When designing your ad, brochure, poster or any other print materials, you, of course, want the outcome to be perfect. You put the effort into writing the most gripping and original content. You put this content together with attractive and unique imagery. You add all the pertinent contact information. You look the design over, very happy and proud, and send it off to the publisher. Sometime later, you pick up a product that looks so different from your idea that you cannot imagine why. If you are extra ‘lucky’, there is also a glaring typographical mistake on the very first line. Has something like this happened to you before? At iti Direct Mail, we have been working in the field for many years and have seen many examples of the bad, the worse, and the ugly when it comes to common mistakes when designing for print. Here is a brief rundown some of them.
Not designing for print in the first place
As simple as this may sound, we still see clients repeatedly trying to use something that was designed for electronic distribution or for the web as the basis of the print design. This never works, and it should be avoided at all cost. Redesigning something is expensive, time-consuming and unoriginal—aim for your print materials to be actually made for print in the first place.
Proofing means proofing well
The last thing you want is to have a misspelled name or other error multiplied several times. If you make a mistake in your print design, once the product is finished there is no going back and no ‘undo’ button. Take the time and put in the effort into ensuring that no such story happens to you.
Not using the right colors
From insisting on using RGB colors instead of CMYK colors to ignoring the simple fact that Photoshop’s colors are not exactly as what would come out in print form, we have seen many examples of print design problems over the years. Make sure that you understand the difference and ensure that you use the colors that your printers can accommodate.
Resolution is key
What can easily work on the web will look blurry in print. Aim for at least 300 DPI guarantee that there is no pixilation and the quality is attractive to the readers. If you are unsure of how to change the resolution, make sure to ask a design professional.
The bleed is not as horrible as it sounds
If you are designing for print, do remember to leave some extra space covered with the colors that you need outside of the main print area. This way, you will avoid white space should the print be only a millimeter off from the desired position.
Avoiding the above-mentioned points will not resolve all problems, but will definitely be a good start. If you have any questions or need help, please feel free to contact our expert team at iti Direct Mail. We look forward to working with you!