Teen Discovers Gov't Could Save $400M a Year by Not Using Times New Roman

[Tx4obama]

Teen Discovers Gov’t Could Save $400M a Year by Not Using Times New Roman

This is the one and only time it literally pays off to be a typeface snob: a sixth-grader’s science fair project revealed that the government could save up to $400 million a year on ink, by simply switching the fonts it uses.

Suvir Mirchandani, a 14-year old student from Pittsburg, was trying to come up with creative ways for his school district to save money when he realized that printer ink is hella expensive. “Ink is two times more expensive than French perfume by volume,” he told CNN, which is actually true. (It’s even more expensive than fine champagne.) After analyzing a random sample of school printouts and measuring how much ink various fonts use, Mirchandani discovered that by simply switching from Times New Roman to the thin-stroke Garamond, his district alone would cut down their annual ink costs by 24%, “and in turn save as much as $21,000 annually.”

Seeing the astounding results, Mirchandani’s teacher encouraged him to submit his work to the Harvard-based Journal for Emerging Investigators, who were highly impressed by Mirchandani’s work and wanted him to think bigger: how much money, they asked, would the federal government save if they switched over to Garamond?

Using the Government Services Administration’s estimated annual cost of ink — $467 million — Suvir concluded that if the federal government used Garamond exclusively it could save nearly 30% — or $136 million per year. An additional $234 million could be saved annually if state governments also jumped on board, he reported.

-snip-

More here: http://www.mediaite.com/print/teen-discovers-govt-could-save-400m-a-year-by-not-using-times-new-roman/

[Liberal Veteran]

1. I always liked Garamond better the TNR anyway.

It is my font of choice.

[Xithras]

5. Garamond is generally considered the most "readable" serif font when printed.

TNR has been around a long time and has been widely used in printed work for the better part of a century. It's current ubiquity in the desktop publishing world is largely due to the fact that Microsoft, Apple, and Adobe selected it as the default system and serif fonts back when its heavier strokes made it more legible on early low-resolution computer monitors. Garamond was hard to read back in the EGA/VGA monitor days.

[frazzled]

12. I think Garamond is prettier, but less readable

Garamond has, at least in the display fonts one uses on a computer, rather loose kerning, and the tracking is wide. Unless you adjust these features (deep in the bowels of Word--it used to be more upfront), it is rather strung out visually. And it's "weight" is lighter.

Times New Roman, which I kind of hate but always use for my work because I can catch details and errors more readily, has more variation in thicknesses, with lighter and heavier areas. Boring, somewhat ugly, but necessary for what I do in general.

[Xithras]

15. Most people think it's prettier and more legible on paper.

But, yes, it's imperfect.

Garamond is an elegant and easy to read typeface for the printed world. Times New Roman is the practical but unrefined alternative that works just about anywhere.

Generally, if I'm creating a document that will be primarily viewed in print, I'll use Garamond. If I'm creating a document that will be primarily viewed on a screen, I'll use Georgia. If I don't give a damn, or if I need something that will work equally well in both, I'll bite my tongue and use TNR.

[underpants]

2. Keep font based education out of the schools!!!

Times New Roman is my email font.

[bigwillq]

3. US governments waste so much money.

Ugh

[gratuitous]

4. Interesting

But how does the wispier Garamond type face hold up through multiple photocopyings or faxings? I realize that those procedures are going the way of the hoop skirt and the buggy whip, but documents are still being printed on paper, getting photocopied and faxed. And we are talking about printing here. Does Garamond retain its legibility like Times New Roman? If so, great. But if a document becomes illegible after being faxed or copied a time or two, we might be penny-wise (ink costs) and pound foolish (printing costs) to make the change.

[mikemcl350]

6. eco fonts

there are free "Eco - fonts " that make microscopic holes in the font to save ink, up to 28% they claim, un-noticeable to the eye just on the wallet!

