Money Quote by Simon Garfield
““Ecofont is designed to save ink, money and eventually the planet, but heaven save us from worthy fonts. Ecofont is a program that adds holes to a font. The software takes Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman and prints them is if they had been attacked by moths. They retain their original shape but not their original form, and so lose their true weight and beauty... a study at the University of Wisconsin claimed that Ecofonts, such as Ecofont Vera Sans, actually uses more ink and toner than lighter fonts such as Century Gothic...””
About This Quote
Source Article: The Eclectic Book of Font Design, 2012
Ecofont adds tiny holes to letters to reduce ink usage, but the visual distortion may compromise aesthetics and sometimes increase ink consumption.
In simple terms: Ecofont tries to save ink by perforating fonts, but may look ugly and not always save ink.
Key Takeaway
Consider true cost of saving resources versus quality.
Themes
environment
design
technology
efficiency
aesthetics
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
technical
informative
When to use this quote
- document printing
- office use
- design decisions
- budget constraints
Key Concepts
resource conservation
visual perception
printing technology
Questions to Reflect On
- Is the visual trade‑off worth the claimed savings?
- What alternatives exist for eco‑friendly printing?
A Different Perspective
The holes can reduce readability and may not actually save ink in practice.
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