Creating Effective Printed Materials - Tip 4

Tip 4: LAYOUT

Creativity and skill are now needed to put everything together for your final document or printed item.

For those without experience, this can be a frustrating, daunting and time-consuming final part of the project. 

You could spend many hours completing a task that a trained graphic designer can complete within a few minutes.

Up until now the required skills have been more related to copywriting and photography – with an ability to create visuals of charts and graphs. 

Now it is the role of the designer to put everything together for maximum visual impact. 

Too many printed materials lack the professional layout finish at this stage and devalue everything else that has gone before in the preparation.

As any decorator will tell you – preparation is vital but if you do not hang the wallpaper correctly the results can be a visual disaster!

Introduction

Having created the headlines, the copy and the visual images – now all you need to do is to put them all together in the most effective way possible. 

An age-old tip is to start with a blank piece of paper and sketch the layout style that is in your head before you get too far with the computer formatting at this stage.

When creating the layout it is usually recommended to always try and keep to a symmetrical design.  Formatting needs to assume that the pattern of reading is from left to right and from top to bottom. 

Making the balance between text and visual content to about one third/two thirds is also a good “rule of thumb” guideline for any designer. 

If your concept does not meet this ratio it is probably best to review it at this comparatively early part of the design process.

The ability to create white space is very important in all aspects of design – without it everything tends to look cluttered. 

So by allowing for as much “quiet area” as possible within your design concept will increase the effectiveness of your communication.

Proofing

The picture below shows what 66,000 brochures looks like... ...before they are recycled. 

This was not one of our jobs I hasten to add - but a colleague in London had to scrap these corporate brochures because of a single error on one of the digits of the telephone number.

On another corporate brochure this month where “print-ready” artwork was supplied by the client, we picked out an average of 15 spelling and grammatical errors on each page before we even needed to print a proof copy.

When presented with a print-ready proof the reader’s eyes tend to glaze over looking at the overall appearance rather than the detail.

On occasions we have provided five or more printed proofs for the client to make changes and alterations to text or content.  This adds to the cost and results in delays to the deadlines.

It is therefore always recommended that serious proofing is done BEFORE all the content is entered into the layout template you have created.

And remember; do not rely on automated spell – checkers – many of the best “howlers” are not picked up because the word exists but in a totally different context.

Formatting

You are now ready to begin the digital formatting of the document.

Create the layout grid in your software based upon the style and shape of your visual concept.

If you have a lot of text it is often better to use the column layout.  Decide whether you will be using one, two or three columns for the layout?

The next step is to import and position any photographs or other visuals across or within these columns of the page structure.

Consider using any borders for images or whether they are best to “blend” into the text.

Importing the text on a word flow allows a rough gauge on the total amount of content and work around this accordingly – according to whether you have too little or too much content.

Decide upon text wrap options, justification, line spacing and leading and begin to do the hard work involved in adapting the content to the best layout.

For example, to fill space it may be easier to expand the margins, increase the size of headlines or increase the point size of the first line of each paragraph.

Or be more creative with layout – for example, important points can be pulled out and highlighted in boxes, page numbering can be made more prominent, and headings can be designed using all the effects of colours and style.

Attention should be paid to minor grammatical and typographical mistakes at this stage.  Typically “widows” or “orphans” – these are words that have become detached from the main body of the relevant text.

Is there plenty of “white space”?   Remember this doesn’t have to be white; it just has to be blank so that it draws the eye to the text and makes everything easier to read and comprehend.

Ghosted photographic images in the background can also be effectively used as “white space” but try and avoid problems with particular colour combinations mentioned in the previous blogs. 

Make sure text flows easily and logically.   Is it visually clear and legible?

Ideally dark text on a white background but always dark text on light backgrounds or reversed out text on dark colour backgrounds.

Sub-Editing & QR Codes

At this stage you often realise there is just too much information and you have to be even more ruthless to reduce the amount of copy and sentence length.

Make sure the photographs or illustrations are adjacent to the relevant text and ensure there is consistency throughout the document.

Then be ruthless in the sub-editing of the copy and then if all else fails, reduce the size of the text and visual images to try and keep to the original design concept.

