Ink and paper are fundamental to the graphic design business, but we can make choices that are environmentally friendly without compromising design standards. In fact, many projects are enhanced by the use of soy-based inks and recycled papers. Read Greener Printing from greenoptions.com for more details.

Beyond ink and paper, try going paperless in your office and encourage your clients to do so as well. I always request document edits in Word format. It’s so much easier for me to cut and paste changes than it is to sift through handwritten (often illegible) notes. I send PDF invoices and keep all of my back-ups on an external hard drive rather than in a filing cabinet. Whenever I make a business related purchase online, I print the receipt to PDF, not to my ink-jet printer.

Just some food for thought…

Writers and artists often fall victim to content theft on the internet. If it’s an issue that concerns you, there’s a site that can help. http://www.copyscape.com/ is a free service devoted to fighting internet plagiarism. Simply enter the url of your site, and Copyscape searches for duplicate content on the web. They also offer a very affordable premium service called Copysentry that provides ongoing protection. This is a good way to protect your web design clients’ content. Let them know about the service so they can check their sites periodically.

Welcome! I hope this blog will be a good resource for other designers as well as a place to share experiences and stories. I hope that a community grows from it–a place to get feedback, ask questions, and share ideas. Please visit the About page to find out more about me.