Tips for sustainable graphic design

Here is a list of quick tips to start thinking about creating sustainable alternatives in our designs.  These subjects will be elaborated on in future posts but are a good place to start a sustainable mindset.

Quick tips for sustainable graphic design:

Choose the best medium to satisfy the client, the brief and sustainability.

Consider multipurpose products ie. the brochure-poster or flyer-envelope approach.

Source sustainable alternatives for materials ie. paper, ink, glue, binding methods.

Email proofs as electronic pdfs to clients.

Double-sided proof prints from the office printer.  Reduces paper use by 50%.

Packaging re-design to use less to achieve the same product.

Blank page removal, whitespace reduction and font size reduction to reduce paper use.

Print size and trim space optimisation.

Shelf life analysis of the final product to determine quality goals.

Disassembly - how easy is it to disassemble into the various recyclable components, in other words "practical recyclability".

Reusable components - reuse may be more energy efficient than full process recycling.

Analyse the disposal options of the material being used.

Online alternatives ie. websites, e-magazines, pdfs, emails, e-books.

Links between physical and online products using URLs and QR codes to maximise exposure.

Consider targeted mail versus mass mailing.

Assess print provider location to reduce transportation distances to the client.

Green power - choose print shops and web hosts hooked up to alternative energy supplies.

Life cycle analysis to find the best overall solutions.

Rental, leasing or service models instead of sell and dump for your products.

Waste minimisation audits to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Community impact assessments of your designs and products.

Include a sustainable option for each job.

Educate your clients.

Promote your sustainable credentials.

Carbon offset schemes.

Browse the archives in the right hand column to view more articles on sustainable graphic design.