If there is just too much information then consider a re-design or perhaps the use of using QR Codes. 

QR Codes are a great way of integrating digital and printed media.  They work well where space is at a premium, for example on business cards or where it is expensive, such as in an advertisement. 

With a QR reader downloaded onto a mobile device – a simple scan can take the customer to a wealth of detail and information.  Direct2Print offer a free QR Code generating service for all orders for the design of printed stationery.

Consider using QR Codes in all aspects of your communications – for example, on the sides of your vans – so your customers can easily link into the digital communications of your business.

In some applications it is easy to see the benefits.  For example, estate Agents will no doubt continue to rely on their local newspapers as a cost effective advertising medium.  Now a QR code next to each advertised property can be scanned by a mobile device and provides an array of photographs and information that would cover many pages of printed materials.

But every business should be able to apply this channel.  Apparently, QR Codes have even now even found an application on gravestones!

Practical Issues

Practical issues often only usually come to light at this final stage of the design process.

The practical issues often relate to the usage planned. 

Are the margins of sufficient size to allow for binding or hole punching or drilling?  Does the paper need to be gloss or matt? Does the user need to be able to write or take notes on this paper?  If the document is to be folded or bound do the pages need to lie flat? 

Would tear-proof paper or lamination be a worthwhile extra investment for quality or practical application – if it is being used in a factory or kitchen environment where it would soon become grubby and damaged? 

If it is a comb or wire bound document would it be better to put acetates on the front and back for extra protection?

Having satisfied all of these points it is time for the final proof “sign off”

Print-Ready Proof

Depending on the project it is best to print out a proof as near as possible to the finished printed item.  With digital or document printing this is relatively easy because “what you see is what you get”. 

However, there may be some minor variations depending on the calibration of the printing press or even the climatic conditions – but generally, the purpose of this proof is to make sure the final product meets the original objective in terms of appearance, quality and feel.

Increasingly more printed products can now be produced as a single item.  For example, we can now produce a single A4 landscape brochure on our new KM6000 colour press which would not have been possible before.

When sending the printing for full colour process printing there may be colour variations with the digital print, but this is the too big a subject for this article.

At Direct2Print we offer a FREE TRIAL for when the content and appearance is critical. 

This option was popular in the past. These days most clients are just happy to get the job printed and delivered as soon as possible!

Hopefully, everyone will be happy with the final proof – otherwise changes at this stage can be quite time-consuming and expensive.

Creating Effective Printed Materials - Tip 3

Following the same blog theme – we will now look effective visual content for company documents, reports, manuals or promotional literature.

Tip 3: VISUAL COMMUNICATION

The real message here is that you could have a real competitive advantage if you are able to break down the service or product visually. 

Images of your product do much more to communicate than lots of words – as long as they are relevant.

Always try to appeal to the visual (emotional) as well as the written (logical) senses.

When Direct2Print started operation in 2003 we tried to visually convey the concept as the “Direct2Print Cycle” order process on our promotional materials and on the web site.

What’s Your Budget? - Internal or External Communication?

The previous two postings related to the importance of a headline and the copy and how it should be applied across both internal and external printed communications.  We are now at a point where budgets play a key part in decision making for the visual options for all printed materials. 

Budgetary constraints are more common with internal literature, like training manuals or forms than the more “glamorous” external communications like brochures, newsletters, annual reports or leaflets.

And yet, research consistently shows that effectiveness of all forms of printed communications is considerably improved with the use of colour, charts, photographs, and histograms.

Whatever your project – visual images and the use of colour can assist in the effectiveness of your communication.

PowerPoint slides are particularly colour intensive and yet the same slides lack the same clarity and impact when printed in mono. 

Because printing from PowerPoint is so toner thirsty – online document printing was given a big boost because it reduced the printed page cost and the speed of printing sets of presentations for both internal and external communications.

The Impact of Colour Choice

Colour within documents can often be the difference between success and failure.  Whether used for a sales proposal, a tender or simply to convey a message.  Colour improves clarity and retention of the information. 

