10 Things to remember when designing a printed brochure
1. Get the pencil out and start sketching
Before you even think about turning on your computer or contacting a graphic designer, sit down and think about what it is you want from your brochure. Grab a pen or pencil and sketch out some ideas and concepts that you want from your brochure. Hold a brainstorming session with colleagues to see what direction you should focus on with your design.
2. Know your audience
Brochures are like any other form of marketing in that you will only get out of it what you put in. Don’t design a brochure that you and only you like; remember your customer. Get the input of some customers and find out what they want to know about in relation to your products or services. You need to think about creating a brochure that your target audience will want to read.
3. Remember your brand
A brochure can often be an extension of your brand, so be sure to remember your core brand values when designing your brochure. Remember your brand colours and fonts and how these are to be used. This will allow your customers to recognise the brochure, especially if you are at a conference or trade show. It will also enable your target audience to become more familiar with your brand as a whole if all your printed marketing material has a consistent look and feel to it.
4. Limit your fonts
Brand guidelines will often dictate how you use fonts within your marketing efforts, but if you have a little more freedom when it comes to designing printed brochures, don’t go overboard with your fonts. It can sometimes be easy to try and use different styles and sizes of fonts to help different areas of your brochure page to stand out. Much like the brand message, try to keep your fonts consistent with your other marketing material and only use 3 sizes – a heading, subheading and general text.
5. Keep it clear and simple
Perhaps the most important of all our design tips when it comes to creating brochures – keep it clear and simple. Make sure your audience can actually read what it is you are trying to tell them. Be aware of the role that space can play in helping images and text stand out, and use colours and text that work together and are easy to read. If your brochure looks nice but you are struggling to read it, how do you think your customer will cope?
6. Remember the importance of your cover pages
Think of your cover page as an entrance to your shop or business – you’ll want to encourage customers to come inside. The cover page should make your customers want to turn the page and find out more. Keep the message clear on your cover page and use an image or headline or something like a special offer, act as a hook to make them flick through your brochure.
7. Provide important contact details
A printed brochure is usually created with the purpose of selling something, be it a product or service. If you want the reader to take further action, then provide them with the necessary details to find out more, whether this is an email address, website, phone number or your location. Let your audience know where they can find you and how they can contact you.
8. Use quality images
When it comes to designing your next brochure, be sure to use high-quality images that will really do your brand and offering a good service. Don’t fall into the trap of finding a stock image online, copying it and using it – this may become pixelated and the quality will suffer. Try to use unique images where possible ensuring that quality doesn’t suffer.
9. Guide the reader through the page
When designing your brochure, you need to have every customer in mind. Some customers will be familiar with your brand while others may just have come across you and your offering. Make it as easy as possible for all customers to understand what it is you are offering. Carefully plan your page layout so it guides the end reader through your brochure, and won’t leave them feeling confused.
10. Proofread, proofread, proofread
Finally, and it’s important that you don’t forget to do this; proofread. Before you even think of going to print with your great new brochure, be sure to go through every page and proof it for any errors. Get your colleagues to run a fresh pair of eyes over it, and if you have the budget, invest in a professional proofreader to ensure your brochure is perfect and ready to go. If you’d like to find out more information on how brochures can help your marketing needs in 2014, be sure to read our recent blog on using brochures to tell a story and share your message. Keep up to date with all the latest Digital Printing news by connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Leave A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.