Ecofont is the name of a TrueType font family, an application program for Windows, and a Dutch business firm. The font was developed by SPRANQ in the Netherlands in 2008–2009 with the purpose of reducing ink consumption when printing documents.
Design and Concept
Ecofont Vera Sans (originally called Eco Sans) is based on the Bitstream Vera Sans typeface. Each character in the font contains tiny, intentionally placed holes (unprinted areas) that are small enough that the human brain does not readily perceive them during normal reading. By omitting these small portions of each character, the font reduces the amount of ink or toner needed for printing. SPRANQ originally claimed that this reduces ink usage by approximately 15 percent compared to the Vera Sans family on which it is based.
Software Application
In addition to the font itself, Ecofont BV also markets an application program (formerly called "Ecofont Professional") that inserts similar small holes into other fonts at the time of printing, thereby reducing ink consumption for documents that use fonts other than Ecofont Vera Sans.
Ink Savings
- A 2010 test found that Ecofont Vera Sans saved 20% more ink compared to Bitstream Vera Sans. However, both sans-serif fonts used more ink than most typical serif fonts.
- In 2011, Ecofont claimed that a reproducible test comparing Arial with "Ecofont Arial" showed ink savings of 28%.
- Independent tests from Buyerslab have claimed savings of up to 50% in toner ink compared to normal printing.
Company
Ecofont BV, based in Utrecht, Netherlands, distributes and sells both the software and the Ecofont Sans fonts.
Awards
- European Environmental Design Award 2010 from DiMAD in Spain (for Eco Sans)
- Accenture Innovation Award 2011 in the category Consumer Products
- Sprout Challenger Award 2012
- SMEs Innovation Top 100 2013
Related Fonts
Another font designed for ink economy using a similar "hollow letter" concept is Ryman Eco, which uses an average of 33% less ink than standard fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman, and Georgia.
