DESIGN TIPS
COLOR SELLS! The use of color is commonplace and economical in printing today. Whether a printed piece is a single use “flier” or a lustrous product catalog, readers’ eyes go to full color more quickly than to a single color piece. Also, studies show that color images are remembered 75% more often than black and white images.
SIZE. Create your document the same size as your intended final printed piece.
BLEEDS. When you have color, screens of color, or pictures touching the edge of the paper, create a bleed that extends 1/8 inch past the edge of your document. The excess will be trimmed off and eliminate a chance of paper showing at the edges when the job is trimmed.
ARTWORK WITHOUT BLEEDS. Keep all text, images, logos etc. at least 1/8 inch away from the edge of the finished size. Any items positioned too close to the edge may be cut off during trimming.
BORDERS. When using borders keep them at least 1/4 inch away from the edge of the sheet. Possible shifting in the cutting process my cause the borders to appear uneven.
VECTOR IMAGES use mathematical equations to define each component of an image. This allows vector images to retain their high quality at any size. Programs like Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, or Macromedia Freehand allow you to create vector graphics. Vector images should be used for all text and logos, if possible. They return the clearest image and can be re-sized without losing resolution.
A RASTER IMAGE is composed of a collection of tiny dots called pixels. When these pixels are small, and placed close together, they fool the eye into forming a single image. Raster images work great when subtle gradations of color are necessary. Because they contain a fixed number of pixels, a major disadvantage of raster images is that their quality suffers when they are enlarged or otherwise transformed. They also create large files.
DO NOT UNDERLINE BODY COPY. Underlining slows and frustrates readers. To add emphasis, use bold fonts or italicize or use all caps. To emphasize your point, change the color of the font, but use sparingly.
LIMIT NUMBER OF FONTS. In most cases, it’s a giveaway that a non-designer created a document when a large number of different fonts/typefaces are used. Using up to three different fonts is acceptable, but the best pieces use only one or two.
SELECT APPROPRIATE FONTS/TYPEFACES.
• 14 point type and larger is display type. Larger type is used for headlines, headings and subheads.• 12 point type and smaller is text type. Used for most sustained reading.
• Serif typefaces were designed to make reading easier. The “hands” and “feet” guide the eye through the text. Almost all novels and textbooks use serif typefaces. (Examples: Times, Garamond)
• Sans Serif typefaces are easy to read from a distance. Best used in short blocks of text. Large signs and billboards make extensive use of san serif typefaces. (Examples: Helvetica, Arial)
• Be careful with scripts and decorative fonts. They are good to attract attention, but hard to read for any length of time. Limit use to three lines at most. (Examples: Phyllis, Comic Sans)
KEEP LINE LENGTHS TO ABOUT 65 CHARACTERS. (Think paperback book.) Long lines tend to lose and confuse readers. Shorter lines appear less daunting and are easier to follow and read. This is important to keep in mind on web sites, too.
PICK ONE ELEMENT TO BE DOMINANT. Materials become confusing when everything is vying for attention and conversely, just as confusing when nothing is dominant.
LEAVE WHITE SPACE. White space is similar to a pause in speaking as whatever comes after it is perceived as important.
LIMIT REVERSE TYPE. Reverse type, white type in a black or colored background, attracts attention and can make things “pop’. However, less is more, as reverse type is hard to look at in long passages. Also, use a bolded typeface to make it as legible as possible.
MAKE SURE PHOTOS ARE NOT LOOKING OFF THE PAGE. If a photo is looking off the page, that is where the reader will look. If possible, have the action in the photograph direct the eye through the piece.
KEEP YOUR AUDIENCE IN MIND. If the material is to be used by the elderly, make sure the type is large enough to be read. Black ink on white paper is the most legible combination. Material for children works well in block type.
FILE PREPARATION TIPS
SAVING A FILE. Keep your file names 12 characters or less. Long file names do not transfer properly. When this occurs your linked files will not link.
IMPORT GRAPHICS. It is best to import or place graphics and images into a document. Do not copy and paste graphics into a document because a link will not be created. This causes problems when gathering a job. The files may be missing when saved for printing.
CONVERT TEXT TO OUTLINES. In EPS files, text is best outlined or converted to paths or curves. When you gather your files from the originating document it will not always gather the fonts used in your EPS that was created in another program.
USE HIGH RESOLUTION GRAPHICS. The minimum for reproducing nice color photos or halftones is 300 dpi. Don’t pull graphics or images off the Internet and place them into your document. For the most part, they are low-resolution images (images that have had many pixels removed). You will be disappointed as they will appear blurry or as jagged pixels when printed.
CHECK COLORS. Check that colors created in the document are specified for CMYK process or PMS colors for spot colors. When creating artwork in other applications, creating blends or duotones, make sure the colors used are specified the same way.
PREFLIGHT YOUR JOBS. Each job should include (1) file, (2) fonts, (3) images, (4) a laser output, (5) any written special instructions, (6) name and phone number of a contact person.
PROOF. Always check your document for color quality, spelling, and layout. You are responsible for proofreading your files. Proofreading saves you time, money and frustration. When you have proofread and finalized your document, you will be asked to sign a proof slip.
HELPFUL DOWNLOADS
For customers designing their own documents, SGP would like to assist you in achieving the most professional job possible. First, we would like to recommend reading the above Tips for useful information. Below are helpful websites.
The following website offers a free photo reference archive. The term "morgue file" is popular in the newspaper business to describe the file that holds past issue's flats. Although the term has been used by illustrators, comic book artist, designers and teachers as well. The purpose of this site is to provide free image reference material for use in all creative pursuits. This is the world wide web's morguefile.
The following website has offered low cost royalty free photographs, vector illustrations, video footage, audio tracks and Flash files since 2001. Istock is a member generated image and design community with over 4 million searchable files.
Direct Mail Services
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