Brochures

8 Medical Design Brochures That Work

As we all know, the medical industry is heavily regulated. There are very good reasons for it but that doesn’t mean that effective marketing is out. Playing by the rules (or FDA regulations) shouldn’t mean that you can’t create amazing marketing campaigns with some spiffing new medical brochures. With a great medical brochure from Printing For Less and direct mailing, you can spread the word to a wider audience about the newest and best advancements in your field or facility.

Have a ton of information on a new procedure that you offer? Medical brochures are perfect for getting you message out there. But you should never sacrifice quality for quantity in your medical brochure design. Seize attention with something interesting, inspiring, or just eye-catching. Soothing blue borders and a stock image of a smiling doctor is done! There are tons of great medical brochure examples out there. Here are just a few.

1. Okuloplasti

Start out by picking the right image and you can push your brochure from average to awesome just like that! If a picture is worth a thousand words, then maximize the impact of your message. With this image staring you straight in the face, it is impossible to miss the focus of this brochure. The bright blue highlight and the rich dark eyes are mesmerizing. And unlike some generic pamphlet designs, this cover cuts straight to the point. For an image this powerful, choose a clean but matter-of-fact font that won’t detract. This layout is perfect for promoting your newest product or procedure. Go bold or go home and galvanize your customers.

2. Formula4Success

Making your brand approachable in the field of medical billing and healthcare is no easy task. Throw in anything related to healthcare or billing and you’ve got your work cut out for you. Attempting to decipher medical coverage raises most people’s blood pressure but this brochure makes it look fun. With a catchy hook of a title and a fun catchphrase, this brochure removes the stress and sets customers at ease. If your goal is to provide an accessible solution, then use visual cues, like cute and colorful icons, to lay the groundwork for your message. Taking a difficult problem and turning it into an approachable resolution will build brand awareness and create happy (and regular) customers.

3. The Pavilion

An adorable baby is always an easy front page to sell. But in the world of healthcare and medicine it is also a very common image. So if you want the ads for your prenatal exams, maternity ward, or post-natal support programs outshine the others, you will have to raise the bar.

A solid image can do the trick when you want your message to stick. Gender neutral colors and a happy but hazy parental figure increases the wider market appeal. But the real gem here is the tagline. Variants of ‘Never miss a…’ continues on to each page throughout the brochure and emphasizes not only the preciousness of these babies, but also their fleeting nature. Babies grow so quickly so missing any time with them is avoidable with the services offered.

4. Camscreen

DNA profiling seems fairly complex but this design makes advertising it deceptively simple. The dark, serious colors balance nicely against the bright and playful DNA strand, creating a sense of professionalism but approachability. This cover makes a hot topic into child’s play and is a perfect example of advertising cutting edge tech and medical advancements.

5. Vector 1

Forget medical therapy; what we really need is this ad on a band t-shirt. This cover is pretty cool, but despite the seemingly obvious clue, there is still the question of what type of medical service this brochure is advertising. Is it a radiology office, a physical therapy clinic, chiropractic, rheumatology, or osteopathy? Is it a single facility that offers all of those? Intriguing! This cover alone is enough of a lure to make us want to find out more but what we really want to know is, what is Vector 1? We must know! To build additional suspense, roll out a cover like this near Halloween. With winter sport season around the corner, you can capitalize on the spooky season while beating out the competition.

6. Pipi au Lit

Even if you are not fluent in French, it is easy to see that this brochure is geared towards kids. From the cheerful colors, the playful font, and the gold stars to the adorably illustrated children, it hits all the right notes. When looking for original ideas for children, check out popular or award-winning picture books for suggestions on color schemes, fonts, or illustration styles. You don’t have to be French to create a Caldecott Award-worthy pamphlet out of a stressful childhood event like bedwetting (but it certainly couldn’t hurt).7. Analiza

Crisp veggies, fresh flowers, and picturesque yoga backdrops; this cover has everything that you need. Direct but beautifully illustrated, this brochure doesn’t stagger the images and articles. It is all about getting the information out there and they don’t hold back. Most of the time, critics will suggest that too many images on a page can overwhelm the viewer. You want your audience to become invested in the material, not distracted by too much visual stimuli. But in this case, the critics would be wrong. There is no sense of clutter, instead this collage-like presentation succeeds beautifully. By choosing thematic images that share the same or similar colors, a series of images can act as one larger photo. This can be a tricky approach, but really pays off when you have more photos than can be reasonably arranged around the page. Just use this powerful technique sparingly. As a statement or showcase method it works best at the introduction of an article, by growing interest in the rest of the piece.

