Going Green with Greeting Cards

Eco-friendly business isn't a passing trend; it's a change in philosophy that will define a new age in business accountability. Going green with your greeting cards is easy if you understand the printing process and what changes you can make to print eco-friendly business greeting cards that look great. The following tips will help you go green with your greeting cards:

Use soy inks

When you print your greeting cards using soy inks, you save the environment from many harmful pollutants released by traditional inks through evaporation during the drying process. Soy inks are not only cleaner, but they also spread farther so you actually use less ink to get the same result. In addition, soy inks produce more vibrant colors, so greeting cards printed with soy inks have deep, rich, bright colors that optimize impact.

Print on recycled paper

Printing on recycled greeting card stock yields a look that is no different from traditional greeting card paper stock, but greatly saves on the amount of raw wood pulp used. Fewer trees are needed to produce recycled greeting card paper stock since it is supplemented with recycled paper. Try a 13-point recycled matte paper to enhance the sheen of your greeting cards for a professional look with eco-friendly appeal.

Print in volume

When you print more greeting cards per run, you save energy resources because the press does not have to be set up more than once. You also save on potentially wasted paper at the end of an incomplete run. Printing your greeting cards in volume has the added benefit of being cheaper per piece, so you can in effect print more greeting cards for less money.

Recycle old greeting cards

If you have unused greeting cards, or old greeting cards sent to you by others, skip the trashcan and opt for the recycle bin. Recycling is one of the easiest ways to be eco-friendly and can often save you money because many cities offer free recycling pick-up. Perhaps your recycled greeting cards will end up in the next batch you order!

Print on standard paper sizes

Printing your greeting cards on standard paper sizes means there's less waste in the cutting process. Check with your printer to determine which size yields the least paper waste. Going green with your greeting card printing is an extension of your eco-friendly agenda that your customers will appreciate. Make sure you let them know you care about the environment by including a recycled or green agenda icon somewhere on the back panel of your greeting cards.