Research by Xerox concluded that colour improves impact and recall by up to 80% for all types of printed materials.  Training materials in colour can accelerate learning and improve recall by up to 78%.  In direct mail alone it has been shown to improve response rates by up to 23%. Even in the area of financial communications, colour has been shown to contribute towards the faster payment of invoices.

One thing to avoid is the overuse of colour in a document because it will lose all interest value.  Another point is to remember who is likely to be reading the material. Restaurant menus are difficult to read in low lighting and remember that 8% of us have some form of colour blindness – most commonly red and green together.

Colours need to work well together.  There are no good or bad colours.  Hue determines the basic colour.  Saturation refers to the amount of grey in the colour. Luminosity refers to the whiteness or intensity of the colour. 

Blue has been the most popular colour in the logo design and business printing we have supplied over the last 30 years. 

Blue has the qualities of appearing as business-like, strong, trustworthy and authoritative and yet at the same time can also appear as cold, depressing and gloomy.   Yet, when combined with a second colour, like yellow or red, it can work well because it adds some warmth to the design. 

Every colour can have a negative or positive effect depending on the context and how they evoke responses. The table below acts a simple guide to some of the other primary colours.

COLOUR                                  POSITIVE                                 NEGATIVE

White	Clean, Innocent, Pure	Cold, Empty, Sterile
Red	Strong, Brave, Passionate	Dangerous, Aggressive, Domineering
Yellow	Happy, Friendly, Optimistic	Cowardly, Annoying, Brash
Brown	Warm, Earthy, Mature	Dirty, Sad, Cheap
Green	Natural, Tranquil, Relaxing	Jealous, Inexperienced, Greedy

I remember when I entered the printing industry in 1992.  Branding played a big part of the decision-making process. First impressions are often based upon the impact of colour.

In my case, the choice was between the orange of Prontaprint or the blue and red of Kall-Kwik.  The orange appealed more at the time. 

Yet, within a few years it was decided that this was not an effective “digital” colour and at great expense a decision was made to re-brand in red and blue.  Whilst at the same time two of the most successful early digital brands Orange and Easyjet launched with a very effective “digital” orange corporate branding.

So it is never clear cut. Colours are capable of much variation – some combinations work and some just don’t – for whatever reason!

As a compromise I currently use orange in my Direct2Print document and digital printing website (www.direct2print.net) and blue and red in my Direct2Print Business Centre Retail (www.direct2print.co.uk) and blue and light blue in my offset litho print Direct2PrintOnline (www.direct2printonline.co.uk) websites!

The Impact of Photographs

Some say a photograph can be worth a thousand words. But some pictures don’t say one word – never mind a thousand!

Does your customer really need to see your flashy new office or an expensive piece of machinery to make an informed decision?  Does the photo add anything to the message?

Your audience is only interested in relevant content. If you want them to visit your office and look over your machinery in the factory - then fine!  But always think about the purpose of the photograph before including it within the design.

With modern cameras and software even novices can be really creative with special effects, for example, the use of zoom for exploded views of a product. 

When we are supplied with photographs for printing we are sometimes surprised that the quality can be so poor. 

Common errors include:

• ·    Very poor resolution – usually RGB screen resolution of 72dpi rather than CMYK print resolution of 300dpi.
• ·     Very little contrast or colour saturation – supplied without any cropping or enhancement software editing.
• ·         Often a lack of interest – even showing people who are actually using the product, enjoying themselves would add to the image you are trying to project!
• ·         Trying to include lots of tiny images rather than fewer, better quality and larger photos.  This is particularly important for a “cover” photograph on a brochure.

For some services or products there may be no alternative than to turn to the services of a professional photographer.  For example, we printed a brochure of a building product that was used the protect the inner wall surface of chimneys – to get a meaningful photograph the professional was required and needed to supply special climbing equipment and lighting to get the right sort of images we needed.

If you can’t provide your own quality photographs or afford a professional then there is a wealth of available image stock libraries for virtually anything you would ever require at a very reasonable cost and free of any copyright. 

Using low quality, pixelated images downloaded from a web site or from a camera phone may not always reflect the type of image you are wishing to project.

We will cover photography for printing in a later Blog Article.

