Our very own Toni Quiruz has contributed some good advice to our local community! This article was published in the Reno Gazette Journal. The original article can be found here.
Given the large number of printers in Northern Nevada, here are some tips on how best to work with your printer and get the most bang for your buck with every piece you print, whether it is business cards or mailers. What does this entail and what should be important to you when you, as designer-for-a day, hit the ol’ PC?
First: Who is your target audience; who do you want to reach with this piece? What is your goal with these postcards or brochures? Do you have great content and high-resolution pictures? Do you have too much content? Too much content on a piece is like blah blah blah … It’s better to have less, make a statement, and then drive them to your website.
Just like I know nothing about piloting a plane, I don’t expect my customers to know what “crops & bleeds” in an artboard are. Are your files formatted correctly or did you slap them on a PowerPoint and hope for the best? Isn’t it amazing when you pick up your finished print job that it’s like, “voila!” — they miraculously morphed it into this beautiful piece of art that is too beautiful to give away?
Sometimes, it’s not as easy as open and print. There are several factors to consider:
- Is your event program paginated in proper spreads? If not, how do you feel about blank pages?
- Is the invite you are creating going to fit into a standard A7 or A6 envelope? Hope you didn’t order the wrong size!
- Did you know that improper postcard size could result in almost double the amount of postage paid per piece?
- When should I use first-class as opposed to bulk postage when mailing? Do you know how many pieces are required for a bulk mailer?
- Did you know that PMS is NOT necessarily what your crabby wife has, but stands for Pantone Matching System (LOL), or standard printer inks. Accuracy of color is critical because what you see on a monitor is almost NEVER what you will see when printed.
With knowledge in your industry and your printer’s expertise with impactful color and pre-press strategy, we are sure you will be a superstar and No. 1 in your Industry! Together you can build and print that one great tangible piece that is sure to set you apart from your competition!
