Design Tips for Commercial Printing

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What Types of Images Will Work Ok?

If you are scanning the iages yourself from photographs it is better to save them in either tif, or eps format. These image formats will preserve the color and sharpness of your pictures the best.

File formats like gif or jpg compress the pictures color and pixel resolution and this can cause color shifts and blurriness. Since jpg and gif are the most predominant image formats on the weit follows that it’s not a good idea to simply lift an image from someone’s website and use it in your layout.

You should scan your images using a resolution of 300dpi at the final dimensions you intend to use them so that your colors will look smooth, and hard objects will look sharp. In other words don’t scan at 300dpi and then enlarge the picture by 200% in your layout program! This is another reason why you should not use images that are lifted from websites; they are probably only 72dpi in resolution and will look very blurry if printed on a printing press. See our Resolution page for more information on resolution.

If you are using pictures from your digital camera they will work just fine if they are jpgs; the quality of jpg images from digital cameras seems to be much better than jpgs that are used on the web. You must do the math to make sure that it is high enough in pixel resolution though. For instance, if your camera puts out a typical image of 1280 x 960 pixels at 72dpi you get about 17″ x 13″ of photograph (at 72dpi); this is the same amount of detail as an image which is 4″ x 3″ at 300dpi so it’s safe to reduce or enlarge that image in Publisher up to about 4″ x 3″ in dimension.

Do I need to send you my fonts?

If you use only the fonts that came with MS Publisher then no. We have them here too.

But if you use any other fonts from other sources then we most likely do need you to gather up copies of them and archive them together using a program like Winzip and send them to us with your layout file.

If you don’t know how to do this then just carefully go through your document and make a list of the fonts used. Send that list to us in an email along with your order reference number so that we can see if we have your typefaces.

Will my printed piece look exactly like it does on my computer monitor?

There are some small differences. Scanners and digital cameras create images using combinations of just three colors: Red, Green and Blue (called “RGB”). These are the colors that computers use to display images on your screen. But printing presses print full color pictures using a different set of colors: Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow and Black (called “CMYK”). So at some stage your RGB file must be translated to CMYK in order to print it on a printing press. This is easily done using an image editing program like PhotoShop or Corel PhotoPaint.

 

Caution: It’s Best If You do the RGB-to-CMYK Conversion of Your Images!

 

You will have more control over the appearance of your printed piece if you convert all of the images from RGB to CMYK before sending them to us. When we receive RGB images, we do a standard-value conversion to CMYK, which may not be perfectly to your liking. We want you to be happy, so please, take the time to prepare your file properly. We cannot be responsible for sub-par results if you furnish low-res images or RGB images.

 

Be aware that it is possible to make colors in RGB that you can’t make with CMYK. They are said to be “out of the CMYK color gamut”. What happens is that the translator just gets as close as possible to the appearance of the original and that’s as good as it can be. It’s something that everyone in the industry puts up with. So it’s best to select any colors you use for fonts or other design elements in your layout using CMYK definitions instead of RGB. Please see our RGB – CMYK Information page for important instructions on getting the results you want.

RGB colors (what you see on screen)

CMYK colors (printing inks will do this)

RGB colors (what you see on screen)

CMYK colors (printing inks will do this)

You most likely won’t notice this kind of color shift in a color photograph. It is more likely to happen if you pick a very rich, vibrant color for a background or some other element of your layout. It probably won’t look bad, it just won’t look exactly the same. But it may not be noticeable at all either. In any event it will look spectacular compared to a piece printed on an inkjet printer.

Color photos don’t suffer much from CMYK translation
RGB picture (what you see on screen)	CMYK picture (printing inks will do this)

Can I use colored text?

             Small text magnified

 

It’s best not to colorize small text. What happens is that all printing presses have a little bit of variance in the consistency of the position of the different color plates. This is called misregistration. The cyan, magenta, yellow and black portions of the text characters don’t line up exactly. So the result is little colored halos around the characters. It’s ok to use colored text on large, headline type, or smaller sizes down to about 12 point size, but much smaller than that will be too noticeable and you won’t like it. The same thing holds true for white (knock-out) text on a dark or colored background. You can do it but don’t use point sizes smaller than about 12 point. Otherwise the words may be hard to read and it will look unprofessional.

Can I put text over an image?

Be careful about using photographs for backgrounds. If you put text (any color) on top it can be very hard to read. So the secret is to lighten the photograph a lot–more than you may think is necessary. Use a photo editing program like Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro or Adobe Elements.

What are bleeds, and do I need them?

Bleed is the term for printing that goes right to the edge of the paper. The way to do this is to make your document .125″ too big in both dimensions. For instance, if the final size is 8.5″ x 11″ then make your document 8.75″ x 11.25″. Draw guides on the layout that are .125″ from the edge all the way around. Now create your design with the idea that the layout will be cut off where those guides are….because that is precisely what is going to happen. Make sure that any photographs or backgrounds that you want to bleed go clear out to the perimeter of the document, past the guidelines. Then after we have printed your piece we will trim off that extra .125″ all the way around and voila! You have color all the way to the edges of your piece. It looks professional….

