In a previous post, we waxed lyrical about the benefits of print design, reinforcing the idea that print is well and truly alive. But it’s not just about throwing elements onto a page, pressing Cmd+P and hoping for the best. We can champion the virtues of print all day long, but it’s important to know what considerations go into a good piece of print design.
The end goal of print design is to catch the attention of, and engage with, our intended audience. With print design, we have the opportunity to create a more sensory, tangible experience than a screen-based, digital outcome. Our chosen demographic will directly influence the type of outcome we produce (a billboard might be more effective at communicating with our intended audience than a flyer, for example).
Of course, we may not always have flexibility in terms of document size. But whether or not this is the case, print design is all about making use of space and layout, the former of which can often be severely restricted. Whatever the chosen dimensions, a designer must figure out how to balance both text and image, making effective use of the space that they have to work with.
The quality of an image is determined by its resolution. Without getting overly technical, we need to ensure that images possess the correct DPI (dots per inch, which determines the density of an image when it is printed out). This is all done with the aim of ensuring that the outcome contains crisp, clear visuals.
It’s important to take care of the little things. Bleed ensures that elements which run to the edge of a page extend beyond the trim edge – that way, if there are any movements during the printing process, we can rest assured that the artwork will still run to the very edge of the paper.
Tweaks and updates to digital designs can be made at any time, but print is final – once the magic button is pressed, there’s no going back. Print designs go on a journey of adjustments and amendments until a final design is reached, so it’s massively important that any issues have been ironed out.
Interested in creating a killer print design? Get in touch today.
Spread the word, share the love, pass it on. If you like this article, feel free to share using the handy link below.
