I’m Using Way Too Much Paper!
April 7, 2008 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
Ugh! I just printed a 24 page manuscript, again! It seems as if the only way I can find typos and truly unclear sentences is if I print and do my editing with a pen away from the computer. I hate how much paper I use, even though I buy paper that’s got as much recycled paper in it I can find. And I make sure to recycle every scrap of paper I use.
Have you found a way to use less paper? Tell me about it, quick!
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I’ve had to learn how to conserve paper, because it’s good for the environment and my wallet. Here are my top paper savers:
1. Extend your margins to 1/2 inch on all sides while printing drafts.
2. Use the front and back of all pages while printing drafts.
3. If you’re printing an article during research, copy and paste it into Word then play with the font and see if using columns decreases the amount of paper needed to print.
I hate paper and have succeeded in reducing my paper at work to a bare minimum. (Home is another matter.) The editing/redlining features of MS Word are great. You can even do side-by-side views which both move in sync as you compare two versions. I can’t remember the last time I printed a file in order to edit it; it was at least 7 years ago. If someone hands me a print out, I give it back and ask them to send it to me electronically.
Hi, Anne, I always learn something from your blog, thanks for sharing your knowledge!
As for saving paper: the earlier suggestions are all good. I use another electronic trick–I change the font style and size, which seems to help reveal mistakes glossed over due to “monitor blindness,” which is related to the old “blackboard blindness.”
Like Desire, I use very narrow page margins and only print when I absolutely have to. I also save stuff I printed and use it for scrap paper when I’m done (unless it needs to be shredded). Oh, and when you do shred, you can use the scraps for composting, which is a nice way to kind of counteract the negative impact of paper usage.
You guys are way better at this than I am… okay, you’ve given me some ideas.