Spec Your Heart Out

I love paper. I love all of their different textures, colors, and finishes. I love specialty papers with chips of sparkling mica embedded in the pulp and even your neon-flavored run-of-the-mill astrobrite copy papers most frequently used for homemade bakesale flyers and the like.

Whenever possible, though, I like to find and spec environmentally friendly papers. The amount of recycled content can vary from line to line. Some mills are more upfront about just how much of the pulp is from recycled (post and pre consumer) sources and others are a little more "creative" with their marketing of their recycled papers. This short primer at paperspecs.com provides a nice list of tips and this transcript from an AIGA presentation, reprinted in Metropolis, is also worth a look for my socially conscious friends and readers.

As graphic designers, we have the power to make small changes everyday. Spec recycled when you can. Could their be an easier way to save a few trees? Or an easier way to put your soul at ease when you have to spec unrecycled for special jobs?