Every decision made from the beginning to the end of a job will affect how much your designs impact on the environment.

An informed designer can deliver a quality communication while ensuring minimal environmental impact, without necessarily increasing cost. They can advise on a range of issues including choice of eco-friendly paper, ink, printing and finishing and publication format, size, colour, quantity and environmental aesthetic.

For eco-friendly design you should:

• Ensure that a publication or printed item is the best way to reach your audience
• Check the potential for multi-purposing – can one publication or printed item serve multiple purposes?
• Consider the smallest paper size for your job. Do you need it so big?
• Discuss with your printer a design format that minimises paper wastage on press
• Decide on the mimimum number of ink colours necessary
• Choose recycled materials where possible
• Find out whether the publication or printed item can be re-used and recycled
• Inform your audience of the initiatives taken to produce your work in an environmentally sensitive manner