[okaawhatever]

10. Hadn't heard about that. Thanks nt

[JaneyVee]

7. All Govt fonts should be in comic sans.

[randome]

9. I put hidden messages in my emails using WingDings font or something else.

Some recipients are 'clever' enough -and curious enough- to translate. Most are not.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]If you don't give yourself the same benefit of a doubt you'd give anyone else, you're cheating someone.[/center][/font][hr]

[jmowreader]

36. Just mailings from Republican congressmen, please

[Travis_0004]

8. Pretty smart kid

I think its sad that the GPO pretty much just blew him off, saying their plan is to switch to web content. That is a fine plan, but why not do both. I realize can't just switch overnight, but do a bit more research, switch a small department, and give it a try.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

11. I love Garamond. It's elegant and readable.

[TroglodyteScholar]

31. My resume has been in Garamond since I've had a resume

It just looks sharp doesn't it...

[etherealtruth]

13. Smart kids rock! n/t

[XemaSab]

14. There was a bit of a scandal with the latest Sibley guide to birds

For the second edition, the publisher picked this tiny sans-serif font that a lot of people found REALLY hard to read.

I wonder if it was to save on the cost of ink.

[rug]

16. .

[font color="green" size="12 point" face="Garamond"]Garamond is cool.[/font]

[certainot]

30. so it's liberal, then, and congress will oppose any effort to switch.

[pffshht]

17. The real WTF is that they're printing with inkjets and buying cartridges at retail prices

If that is really the case.
Instead of switching fonts, they need to switch to laser printers.

You could make your own toner out of burnt $1 bills and it would still be cheaper than an inkjet.

[Initech]

18. Yeah really! I wonder why they aren't using high volume laser printers?

[IronLionZion]

23. I suspect there are some flaws in this kid's assumptions.

Any enterprise would purchase the toner in bulk at far below retail prices, even a small shop would do so. And the toner cartridges can be refilled.

And on a related note, I have years of experience with federal gov. and we can often use Arial or TNR, in fact I would default to Arial since I like it better. I've seen official docs in Garamond and Calibri too.

[Revanchist]

32. I don't know about the rest of the government but while on shore duty

we had a contract that covered all aspect of computer and IT maintenance. We weren't even allowed to change the toner cartridges ourselves, we had to put in a service call. I'm afraid to find out what we were charged for a cartridge.

[vanlassie]

19. This kid is not the first to figure this out.

I heard about it years ago.

[Live and Learn]

29. We were mandated to use an ink saving font years ago

in our local government office. We also use high volume laser printers and limit color printing. The biggest waste of money, government is guilty of is the money it spends on private contractors for shoddy work.

[LittleBlue]

20. Wait until they discover paperless communication

They could save 100% on ink costs.

[JEFF9K]

21. Modern font would save much more than Garamond.

[Demeter]

22. meanwhile, we could all go blind, knowing we saved so much money

Sorry, but there's economizing, and then there's CHEAP!

[Helen Borg]

24. Morse code is even cheaper.

Just dots and dashes.

[tomm2thumbs]

25. clever idea - sometimes the most obvious are the hardest to see

good on him

[blogslut]

26. I bet the govt. could save even more using a sans-serif font

Down with serifs!

[DRoseDARs]

27. New Times Roman now, New Times Roman forever!

I refuse to mingle with the hoi polloi of lesser fonts.

[awoke_in_2003]

33. The only time I don't use TNR...

is when I due QMS audits. The QMS guy insists on Ariel

[DRoseDARs]

39. Give the fool Comic Sans. Hear him squeal in anguish. nt

[adieu]

28. I enjoy using all sorts of fonts

I rarely ever printing anything out except those that are absolutely necessary to be printed. If I can just fill out a PDF and email that back, I would, instead of printing and then faxing or mailing the completed document.

Of course, the government can't do that because there's a need to maintain an honest paper trail.

[Little_Wing]

34. Best ampersand ever: Garamond n/t

[LostOne4Ever]

35. Comic sans 4 life

>.>
<.<

Yes I am trolling

[deafskeptic]

37. The only time I ever use TNR is when

I want to give my printed documents an old fashioned flavor.

I will have to remember this so I can save money on ink.

[Octafish]

38. Sounds five orders of magnitude high.

$40,000, maybe.

Half a billion, no way.

Harvard's really gone downhill.