Typography Tips

What is Typography?

To answer this question, we’ll first define typesetting: “Typesetting is to simply compose, or set in type, a page.” Typography, which is often referred to as “design” is the art of laying out copy on a page, including font selection, graphics handling and overall design, and overseeing to all the elements of the final printed piece.

The following tips are provided to help you determine how you would like your work designed to ensure a quality result.

Checklist

If you prefer, we’ll be glad to use our judgment in satisfying these needs. The above checklist simply helps us satisfy any preferences you do have.

LETTERHEAD, ENVELOPES and BUSINESS CARDS

Your letterhead, envelopes and, more importantly, your business card will often give a potential customer or client an important first impression of your business or organization. As you know, first impressions mean a lot in today’s business world. Keeping this in mind when designing these items will help you create the image you wish to convey for your business or organization.

All of these items should have matching or complementary designs. If you have a logo, you will want to use it on both your letterhead and business card and, more often than not, on your envelope as well. Use typestyles for your text that will complement your logo, and not clash with or distract from it. Careful attention should be paid when selecting a typeface as each typeface is unique and projects a certain image. Some are professional, some are more relaxed, and others are just plain fun. Choose one appropriate for your needs.

The letterhead, envelope and business cards should all contain your company name and address. Additionally, both letterhead and business card should contain your phone and fax (if available) numbers. In this computer age, you may also wish to include your eMail and home page address. You may also wish to include a company slogan or a brief list of products or services you have to offer. Also, the business card, and in some cases the letterhead, should have you or your representative’s name and title on it.

FLYERS & BROCHURES

In many cases, your flyer or brochure will be the first item a potential customer or client will receive from your company or organization. The impression and information these items provide will be the key to gaining that new customer or client. Therefore, your flyer or brochure should be carefully thought out. Writing these items in a hurried and rushed manner may get them to press sooner, but you will probably not achieve this item’s full potential. The following will guide you in designing either of these items.

This may seem obvious, but it is surprising how many times it is overlooked: include your company’s name and where the customer or client can reach you, by phone, fax, mail, etc.

First off, capture your reader’s attention. You should determine who your product or service will be used by, and tailor your flyer or brochure to interest them. You may wish to give some background information on your company, explaining how you decided to go into business, what market need you saw, etc. You may also wish to inform them of your business philosophy. Or, you may wish to give pertinent background information on you and your principal employees (if any). What kind of education do you have? Experience? What qualifies you to do what you do? In short, a brief resume. These things will tell your potential buyer why he should care about your business, and why she would wish to buy from you. You may wish to list the benefits you have to offer in this section, to keep your potential client or customer interested. Also, what makes you different from your competition? Quality? Price? Service? A combination of these? All of these?

Your flyer or brochure should highlight your product or service, or the main ones if you have several. These items should be written to answer what the potential buyer’s important questions would be about your product. Give a brief description of what you do or sell. How does it work? What does it do? How can it be used? Why does your potential buyer need it? Also, how much does it cost? Photos or quality line drawings can be used to show your product and/or point out important features.

If you are holding a grand opening special, offering special sale prices, or a coupon, don’t forget to mention or include them!

As with letterheads, envelopes, and business cards, choose typefaces that will convey the appropriate image for your business or organization. Or, choose typefaces that will make your flyer or brochure stand out from everything else. In general, however, you will want your brochure to match the look of your stationery and business cards. Let the flyer do the crazy, wild, outlandish things!

We hope these tips are of some use to you. But, while we have kept your mind whirling with decisions on typefaces, layout, clip art, text, etc., you also need to select appropriate paper stocks and ink colors. Be sure those complement your design specifications. Have fun!

PROVIDING YOUR ART ON DISK, CD or via EMAIL

We use the following desktop publishing programs: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe PageMaker and Adobe Photoshop. We are also able to utilize artwork from both Macintosh and PC files.

If providing graphics or logos on disk or eMail, we would prefer EPS vector graphics (.AI or .EPS), or TIFFs or JPEGs. If using EPS vector graphics, please be sure you have converted fonts to outlines in the graphic. If you do not have EPS, TIFF or JPEG capabilities, we can work with most other formats as well.

We are also able to accept files as Adobe Acrobat PDFs.

 

To learn how we can help you with your next printing project, call (513) 777-7468 or eMail us now to get started!