What It Means To Be A Green Printer

Galaxy Press recognized as a leader in the Green Business Program

In a program sponsored by the Contra Costa Green Business Program we, along with 9 other companies , were recognized as being at the forefront of the Greening of the business community at an event held at the Lindsey museum in Walnut Creek.

Being a green printer takes a lot of thought, planning and commitment. Galaxy Press was the first certified green printer in the San Francisco Bay Area and the standards for becoming a green printer are based on the process we went through.

http://www.greenbiz.ca.gov/BGPrinter.html

We had over half a dozen engineers from different agencies throughout the East Bay going over every inch of our facility to make sure that our procedures in disposing of used chemicals and printing waste were not polluting the environment. The questionnaire we had to fill out was 75 pages long and encompassed every imaginable scenario that could be foreseen. It was a grueling experience but well worth the effort.

We have had to change the chemicals we use in the plant to lower the caustic effect on what we do to help the environment. Now that doesn't seem like a lot on the surface, but to us it was a major change. We had to abandon the chemicals that made cleaning the presses easy for more environmentally friendly chemicals that added extra time and labor for the same process. We had to change to different solutions that we mix with our inks. We track all of the VOC's ( Volatile Organic Compounds) in our plant and we wrote custom software to do it.

All of our employees are committed to being green and every day we look for new and different ways to accomplish this. We have gone from printed and mailed invoices to emailed invoices, the majority of our proofing is done electronically with pdf files. All of this to reduce the use of paper anywhere we can.

The papers we use to print, unless a certain paper is specified by a customer, is recycled stock and we have a growing relationship with New Leaf paper a manufacturer of recycled papers. http://www.newleafpaper.com/

One area I do want to address is what this has done regarding the cost of running our business. Because we have chosen to be a green company our expenses are higher than they were before we made the change to green printing. We have tried to keep this as an internal expense and not pass it on to our customers, but, even the price of a true recycled paper is higher that most of the non recycled papers. I guess what I want to get across to everyone is that the cheapest price is not always the best price! When deciding on which company would be a better fit for your printing projects, please take into account who they are, what they promote and what is the level of service they provide. Take a close look and be sure to see actual samples of the work they do. It's your image you are are putting into their hands. Remember, the more we try to do our daily business in a green fashion, the more we save the resources of our planet. The cost may be a little higher but the end rewards are significantly better for everyone concerned.

If you have questions about being a green business, contact us and we will more than happy to help in any way we can.

Galaxy Press 925-798-3212

How to save money on printing!

Most people take the hard route to get their marketing ideas and printing needs actually processed into a finished product. What could be a simple, start to finish project, is made into a maize of misinformation and mistakes.

One of the biggest problems we come across is the end user trying to be their own graphic designer when they don't have the proper graphic programs, the knowledge on how to go from idea to printed piece and a lack of communication with the printer. What I am trying to do with this article is give you some basic steps that will save you a lot of time, money and frustration.

1. Block out your idea. Take the time to do a very basic layout of your thoughts on what you want your marketing piece to be and to say and what kind of instrument are you going to use. Do you want a brochure, a flyer, a postcard? Make that decision and you have a good start going for you.

2. What do you want this to do. Who do you want to send these to? Do you want to use your existing customer list or do you want to mail to new prospects in your area or, for example, do you want brochures to hand out at a trade show or with each sale?

3. If you don't have a graphic designer you have worked with, call a printer you have confidence in and ask them if they can recommend someone or if they have designers in house. They have a lot of knowledge that can save you a lot of money in the long run.

4. Get a quote from the printer and ask for pricing in multiple quantities. Ask them to offer their suggestions for the best way to save you money and still get the look you are after. Don't be afraid to ask for a discounted price. Ask if they have any special pricing availabe. Most printers are willing to help y0u and will give you a discount off retail pricing.

5. Proof read everything word by word and line by line and then have someone else in your company do the same. More money is wasted on reprinting for mistakes in spelling and concept than there needs to be. DO NOT rely on the printer or designer to proof read for you. It is your project and you need to make sure it is right and it is what you want.

6. Don't be afraid to ask for a press check. It is a last chance time to catch anything that is not right before the piece is printed and will also allow you to see that the quality is what you want it to be.

7. Be sure to give the printer all the information necessary for them to finish the job and get it delivered for you or to you. If it is a piece that is to be mailed, your printer can handle that for you and make sure it gets done correctly.

If you follow these basic steps your printing experience will be a lot less stressful and you will receive the end product you are looking for at a reasonable cost.

If have questions or need some guidance, you can reach us at 925-798-3212