Unlike other marketing tools, printed products – such as magazines, catalogues, brochures, booklets, flyers, leaflets or posters – can be personalized and implemented in different marketing campaigns. Nevertheless, this versatility has two sides: on one hand, you have multiple options to choose from in terms of almost anything related to printing, and on the other hand it will give you the chance to make mistakes. The good news is you can avoid the latter. Find below 11 common printing mistakes you must not make!
1. Underestimating the importance of printed marketing
Studies show printed marketing is one of the most effective ways of advertising. Use all your resources and focus on delivering quality products to your audience, because printed informative materials can help your business grow in many ways: building an image, sending a message, increasing brand awareness or booming sales.
2. Not understanding your audience
Don’t create your printed products according to your own like and taste, without asking yourself if it will be appreciated by your targeted audience. Instead, find out what kind of product will be welcomed by the people you are addressing to by quickly researching the lifestyle, hobbies and interests of that certain public segment.
3. Choosing quantity over quality
If you’re on a budget it’s easy to make the wrong decision and choose the cheapest printing service you can find, but doing so means compromising your image. Instead, you can take some time for research and choose a trusted company that offers printing services at affordable prices. It’s important to work with experts in order to deliver a quality product.
4. Lacking minimum knowledge regarding essential requirements
Uploading a template on a website and waiting for the delivery is not enough if you’re looking for best results in the shortest time. Make sure you know the difference between RGB and CMYK color models when it comes to the images used for the materials. The resolution of the image is also an important matter, because what looks good on a screen might not look the same on the paper.
5. Overloading the pages
Keep it simple and don’t overload the pages with huge text blocks, dozens of graphic elements and lots of pictures. People will be distracted and unable to focus on the message you want to deliver. The idea is to make sure your audience can easily go through the content. And because most people are impatient and read through the lines, make sure you somehow emphasize the important info.
6. Thinking proofreading is optional
Imagine the following scenario: you’ve managed to create an amazing design for your printed materials, the ideas inside are well structured and you’ve found a professional company that uses advanced technology for printing. After receiving your order, you check it and notice spelling, grammar or punctuation errors. In the end, all your efforts in having a quality product will mean nothing if you don’t take some time for proofreading!
7. Ignoring the importance of colours and design
The color palette, the graphics and the design – all these elements should merge and be representative for your product or service. Otherwise, you will risk ending up with either a boring product or with something that screams “too much”. In both cases people will turn and look the other way.
8. Choosing the wrong type of paper
If you’re advertising a service or a product focused on sustainability and environmental awareness, you should go for recycled paper. If your targeted audience consists of fancy businessmen, go for glossy paper. It’s really that easy!
9. Thinking a book is not judged by its cover
If you’re thinking about printing a booklet or a catalogue, you should know the cover is sometimes more important than what’s inside. Some people base their decision of not opening a catalogue/booklet on the fact that the cover was not interesting enough. How to make them open it? Use catchy phrases and questions to make them curious and don’t forget about the finishing: it should be high quality!
10. Choosing the wrong binding
The binding should be chosen according to the number of pages, the size of the printed material and the looks you want to achieve. For a booklet with up to 40 sides you can use staple binding – a cheap and accessible method. If you want a more elegant and durable catalog or magazine, go for PUR (Polyurethane Reactive) binding. It is a perfect binding where pages are glued into the spine. Other types that you can choose are wire and spiral binding.
11. Not allowing enough space for bleed
The bleed is a term referring to an extension of the design on each side of a printed material. If you want to avoid blank edges after printing and cutting the products, you should allow a minimum 3 mm for bleed. Assuming you want your final product’s size to be 210 x 297 mm (A4), the size of the graphic design should be 213 x 300 mm, and so on.
Printed materials are an investment in your brand and an important tool for your marketing campaign. Now that you know how to avoid the most common mistakes in printing, you are ready to make the best products that will surely impress your audience. All while saving time and money!
