Printing at FAS
Each of us uses on average 10,000 sheets of paper each year. The American Paper Institute has estimated that manufacturing one pound of office paper from virgin fiber consumes the following resources:
- 12 cubic inches of pulpwood
- 13.5 gallons of water
- 10.5 kWh of electricity
- .3 pounds air pollutants
This page discusses several simple strategies to improve printing efficiency.
Choose the pages to print, and how to print them
- Use recycled paper in your printers and copiers
- Print double-sided when possible or print multiple pages on one sheet
- Print only what you need of a document by highlighting the information you want:
- Reformat your document to save paper using shrink to fit.
- On larger documents, use smaller font sizes (consistent with readability) to save paper.
- If your printer prints a test page whenever it is turned on, disable this unnecessary feature.
- When making copies, use double-sided copying.
- Designate a box for scrap paper and use it for printing all drafts or unofficial documents.
Edit on screen
- Check spelling and formatting before printing to prevent having to print a second copy.
- Avoid printing blank pages at the beginning or end of a print job.
- If you use Microsoft Word, try using the track changes and comment tools when collaborating on a document, instead of printing it out.
- Before you print, use Print Preview.
- Almost all applications have a Print Preview function that allows you to see exactly how your pages will be laid out when they print.
It's not marginal, but it is about the margins
- Change default page margins in Word to .75 inches rather than 1.25 inches: On the File menu, click Page Setup, and then click the Margins tab. Under Margins, select the options you want. To change the default margins, click Default after you select new margin settings. The new default settings are saved in the template on which the document is based. Each new document based on that template automatically uses the new margin settings.
Use recycled toner cartridges for laser printers
Recycled cartridges reduce waste and cost less than new cartridges.
Use a printer that can print double-sided documents ("duplex") or install a duplex option on your department's laser printer
A modest one-time expense will allow double-sided printing on your laser printer, which, in the long-term, will conserve both paper and energy. For example, if your department currently purchases 15 boxes of paper per month at a cost of $4,159 per year, you could save up to $2,079 per year! Duplex features can be purchased at CDW via the Internet at www.cdw.com. Pricing for duplex trays compatible with commonly used printers in FAS follows:
- HP 4000 series $310
- HP 4100 series $305
- HP 4500 series $480
- HP 5000 series $440
- HP 8000/8500 series $440
(Information from Kennedy School of Government)
Turn off printers, especially laser printers, unless they are networked.
Turn off power strips at night so equipment such as transformers do not continue to draw power. Avoid using power strips to turn on all computer and desk equipment at once.
The following are characteristics of good power strips. Look for:
- any UL (Underwriters Laboratories) rating; better: UL 1449
- energy absorption/dissipation rating of at least 200-400 joules; better: 600+ joules
- response time of less than one nanosecond
- clamping voltage of under 400V
- indicator light that will tell you if your device is still working properly
(An inexpensive device which meets these requirements is Power Sentry's 6-Outlet Translucent Surge Protector (Model 450) available at Economy Hardware.)
For further details on the operation of surge protectors, click here.
Purchase an energy-efficient printer
Click here for more information.
