At Greenerprinter we are always trying to make our ordering process easier and more streamlined, and the new Greenerprinter app is our next step. The app is perfect for our on-the-go clients with time sensitive deadlines. While away from your home or office you can see live order information, updates and even approve your proof, all through the convenience of your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Some key features include:

1. Access to live order status
2. Access to recent order history
3. Receive instant notifications when a proof is ready or an order has been completed and shipped
4. Quick customer service contact information in the event you would like to speak to us about the details of your order.

We will not stop here…

Upcoming versions will allow for easy ordering of our template-based business cards, postcards and greeting cards. You will be able to order, approve and track all with one mobile device.

At Greenerprinter we are known for high quality, 100 percent sustainable printing and great customer service. We are always looking for ways to improve our products and services and our new app is just one more example!

The Greenerprinter app is available as a free download from the App Store. If you have any questions about Greenerprinter’s services or our new app please drop us an email or give us a call.

CD and DVD jewel cases have protected precious data in numerous occasions. Yet despite their original useful intent, plastic waste such as jewel cases has become a major contributor to our environmental problems.

What exactly is this packing material that we have come to rely on so ubiquitously? Jewel cases are made of injection-molded polystyrene (the same material used for those ecologically disastrous packing peanuts). Polystyrene plastic is resistant to photosynthesis and therefore does not biodegrade. Eventually, every scrap of it is destined to remain in landfills or the open ocean for hundreds of years.

Although some centers can reuse discarded CD and DVD jewel cases, polystyrene recycling is not a closed loop. This means that “recycled” polystyrene is usually only used as fillers in other plastic items that cannot themselves be recycled; a process called downcycling. And because jewel cases are light-weight, even downcycling this form of waste is not an easy task.

Our flat CD wallet is a stylish, sleek alternative to plastic CD cases. Although the most popular paper choice for flat CD wallets is 95# Reincarnation Matte Cover (13.0 point, coated), your design can be printed on any one of our recycled, high-quality cover stocks.

Similarly, our folded DVD sleeve is available on any of our recycled cover stocks as well. However, this product has the added advantage of offering plenty of room for your artwork and marketing messages (the final size of each DVD sleeve is 5.5″ wide by 7.25″ high). And for a really organic and sturdy look for either type of case, choose to print on our 100 percent recycled, 50 percent post-consumer waste 20 point Kraft board.

Interested in additional CD and DVD case printing options, such as embossing, diecutting or additional inks? Simply request a custom quote for your individual job. You’ll receive an email reply with a quote within 24 to 48 hours.

The world has changed a lot since jewel cases were first introduced in 1982. Kudos to you for taking action to green your digital media – and reducing your polystyrene use – with Greenerprinter’s eco-friendly CD and DVD cases.

As the most popular green printer ordering site on the web, Greenerprinter.com gets a lot of visitors. Many of them simply have the time design skills needed to produce eye-catching, print-ready files. As an added service to our customers, we are expanding the availability of online design templates.

Now through our new Design Partner program, you can make your professional designs available to hundreds of new people around the globe. Each time an order is placed using your design, you earn a commission!

As a Design Partner, your work (along with your name) will gain great exposure and may continue to generate income for as long as your designs remain on Greenerprinter.com. For instance, a Bay Area business owner might take such a liking to your business card design that they contact you to create an entire identity package.

You don’t have to be a professional designer to become a Partner. Anyone with design skills and a computer is eligible. Plus you can track and monitor your commissions via a special section on your  Greenerprinter account’s Account Details page.

How should you get started? You simply need a PayPal™ account, a Greenerprinter account and designs that Greenerprinter customers will order (you will also be asked to provide at least one online sample of your work). Templates will be provided to ensure that your files are set up correctly.

Sharing your creative work with people who are seeking quality, sustainable printing is a truly unique and rewarding way to make a difference. Visit our site to learn more and submit your application.

If you need more information, please contact us at designadmin@greenerprinter.com or call 1-866-978-8547.

About Greenerprinter: Based in Berkeley, California, we have more than 20 years experience in the printing industry. From business cards and stationery to entire direct-mail campaigns, we offer a range of products and services that provide high-quality green solutions for business marketing and individual customer needs. Greenerprinter is a certified B Corporation, the proud winner of the 2010 Acterra Business Environmental Award and has been certified by the Bay Area Green Business program since 2002.

