The Elements of Great Design: What to Keep in Mind During the Commercial Printing Process

Print marketing materials offer an affordable and surprisingly effective way to advertise your business, but it’s important to remember that it’s not a simple matter of “print and go.” A poorly designed item could do more than just fail to live up to its marketing potential; it could actually have a detrimental effect on the public perception of your business. Look at it this way: Your advertising methods – including print marketing items – are seen by consumers as a reflection of your business. If they’re well designed and professional in appearance, people will conclude that you take pride in your work and that they will be in good hands if they take advantage of your services. In contrast, print materials that look sloppy, amateurish or poorly done will give people the impression that you’re too lazy or careless to put forth the necessary effort.

Fortunately, it’s easy to create compelling print marketing items by paying attention to the elements of great design and incorporating them into your own advertising materials. Here are a few key points to keep in mind during the commercial printing process:

• Choose compelling – and relevant – imagery. No matter what kind of print marketing materials you’re designing, you’ll want to have an eye-catching picture or illustration to     capture the attention of readers. Of course, the image you pick also     needs to be pertinent to what you’re promoting. For instance, if you’re advertising a bake sale, why not use a full color photo of a mouth-watering cupcake?
• Leave     the page as clean and free from clutter as possible. While you need to include text and imagery, resist the urge to fill in every square inch of the page with words, pictures, borders, or other unnecessary extras. Include only what is necessary to convey your message effectively, and nothing more. Remember that the human eye is drawn to empty space, so giving your print marketing materials a little “breathing room” will actually work to your advantage.
• Include     only the most meaningful text…and make sure it’s easy to read. Usually, there are only a few details that you’ll need to include on your marketing items: The time, date and location of the specific event that you’re promoting, and your company’s name, logo and motto or slogan (when     applicable). Pick fonts that are clean and legible over ones that     are flowery or decorative. And always make it easy for interested parties to find more information: Print the URL for your company’s website in a prominent place.

With these design elements in place, you can expect your commercial digital printing process to be an unmitigated success – and well worth the investment of your advertising dollars.