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The plethora of original masterpieces available in the world of design still amazes me. It seems like it could be easy, especially in the designing world, to simply take from what’s already out there and tweak it a bit to fit the client.

When it comes to brochures, this “cheating” method of design does seem to happen quite often, but maybe only because of the generic, standardized templates available for do-it-yourselfers. For when I peruse the inspirational brochure collections on websites such as GraphicDesign, the variety of unique brochures is stunning. Continue reading »

We’ve all seen them – the black-and-white, flimsy brochures that have obviously been printed on an inkjet printer. Hastily designed and just as hastily printed, these brochures are shoved into passers-by hands and usually end up in the next public trash can along the sidewalk. This forcing of information into consumers’ hands is the only way these unnoticeable brochures get noticed.

Since you probably do not have the time to stand on every sidewalk in every region to which you will be advertising, you will want to try something a little more simple and less time consuming – designing colorful brochures. Color brochure printing is by far the easiest way to capture the attention of your audience, whether the brochures are for direct mail, a brochure rack, or handing out at a trade show or even to the masses on sidewalks. Just keep in mind the following aspects when designing and printing color brochures:

Bleed
When designing with colored backgrounds and images, extend the artwork at least .125 inches beyond the actual page size so that the color “bleeds” off the edge. Equally as unsightly as black-and-white brochures are brochures with an uneven white strip around the edges.

Images
Use colored photographs that have a high resolution so that they do not appear blurred or pixilated. At least 300 dpi (dots per inch) and no more than 800 dpi is recommended by most brochure printers.

CMYK
Commercial printers use a method called full color printing, which involves using the primary colors of ink (cyan, magenta, and yellow) along with black. This CMYK color scheme produces colors that blend well when printed. When designing your color brochures, choose hues from the CMYK color setting in your software so that you can more accurately choose the correct tone.

Design
Your color brochure will be much more captivating if you design with two, three, or four colors. More than that, and your brochures risk looking like a clown’s advertisement, obnoxious and nauseating. Use colors that complement each other and also provide contrast. Avoid color combinations that overwhelm the text or images.

Using a color brochure printing company that provides wholesale quantities will be cost-effective while producing the quality you need to capture attention. Remember the importance of color in brochure printing; otherwise, you may be the soliciter with a handful of hideous brochures chasing after consumers.

Seth Godin’s blog post of “What do you think of my brochure?” isn’t very uplifting, but it’s true. He tells it like it is. He says that the most important thing to remember about a brochure is that “people won’t read it.”

Depressing, yes. Should it make you want to stop making brochures? No.  

It should make you want to make better brochures. To make your better brochures, use the following tips: 

Use an awesome photo or graphic on the front. Use something interesting that will catch people’s attention. Choose a photo or graphic related to your industry or your brochure’s content that is visually interesting. Whether that  means the graphic has bright, bold colors or a weird photo of something like a dog’s head on an elephant’s body (I’m just making weird stuff up here and my dog is looking at me right now), try to pick something that will make people look twice. Your cover is the first thing that people see and is often your only ticket to getting people to pick up your brochure.  

Use “you” language. Once people pick up your brochure, you need to entice them to read your brochure. Generally, some text is a good way to get them to keep reading. Some interesting text that is. People are most interested in themselves, so by using the word “you” a lot, you’ll get their attention.  

Pull readers into your brochure by asking them a question or tell them one way you can solve their problems. They’ll be inclined to read more of your brochure to find out other ways you can solve their problems or if you can solve other problems. People like problem-solvers and everyone’s got a problem! 

Use an appealing color scheme. Don’t use colors that hurt people’s eyes. Use colors that complement each other (Google “color wheel” if you don’t know which colors go well together – the ones opposite each other on the color wheel are complementary).  

If the brochure’s purpose and content lends itself to using the colors in your logo, all the better. A color coordinated brochure screams a coordinated business. Really, it does. 

If nothing else, use color that evokes an emotion in the reader. Use a blue for a calming effect. Use red if you want the reader to feel aggressive or angry about something (or if you just want them to “Stop” – just kidding!). 

Don’t get long-winded. Don’t say something in 8 words that you can say in 4. A brochure cluttered with words doesn’t look more important; it just looks cluttered.

There are many different programs that you can use to design brochures on your computer.  There are some high profile (and expensive) programs, and then there are some lesser programs, some of which can do the job just as well.

Here is a rundown of three relatively popular desktop design programs.

Microsoft Publisher
This is the program that has come with most versions of Microsoft Windows for the past 15 years.  It has become one of the most widely recognized desktop publishing programs in the world, mostly because of its association with the OS giant.

Publisher is a relatively simple program that is ideal for someone who does not have extensive experience in designing brochures.  It comes with a wide variety of pre built templates that give you a great place to start.  It also includes a great deal of clipart with a very easy search engine. 

If you buy Publisher as a standalone program, it can be quite expensive.  That makes it a little less attractive for anyone who does not already have it on their computer.  But for someone who does not plan on doing a lot of designing, and has Windows, Publisher can do the job.

Adobe PhotoShop
This program is probably the most powerful design software available, with the possible exception of QuarkXPress. 

PhotoShop has an incredible number of features and options available to the desktop publisher.  Almost anything you can imagine doing, you can make a reality with this software.  It has a vast variety of tools that can make your brochures more attractive and more effective.

For a beginning designer, however, the power of this program can be a bit overwhelming.  There are so many options and features available that an inexperienced designer can get completely lost in a hurry.  The price can also be prohibitive.  The newest version of this software costs upwards of $700, making it inaccessible to many people.

Corel Draw
For designers who have some experience in making brochures, Corel Draw could be a good option.  It is best used by someone who can hold their own with a relatively complicated desktop publishing program.
This software is great for creating brochures from scratch, with no pre built templates.  If you are an accomplished designer with a really good idea of how you want your brochures to look, you may want to give Corel Draw a chance.  It is more powerful than Publisher, but cheaper than PhotoShop.

However, if you think you may need more assistance as you design your brochures, you will probably want to stay away from this product.  Stick with Publisher instead.