Tips for creating brochures etc

Whether it's a brochure, business cards or promotional flyers -

where do you start?

Firstly do you plan on producing the item yourself or are you planning on outsourcing to a creative agency or a marketing consultancy like Tadpole?

Here are some tips if you plan to do all the work yourself...

Step One: Images and Logo's

Make sure you have all the imagery that you'll need at the highest resolution and largest file size possible. If you have a logo that has say a file size of 9kb, it will not be good enough to use for any printed item, even if it is for a smaller item such as a business card. Drag and resize the image you'll see it will quickly become pixelated. Always use a file that has a minimum resolution of 300dpi (dots per inch).

Step Two: Think Colour

Create your item that works with the colours of your brand or logo, for example if your logo is dark blue then having a dark background colour will make the logo disappear, instead go for a lighter background. Contrasting or clashing colours can work very well to attract the eye and convey lots of energy but be careful with its application - remember who your target audience is.

Step Three: Who is it for?

If you are producing something for B2B (business to business) customers then use the language they will recognise and understand but avoid internal 'jargon', your customers may get confused. Whether the item is for B2B or B2C (business to consumers) customers, always use plain english. If your customer has to work too hard to understand what you are promoting or selling - they will go elsewhere.

Step Four: What is the item for?

Are you promoting an event or do you want the person receiving the item to call you? Have you made it clear on the item? If you haven't make sure you make it obvious what you want them to do! Is it eye catching in the place it will be seen or used? If not, why not change things around or use different colours to make it more visually attrractive or draw the eye in.

Step Four: Remember to check!

Always, always check all the details that you have included in your item; check for spelling and grammar, does it make sense, do all your links work, is your website ready to take visitors interested in what you are offering? Anything overlooked and fixed now will save you time and money on a potentially wasted effort.

If you're planning on going to an outside company, you'll still need to do all of this work as you'll need to provide a brief for the agency to work to. You'll also need to have an idea of the budget and timescales you are working towards and keep track that set deadlines are met.

If you do have something you need help with, Tadpole are very friendly and always happy to help - why not drop us a line?