The Impact of Charts, Maps and Histograms

I worked briefly for one of the world’s leading (and most expensive) strategic management consultancies on a Pan-European project for one of the world’s largest companies. English is the business language but no text reports were allowed. 

Every printed presentation had to be converted into a visual format in the form of a flow chart, bar chart, histogram or pie chart.  Lots of words would have just ended up in the top drawers of the senior executives, who were all busy people.

Colourful diagrams all tend to point the reader in the right direction and aid memory.  One of the best pieces of design is the London Underground map.  It bears little resemblance to a true map but it is symmetrical and memorable.  It was designed over 50 years ago and it is still easier to understand and follow than most other public transport maps from around the world!

Conclusion

There is an old adage that says we make decisions emotionally and then try to justify them with logic. 

Considerable research has been made to determine the relative importance of emotional or logical factors in our comprehension and decision making. 

There is no doubt that emotional senses are influenced by appearance, colour and photography.

Like good copy – your visual presentation should have a logical flow and re-enforce the message.

Never judge a book by its cover?  Maybe not, but it influences whether you pick it off the shelf to give it a chance.

Chris Jepson Google+

Creating effective printed materials - Tip 2

Following the blog theme – we will now look at writing copy for documents and promotional printing and hope this will provide a bit of extra help and advice.

Tip 2: TIPS FOR WRITING COPY

“Keep it Short and Sweet”

There are people who advocate circumstances where both long and short copy may be appropriate.  My view is that in modern times the shorter the copy the better – in all circumstances. 

We are now in the age of Twitter and social media and our content is often determined by the number of characters in our message.

Always follow the old adage that “your copy should be as long as it needs to be and no longer”.

As we are all increasingly so short of time – everything has to be presented faster and in words we can scan and comprehend quickly.

 

A simple tool is the “Fog Index” which measures the average number of words in each sentence. Try and keep this around 10 words per sentence as an average.  If it is any more edit ruthlessly.

The golden rule is to know your audience.  Your copy has to be targeted and relevant to their needs.  You need to understand what makes them happy?  What are their biggest problems?

Your writing style should always be based upon how you want them to feel.  Do you want to simply state facts or do you want to amuse or entertain? 

This will depend on what you are writing for.  Obviously, there is a difference when preparing legal documents or sales literature.  When preparing copy for business documents or training manuals you need to avoid descriptive terms and stick to the relevant points.

You always create an image through your writing.  You also may need to build up a mental image of the product or service you are trying to sell or the message you are trying to communicate.

Anecdotes and Case Studies make a very effective theme for copy writing because they help to trigger the imagination of the reader.  These “hooks” can also help memory – because a picture is easier to remember than text.

5 simple guidelines to writing effective copy

1    1. Have a Clear Objective

Be very clear about the objective of the copy – is it to sell, educate or to persuade.  Avoid trying to put too much information.  Keep referring back to this objective regularly to see whether what you are writing is “on track”. 

In terms of priority the best points should be made early rather than hidden away or held back.  It would be better if they were repeated later for extra emphasis.

2    2. Follow a theme

The more you write the more likely that the reader will “turn off” or “click away” if you are writing copy for digital media. 

You need to make every point in the most concise way possible.  Adjectives and adverbs are just “filler”.  Try and make every word tell.

Like a good speech, try to grab attention immediately (the headline) and always try to have a good beginning and finish off with a good end. The end is usually the call to action. 

If the theme has not been followed it is unlikely to prompt the desired response.

There are certain buzz words, action words, descriptive words and emotive words that can be used to add effect.

Buzz Words	Free, Now, New, Here, At Last, Today
Action Words	Buy, Try, Ask, Get, See, Ring, Write, Call, Click, Send, Cut, Taste, Start, Enjoy, Replace, Renew, Repair, Examine, Consider
Emotive Words	Splendid, Excellent, Amazing, Delightful, Gorgeous, Wonderful, Beautiful, Explode,
Descriptive Words	Economical, Inexpensive, Satisfying, Rewarding, Value, Time Saving

3    3. Do not overwrite

Your copy should have a logical flow in keeping with your theme and style.  Your introduction would normally follow on from the headline by carrying the case forward in clear and unambiguous terms. 