Today we are excited to announce the new Greenerprinter online project planner. Let the project planner show you which turnaround time and shipping method will meet your deadline!

How does it work? Once you upload your design or choose one of the many attractive samples from our Design Center, view your PDF proof and click the Order button, you’ll notice the new project planner calendar under the Item Details & Pricing column to the right (circled in red here).

To get started, click on the small calendar image or green text to access the Greenerprinter Project Planner.

After the calendar appears on-screen (pictured below), select whether you would like to pickup your order at the Greenerprinter office or have it shipped to a destination.

Finally, click your deadline date on the calendar to view the turnaround time and delivery method that will meet your deadline. Turnaround choices can range from economy (seven business days) to rush (three business days).

Let’s take a look at an example. To have your order delivered on or by Friday, July 30, the project planner will alert you that you must:

1. Choose our Economy 7 Business Days Turnaround,
2. Ship via UPS Ground,
3. And approve your proof by 5:00 PM Pacific Time on Monday, July 12

Allowing time to review proofs and for ground shipping (if applicable) are important yet often overlooked aspect of print orders. The next time you use Greenerprinter.com and take advantage of the project planner, you’ll know that you won’t miss a deadline or add extra stress to your day.

The staff here in Berkeley, CA are continually working to improve your experience using Greenerprinter.com. See how this new feature can make your work more sustainable; try it now!

This large format printer can print up to 60″ wide using eco-friendly latex inks from Hewlett-Packard. What are latex inks? They are pigmented, water-based inks designed for commercial printing applications which use an innovative aqueous-dispersed polymer (”latex”) technology.

Latex inks provide print durability and display permanence comparable to eco-solvent inks and low-solvent inks. Plus, their water-based formulation reduces the impact of printing on the environment! Learn more about latex inks by watching a brief video produced by HP.

With our new large format latex printer, we can produce high-quality, durable print media with outdoor display permanence and durability comparable to eco-solvent inks (up to 3 years for un-laminated and up to 5 years for laminated). Your products will be scratch, smudge and water resistance (on water-resistant media).

By and large, the most popular use for the latex printer is greening event signage or trade show graphics. As a business that is committed to reducing your environmental footprint at trade shows and all year round, you’ll be excited to learn that Greenerprinter’s latex printing can be used for windows graphics, posters, digital fine art, vehicle wraps, outdoor event banners, exhibition graphics, wall murals and more.

Take a look at a few examples of these stunning graphics in action by scrolling through the HP Designjet L25500 Application gallery.

What’s more, in addition to reducing the environmental impact of printing through state-of-the-art machinery including the HP latex printer, Greenerprinter also participates in HP’s Large-format Media take-back program. This ensures that eligible HP printing materials are recycled in a way that conserves resources and reduces the environmental impact of printing.

What do you think about the innovative new latex printer? Leave your feedback in the comment box below.

Greenerprinter offers a wide variety of printed products to help make any wedding a green event. Our eco-friendly wedding printing includes announcements, save the date cards, invitations, RSVP cards and thank you cards. You can even create a hardcover photo books – all right from our site!

Do you need a fresh design that expresses the theme of your event? Visit our design center and place your order using one of our templates, ready for your photo or artwork. Choose from a variety of environmental papers, including matte, glossy and 100 percent recycled kraft. Order pricing starts at just $50 for 50 4×6 cards.

The uniqueness of your wedding doesn’t need to stop there. Turn your printed piece into an interactive experience by including a QR Code! QR Code (short for Quick Response Code) is a bar code that can be read by smart phones and other devices with cameras. It’s the revolutionary new way to automatically take someone to your wedding website, add event contact information to an address book or help your guests plot your event using Google Maps.

Whether you are one of the happy couples who recently got engaged, are newlyweds in the market for the perfect eco-friendly thank you cards, or are thinking about creating a hard-bound wedding photo album that reflects your lifestyle, Greenerprinter is delighted to be a trusted partner in your special process.

