Key question
How do you produce printed matter responsibly and well-documented?
The most sustainable printed matter is well-planned: in the right quantity, made from suitable materials, and easily recyclable. Having your own material library and clear production specifications will help you make and communicate these decisions with confidence.
Learning objective: You will be able to plan printed materials in a resource-efficient way, build a materials library, and write a complete production specification.
Well planned is half sustainable.
8.1 / Sustainable production
Less, better, closer.
Four strategies to make printed materials more sustainable:
01
Reduce
The right print run, economical formats, and minimal waste save the most.
02
Recycled paper
Using recycled paper instead of virgin fibre saves wood, water, and energy.
03
Circulation
Mineral oil-free inks and separable materials enable effective recycling.
04
Produce locally
Short distances, personal contact, and local value creation.
Sustainability is a balancing act: a durable product made from virgin fibre can make more sense than a disposable one made from recycled paper. Always consider how long the printed item will be used for and where it will end up afterwards. Many Swiss print shops offer 'climate-neutral printing' via carbon offsetting (such as with myclimate or ClimatePartner); whilst this is worthwhile, it is no substitute for reducing print runs, formats, and materials.
The best edition is the one that fits.
8.2 / Patterns and Conversations
Knowledge grows with every pattern.
A material library is your collection of paper samples, print proofs, and finishes. Label each sample with the type, grammage, process, and supplier. This way, you can quickly find the right material later and showcase it to clients.
When speaking with the printer, you can clarify feasibility, deadlines, and costs. Bring samples, a mock-up, and a written specification with you. Ask about alternatives: often, the print shop has paper in stock that looks just as good and is more cost-effective.
Gathering patterns means gathering experience.
8.3 / Write specification
A good enquiry leaves no questions unanswered.
A production specification describes a printed item in sufficient detail that different print shops can provide comparable quotes. This includes open and closed dimensions, extent, paper, print colours, finishing, post-press processing, print run, and delivery date.
Write colours as 4/4 or 4/1, meaning front/back, and specify paper by type, weight, and certification. If you're unsure about the quantity, ask for tiered pricing straight away, for example for 250, 500, and 1,000 copies.
Request precisely, compare fairly.
Exercise
Compare quotes
Task: Write a request for quotation for the 'Kornfeld' business cards and bread bags.
STEP 1
Record both printed items fully in the specification tool.
STEP 2
Add delivery date, delivery address and required tier quantities.
STEP 3
Have a colleague check the request for gaps.
STEP 4
Revise the request and save it in your material library.
Evaluation: Would a print shop be able to provide a quote based on your enquiry without asking any follow-up questions?
Final project
Your materials library for ‘Cornfield’.
In the final project, you bring everything together: you build a material library and develop a well-founded material selection for the 'Kornfeld' printed materials. It concludes with a production specification that you will discuss with a commercial printer.
STEP 1
Collect samples
Procure and label at least twelve paper, cardboard, and print samples.
STEP 2
Organise library
Organise samples by grade, grammage, and application, and add brief comments.
STEP 3
Select material
Provide the rationale for the paper, printing process and finishing for each 'Kornfeld' printed item.
STEP 4
Write specification
Specify the format, extent, paper, printing, finishing, processing, and print run.
STEP 5
have a conversation
Discuss the specification with a printing company and incorporate the feedback.
Evaluation criteria: completeness and organisation of the library, correct technical terminology, justified choice of materials, a specification with no open questions, and a conscious approach to costs and the environment.
Collect, choose, describe precisely.