Designing and Printing Booklets

While they say not to judge a book by its cover, the same is not true for your marketing collateral and certainly not true when designing booklets. This medium is meant for pizazz! A booklet is like the prima ballerina of marketing collateral – it desires attention and needs to be noticed.

Because of its long shelf life, the booklet is by nature an outstanding way to keep your business relevant with customers long-term. The more attractive a booklet is designed, the more likely it is to be set aside for later use and something to be referred back to time and time again.

Designing Booklets
Before you begin the fun part of designing a booklet with decisions on color schemes, fonts and images, don’t make the mistake so many do by skipping the below pre-planning stages. A successful booklet, just like a ballerina, is so much more than what meets the eye. At a minimum, contemplate the below points before you begin putting together your booklet.

Here are some things to consider:

1. The most important step in creating a booklet is deciding its purpose and target audience.
2. Second, determine what size and format make the most sense for what you are trying to achieve.
3. From there, lay out the amount of copy and images needed, choose the paper type (thick or thin, matte or gloss), and select the binding that best suits your needs – such as spiral bound, wire-o, perfect bound or saddle-stitched.

Remember to always keep the purpose of the booklet in mind when going through all these decisions. If you need help with anything from concept to design and production, contact Modern Postcard, and we’ll walk you through every step

Booklets and Print Marketing in the Digital Age
There’s no doubt about it; we live in a digital age. These days, from getting driving directions to looking up a tasty recipe, there’s not much you can’t accomplish with a smartphone in hand. Would it be a surprise then if we told you that the tactile aspect of print marketing is still very much desired by consumers across the board? Imagine streaming Swan Lake on your smart device versus seeing the production in person on the main stage. Which version do you think would move you more? Marketing works very much in the same way.

A popular e-book on How the Brain Reacts to Print Marketing does a deep-dive into this very topic. With facts based on a recent brain study, it’s an interesting read worth the download.

Expert Tip! Generate new leads by turning your booklet into a downloadable e-book on your website.

Booklet-Friendly Industries
We’ve compiled a list of industries that thrive on spreading their information through booklets. As you look through this list, think about how they use this medium and how booklets could benefit your own customers.

Printing Booklets
Keep in mind that a booklet could very well be your first impression with a potential customer. We’ve talked about design and how important it is to know the purpose of your booklet. The last step is how it’s going to be printed. The presentation and the quality of your print job is just as important as all the previous steps. Imagine you have this beautiful, well put together booklet but the printing is smudged, the colors are a bit faded, and the paper is not quite suitable for your specific needs. It’s comparable to the quality of stage production in our ballet narrative. In other words, what kind of tangible impression does your booklet leave with the reader, and how does it relate back to the time, money, and effort put into its design?

So, when choosing a printer, do your homework. Select a printer who has experience printing the type of booklet you’re looking to create, and don’t be afraid to ask for samples. Make a phone call and go over all the details and outcomes you want for your booklet. People in this industry are here to help you and ensure your booklet comes out just like you’ve envisioned it. Talking it over with someone else might also bring up things you haven’t considered before. And lastly, think about if you want your booklet shipped or mailed. In many instances, it makes sense to mail the booklet straight to your intended audience.

At Modern Postcard, we help customers like you to design, print, ship and/or mail all kinds of booklets. Call us with your idea, and we’ll get your booklet project started!

Call a Direct Marketing Specialist at 800.959.8365.