8. One Medical Group

This design by One Medical Group builds a whole new future before our very eyes. Gently contrasting colors blend to create a city of tomorrow, invoking concepts like ‘innovation’ and ‘cutting edge.’ Reminiscent of those hidden picture scenes, this cover implies that through One Medical Group, we can see the potential for new medical facilities where pioneers in the field of healthcare will make giant strides forward in the advancement of human-kind. Or maybe they’ll just have those really cool vending machines. Who knows? What is really amazing is that all of this was accomplished with dots! This technique is so versatile that it could be applied to any kind of branded campaign. The future is in your hands.

Have any questions? Talk to a print expert today and get started on your next order of brochures. Call us at 800-930-6040 for expert advice on your next project.

How to Design a Brochure That Actually Gets Used

We all know that direct mail is incredibly popular. Study after study proves that people love to receive relevant, attractive, and personalized mail. Brochures are a versatile solution to your direct mail needs. They are compact, can be stacked in offices or passed out by hand, act as self-mailers, and hold a ton of information. A beautiful brochure is the cornerstone of any marketing campaign but finding those perfect brochure colors can be difficult. Thankfully, by utilizing just 3 color combinations, you can pull together a snappy new brochure design in no time!

The 3 color combination is popular with major companies because of its simple application and visual appeal. Using only a 3 color palette keeps you brochure on point and easy to design. You can also apply this design principle to a 3 color logo or other 3 color design for other direct mail materials or swag.

Know Your Objective

Before we delve into design, let’s focus on your goals. What do you hope to accomplish with this brochure? What is your message? What impression do you want to create? What ultimate results do you want to achieve? By using these questions as your style guide, the design process will be effortless and your brochure will stay on message with your brand.

Know Your Audience

As always, consider your target audience when picturing your design. Is this brochure for your usual clientele or is it for a specific sub-group? What are their wants? Do they have any pain points? Design your pitch with your audience in mind and your work is half done already.

Your Brochure Color Scheme

The colors that you choose can significantly alter the effectiveness of your brochure. Colors can sooth, irritate, energize, infuriate, bolster, or boost, so choose yours carefully.

What Is Your Brand Personality?

When picking colors to represent your brand, select ones that match the mood of your company.

What does that mean? Well, does your company have branded colors? What color is your logo? If your company doesn’t have branded colors, the you can use this exercise to get started. And if your company has a main branded color, then start with it and use our tutorial to update your look.

First write down an adjective that best describes your company. Is your company energetic? How about passionate? Rugged? Suave or strong? Intelligent or youthful?

Once you’ve written it down, compare your adjective to the chart shown here:

Find the word that most closely matches your word and the color associated with it. That color is going to be your main color.

Now, for your paired colors, you will be choosing from two complimentary colors and then a neutral. What is a complimentary color, you ask?

The Basics (A Very Quick Tutorial)

Basically, there are three types of color: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary colors are red, yellow, and blue; whereas secondary colors are the colors created when you blend the primary colors (in this case, orange, green, and purple). Tertiary colors are blends of primary and secondary colors and have two-word names (like red-orange, yellow-green, blue-purple)

Complimentary (sometimes called contrasting) colors are ones that are opposite of each other on the color wheel. An example would be red and green.

colors can also be categorized as warm or cool. Warm colors have red undertones, whereas cool colors have blue undertones. Warm colors can be welcoming and cool colors can be soothing. Matching colors that are warm or cool to the mood of your campaign can improve the appeal of your brochures.

Now, back to your choices. Let’s say for example that the word that you picked for your company was ‘enthusiastic’, and so you chose orange as your main color (a very popular choice by the way!)

To find your complimentary colors, take another look at the color wheel in The Basics (A Very Quick Tutorial) section. Remember, the complimentary colors are directly opposite the color that you choose. So, in this case, your contrasting colors will be blue-green, blue, or blue-violet.

Well, that was easy! So, are we all done here? …no? Oh, right.

