Green printing tip #7: What is the best alternative if you can't afford to buy Seed paper?

It's Tuesday already and it means it's time for another valuable tip on our weekly series of green printing tips, where we bring you in collaboration with Greg Barber, an experienced eco-friendly printer.

Today Greg is discussing one of my favorite papers (especially for bookmarks..) and what options you have if you want to use it but it's too expensive for your budget.

What is the best alternative if you can't afford to buy Seed paper?

Tip #7

First, Seed paper is paper with seeds in the sheets. When ready to be recycled, the consumer is encouraged to bury the postcard, etc in their backyard and the seeds will grow into Wild Flowers.

This paper only comes in 13 x 19 cover weight, and costs approximately $5.00 per sheet delivered.

I suggest using small sizes to get your point across. Postcards and business cards are the most popular uses of this paper. For larger runs, I suggest printing your message on 100% post-consumer paper and die cutting a small piece of the seed paper and spot gluing to the less expensive recycled cover.

In your ad copy, you can say plant the seed paper image and it will grow into flowers. That die cut image could be your main point to your message to your readers. This was done by a company that die cut 200,000 2 x 2 pieces and gluing to 200,000 larger sheets, printed on a grade that was 1/10 the price of the seed paper.

If that doesn't work, I suggest changing to a different Tree Free paper. As the Seed paper has a lot of specs and colors in the paper, I recommend Sugar Cane, Mango, or Banana papers. You won't have the seeds, but the lines are eye catching, environmental, and Tree Free.

If you have any further questions following our tips, or you have a specific question you want us to address, please email us to info@ecolibris.net .

More green printing tips:

Green Printing Tip #6 - Is Spot Color printing environmentally friendly?

Green Printing Tip #5 - How to avoid being greenwashed when buying printing services?

Green Printing Tip #4 - What does FSC Certified mean? Is it enough?

Green Printing Tip #3 - How you make sure everyone knows you're using green printing practices

Green Printing Tip #2 - How you can make money while printing on 100% recycled paper

Green Printing Tip #1 - Go for a digital job

You can also find further valuable information on Greg Barber Company's website - http://www.gregbarberco.com.

All the tips are archived and saved on http://www.ecolibris.net/greentips.asp (part of our green printing tools & resources page).

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green printing