With these suggestions, I wish to assist new designers in their pursuit of improved print design. The advice applies to all types of print design, whether a brochure, a poster, or a logo. The following is in no particular order.
- Do not forget to bleed
The bleed is the portion of the document on the left side that allows your printer to maneuver around paper and design imperfections. The printer will use whatever you toss at them, regardless of the restrictions on their website. A safe standard for the work is a 3mm bleed on all sides.
InDesign’s settings are right there in the new file dialogue… but they’re buried! Before they become visible, you must use the more options button. You can find them in the file > document setup dialogue if you already have a document open. More information can be found in the article What is Bleed.
1. It’s entertaining to overprint.
Do you have a budget that only allows you to use two Pantone(PMS) colors? It’s no problem—experiment with overprinting options to create a more dimensional look with a limited color palette.
You can even work with only two Pantone colors if you work in duotone or monotone.
2. Consider alternatives to the paper
If you aim for the wider vision, the human mind will fill in the gaps. You are using the border of your paper as another tool to work with, maybe a lot of fun.
This isn’t the end-all solution to all of your design issues. It should assist you in seeing that your labor does not cease at the paper’s edge.
3. Paper size guidelines are useful, but don’t let them limit your creativity.
Square booklets, for example, provide a more engaging reading experience, while smaller ones (such as A5) are considerably easier to transport. Take a break from the normal A4 and try something new.
4. People enjoy reading.
In contrast to several recent designers, I still believe that form follows function. In print design, this indicates that you should focus on the content if you’re working on something with textual material.
You should incorporate typography into your design, but you should always strive for maximum readability.
5. Content quantity: less is greater.
If you have the impression that there is too much information on your page, you are correct. Define what is truly necessary and eliminate visual clutter. Less is more, as cliched as it may sound. Tell the customer if they are forcing you to squeeze too much content onto a single page.
6. Follow the grid.
Working with grids is essential for successful design. Based on its proportional relationships, composition principles for the foundation of your plan are a smart concept.
Don’t always stick to the traditional three-column layout. A 7-column configuration allows for a lot of fun options… Two-column layouts, a 3/3/1 layout with a sidebar, and so on…
7. Typography reigns supreme.
No amount of lines or other elements will make up for a lousy typographical layout. The typefaces you use the most in your project give it a voice: don’t just pick the first font you like; consider what voice it should have and how to express it to your target audience. The simplest well-designed typefaces, such as Helvetica, Swiss, or Akzidenz Grotesk, can save you from the worst typographic horror scenarios.
It takes time to become familiar with a font. Pick a selection of 5 to 8 fonts that you believe will work for you and focus on those. That’s also a fantastic method to see which fonts go well together and which don’t.
8. Reverse
Do you want to make a quotation or a logo stand out more? Invert the situation. White on black (or any dark hue for that matter) always adds strength to any design or typography.