Remember those warm and cool colors? As you can see on that color wheel, the primary (red, yellow, blue) colors are in a triangle, so all of the blue colors end up on one side and all of the red colors end up on the other, with yellow and purple as sort of a DMZ. Cool on one side, warm on the other. Do you want a friendly and warm color scheme? Try orange and blue-violet. Or go cool and upbeat with orange and blue-green.

Finally, your choose your neutral color. Orange and blue will really POP but you don’t want them to be too overwhelming and a neutral tone provides some visual relief. Neutrals are usually white, gray, or black, but you can pick a hue (a color that has white mixed in) that compliments your main color too.

Restrain Your Fonts

With so many choices available, it can be easy to get carried away. But you want to attract your audience, not overwhelm them. Pick something fun, funky, or even a more elaborate font, but save them for your banners or headlines. Balance them with more conservative fonts for the body of your material and remember to use a dark color over a light color or vice versa for your fonts.

What’s Your Point?

With so many balls in the air, it can be easy to lose sight of your message. To stay on topic during the design process use your headlines as guidelines. Base them off of your goals to keep your objective in mind. Stay focused and remember your audience. Don’t get bogged down in a slew of information. No matter how relevant the material, if it’s boring your audience may lose interest. With that in mind, avoid long words and sentences and keep the acronyms to a minimum. Keep it short and sweet. Short sentences keep the momentum going. Remember, brevity is the soul of wit.

Set The Tone

Keep your overall look on point by choosing visuals that share similar tones as your main or complimentary colors. Pick images that match your mood. Is your tone warm? Then think upbeat, smiling faces and sunshine. Did you go cool? Then go confident, professional, or edgy. And always remember, if it doesn’t enhance your brand, cut it loose.

Quality Materials

Even when you are on a budget, investing in quality materials is a must. Thin, flimsy, or cheap feeling paper and weak inks can negatively impact the appeal of your brochure and degrade the value of your message. Psychologically, if your customer thinks that you have put a lot of time and effort (and money) into your presentation, then the information must be that much more important. Appeal to their sense of worth and give your brochure some weight. Even a small increase to a heavier bonded weight of card stock will add gravitas to your brochure and your message.

With so many options available from Printing For Less, you don’t have to break the bank but you show your customers that you think that they are worth it. Talk to an expert today at 800-930-6040 to get started on brochure design.

10 Brochure Ideas You Haven’t Thought of Yet

There are few print marketing materials more versatile and informative than brochures. A brochure is, at its most simple, a folded, single-page printout that includes text and images about a brand’s products and/or services. And if that sounds boring, just stick with us for a second—we promise there is a ton of room for creativity within that folded-up page.

To understand how you can get creative with brochures, you have to understand the purpose of a brochure beyond just its general definition. So what is a brochure used for? Anything you can think of. Brochures are used in marketing and advertising, but they’re also used in restaurants, retail shops, and doctor’s offices. You’ll find politicians distributing brochures, as well as PR firms, banks, schools, salespeople, and so on. Basically, if an individual or a company has something to tell you about, chances are they’re going to do it in a brochure.

The reason that brochures are such a ubiquitous print marketing tool comes down to their adaptability. Well beyond the general guidelines that answer the question “what is a brochure?” is the ability for brands to get as imaginative as they want with what their finished products look like. Not convinced? Here are 10 alternative brochure ideas to kickstart your next print marketing project.

1. Use a brochure as an invitation

Next time you send out an invitation to a client- or lead-focused event, use it as an opportunity to share more than just the date, time, and place of your get together. By turning your invitation into a brochure, you give yourself significantly more room to go into information about who you are and what you do—which can be a real advantage if your event itself is marketing-driven.

2. Think beyond standard folding options

There’s no one way to fold a piece of paper. Help your brochure stand out by getting creative with your folds, opting for something non-traditional rather than just a standard panel arrangement. Doing this sends a subtle message about your brand that it’s forward thinking and into out-of-the-box ideas. In the example above, the unique fold is accentuated by images that work both as standalones when the brochure is opened and together when it’s closed.

3. Play around with shape

Have some fun with the overall shape of your brochure. Because while a brochure is essentially just a piece of paper, there’s no rule that that piece of paper has to be a rectangle. The shape you choose for your brochure is up to you. Go with a star and fold each point inwards to create panels. Go with a circle or a hexagon or a pirate ship—whatever makes sense for your brand. The shape just has to be foldable (and not necessarily even into symmetrical parts).