For more tips on making your wedding eco-friendly, take a quick look at the Greenerprinter Blog, 13 Ways to Green Your Wedding. And warmest wishes on your big day and all your days to come!

But what if you didn’t have to choose between one or the other? Imagine if you could combine print and technology and get the best of both worlds: A printed piece that can reach people offline, with the ability to easily update information online.

Enter QR Codes.

QR codes are “Quick Response” codes that were developed in Japan, have been used extensively there, and are now making their way to the U.S. They work by allowing a user with a smart phone to take a picture of the code, which then directs them to a website with more information.

QR codes can be used on a variety of products:

• Banners: Users can automatically be taken to an event schedule or other relevant web page.
• Business cards: Contact info can automatically be added to a user’s address book.
• Brochures or postcards: Users can automatically get directions to your location via Google Maps.
• Real estate flyers: Users will automatically be taken to an online listing with more details about the property.
• Hang tags or packaging: Users can find out more information about your product.

This is truly a revolutionary way of reaching the growing number of people using smart phones.

The best part about this is that it is easy and inexpensive for you to print QR codes on your next order. Just select the “Add QR code” option to your print specifications on our website and you’ll be able to enter your QR code information in moments. And the best part is that this great technology is also insanely affordable; on most items, it will only cost an extra $5.

Have you used QR codes yet? If so, we’d love to hear your experience with them!

Regardless of how much you use the internet, email, and social media, there are times when a notepad is simply indispensable. It could be used to capture meeting notes, to jot down ideas during a brainstorming session, or to take notes during a conference. If you have provided your clients with custom notepads, your company’s name and logo will be front-and-center as they go about their day.

Another great use for notepads is as a green giveaway at a tradeshow. Unlike many of the other items that are distributed freely at tradeshows, people will actually use a notepad; it is more likely to make it back to the office rather than being recycled or tossed out in the hotel room!

In either case, notepads printed with your company logo and contact information enable you to give current and prospective clients something useful that constantly reminds them about your business. Greenerprinter offers recycled paper notepads printed on 70# Imagination text from New Leaf Paper. This paper is 100% post-consumer waste and is processed chlorine-free, so you can rest assured that you’ve minimized the environmental impact of a useful marketing piece.

What are embossing and foil stamping?

Embossing and foil stamping are both specialty finishing services that can make your printed materials stand out from the rest.

Embossing is a technique that creates a raised, or 3-dimensional, image on a piece of paper.

Foil stamping is a special kind of printing procedure where heat, pressure, and a metallic paper (foil) are used to create different designs and graphics on various materials. Foil stamping gives the stamped design a bright, shiny look.

What are the environmental impacts of embossing and foil stamping?

The Foil & Special Effects Assocation commissioned a study to look at foil stamping and sustainability. The study concluded that foil stamping did not detract from the recyclability of paper products. In an article about the study, Wendy Jedlicka points out that the embossing option is more sustainable because it uses fewer materials – while also providing a tactile quality that can enrich the printed piece.

With embossing and foil stamping, it is also much more cost effective to produce smaller quantities, so you can order only what you need (a minimum of 100 is recommended).

We also recommend using either the 95# Reincarnation or the 20 pt. Kraft paper, both of which are 100% recycled with 50% post-consumer waste.

Fortunately, you can minimize these negative impacts by having a green wedding. The Green Bride Guide has great information for reducing the environmental impact of your wedding. They feature a wealth of resources for planning a green wedding as well as a section on green vendors, such as Greenerprinter, who can provide the products and services that can make your wedding a green one. (Full disclosure: We print business cards for the Green Bride Guide, so we know that they abide by the green tips that they recommend!)

We can help by printing your eco-friendly save-the-date cards, which you can even design online using our templates. Simply upload the photo of your choice, customize your text, and submit your order.  If you’re working with a graphic designer to create a custom card, we can print that for you as well.

Once you’re done with the save-the-date cards, we can print your eco-friendly wedding invitations. Our 80# Everest Cover paper is the most popular for invitations – it’s 100% recycled with 100% post-consumer waste. And after the wedding, preserve your memories forever in a wedding photo book printed on acid-free archival paper. Our free photo book tool lets you create your own photo books in just minutes!