it's important that you take the following steps to ensure that you're truly printing green invitations.
1. Use green invitation paper
Today's eco-friendly paper stocks represent a vast improvement over yesterday's grainy, pulpy recycled papers. For a deep, rich, elegant look, print your invitations on recycled 13-point matte cover paper stock. Your paper will be smooth and yield an elegant sheen that enriches your colors and adds class and professionalism to your invitations.
2. Print with green invitation inks
Some printing companies simply print on recycled paper and call their invitations "green," but still print with petroleum-based inks that are decidedly eco-unfriendly. This is because when petroleum inks dry, a large volume of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, is released into the atmosphere. Instead of petroleum ink, have your invitations printed with eco-friendly soy-based inks. They release far fewer VOCs and have the added benefit of spreading better, so you use less ink to begin with. Best of all, soy inks are capable of producing more vibrant colors than their petroleum-based cousins, so you can actually print higher-quality green invitations by going this route.
3. Choose a green invitation printing company
Many businesses overlook the eco-friendliness of their supply chain when they go green. If your printing company offers recycled paper but does not recycle paper itself, then anything you print with them contributes toward an unhealthy environment. If you're unsure of your invitation printing company's environmental practices, ask them for an environmental statement or see if they engage in recycling — from press room clippings to soda cans used by employees at lunch breaks.
4. Order an electronic proof
Another very easy and quick step toward printing green invitations is to order electronic proofs. Instead of having a hard copy proof shipped to you via carbon-emitting vehicles, you can view your proofs right on your computer to double-check your invitation layout and text. Your colors won't exactly match those of the finished printed product (since computer screens and paper represent colors in different formats), but they'll be close enough to tell whether there's a glaring mistake that needs fixed before you go to press. Plus, if you used a color swatch to design your invitations you'll know what the colors look like anyway.
5. Mail invitations directly from your printer
Once your green invitations are printed, you have two distribution options: Have your invitations shipped to you and then send them out yourself, or have your printer send them directly to the recipients for you. A true green process dictates that the latter is the best option because you eliminate an emission-producing step involving planes or delivery trucks (or both). As an added bonus, sending invitations directly from your printing service means the invitations go out even faster. Save time, and reduce your carbon footprint and your costs, by having your printing company mail your invitations for you.
There's more to going green than simply recycling. For a business owner, it's about evaluating all aspects of your organization, and determining what you can do to reduce harm to the planet. The next time you're preparing for an event, taking the above steps will enable you to spread the word about your big day while doing your part to protect the environment.
Get started on eco-friendly printing today.
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