Teen: Switching font could save US over $130 million
Mar 28, 2014, 4:01 PM
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Everyone wants the United States government to save money, but one teen may have found one of the most unique angles to spend over $100 million.
According to CNN, 14-year-old Suvir Mirchandani suggested the government use only one font, Garamond, which could represent a $136 million savings on printer ink annually.
Suvir discovered the potential savings while working on a science fair project. He wanted to find more ways to make schools more environmentally-sustainable and, rather than exploring the old-hat recycled paper, he found that certain fonts use less ink to print.
It may seem minor, but printer ink is expensive.
“Ink is two times more expensive than French perfume by volume,” Suvir says with a chuckle.
When he saw the federal government spent $1.8 billion on printing costs, he realized his project could help them save millions. Suvir sent his idea to the federal government, a spokesman at the Government Printing Office said it has cut down on the amount it prints.
Suvir still contends his idea could save money.
“They can’t convert everything to a digital format; not everyone is able to access information online. Some things still have to be printed,” Suvir argues.
Suvir also said an additional $234 million could be saved nationwide if states shift to the Garamond font.