Complexity is not a sign of intelligence.  Don’t overstate any point and always avoid superlatives.  Try and keep sentences short – more like “The Sun” rather than “the Times”. Use the “Fog Index” to measure.

4    4. Address your audience personally

Write in the present tense.  Use the word “you” not “we”.  For example – “You will receive your documents tomorrow” is better than “We deliver all our digital printing within 24 hours”. 

By personalising your message the chances are that the audience will be more receptive.

Variable data is a means by which you can mail-merge images and text to great effect – adding the recipient’s name throughout the body of your message. 

Including testimonials or a customer quote can add to the personal nature of the message – particularly if they are regarded as a credible third party. 

5    5. Proof read and edit

Do some editing.  Cut out any unnecessary words and consolidate your ideas – this should reduce the amount of text by between 30% and 50%.  Then walk away and do something else.  If you have time revisit your copy next day. This will give you a fresh perspective on your content.

Do some more editing when it has been printed out.  For various reasons people are better able to edit the printed word easier than the words that are displayed on a screen. 

Try reading your copy out loud to confirm the rhythm and reads as you would speak.

Needless to say your copy should be thoroughly checked for any spelling or grammatical errors by a third party.  We are all prone to make mistakes even with word processing spellchecks.

We recently printed a brochure that had apparently been supplied print-ready and proof-read by ten people only to find on our final proof more than 15 errors.  Many of these words also passed through the spell check.  However, printing and distributing this material would have seriously damaged the original objective of presenting a high value company image.

How to Write Effective Sales or Marketing Copy

In most cases you want to persuade or sell something, particularly in your marketing copy. 

Sometimes it is subtle and sometimes it is to the point – but in all situations it requires a considerable amount of planning and preparation. There is only one question to answer.

What’s in it for me?

This is the only relevant question when preparing any sales or marketing message.

Your copy has to be your very best “salesmanship in print”. 

The secret is to put into words benefits rather than features.  The product or service is far less important than its ability to fulfil customers’ needs.

There is nothing worse than seeing printing companies with an equipment list of their machines on websites and in brochures – they would mean nothing to the majority of their clients. 

A good technique is to list all the features and then add an extra column which converts the feature into a benefit.  This is simply done by adding a column headed by “which means that” or “so what” – where you carry on the sentence by converting the feature into something that the audience would value (i.e. a real benefit!). 

If any of these are unique to your product or service they are unique benefits and will give you a competitive advantage.  The process described above is an invaluable exercise if you operate in a competitive market.  And these days this applies to virtually all of us.  Anything that can give us an edge – no matter how small can sometimes win a major contract or new client.

Now you are ready to add visual stimulation in the form of colour and photographs to help communicate your message.

Creating Effective Printed Materials

Following the previous blog – we will now look at each of the 5 tips in a bit more detail and hope this will provide a bit of extra help and advice.

Tip 1: You only get a second to catch attention writing headlines for documents and printing.

I cannot stress too much the importance of the headline.  The objective of every headline is to grab someone’s attention and draw them in, so they take some form of action.  The question to always ask yourself is “Would this make me want to read on?”

In advertising, research shows that 8 out of 10 advertisements are never read beyond the headline.  So, only 2 out of 10 readers ever bother to look at the rest of your content.


This is usually because not enough work has been put into them.  Whether short or long – your headline should always be visible and powerful and grab attention.

Four of the best categories of “attention grabbers” are:-

1. Headlines that offer real benefit(s).

2. Headlines that give information.

3. Curiosity headlines.

4. Urgency headlines.

This principle works for all your communications from company brochures through to your internet marketing and social media posts.  

Imagine this as your retail business. Your headline is your sign and window display – it has to compel the reader to take some form of action – and ideally to come in and browse!  Once they start reading your copy and checking out what you have to offer then they are actually in your shop!

A lot of time, effort and research should go into writing your headline.  Study what some of leading companies in your sector are putting into their headlines and look at your competitors’ headlines or those in a similar type of business.  

Keep a note of all the good ones.  Use the “creative copying” technique by seeing what companies use in other industries and some of those with big marketing budgets – note them down so that you can refer to them for any ideas or inspiration in the future.