4. Size it small with a snake fold

Big things really can come in small packages. Snake folds are an original method of brochure folding that balk standard patterns to create something unexpected, and lend themselves very well to tiny brochures that pack a major punch. Who knew you could get so many panels out of one standard size sheet of paper?

5. Include an infographic

Infographics convey a ton of information in a quick, easily digestible format. And while you may be used to seeing infographics online, a brochure is a great way to bring them into print. The key to a good infographic is that it has to capture attention and it has to provide information in a non-distracting way. Be conscious of how you use color and text in your infographic so that you don’t overload the page—there should still be enough white space on there to carry the eye from point to point.

6. Tell a fortune

Even if you’re not in the business of fortune telling you can still design a creative brochure that mimics a paper fortune teller. Use each panel to highlight a different product or service that your company offers, or designate each panel in another way that you see fit. The benefit to this layout is that you can fit a ton of information in a relatively small brochure. And because the final product is three-dimensional, you’re sure to make a strong impression.

7. Make your imagery the star

Brochures are used to share information, but to get someone to open it up in the first place you

have to grab their eye. Images are a great way to do this, especially when you incorporate the imagery into your overall brochure design instead of just using them to occasionally break up some text. In this example, the image dictates the entire shape of the brochure, and in doing so, immediately tells a story about this brand and what they do.

8. Supplement your brochure with a gift

You already know why a client or a potential lead should pay attention to your brochure, but like all of us, they’re likely inundated with marketing materials every day. If you really want to stand out, it helps to sweeten the pot with a gift. By creating an integrated marketing bundle that includes a brochure and some sort of useful gift, you make it more likely that your recipient will notice your brochure among the others they’ve received, and will also give them more incentive to read what you have to say.

9. Embrace embossing

Adding embossed imagery or text to your print marketing materials adds a touch of something unexpected. It can be particularly effective on brochures like the ones in the image above, which are otherwise understated in their visual effect. Embossing adds depth and texture to a page, both of which can turn an unassuming brochure into something worth taking a second look at.

10. Pop it out

Speaking of unique design elements, consider including a pop out, which combines text from multiple panels of your brochure to highlight the message that you want to share. The brochure in the image above uses a pop out to make a strong point about what the objective of the ad is. And because it’s so clearly denoted, the organization doesn’t need to use a lot of other text to get that point across.

See? Brochures don’t have to be boring! Talk to a Printing For Less print expert to learn more about how you can create brochure that makes a big splash. Call us at 800-930-6040 to get started with brochures today.

Stunningly Inventive Brochure Ideas to Consider for Your Business

If you’re hoping to produce brochures that don’t look like they were born from generic brochure templates, you’re in the right place. If you want to maximize the format and stand out to your audience, we’ve got some tips.

What Is a Brochure?

A brochure is a small print piece, frequently folded. Most companies intend to distribute their brochures for free, usually to advertise products or services and inform a specific group or audience.

In this digital age, interactive brochures have become popular in the online space; however, the most commonly referenced “brochure” consists of ink printed on some sort of paper stock, and occasionally bearing special treatments like embossing or foil. While some business owners try to get inventive with brochure alternatives, a well-designed brochure can be stunning on its own.

To decide on the most effective brochure design, and to make sure it will reach potential customers, first ask yourself, how am I going to use this brochure?

Will you need to mail it?
Will you display it in a rack next to competitors’ marketing material?
Will you be handing out printed products in person at a conference or trade show?
What featured product is being sold?
What services are being offered?
Is the target audience receptive to print media?
Will existing brand guidelines determine the design? Have decisions on the color palette, typography, and imagery already been made?
What are the budget limitations?
What is the ideal timeframe for design, printing, and distribution?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have the perfect foundation on which to build something truly stunning and inventive.

Pacing Your Visual “Pow”

One way to make your brochure stunning is by paying attention to the pacing of your visuals and information. Try to gradually introduce your audience to your services and products.

Maybe you want to pose a question to pique their interest, and then lead them through a sequence of printed panels before you give them the answer. Command their attention with the very first panel — through color, line, and copy. Then, fill your interior panels with the majority of the information that you might appear on a text-based pamphlet or leaflet — but with style.

