Print Design TipsTips and Information About Printing

It is common, especially for a new company, to cut costs on things such as business cards when they are trying to save money. This however should never be done since business cards will be the primary method of communicating to new customers.

Perhaps the worst mistake a company can make is to create their own business cards using their home printer. Nothing screams amateur more than this and in all actuality you won’t be saving much, if any, money at all. Custom printed business cards are not nearly as expensive as they once were and thanks to the internet you can buy them in bulk quite inexpensively.

These days it couldn’t be easier to find a printing company online that can design and print professional custom business cards for you. Using the internet you can even create your own cards using a variety of pre-made templates, clipart, etc. You can also upload your own photographs and graphics in order to create a more personalized finished product.

You may not have to use the internet if you prefer not to; there may be quality printing companies in your area that you can go to in order to have your custom business cards designed and printed. Chain and franchise stores may be the place to go if you are looking to save money and still get a quality product.

In short, business cards are one of your most important methods of reaching customers, so never attempt to cut corners by making your own cards unless you have the know-how and equipment that can produce professional cards.

In many cases your brochure will be the first impression you make on a potential customer or client, so it is important that yours be well-designed. The following elements are part of any well-made brochure: originality, design, images, color, and page bleed.

The originality of your brochure is somewhat self explanatory. This applies not so much to the design of the brochure, but how your company is represented. It should inform the audience of something unique about your company in order to make you stand out. The design of your brochure has to do with its outline and layout. In cases like this it is best to go for a simple design that is uncluttered and easy to read. Make sure only necessary information is included.

The images that are used in your brochure should always be the highest quality possible. Always ask the person who is designing your brochure what type of images they will be using. Sometimes they will take their own photos and other times they may prefer to use stock images. Regardless, make sure that they use high-resolution images.

Color is important in a well-designed brochure. Colors have a way of invoking feeling and emotion in a person. The colors used in the brochure should also go well with the images used such as the company logo. Finally there is the page bleed. This is where color runs off the edges of your brochure when printing in order to account for any shifts that may occur. At least a 1/8 bleed is recommended.

Newsletters and Magazines are a great way to communicate, not only with customers but the general public as well. You will get your name out there and people will start talking about your business with others. You will not only be getting the exposure of the magazines but also word of mouth. Any business can benefit from these opportunities.

Newsletters

A newsletter is usually mailed out on a regular basis, giving up-to-date information. So what can a business newsletter have and do for your business? If you create a newsletter and publish it quarterly you will have repeated exposure to your clients and prospective clients. You want to keep you name in front of them so they do not forget about your services. This way when they have a need for them you are the first one they think of. You will want to create a layout for your newsletter and once you have one you like stick with it. If you are constantly changing the layout, it will be hard for your customers to find the information they are looking for. If they get used to specific information in one place all the time you do not want to be changing it in every newsletter. Be sure that your business information is in every newsletter. Talk about your product or services. Mention all new services and any specials that you are running. You can also consider placing a coupon in your newsletters, this will help you attain new customers and keep established ones. Remind them of any holidays or local events that your services or products may be relevant to; this will increase your sales during these time periods. Getting your newsletter printed professionally will give them the finish you need to represent your company the way it deserves. Try to make them colorful and fun for the reader.

Magazines

Magazines are a great addition to business communications. These can be a source of revenue on a few levels. You will be talking, of course, about your product or services and how they can benefit people. It is a good idea to target your area and stay with that topic rather than venturing too far off topic. Talk about how your products or services are going to be of great value for an upcoming holiday; Christmas or Labor Day for example. Include articles about various items, events or anything that relates to your business. You can run specials from time to time. Get businesses to advertise in your magazine will be an additional way to earn money from your magazine. Contact local businesses that may be interested in your field. You can also contact businesses that are only an online business; they may want alternate sources of advertisement from time to time. The last way you can earn from your magazine is by subscription. Creating a good magazine with a variety of reading, ads, specials, events and more will attract readers that want to receive your magazine on a regular basis.

Conquest Graphics specializes in newsletter printing and brochure printing.

Postcards are one of the more efficient forms of advertising. You can use them in order to reach new customers, or to follow up with your current ones. Some products, such as Campbell’s Soup and Coca Cola, even became household brands due to their creative use of advertising postcards. It wasn’t long before many other companies were capitalizing on this idea by either sending cards through the mail or passing them out in various stores.

Creating advertising postcards wasn’t always possible for small businesses to do however. Nowadays the Internet and computers have made it quite inexpensive to develop and create your own postcards in order to promote your business. You have the option of mailing postcards or passing them out at local events for example. Both of these methods are relatively inexpensive and can really help to get the word out about your business.

Because of all the technological improvements made just over the past decade you are actually able to have your professionally made custom printed postcards created with state of the art technology. Whether you currently are a one person show operating out of your home, or have employees and an office, advertising postcards are a perfect place to get started creating your company image.

You will find that you will have no problems creating your new postcards with the high-quality designs that are available to even the most modest of budgets. For perhaps the first time, you do not have to be a large company to afford this type of advertising.

Get high quality postcard printing at Conquest Graphics for a discount price.

If you’re considering a company marketing campaign, you will most likely need quality printed promotional collateral as they are a powerful tool in your sales armory. 

A two-fold brochure is an easy and attractive means of presenting your company to potential clients and with a little research into the work produced by the copious number of print and design companies available to undertake this work for you, you are going to see a wealth of choice.

Make sure you request samples of their work and pay special attention to the design; is the artwork-eye-catching?  Are the colors powerful enough – it has been scientifically proven that people are more likely to respond to color and retain information! Does the wording inspire you to read all the content?  What is the overall feel of the quality of the finished product they are producing?  How happy are their existing customers?  What other projects have they carried out that are similar to your own needs?

Once you have satisfied yourself that you have found the perfect printing company, make some notes on how you wish them to portray your business and the services you offer.  Communication with the design department is crucial if they are to understand your requirements and they should have the expertise and production capabilities to deliver what you are looking for but you will need to clarify what you wish to portray.

You need to present an impressive impact in order to glean the most productive response to your marketing campaign.

Consider the extent of your marketing campaign, it is usually far more economical to order in larger numbers (but only if you need that quantity) while there are often offers of other stationery and printing supplies at much lower prices if all are included in the same order: business cards, headed notepaper, reports, packaging etc.

Discuss and agree the prices in advance of placing your order to save disappointment when presented with your invoice.

The information and ideas you have provided will be used along with the professional skills of both the design and production teams to produce a proof for your examination.  Don’t pay for your printing until you have examined the proof and agree it is correct, free of errors and what you are looking for because it is too late to argue once the job goes to print.