Not Sure We Can Print From Your File?

If you are not sure that your file will work, you can send it to us and we will examine it
to see if there are any major flaws that would prevent us from printing your job.

5 Steps to Producing a Great Catalog

Catalogs have come a long way from the first version distributed by Montgomery Ward in 1872. Today, they come in all sizes and are part of an omni-channel marketing strategy that provides customers with a seamless brand experience through all available purchasing channels.

 

Catalogs are a cost-effective way to get a great deal of information in front of your customers in an eye-catching, physical format. They have staying power in the hands and homes of customers who read and refer to them for ordering and browsing. Options range from brochures, to saddle stitched, coil bound, and square back bindings.

 

 

Here are five key steps to producing a catalog that will increase sales.

 

1. Determine Your Audience

Understanding your audience is the first step to creating a successful catalog. Customer data and insights should precede your decisions such as to whom you will send, what you will feature, and what you will say. Give customers a product that makes their life easier and more informed, and they will use it.

2. Select Products or Services

Once you determine your target market, examine your selling strategy with a fine-toothed comb. Take a critical look at big sellers, so-so sellers and the duds. Review other marketing-channel sales to determine what items will resonate best with a wide variety of customers. Advancements in digital printing allow for variable data that give you the ability to personalize catalogs for specific customers or prospects.

3. Create Your Layout

We have all gone into stores and noticed items strategically placed to maximize exposure. Think about presenting your catalog in the same way. Merchandising is important to ensure not all products are weighted equally. Customers want to know what’s new and exciting, so guide them.

4. Craft a Support Strategy

Your catalog should not be a stand-alone initiative. Instead, think of the catalog as one tool in a multi-channel approach. Use catalogs to drive to your website or social media pages. You can also utilize direct mail and postcards to follow up with information about upcoming sales, events, or services. Omni-channel marketing gives customers a seamless brand experience through all available purchasing channels.

5. Analyze and Assess

Analyzing the performance of your catalog is an important part of refining and perfecting your strategy. You can gain insights that not only help you with your sales strategy, but also your product or service offerings. Look at what sold well and what didn’t to understand page conversion. If you had any specific offers or calls to action, make sure you have a way to quantify those results as well. Tune and tweak until you have dialed in a winning strategy.

   

Creating a Successful Catalog Design

Catalogs are a ubiquitous part of many companies’ marketing initiatives, and are one of the most powerful marketing vehicles for getting the word out about products and services. Think about it: we receive catalogs in the mail and pick them up on the way out of stores. They even come in the packages we receive, allowing us to peruse and shop after the initial sale. And many times, catalogs continue to stick around, found on our counters with dog-eared pages and favorite products circled or marked.

But not every catalog we receive sticks around for long. Some get a hasty glance, while others are not even cracked open before going directly into the recycling bin. Just because you put everything and the kitchen sink in your catalog doesn’t mean every potential customer who gets it will spend precious time poring over it, especially if it is boring or lacks direction.

Catalog Design Matters

Eye-catching design, smart layouts, appealing images and organization are cornerstones to good catalog design. Add in the fact that different industries usually require different approaches: a big box sporting goods store’s catalog will look very different from a custom watch-maker’s. Consider this before diving in, as one size does not fit all in the world of catalog design.

So, where do you start? Let’s look at a few key ways to get a jump start on your catalog design with best practices.

Design for Your Audience

A catalog’s performance is tied to how well it sells. Tailor your catalog design to appeal to your target customer. If your target is a young audience it will be drastically different than a catalog for older folks. If you target multiple audiences you may consider doing multiple designs to match the style and desires of your audience.

Size and Format

Give your products the space that they need. When designing your catalog, make sure it is large enough to showcase your all of your products and draws attention to your most important products or services. Consider the page count, format and how it will make your customers feel. For example, if you are in a niche industry like custom watch-making or fine photography, you may want an austere layout with fewer items per page, highlighting the quality and uniqueness of the work.

Additionally, this kind of audience would probably also benefit from a higher quality paper stock, more careful consideration of image quality and color trueness. You will want your customers to linger over the pages, taking in the details and the “story” of your work. A good place to get expert advice is from your favorite printer. At PrintingForLess, we provide printed samples, technical help and guidance on how to get the best printed piece.

Use High Quality Images

Images of your products and services are the centerpiece of your catalog. Consider making images of high value products and services larger than those of products of lesser value. Great photos will make your products more appealing and increase sales. Make sure all your images are taken with good lighting and are of an adequate resolution for printing. We recommend 300 dpi or above for all images. More information on image resolution can be found here.

It Ain’t Over Yet…Analyze the Results of Your Catalog Design

Take the time to scrutinize and evaluate how your catalog performed for you. Consider the answers to the following questions:

As you can see, a catalog is a process that takes time, commitment, patience and testing. And while all of this may seem daunting, once you get your system wired, you can use it over and over again. The right catalog formula will help drive sales and keep your customers coming back for more!