Be sure to lead them gradually towards a call to action and give them your contact information as you close. They’ll put it down with your memorable message still in mind.

Using Minimal Text Inventively

With only seconds to grab and hold attention, you’ll want to keep your initial copy concise. Distill your message to the minimum possible number of words so that they stand out, giving you an opportunity to be inventive with your design and color usage.

We’re not recommending you dumb down your content or graphics — we’re reminding you that the more creative and inventive you are, the more your audience will remember your business. And sometimes, the best injection of creativity comes from self-imposed limitations. How can you more clearly and effectively communicate your message with less?

White space is an important element to give your audience room to breathe. How little text can you use, and still convey your message? How much white space can you include, and still get your point across? Devices like subheadings and pull quotes can also preserve white space and also draw attention to your chosen words.

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Get Inventive with Color

Color is a key design element, whether you’re getting inventive with lots or less color. You can use color to communicate emotion, mood, and even quality. Here are some approaches you can take to make your color choices memorable:

Guess which colors your audience will expect, and then choose a completely different color scheme.
Try to communicate a lively mood with minimal color.
Use color to break up different sections of information within your brochure’s content.
Use color only for callouts.
Make your brochure into a colorful map, literally.
Allow your colors to move along geometric shapes and lines.

Fun with Folds

Part of the tactile nature of a brochure is the way it folds. Folding is dimensional. And it allows you to deliver your message with greater impact and interest. It helps organize information by literally letting it unfold in a logical order. A well designed fold can help pace a story, direct the reader’s attention to key points, and even introduce an element of surprise.

Choose a fold that suits your message. How will a particular folding style help you tell your story? To test the effectiveness of your design, print it out or mock it up and give it to several people, and see how they respond to the brochure.

Some possible brochure fold solutions:

Half-fold: Also known as a bi-fold brochure, a half fold described a single piece of paper literally folded in half, which looks like a booklet. It’s a basic brochure design that accommodates large amounts of information.
Tri-fold: Instead of a single fold booklet, the tri-fold separates your piece of paper into three panels. This fold can be exciting in terms of design, but also means less content per panel — and you’ll need to make sure your audience can follow the flow!
Gate fold: To make gate fold, two smaller half-panels are created by folding the outside edges of the main panel inward. The two smaller panels end up looking like a gate. This fold tends to work for higher end pieces due to the complexity and expense.
Cross fold: A cross fold requires multiple folds in order to change a larger scale, often poster-like design into a portable format. This fold is most common for maps and tourism handouts.
Z-Fold: Also known as a concertina fold, a zig-zag fold, or an accordion fold, a Z fold has three panels like the tri-fold but gets folded like an accordion. It’s more of an interactive format, and tends to be remembered because of the unusual ways information can be presented.
Die-cut fold: A die-cut fold is similar to the Z-fold, but the top of the paper gets cut in a diagonal incline. This means the panels will be different sizes, and some of the interior content will be visible even in its folded state.

If you’d like to play around with different folding templates, you can contact our print staff or use the template generator at FoldFactory.com.

Stunning, Creative Framing of Stock Imagery

Unless you have a professional photographer on staff and available on demand, you’ll most likely find yourself downloading both vector and photographic stock. Maybe you’re lucky enough to have a budget big enough to commission original artwork, but frankly, we doubt it.

At this point, we’ve all seen enough stock images and generic graphics to forget them as soon as we’ve seen them. So the best way to be budget-conscious and stay top of mind is to use those common images in a new way.

You aren’t required to include people in your brochure artwork, even though viewers tend to respond to pictures of people (especially when they’re in action); you can use vector silhouettes and crop them creatively. You can combine multiple types of stock imagery to design an innovative and truly impactful visual. You can merge abstract shapes with more recognizable forms. There aren’t any limits, even when your budget is small!

The “Wow” Factor: Special Effects

Although special effects may seem like the obvious and easy way out (and they do tend to require some extra budget room), they’ll definitely help you make an impact. Special printing finishes such as die cutting, embossing, foil stamping, and spot varnishing will instantly impart class to your brochure.

Because many of these finishes are tactile (and therefore addictive to the senses), your audience may also find themselves keeping your brochure around long after your event or promotion has ended.

How might you use some of these specialty finishes?