Below are just some of the examples of effective headlines that could possibly be adapted to your product or service with a bit of creativity and thought:

1. Examples of Benefit Headlines

After promising a benefit, be sure to tell them how they can experience this benefit themselves. This is known as “the give and get” approach.  Promise them something valuable.  Or give me something and I will give you something in return.   

Alternatively you can play upon their negative fears – reminding prospects what they are missing and how your product or service alleviates their concerns.  

Use action words.  What, Why, How and When are all good.  Verbs encourage readership and help guide the reader.  Words like Save, New, Free, Discover, Join etc – remember your prospects are all about what’s in it for them.

Try and use numbers and incorporate them into the headline.

• 10 Ways to Improve (XYZ)

• No More (XYZ)

• Give Me X Minutes & I’ll Give You X Tips

• Don’t Buy Another (XYZ) until you Read This

• What You Don’t Know About (XYZ) is Hurting Your (XYZ)

• Discover How to Eliminate (XYZ)

• Read this and I’ll Give You (XYZ)

2. Examples of Headlines that gives Information

People like to know new things – particularly if this has a relevance to their industry or local area.  You can simply state the news, ask a question or simply add “How To” to the headline.  If someone has a problem, they want to know exactly what to do to solve it.  Asking questions engages the reader and makes them feel more likely to take action, since they feel connected to the copy.  

• We can now offer (XYZ) Discover How to (XYZ)

• Discover How to (XYZ)

• How to (XYZ) Better Than (XYZ)

• Let Me Show You How To (XYZ)

• Who wants (XYZ)?

• If I Could Show You (XYZ), Would You (XYZ)?

3. Examples of Curiosity Headlines 

We all want to be “in the know” and if you create curiosity you will probably get the interest. You can make your headlines more interesting by adding an unexpected twist or analogy.  You can use social proof or influence by showing them people in similar circumstances took the same action before them. We all have a propensity to follow the crowd, so this is an effective method in building trust and guiding people to take action.

• Last Month X People (XYZ).  Did You Miss It?

• Join X Others.  Download This Report Now

• There is One (Simple) Thing You Can Do Today to (XYZ)

• The Inside Truth About (XYZ) – It’s Not What You Think!

• The New (XYZ) Everyone is Talking About

• Successful Companies Do (XYZ). Will You Too?

My personal favourite headlines typically involve a play on words.  One of the most effective headlines I created some years ago had a deliberate play on words in a big bold heading– it simply stated “Outstanding Truck Record” and caught the eye of many people who thought it was a spelling mistake.  The copy or content was just bullet points of key statistics outlining facts that illustrated an amazing year of growth for a trucking company.  In black and white and aimed at financial media, the advert picked up an award for simplicity and clarity of message.

4. Urgency Headlines

One of simplest methods to generate interest or response is to imply scarcity and/or urgency. These are great motivators to get people to act.  They don’t want to miss out! People are more often motivated by missing out on something than they are by the thought of gaining the same thing.  

Experience has shown that with any offer it is best to specify an expiry date.  This increases response for all types of offers – particularly with direct mail campaigns. Although they are also very effective in the post script (PS) part of the letter below the main body of the content as a final push to try and convince someone to take action.

They are fairly simple to write and should be used sparingly to have real value.  Some good examples include:-

• Before You Spend Any More on (XYZ) You Need to Read This

• You Have 24 Hours to Get (XYZ)

• There Are X Left At X% Off

• Offer Must End Today/Date

Finally, combining any or all of the headlines should increase their effectiveness even more.  

Lots of time, effort and research have gone into writing the best headlines over the years, for a reason.  Headlines and good marketing copy are crucial to your success.  

Don’t be afraid to sell when you write any sales literature or document.  Shout from the rooftops how great you are.  Just remember, you will always need to back up what you are claiming – it’s only hype if it’s not true.

Writing good copy carries the headline forward in a logical manner – and becomes “salesmanship” in print or explains the heading in more detail.  

Copy writing will be the next Blog subject and takes the process of creating superb documents or digital printing to the next level.