DEC 15

That's really cool! I have to print a lot for my debate team and I'm always looking for ways to minimize paper and ink use.

What an innovative idea, I am surprised someone has not already thought of it already. I wonder if all font was changed to have little circles like this, how much ink we would reduce usage of ink? I bet its a lot more than we would think.

Great idea and great post!

These guys have one too: http://printgreener.com/evergreen.html

You know, when I want to save ink, I just bold the words, then use the "outline" option on the Font Window on Microsoft Word. That saves MORE INK than this font.
I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that's thought of this.

If the printer companies weren't so focused on ripping everyone off for ink and toner, they would allow you to save your default setting to print in "draft" mode (light grey, barely uses any ink) instead of forcing you to have to remember to change it every time (and know that the option exists in the first place).

I have two papers due tommorw, so this font came to my knowledge at exactly the right time!

I have a HP 5150, it's set on Draft mode and double sided by default. So the "scam" note hereabove does not hold for all printers and printer producing companies.

This eco font is based on Trebuchet MS. I think more companies use Arial then Trebuchet MS, so more effective should be to use this principle on Arial. Also Trebuchet MS has a wider indent then Arial, so used more paper space then Arial would have.

Note that the 20% reduction calculation of the ecofont is not based of tests, but on a theoretical calculations, not taking into accound the the way printers work. It's only said that the characters have 20% less black information in the font characters.
It highly depends on how printers produce this font on the paper to realise ink reduction.
Normal full black character fonts printed in draft mode, look gray because of less ink use.
It might be that ecofont in small characters are not printed in with black ink only, but because of the "white" holes, are printed with the use of multiple colors ink to give the same color reduction impression (this is very common on inktjet printers).
So instead of using 20% less ink (1 color; black; for 80%), you might end up using 2 or 3 colors for 80% and so use 60% to 140% more ink.

I do like your idea of using draft mode; I used to do it all the time when I was printing large documents not-for-clients, but have gotten away from it.
Regarding the post about printgreener.com's resource-saving font, I checked the link and the letters are narrower and spacing tighter, so that it does save paper (and probably ink), but the type is harder to read (on screen, at least) and the font is cheap, but not free.

How do you know how your printer produces black type? I have an HP PSC 1650 inkjet, with a black (K) cartridge and a cyan/magenta/yellow (C/M/Y) cartridge, and I assume that when I choose "black" as a color it is produced with the black ink. Am I being naïve? Do I have to be sure to use a color swatch that I have defined as 100% K, 0% C, M, Y?

EcoFont is a step in the right direction. Not only ink is expensive, the printers do a great job spending it!

I recently found a software utility, PretonSaver Home, that "turns" every font to eco-font. It reduces ink consumption by up to 70% and provides excellent print quality.

I did not have to change the fonts I use or change the way I print. PretonSaver works in the background and very smartly optimizes the ink/toner used by my printers.

Try it for free. Download PretonSaver from halftheink.com (http://www.halftheink.com/index4.php)

I agree with inkoptimizer, if you really want to save use pretonsaver, ecofont will save only on text and up to 25%. Pretonsaver will save on pictures as well, and can save up to 70%. the print quality is good at 50% and i like the interface.
you can try pretonsaver for free at http://www.preton.com

While I can accept that punching holes in a font could save ink in an inkjet or bubble jet printer, I am intrigued by claims that this approach will save toner in a laser printer.

My understanding is that laser printers spray toner over the full sheet of paper, but it is only retained electostatically and baked on to the page, where the image on the drum requires. The rest is blown away, and collected in the waste toner bottle. So with ecofont, while there may be less toner on the page (where the holes in the font are), there would be more waste toner collecting in the bottle. Net result - no saving in toner, but it might make you feel better (unless you read this comment, and think about what this all means.

Unfortunately, many people will print out the sheets showing the advantages of the eco font, so the net result is probably quite perverse - more toner being used than would have otherwise been the case, if the marketing had been restricted to ink or bubble jet printers.

I would be interested in hearing the counter argument.