Designing PRINTED MARKETING COLLATERAL GET WHAT YOU NEED DONE FAST and ACCURATELY the FIRST TIME Tweet This Stat! Tweet This Quote!

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QUICKGUIDE

dESIGNING PRINTED MARKETING COLLATERAL GET WHAT YOU NEED DONE FAST AND ACCURATELY THE FIRST TIME Tweet This Stat! Tweet This Quote!

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QUICKGUIDE for Designing Printed Marketing Collateral

All marketing collateral is designed before it’s printed: business cards, brochures, one-pagers, direct mail pieces, folders, signage, calendars, even promotional products.

Some businesses have an in-house designer, but most opt to work with the printer’s designer. In some cases businesses contract with an independent designer.

No matter your situation, the purpose of this quickguide is to help you get the best design ready for the printer in a timely and cost effective manner. Pull it out for the next project and prepare to check off each action item like a to-do list. PREPARE ”The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.” Elbert Hubbard

Define the business Select the type of Define the goals of development purpose collateral that will the collateral for of the piece. accomplish the job. marketing.

• Is it for sales, list building, • The best piece of collateral • Goals for distributing event attendance, fundraising, is multipurpose. You can printed collateral may seem educating, general business use it at a tradeshow and kind of odd, but it’s not a development, setting when making sales calls. Or, joking matter when boxes of appointments, customer it can educate customers in brochures sit on a closet floor. service, etc. the store and prospects who receive it by mail. • Document numbers for • What’s missing or outdated desired reach, desired for marketing collateral in • Planning this ahead of time response rate (based on that area? helps you make the best the call to action on the media choices and print the marketing piece), methods of • Can you make improvements appropriate volume. distribution, and expected over what’s currently revenue if applicable. Put it in available and solve more than a reasonable timeframe. one need at a time?

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Quickguide for Designing Printed Marketing Collateral

Define Who Are the Recipients

If you don’t have one already, create a description of the intended recipients for the marketing piece. Note their buying habits, interests, and demographics. Use this information to communicate who your target market is to your designer. This along with your business and marketing objectives will help him make the best recommendations for your collateral.

Positioning Statement Look for examples you’d like to mirror or replicate. Good marketing collateral has a

Consider past projects or what positioning statement front and STYLE GUIDE other businesses have done. center. It may be the company If you do not already have a style guide for business graphics, Use Google’s image search to tag or a value statement. get one started. Even a one page document listing colors, font get ideas. This is very helpful Select what makes sense for your types, and uses of the logo is a good start. Check out this for the designer since strictly audience and the following offer. blog post. verbal communication is limiting to sharing visual ideas.

Call to Action The Offer

If you can put a call to action on The offer is the central the marketing piece then do it. purpose (desired outcome) of Signage and promo products can the marketing piece. Is it to have them too if you’re creative purchase a product/service, - purchase, subscribe, enroll, highlight a special promotion, donate, RSVP, phone call, attend, request a friendly conversation, enter here, visit. or suggest a subscription?

If you are not using a graphic designer provided by the printer, select your designer carefully. Make sure they have experience with designing print collateral. For example, what defines black ink can vary per printer if not specified. An experienced designer of print collateral knows these tricks of the trade to make your printed design outstanding. www.bebetterdomore.com Page 3 (434) 847-5561 - P.O. Box 10936 Lynchburg VA Tweet This Stat! Tweet This Quote!

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Quickguide for Designing Printed Marketing Collateral

EXECUTE

”Art is beauty, the perpetual invention of detail, the choice of words, the exquisite care of execution.” Theophile Gautier

onfirm with the designer their production process and cost. Typically they outline the Cformat for collecting your ideas, number of drafts for revising and then approving, and the final deliverables. You should recieve it in a printer ready format with proper bleeds and preferred variations if applicable (such as sizes and B&W or grayscale).

Plan the Design Prepare the Marketing Copy

1. Discuss with the designer a list of desired After the design planning meeting you’ll know what attributes for your marketing piece while looking you need for copy. Decide who is qualified to write at your examples it (yourself, hire a copywriter) and who will do final 2. Avoid the confusion that can happen around editing. terminology by talking through the idea development stage by using visual references 3. Typical points of discussion are whitespace, colors, font types, imagery, dimensions, Source the Images available branding elements (logo and other Determine which images you and the designer illustrations), subconscious messaging, and the will provide. Common options are stock photos, overall feel of the piece professional photos, and royalty free. 300 dots per inch is best for printing.

Confirm File Type for the Printer

See if the printer needs the native file from the designer, a PDF file, or both (not applicable if the printer is also doing the design) Popular software for design are Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress. Not a slidedeck or word processing document.

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Quickguide for Designing Printed Marketing Collateral

REVIEW

”Twice and thrice over, as they say, good is it to repeat and review what is good.” Plato

Review the initial and final draft prepared by the designer.

Customize Before Printing Streamline Feedback Address Problems

Provide feedback and make all Deliver feedback in as few Outline problems instead desired edits to the piece at this (ideally one) setting or message, of solutions. You can make stage before sending or setting avoid spreading across suggestions but let the designer it up for the printer. different time periods and use his expertise to come up communication channels. with the adjustments.

Confirm who will approve the design proof.

Approval by committee is not recommended. One or two people to review are sufficient. Have a person who’s not involved in the project look at it (fresh eyes). Test all phone numbers, website addresses, and email addresses to make sure they work (typo or system issues).

Before Printing Begins

losely review the printer’s proof before production. Do not request additional customizations Cat this point. The purpose of this proof is to make sure the design of the mail piece successfully transferred to the format for printing. Look for formatting issues. Your printer should be looking too.

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Quickguide for Designing Printed Marketing Collateral

Get some advice on a campaign you are Blog Posts You’ll Want to Check Out working on right now! How to Prepare Files For A Printer Clarke, Inc. is the world’s largest purveyor of epic marketing truth. We transform your 12 Reasons Why Cheap Printing Isn’t Worth marketing into a great salesperson and offer practical common sense solutions for the “Savings” real businesses. If you want the pretty boy marketing firms we’re not for you. Secrets a Print Production Manager Doesn’t Want You to Know Call Victor at 434-847-5561 or email at [email protected] 6 Little Known Insider Tips to Negotiate With Your Printing Shop

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