Introduction
Brochure Printing is still a marketing tool that is well established and can be extremely effective. It’s not as simple as just folding a piece of paper nicely and printing your content. That takes more than just print; it takes design, content, and the print itself, combining these materials together to effectively communicate your brand.
As beginners or suit-wearing marketers, your chances of messing up a brochure are lessened by knowing the what’s and what’s not of marketing brochures. It’s better to learn the brochure printing tips than to lose your audience in a poorly designed brochure and not know why.
Let’s take a look at the 5 brochure printing tips that will make your brochures great!
Research Your Target Audience Before Starting Brochure Printing
Before you can begin planning the design, or choosing the right paper, firstly consider who you are designing your brochure for. Are they a big corporate decision maker? Are they young college students? Moms looking for household services?
Taking into account that your Brochure Printing project is relatable to the preferences and behaviours of your target audience will be much better received. You can adjust the tone, imagery, layouts, and even the fold type (tri-fold vs. bi-fold) to suit your audience.
For example:
- A modern, minimal layout would suit tech products.
- Bright and fun colours would be suitable for event promotions or kids products.
A common trap that marketers will fall into is creating brochures using the same template for every type of customer. Don’t do this! Personalisation is very helpful.
Select the Suitable Paper and Finish
One of the most neglected aspects of Brochure Printing is the quality of the paper. The quality of the paper communicates a lot about your brand. Using cheap, flimsy paper makes your business look unprofessional.
Here are some preferred options:
- Glossy Finish: Provide rich colors and a clean appearance.
- Matte Finish: Provides an understated, sophisticated look.
- Textured Paper: Good for a luxury or artistic brand.
Don’t just think about appearance, you have to think about practicality too; for example, a restaurant menu might need to be laminated, while a brochure from a creative agency could use recycled paper with a textured finish to communicate eco-friendly values.
Take time to find the right mix of weight, finish and size because it will make a real difference.
Develop with Print in Mind
Here’s a reality check: a perfect digital design is not always a perfect print. As you’re designing for Brochure Printing, consider the end result – the print.
Print-ready design considerations:
- CMYK color mode (not RGB) will ensure your colors are accurate
- 300 DPI image resolution will avoid blurry images
- Safe margin – be sure to leave a safe margin so no text is cut off
And don’t forget about bleed margins. Printers need some extra space (usually 3mm) around your design so that after trimming, secured edges will be clean. Forgetting to account for bleed can mean white lines showing up after trimming or part of your content is cut-off. That’s a very common mistake even designers that consider themselves ‘professionals’ make!
Create Clear, Benefit-Focused Content
Your brochure isn’t just about great graphics, it needs to sell! Strong content is just as important as design in Brochure Printing.
Some quick rules for engaging brochure content:
- Use short paragraphs and bullet points to improve readability
- Become a Benefit lover! Benefits are way better than features.
- Encourage a Take Action (CTA)
For example, if you are marketing a fitness program rather than saying “We have 5-day workout plans,” say “We help you lose weight fast with our 5-day transformation workouts!” It’s all about perceived value.
And please remember, your fonts need to be readable and don’t sacrifice readability for style.
Finally, most of our reading is skimming. Make each headline count and each sub-head even more so!
Test Before Printing in Quantity
One of the least considered tips in Brochure Printing is testing out a small number, before you go full bore. Why? Because once you print out 1,000 brochures, there is no going back.
Things to check, before printing in quantity:
- Do all of your images print out clearly?
- Are your colors as you designed?
- Are there any typos or spacing issues?
A printed brochure can look different than it does on your screen. Having a physical proof allows you to catch any small errors because even small errors can ruin the overall impact. Much better to be safe than sorry.
Also, test with people who are not part of your team. People with fresh eyes will often see things that you have become blind to. Then, ask them, “Does this brochure make you want to take action?” If it doesn’t, make adjustments and repeat.
Conclusion
Brochure Printing is more than simply putting ink on paper. It is a strategic process that includes understanding your audience, selecting the right materials, the design aspect, writing compelling copy, and thorough testing.
When everything is done right, a well thought-out brochure increases your brand awareness and how your message is communicated. It educates potential customers, and it engages leads into loyal customers.
Whether you are launching a new product, promoting an upcoming event, or just trying to increase brand awareness brochures can be a reliable marketing tool. And as you retain these tips, you’re way ahead of the game.
To wrap up, don’t underestimate the value of a well-designed product, and the importance of Color Printing good design and color printing can take your brochure from good to great to unforgettable. Just always remember to print with intent and clarity.
Speaking of visuals, Color Printing is a good way to catch attention. Use colors appropriately, and as consistently with your branding.
FAQs
1. What is the best size brochure printing?
The best size for your brochure depends on your content and purpose; however, the most commonly printed size brochure is an 8.5” x 11” tri-fold. Some marketers use larger sizes, or custom sizes, if they want that premium brochure feel.
2. How many folds should my brochure have?
Tri-folds are the most commonly printed style of brochure since they are the most compact so people enjoy getting their content in a small layout with a tri-fold; conversely, the bi-fold, z-fold, and gate fold style brochures allow more creative space. So ultimately the structure of your brochure should depend on the structure of your content.
3. Can I print brochures at home?
Yes you can, but if you want to print professional brochures, it would be best to work with a commercial printer for the best quality brochures especially if you want to print a bunch of them. Commercial printers will offer you better print quality, paper options, and even finishing options.
4. How long does brochure printing usually take?
Most printing turnaround is 3-7 business days. This is variable based on how many brochures you are printing, how customized the brochures are, and how busy your printer is. It is always better to plan ahead as to not incur a rush fee.
