As print management experts we deal with a huge volume and variety of print jobs every single day, but there are really only two types of print.
That might seem like a strange thing to say, but let us explain a bit more…
The many varieties of print
We have printed on everything, from mugs to keyrings, huge point of sale boards to tiny USBs and every size and scale of brochure you can think of.
On behalf of our clients we’ve sourced print that pops up, print that folds down, and print with seeds embedded into it.
We’ve worked on creative pieces like video books for Audi UK and on fairly standard product brochures for everyone from the YMCA to JD Sports.
But there are still only two types of print.
Those types are the stuff that’s successful, and the stuff that isn’t.
Type one – successful print
Successful print is created with the recipient at the heart. It’s not a vanity product for the marketeer commissioning it, it’s a well thought through piece of creative that speaks to the problem or the desires of the person who will receive it.
Everything from the format, to the weight of the paper, through the colours and, importantly, the content, is carefully considered and put together with the audience at the centre of the job. It will have started with the end in mind – what should the receiver know, do or feel as a result of getting this piece of print?
Of course, we’re not saying that every campaign should have a 100% success rate, but if all of the elements have been carefully constructed it should do well.
Type two – unsuccessful print
The second type of print is the stuff that just doesn’t make a difference. It’s the leaflets printed “because we always do that” rather than because customers have demonstrated a need for them.
It’s the over-ordered promotional gifts created for an event because it only cost an extra few quid to print 5,000 instead of 3,000.
And it’s the stuff that’s created with a focus on the organisation producing it, rather than the intended recipient – what we call vanity print.
We will always try to explore with clients what success looks like, to suggest alternative ways to deliver what they envisage. Our studio can create clever designs that will speak to intended audiences and work well in print too. But at the end of the day we are a service-based company, and what the client wants, they get.
Of course, we want to always deliver Type One Print, so why not get some advice from the experts the next time you’re considering printing something? We think you’ll be surprised at our insight, and your final product will be all the better for it.
Give one of the friendly team a call today on 01924 284334.
