Although the digital world has had a huge influence on how businesses communicate with both prospective and current clients and customers, there’s still a need for traditional, paper-based materials, such as business brochures.
Why business brochures matter
They are a great way to inform the world about:
- what a business has achieved
- outline or promote the products or services on offer
- introduce new product or services
Plus, as they are designed to be taken away they offer the potential of creating a long term relationship with whoever picks it up.
With these points in mind here are five great pieces of advice on designing brilliant business brochures, direct from a Melbourne printing company with valuable experience and expertise to share.
Tip #1 – Choose the right size brochure
The typical image of a brochure is a large sized glossy, magazine like giveaway, but in reality they come in various shapes and sizes. For example, a takeaway restaurant’s brochure could easily be a smaller, tri-fold design, handy for listing lots of dishes, or it could be longer and glossy, with colourful images of the food on offer. What matters is you choose the right size and specs to suit your particular business.
Tip #2 – Invest in the cover
Thought, time and effort need to be focused first on the cover as this delivers the make or break moment when someone is attracted to take and actually look at the brochure – or not. Images should be clear and excellent quality. One good, relevant shot is best unless there’s lots of space. Keep text to the absolute minimum but make every word used count. Words should be short, simple, powerful and proofread!
Tip #3 Use quality images
Invest in high-resolution images, if photography isn’t your thing then consult a professional or ask the printer to advise, and never forget that what may look amazing on screen doesn’t necessarily look great on paper, often ending up looking blurry, or badly out of focus.
Tip #4 – Cover the basic points
Choose a decent paper quality, make sure any graphic mock ups includes your logo and company name, double check all contact details are still valid, break text up into smaller blocks to make it easier for readers to take in, and add enough images to be useful without overdoing it.
Tip #5 – Consider the postal regulations (if that is relevant)
If you are looking for a brochure to mail out it’s vital that what you design is within the acceptable limits for your region’s postal department. Whether the brochure will only ever be mailed, or you would just like to have this as an option for the future it’s best to seek advice from the printer in the initial stages of discussion, as this affects not just the size but the finish used on the paper.
Get the best out of your business brochure by adopting these useful tips from printers – the experts who devote their lives to creating paper masterpieces!