How to Design a Bumper Sticker That Gets Noticed
Bumper stickers are a terrific marketing tool because not only does the person with the sticker printing job get to notice your message, but everyone who drives behind that person does too. The trick is to design a really cool sticker that people will want to put on their bumpers instead of throwing them in the trash.
Typography for Beginners
Typography is the part of design that deals specifically with text. It is primarily concerned with the size and style of typeface. Typography is an area that people might not think much about, but the way words look greatly affects the reader’s enjoyment as well as the likelyhood of a message getting read.
Size
Typographers measure the size of typeface in points. A point is 1/72 of an inch. The number of points of a typeface is measured from the bottom of the letters that drop below the line, such as p, q, and y, to the top of the tallest letters like l and k.
Readers usually prefer a 12 point font in standard 8.5×11″ documents. If the font is much larger, the reader feels like the print is shouting through the entire message. It’s okay to have headings and subheadings in a larger font because they are only a few words long, and the larger font adds contrast, making the headings stand out.
On the other hand, if the font is much smaller than 12 point, readers tend to avoid reading it all together. The saying about fine print is true – stuff does get hidden in it because few people actually read it. If you were doing a catalog printing, for example, you wouldn’t want to put contact information in a 9 point font because people are likely not to notice it.
Style
The style of the typeface is the font. In the print world, font refers to a complete set of type that has the same size and style. In the digital world, font refers only to the style.
There are four broad characteristics of fonts. A font is either a serif font or a sans-serif font. And a font is either a variable-width font or a fixed-width font. (more…)
Design Success for Poster Campaigns
Printing posters is a long standing marketing technique offering businesses valuable return for their investment. A plan is essential for a successful print poster marketing campaign. Here is an important list to consider for design success for poster campaigns.
Rules for Designing a Successful Catalog
A well designed catalog is a valuable marketing tool even in this day and age of internet shopping. But how do you know if your design will be a success? Many factors come into play when judging the potential success of a catalog design. Here are some rules to guide you toward success on your next catalog printing design project.
Layout – sales per square inch vs. more appealing
Some judge the success of a catalog by a calculation of the sales per square inch. This analysis can lead to cluttered pages crammed with merchandise, a layout that tends to deter more sales than it attracts. While the ratio of sales per square inch can provide insightful data, it should be carefully weighed against the advertising power of a more appealing layout.
Brand identity – be consistent
Brand identity is an important concept for every business. With so many options available to consumers, it is important when they are in your store, on your website, or browsing your catalog printing that they know exactly what company they are shopping. Your brand or corporate identity needs to be distinctive and consistent across all your marketing formats whether printed material such as catalogs or electronic such as a website. These avenues should give your customers the same feeling they get when shopping in your store.
Getting Into Freelance Design
Want to start your own design business? The benefits are many: getting to work for yourself, choose your projects, and earn a living doing what you enjoy to start with. Before you jump in and do a brochure printing for your first client, though, you will want to follow these steps to get started on the right foot.
Find a Niche
Decide what kind of design you enjoy doing and want to focus on. Do you want to work primarily on marketing materials, where you would do a lot of flier and brochure printing? Or do you want to design in-house materials such as presentations and company newsletters. When you are really interested in your subject, it will show in your work, and you will be willing to invest the time and money to get really good at what you do. This is one of the keys to a successful business.
Learn the Basics
While some natural artistic ability is essential for a design career, you will also need some technical skills to succeed as a graphic designer. Make sure you know how to use all of the necessary software and hardware for your field. If you lack some knowledge, take classes at your local college. You will also benefit from art classes that teach basic elements of design such as line, form, and balance. You don’t have to get a degree if you want to work freelance, you can just take a few classes here and there. However, a degree would help to impress potential clients, especially if you are just starting. While taking classes, you will have a chance to build your portfolio with assignments such as poster or brochure printing.
Create a Business Plan
Develop a detailed plan for your business. Some of the first things you will need to do are decide on a name, create a mission statement, and design a logo. You will also need to decide on your pricing and prepare a basic contract for clients. Within your business plan, you’ll want to include a marketing strategy. Also, you’ll need to print up some basic business collateral such as doing a business card or brochure printing. Finally, you’ll need to create a quality website.
