Ecofont for graphic designers — use less ink, help the environment

John Reeve | July 2nd, 2009 | ,

Ecofont from SPRANQ creativeFor those print designers out there looking to lessen their impact on the earth with more than just recycled papers and soy-based inks, have a look at the Ecofont. The folks over at SPRANQ creative brainstormed several ways to deconstruct letter forms to decrease ink usage while maintaining readability. The end solution was rather simple, put a bunch of holes in it. Similar to how outdoor recreational companies have lightened the weightload of metal gear by drilling holes in them, Ecofont removes several small circles from each letter. The result is a typeface that uses up to 20% less ink.

In addition to using this new font, SPRANQ offers some other ideas for increasing environmental awareness:

  • End-users: print only when necessary, use a modern, efficient printer and use unbleached paper.
  • Graphic designers: use modern colour separation techniques to avoid unnecessary wastage in ink. In paper choice, take the environment into account.
  • (Offset) printers: avoid modern laser techniques that make ink indivisible from the paper. Keep an eye on innovations, such as plant-based ink.
  • Printer manufacturers: invest in environment-conscious innovation.

The Ecofont is based on Vera Sans and is available for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux. It’s free to download and free to use.

2 Responses to “Ecofont for graphic designers — use less ink, help the environment”

  1. Adam Luzerio says:

    Ecofont is now the growing technique in graphic design too. It is depend on mainly the ink which is used for the printing and the quality of the paper.
    For the ecofont,the midst of all the printing companies offering recycled paper, vegetable-based inks and e-waste management.
    But there is the cost factor arise…..!!!!!

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