Die cutting can create slits to hold additional inserts (such as business cards) or even custom paper shapes.
Embossing (with or without ink) produces a raised image in the paper, heightening dimension and visual interest.
Gloss or matte varnishes can cover your entire sheet or just parts of your brochure. They can protect your brochure from scratches simple add dimension and interactivity.
Spot UV blind prints in varnish without ink. Your printer will let you know the best way to set up your brochure files for such an effect.

No matter which way you choose to make an impact, we always recommend consulting your printer for the best advice to merge about cost and practicality. To find out how to make an impact with your new brochure, speak to one of our print consultants today.

12 Ways to Make College Brochures Stand Out From the Pack

Direct mail is a popular marketing channel for college recruitment. Starting in the spring, more than a million high school students will be sitting down to take the SATs and PSATs, and most of these tests have a small box that the student can check to receive information on different schools.

For most campuses, that information will come in the form of college recruitment brochures. Any college admissions rep will tell you that a good recruitment flier is worth its weight in gold, which is why Printing For Less prides itself on supplying hundreds of thousands of custom designed fliers and brochures every year. And with an unprecedented number of high school students eagerly awaiting their chance to shine, there is no time to waste in promoting your brand.

Enrollment is expected to continue to grow to 20.5 million between now and 2027. Yet, with the cost of education on the rise, more and more are looking very critically at their college choices. Even with an overall 7% increase in the number of first-time freshman, more than a third are applying to seven or more colleges. While some hail this as an economic coup, many more are lamenting the number of students applying to too many schools.

But how can more choices be a bad thing? With all these potential students applying to multiple schools, the odds of them picking your campus improves too, right? Not necessarily.

You have to stand out, get noticed, and deliver the value your school brings in a clear and concise way. Nothing squeezes all of that information into a mailbox-friendly format like a recruiting brochure. The trick is to make your brand out-shine the other six. For that, here are some ways to make your school stand out from the pack.

I mperial College: London

by Mark Vaile

The Natural Sciences have never looked more appealing. Vibrant, organic, and yet still grounded this brochure for the London campus of England’s Imperial College kicks off our list to a great start. Colourful imagery captures your attention but doesn’t detract from the catalogue of the department’s projects and sponsors.

LaSalle College of the Arts

by Capi VietAhn

Invoking origami, this design’s inspired concept makes the most of a larger space by layered folds of card stock. When it does bloom, you will find nuggets of information tucked into each segment.

North Carolina State University, Engineering

by Jacob Fremderman

The future is now. Or next academic term, to be exact. The retro style 3D font immediately invokes a sense of futurism, while the minimalist layout and blocks of colour keeps the look fresh and uncluttered.

M uhlenberg College

by Misty Bourdess Wilt

Knowledge may be the key, but in this case a great die cut is the gate keeper to a fantastic brochure. Vibrant red detailing on a classic dove gray background updates the look and lures the viewer inside.

Goa College of Art

by Jeanine Soares

A beautiful brochure that showcases the allure a simple die cut and fold can create. The art nouveau style and square shape mirrors the album art of folk records of the 1960’s for a funky, grassroots feel.

CCA Graduate Design

by Martin Venezky

The cover of this brochure appears to honour the Asian wood block printings of the early 20^th century and their influence on the styles of Western artists. Add a piece of delicate, almost architectural line work and you can really see how the blend of landscape and urban development influenced this San Francisco artist.

Boston University College of Fine Arts

by Chandra Wroblewski

Another beautiful example of how die cuts can highlight an already great design. The dynamic exchange between the muted cover illustration and the colourful interior collage, only serves to highlight the finer points of the campus. Take a look inside, it says, and see at all the amazing and beautiful things we can accomplish together.

Virginia Tech College of Science

by Stephanie Strouse and Meaghan Dee

A simply gorgeous combination of Man’s attempts at permanence and the organic beauty of the natural world. The cover image brings to mind the Axe Historique in Paris, reminding the viewer of the precision and dedication required to create something lasting; a perfect maxim for Virginia Tech’s College of Science. And yet, by poking holes in that picturesque facade, they show hints at what is yet to come. A world of achievement lies inside their walls, if the student is dedicated.

