Designing and printing a brochure is easy, but delivering one that is worth keeping is no simple feat. Effective brochure design and high-quality company printing are crucial in creating a brochure that will be shared among would-be customers.
Whether you’re trying to draw customers to your restaurant, showcase a house for sale, or get the word out about a new business, brochures are powerful tools for enticing and engaging an audience.
Company Printing Tips
Keep reading for our tips to making a lasting impression with effective brochure design.
Identify Your Objectives
Before you begin to design your brochure, you must know your purpose.
Your objectives will determine how your brochure marketing process will go, which will influence the design of your brochure.
Are you planning to send your brochure through the mail or distributing it by hand? Are you targeting a specific segment of your target market? What do you hope to achieve?
Answering these questions will lay the foundation for effective brochure design.
Select a Fold Type
If you think there is just one brochure type, you’re wrong. You’ll have several options when choosing your brochure type, depending on your company printing and brochure maker.
In fact, there are many ways you can choose to fold your brochure, including:
- Classic tri-fold
- Half and half fold
- Exotic fold
- Half-fold
- Four-panel roll fold
- Five-panel accordion fold
- Poster fold
- Four-panel fold
- Tri-fold plus half fold
- double-gate fold
- 8-panel roll fold
- 16-panel fold
- Z fold
- Die-cut Z fold
- Tri-fold and Z fold
- Four-panel accordion fold
The fold you choose will depend on your brochure’s content.
You may choose to keep it simple with a classic tri-fold, or you might choose an 8-panel roll fold if you want an option that provides more space.
Again, consider how you are going to deliver your brochure and work with your company printing provider to make a decision. You will design a brochure that goes on a rack differently than one you will stuff in a bag with other promotional gifts. Your delivery method will go a long way in deciding which fold to use for your company brochure.
Choose Attractive Font Combinations
When choosing the fonts you will use in your design, keep in mind that brochure copy is typically outlined with a heading, subheading, and the body text.
Most company printing designers will tell you to limit your font choices to just three or four. There is no hard and fast rule, but too many fonts might be detrimental to the readability of your text.
Fonts will set the tone of your design and influence its visual interest. Look for font combinations that complement each other and be consistent throughout your design.
Use High-Quality Imagery
When designing a brochure, you should never use low-resolution photos—especially when there are plenty of high-quality images to choose from on the Internet.
Image quality is vital to your brochure design, so try to select photos that don’t look like stock photos. Cheesy images might affect your brand image in a negative way.
If you’re going to use photos of your product, display your product in natural light and in a visually appealing way. Hiring a photographer is always a good idea, but if it’s not in the budget, check out some product photography tutorials online.
Scrutinize Your Copy
Content is always important, but how you present it to your audience is crucial.
Review your copy with respect to your target customer. Does it seem overwhelming? Is there not enough information? Does the content flow and maintain readability throughout?
Concise writing is best for brochure design, as you’ll have to provide valuable information in little space.
Not only should you review your copy for spelling and grammar errors, but you must determine how it relates to your brochure’s overall visual design. Make sure at least three people proofread your text before it is sent off to company printing.
Work With Company Printing Services to Choose Paper Stock and Coating
As you design your brochure, consider the paper stock you will print it on, as well as the coating you can apply aftward.
The paper stock and coating you choose say a lot about your company—so consider it carefully as it may affect your brand image.
Thick paper stock with a professional coating is perceived as more upscale. A thinner stock looks and feels cheaper.
Your choices will also affect the durability of your brochure, as heavier stock will last longer than a thinner one. An effective coating will protect your design from smudges and make your colors more vibrant.
Include a Visible Call-to-Action
In a way, determining your call-to-action is the most important decision you’ll make throughout the brochure printing process.
Your call-to-action leads your reader to an intended action. Whether it’s to check out your product and services, sign up for a newsletter, or introduce your brand, it’s vital to include a statement that directs your customers back to you.
It would help if you used visual cues to direct your audience directly to your call-to-action. For example, use a larger font or additional white space around it to make it pop from the page.
Also, always be specific in your call-to-action statements and consider including an incentive—such as coupons or exclusive promotions—for a better response. Do anything you can to convince your audience to take a specific action after exploring your brochure.
Utilize Company Printing Services to Create an Effective Brochure
With this guide, you now have the tips you need to create an effective brochure—one that will inspire your customers to take action, deliver your brand’s message, and bring you closer to your goals.
As far as marketing materials are concerned, cheap material is the equivalent of a feeble handshake. To make a good impression, work with a trusted professional, and utilize company printing services.
If you’re ready to create your next brochure, contact us to request a printing quote.
