Perforations, firstly, make stamps easy to tear off. Architects and engineers employ them to create lighter and more breathable structures.

Now, graphic designers at Dutch creative agency SPRANQ re-introduce us to the cute doodads as a novel way to save ink.

Ecofont, a free sans-serif typeface, is bejeweled with circular gaps along its spines, stems, bowls, descenders and ascenders.

How much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. After lots of late hours (and coffee) this resulted in a font that uses up to 20% less ink.

Side note: The famous Aricebo Observatory‘s reflecting mirror is made of almost 40,000 aluminum panels — all of which are perforated. (Radio wavelengths can be the size of a football field, so tiny holes in the dish don’t interfere with the capture of information.)

And as long as you’re saving ink, why not save paper too? Reduce your margins by half an inch. Also, listen to Ben Saunders share tips on getting to the North Pole, like cutting off your toothbrush handle to save an ounce of weight to carry.

(Via Lifehacker via QuickOnlineTips.)