A Smooth Design Process For Your Flyers
March 19th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
by Janice Jenkins
The design process is very important as it is the time that you put into words and visual representation all that you want your flyer printing project to be in the end. It is during the flyer printing design process that you finalize and polish all the elements you want included in your print flyers. It is during the design process that you get to be as creative as you want.
But there are problems during this time that you need to be wary of so that you’ll be able to get the flyer printing results you desire. In order for your flyer printing design process to go smoothly, here are the five steps to follow:
1st Step: Organize, plan and budget
The first thing you need to do is set up a budget for your flyer printing project. It should include the writing, designing, editing, proofreading, pictures, photography or stock images, selecting the paper stock, flyer printing, folding, binding, labeling, and even the distribution process.
And then set your flyer printing deadline. All that goes into the production of the print flyers should determine your deadline. And each of the sections in your production process should have their own deadlines as well. In order to set your individual deadlines, begin with the day you want your target clients to get a hold of your flyer printing pieces. Then work your way back to the design stage. But don’t forget to leave extra time for corrections and editing and other such stuff so you will have plenty of time for surprises.
2nd Step – Design Brief
Provide yourself a design brief that clearly identifies your ideas, objectives and budget. This would be easier if you know who your target readers are and your main purpose in doing your flyer printing project. It would also make it easy to customize your flyer printing project (the design, fonts, graphics, and color) according to the target market you have. Moreover, a design brief would also help you stay within your budget and deadline.
Hire a professional or consult with a designer or your flyer printer to help you conceptualize your flyer printing project. It would do you more good than harm to get other people who know the industry and are willing to help you out with your flyer printing project.
3rd Step: The Layout
When you’ve chosen where you want your flyer printing project to go, use a professional software program to help you put into document your concepts and ideas. Compile all your text and your graphic images and develop that flyer printing project you’ve planned for.
4th Step: Proofread, edit, check
Check everything that you have put down in your flyer printing design. Proofread every word, phrase and sentence you’ve written. Hire an editor or a proofreader if you must. Go over your contact information and make sure that all the numbers are in the right order. And make sure that your flyer printing design is well coordinated with your flyer printing copy. Correct and identify the captions that appear in each of the illustrations. The bottom line is to review and edit everything so that you won’t have to do it again when you put your flyer printing project to press.
Final Step: Transfer your flyer printing project in ready-to-print disk and give it to your flyer printer for reproduction. Always remember to get a preview of your finished flyer printing piece to finally check your flyer printing project.
Article source: ArticlePros.com
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Print Advertising… The Forgotten Direct Sales Income Generator
August 16th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Over the years, the Internet has become the primary means of trying to sell products, services, or information for many marketers and businesses. However, as popular as the Internet is, it still may not be the most profitable way to advertise or sell.
In our modern day of high-speed technology, many seem to forget that the tried and true method of direct sales marketing through print advertising can still prove to be the most profitable way to go.
Why is this you say? It’s because basic human nature has not changed, nor have human buying triggers. Having something tangible in hand that can be touched is still trusted more than words or images thrown up on a computer screen. In spite of the Internet’s capability of reaching out to multi-millions of email addresses or viewers in a matter of minutes… a printed circular or flyer in hand still holds more credibility.
Think about it. When you get a printed circular or flyer that you can hold in your hand… you tend to look at it as something real that is produced by a real person whom you can identify with. You don’t generally look at it as some unknown face or entity hiding behind a computer screen trying to scam you.
It seems illogical that so many marketers and businesses are unaware of, or have forgotten this old proven method of advertising and selling. Printed forms of advertising and direct sale pieces have stood the test of time, and have proven itself over and over again against everything that has come and gone.
Here’s something else to think about. Most people go online looking for information, not sales offers. So the chance of them running across your online offer is slim to none. However, when a printed direct sales offer is physically placed in the hands of people, they will put forth the effort to seek out the source of the offer. It doesn’t matter if it’s right up the street from them or online… the printed direct sales piece established a certain form of credibility.
With direct sales, you don’t have to worry about getting traffic to a web site, search engine optimization, black hat, white hat, or any of the other online techniques you see touted. People coming online to your web site after reading your printed direct sales piece are generally looking to buy the product or service offered.
The World Wide Web, or Internet should wisely be used in combination with direct sales as an extension of your advertising and sales efforts… not as your primary medium. More people who are ready to buy will find you through direct sales than they would just surfing the internet to see what’s available amid the billions of web pages.
A printed advertising or direct sales piece is really much easier to produce than a web site… wouldn’t you agree? All it has to do is make people aware of what is available, the cost, and where to get it. If the offer is located in a physical building, then give the address and times of operation. If it is located online, the give the web site addresses. It’s just that simple.
Most internet exclusive advertisers will likely see their sales efforts pay off in a much greater way by combining print advertising and direct sales with their online methods. Once a printed direct sales piece establishes credibility, a web site would only need to highlight benefits and give access to the offer.
Now that you realize the benefits and advantages… do yourself and your business a favor, and make print advertising direct sales an important part of your financial well being.
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Graphic Design For The Great First Impression
August 15th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Whether it’s a company business card, a letterhead, a poster, an ad in the paper, a web site, or any host of business presentation materials, you need superb graphic design to stand out in this highly competitive world. Like the old saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
Great first impressions are made by outstanding graphic design.
There are people who take years in university or college to study graphic design. The good thing is that if you’re not one of them there’s still hope!
Large corporations contract companies or highly capable individuals who can look after their corporate identity, but the rest of us need to either hire the local printing shop or do the design work ourselves.
Today, being able to create a good company image is not the stumbling block it was years ago. Most computer programs, like word processors, desktop publishers etc., have ‘wizards’ that will help you create an identity for your business by using existing templates. All you need to do is plug-in your own information. These programs can create business cards, logos, brochures, newsletters, posters, and a host of other related presentation materials.
There are even software programs that will create a very professional company logo, whether your business is very conservative or very outlandish. Some of these are less than $20.
Web sites are also a major part of a company’s identity, more so if you are actually developing or own an online company. By searching the Internet, you can buy templates for your web site that will almost be a perfect fit for your business, whether you are selling online or offline.
Even the presentation of information, the actual words that tell about your product or service, or anything related, needs to be considered a graphic design element. Consider some of the posters that promote milk. The advertising companies that promote the drinking of milk could write a multitude of words explaining the chemical make-up of milk and why you should drink it.
Instead, they add a large photo image of an active person drinking it outdoors, with a cow in the background, and place one word in the corner of the poster, “Milk”. Everyone gets the meaning immediately from the photo, which is then reinforced by the word, or a few words.
When doing your own graphic design, the best principle to follow is that ‘less is more’. Allow for lots of space. People find it hard to focus on things that are cluttered. Think of a desk. You don’t really notice the desk when it’s cluttered with papers and junk. Remove the clutter and everyone notices the desk. Keep things clean and simple.
If you do have to present a lot of words, try adding visual interest by adding pull-quotes, which are boxes set in the text that quote some of the highlights of the actual text. The box adds interest.
People usually notice the biggest, boldest item first, and then go left to right if no clear indication is given. In a newspaper article, it’s usually the photo first, then the headline, then bolded captions, then the actual article.
There’s no shame in looking at a design that works for someone else, and emulating it, but not copying it.
By keeping in mind what your ‘desk’, or focus, is, and by using all the tools at your disposal, many of which are free, you will be able to produce graphic designs that are both eye catching and profitable.
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