Recycled paper printing and how to get it right

Recycled paper printing is ordinary printing done on stock made from recovered fiber. On a modern press the job runs the same way, and most people cannot tell a recycled sheet from a virgin one across a desk. A few things do change, and they are worth planning for: the base color of the sheet is slightly warmer, uncoated recycled stock absorbs a little more ink, and the shade can vary slightly between mill runs. This article explains how to work with those differences.

We are Eco Friendly Printer. Greg Barber founded the company in 1990, and every job we have produced since then has been printed on recycled stock. Recycled paper printing is our standard process, not an add-on option.

Reading a paper spec

Three items on a spec sheet show whether a paper matches its marketing claims.

• Post-consumer waste content. Recovered fiber comes from three sources: mill trimmings that never left the factory, printed material that never reached a buyer, and paper that people used and put out for collection. Only the third is post-consumer. A sheet advertised as recycled without a post-consumer figure may be mostly mill scrap, which would have gone back into the pulp anyway. 100 percent post-consumer is the strongest specification, and 50 percent is a reasonable compromise when a stock you want is not available with more.
• FSC certification. Forest Stewardship Council certification means the fiber is tracked through a documented chain of custody. It applies to recycled and mixed sources as well as to forests.
• Chlorine free processing. PCF, processed chlorine free, means recycled fiber brightened with oxygen or hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine compounds. TCF, totally chlorine free, is the same idea applied to virgin fiber, so for recycled stock PCF is the label to look for.

Everything we print on is 100 percent recycled, FSC certified and chlorine free.

The three grades you will be choosing between

Everyday grades are used for internal documents, forms, drafts and high volume flyers. They cost the least and print well for text and simple color.

Premium grades are smoother and more consistent, which matters when a piece includes photography or large solid areas of color. Annual reports, brochures and presentation materials usually use these grades.

Specialty grades include textured surfaces, natural and colored shades, and tree free sheets made from fibers such as hemp, cotton or sugar cane. They are a good choice when the paper is part of the design, as with invitations and cards and packaging.

Because the surface affects how a job looks, it is best to see the stock before you commit to it. Ask about paper samples when you request a quote, and see our paper samples page for details on our stocks. A screen cannot show you how a textured natural sheet will reproduce a photograph.

Inks

We print with soy-based inks. Vegetable-based inks, of which soy is the most common, are made from renewable oils instead of petroleum. They release fewer volatile organic compounds, and they perform well on uncoated recycled stock without excessive smudging. Water-based inks serve the same purpose in screen printing. Low VOC formulations are available for most other processes if a job calls for something specific.

In practice, ink and paper should be chosen together. A soy ink on an absorbent uncoated recycled sheet produces softer edges and slightly richer, warmer color than the same file on a coated stock. Most customers like the result. If it does not suit your piece, the solution is usually a smoother paper grade rather than a different ink.

Digital and offset

Both methods handle recycled stock without difficulty. The choice depends on run length and how much variation you need between pieces.

Digital printing makes sense for short runs. There are no plates to make and setup is quick, and it is the most practical way to print small quantities or to change names and addresses from piece to piece. Digital printing is the reason short runs on recycled stock are practical today in a way they were not twenty years ago.

Offset printing is more economical on longer runs, where the setup cost is spread over more pieces. The unit price falls as the quantity rises, ink lays down more richly on uncoated sheets, and color stays more consistent across thousands of copies.

In either case, ask for a proof on the actual stock. A proof on bright white coated paper is a poor guide to how the same file will look on a warm recycled sheet, and reviewing a real proof takes a few minutes, while reprinting an entire run takes much longer.

Designing so the job prints well and wastes less

• Design for the sheet you are printing on. Uncoated recycled paper spreads ink very slightly, so set fine reversed-out type one size larger than you would on coated stock and avoid hairline rules in pale colors.
• Remember that white is the paper. A standard press does not print white ink, so on a natural or brown sheet, any area you intend to be white will be the color of the stock.
• Use standard trim sizes. Non-standard formats leave more of the parent sheet as waste. A size that fits efficiently on the press sheet costs less and wastes less.
• Consider the bleed. Full bleeds are fine, but they need a larger parent sheet, so a design that stops short of the edge sometimes uses noticeably less paper.
• Order the quantity you will use. One of the most wasteful outcomes in print is a box of material that goes out of date in a cupboard. Short runs from a repeatable file are usually better than one long run you cannot use up.
• Consider the finish. Embossing and blind debossing add texture without adding material, so the piece remains a single recyclable material. Foil stamping and laminates add a layer that makes recycling harder later, so use them only where they add real value to the piece.

How we run it

We buy from a short list of paper mills. Together they cover everyday, premium and specialty grades, so we can quote almost any job on 100 percent recycled stock without asking you to compromise on appearance.

Typical turnaround is 1-2 weeks from artwork approval. Short runs are possible, and minimums vary by product across our product range. If you would like to discuss a job before committing, see our print consultation page for help choosing a stock and process. We are based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and we quote and ship nationwide.

Common questions

Does recycled paper cost more?

Sometimes, although less often than it used to. The price difference depends on the specific grade rather than on recycled content in general, and on some stocks there is no difference at all. It is best to get a quote on the job you actually want rather than assume it will cost more.

Is the print quality as good?

For text, line work and most photography, yes. The main differences are that whites look cream rather than blue-white, images look slightly softer on uncoated grades, and the shade varies slightly between mill batches. If a piece depends on maximum contrast, we can recommend the smoothest grade in our range.

Can recycled paper be recycled again?

Yes, several times, until the fibers become too short to bond. Keeping a printed piece to paper alone, without laminate or foil, keeps it recyclable. You can read more about our approach on our why eco printing page.

Send us the details of your job and we will quote it, including the stock. Start your order here.