Nebraska Independent College

by Tana Kosiyabong

This brochure is especially fun. It successfully imparts the idea that the future is a blank canvas and their students are the building blocks that will add colour and character to the world. The honeycomb design simply enhances the idea that each student is a crucial piece of the larger picture. With Nebraska Independent, you can continue to build upon the success of your predecessors.

Derwentside College

by Mark Coleman

This ode to higher education is sleek and well executed. It isn’t always easy to pull off monochrome, even harder for an ombre gradient. But Derwentside makes it look smart and not a bit overdone. This outer wall and underside of the roof may never grace the cover of an architecture magazine, but they have managed to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Just like their students, I imagine.

Klein College of Media and Communication

by Leonard Benfante

Just when we think that gray scale is done, Klein gives us another homerun. Even the fonts are larger than life. By sequentially spelling out ‘KLEIN’ one page at a time, the over-sized letters lure students further into the packet,. With the bright blue underscoring their message of success and individualized curriculum, their brochure hits it out of the park.

These are just a few ideas to spark your imagination. To find out how to make these looks work for you, give us a call at 800-930-7978. Speak to a live print expert to get started on brochure printing today!

Brochure Best Practices

Brochures are the best way to market just about anything. Perfect for tradeshows, leave-behinds, in-store service offers, menus, maps, mailers – the list goes on and on and on. Here are some tips for making the most out of your brochures.

The 5 Essential Brochure Archetypes

There are different kinds of brochures appropriate for specific scenarios.

Leave behinds
Point of sale
Direct mail
Response
Sales support

Your company doesn’t have to narrow its focus to just one category, but can use multiple brochures to promote different aspects of your company’s services.

Custom Features: High Octane Print Fuel

One of the best ways to make your company stand out is with custom features. Soft touch paper, hot foil stamping, die cuts, custom folds, metallic inks, spot UV coating, foil stamping and embossing add a polished touch that grabs customer attention.

Tight Cuts For Tighter Budgets

Die cuts are the coolest: you can get a brochure that looks like Abe Vigoda’s face, but that’s gonna cost you. On a tighter budget? Consider cuts that have flair without the expense of a die cut. Our favorite example is the Angled Stair Step Cut, for brochures that are 8.5 x 11 (flat paper size) or larger. This unexpected look is modern, stylish, and cost effective. And your competition isn’t doing it (yet).

Do’s and Don’ts

These tips will make your brochure current, clean, refined and most importantly, effective.

Why are you doing this?

Before you begin, know why you’re creating your brochure and what you want it to accomplish. This will help with messaging, and with knowing if you should use custom features to execute that messaging.

Make the cover count

People judge books by the cover. Brochures are really just big covers. What we’re saying is: your brochure cover should be powerful, captivating and pristine.

White space is your friend

It’s a brochure, not a novel. Don’t cram too much on a page. If your brochure appears too busy, the eye will have no path to follow, and people will abandon it.

Creative typography never hurts

While Times New Roman is more classic than an Audrey Hepburn movie, a little Marilyn Monroe never hurt anybody. Use creative typography that represents your business and that grabs the eye. But remember: everything in moderation. And stop with the Comic Sans. Seriously.

Break conventional perspectives

Brochures are perfectly designed to break your ideas into neat little compartment, if you like being boring. Break perspective and traditional brochure expectations to surprise customers.

Have a clear call to action

Marketing works if it drives action so make sure your reader knows exactly what to do. Make the call to action visible, concise and put it front and center.

Don’t forget pictures

Show, don’t tell. Throwing paragraphs of text across your brochure panels without any visuals is boring.

But don’t use the same old stock photos

With so many companies outsourcing or taking their own high-quality photos, stock images can dull your edge on the competition and come across as kitsch. There are still good stock photos out there, just dig a little deeper.

Don’t just list features

People are only interested in what applies to them. Sadly, all the fancy features of your product don’t fall into that category. The benefits of those features, however, have everything to do with your customer.

Don’t talk about yourself

Zip it and listen. Think about your customer and center your brochure on the problem you solve for them, not the product and not yourself.

Don’t try to say it all

Trying to cram too much information into your brochure can hurt your messaging because if you’re saying everything you’re saying nothing.

There you go, all the everything you need to make a great brochure. Well except the artwork. Want it to look amazing? We can’t help you because amazing doesn’t describe how perfect our brochures look. We can do better than that.

Need help with your print? Talk to a live print expert today: 800-930-7978.