Ecological Typographies

"Ecofonts" are designed with small holes in the central axis of their strokes or with line patterns that appear to cover a solid surface, allowing a reduction in the amount of ink used during printing. Other typefaces are also considered eco-friendly due to their stroke and letter spacing, which have demonstrated optimal performance compared to conventional typefaces.

In 2014, a high school student in Pennsylvania, Suvir Mirchandani, calculated that if his school switched all its print settings to the Garamond typeface by default, they could save $21,000 per year.
Building upon his exercise, we made some new calculations: If all internet users who regularly print documents opted to use green fonts or "ecofonts", we could globally save an amount of ink equivalent to more than 1 billion liters per year. These fonts are designed to reduce ink usage by approximately 20%. With more than 1 billion people printing an average of 500 pages per year, the potential for savings is immense. This simple change in our printing practices would not only help us save money but also make a significant impact on reducing ink waste and conserving resources. This saving is equivalent to the water conservation needed to supply a large city for an entire year.

"Dear planet, we could save you close to a trillion liters of ink annually."
Sincerely, the EcoFonts team.

Our Favorites:
Ecofont
Ryman Eco
Courier Ecofont
Crimson Ecofont

How to Reduce the Impact of Your Printing:
Remember that while this typographic substitution resource can help mitigate ink usage, results may vary depending on the type of printer, the substrate used for printing, and some print settings. The environmental impact of your printouts, even when using your favorite typeface, can be further reduced by minimizing the text size, which also decreases the amount of paper used. Other good practices include printing double-sided, reusing paper, and purchasing recycled printing supplies (both paper and ink). You can be the person who makes a difference in your environment.

---