One of the key questions you must ask yourself when designing print marketing pieces is "will they keep it long enough to absorb the message"?
Print materials with a cheap or insubstantial look and feel tend to get thrown away rather quickly. Here are several ways to make certain your print pieces won't wind up in the trash before they're read:
- People tend to keep something around longer when it looks and feels expensive. Don't print brochures or flyers on lightweight, "Insty-prints" style paper. Use a high-quality glossy brochure paper that is suited to your printer. Use laser-grade paper for laser prints and inkjet paper for pages printed in an inkjet printer.
- Use high-quality stock. Business cards should be printed on extra-heavy card stock or textured stock. Cardstock with a ribbed texture or a glossy finish has a rich look. A coating of clear varnish can be applied to cards after they are printed.
- Color usually beats black and white, although simplicity and contrast is more important for logos and business cards.
- Use sharp, clear, high-pixel images in print pieces, not compressed photo files. Don't over-magnify your images to the extent that they will become grainy. Make an extra effort in your photography and it will pay off in print marketing.
- Spelling and grammar must be impeccable in anything you hand to the public. Nothing will turn off educated consumers faster than a piece that appears to have been written at the third grade level.
- Use type fonts that are readable! Script fonts can be hard to read and sometimes tough to print. Fine lines in scripts can drop out or print "blind", depending on the printing process and other factors.
- Balance copy with photos or graphics. If your marketing piece is too "grey" (too much copy), no one will bother to read it.
There are excellent books and websites that deal with the subject of layout and design. Check out About.com and search under "graphic design" or "desktop publishing" for helpful online articles on these subjects. Learn to examine your own marketing pieces with a critical eye and to make appropriate changes.
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Eric Kodner is a luxury property specialist and real estate educator in the Minneapolis & Saint Paul area with a unique perspective on the Twin Cities real estate market. Wayzata Lakes Realty LLC is a member of the LuxuryRealEstate.com broker network.
© Copyright 2007-2008 Eric Kodner & Wayzata Lakes Realty
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