1. LESS WORDS, MORE PICTURES.Show us, don’t tell us. Too much text makes the reader switch off. Break up your text with pictures.
We process visual information much faster than text and can get the sense of an image in less than one tenth of a second. That’s less time than blinking.
90% of our communication is visual, we’re wired to understand pictures faster and more completely than we are to understand words.
Long lines of text or a small font also make text hard to read and absorb.
50-60 characters per line is a good rule of thumb.
Instead of telling us about it, use images to show us your message whenever you can.

2. CHOOSE COLOURS THAT WORK WELL.The science of colour and why certain colours and combinations work better than others is a complex topic. The most basic colour theory is that using a light colour, a dark colour and a bright colour in your palette creates the correct levels of contrast and interest.
Here’s a useful tool from Adobe where you can search for the keywords or the mood you want your colour combination to express and will give you excellent examples of effective colour combinations.
Once you have chosen your colours, stick to them. Avoid the temptation to “just add in a bit more colour” – doing that will ruin the balance and effect of your palette.

3. MORE WHITE SPACE.The temptation is to use up all the space with what you want to say, but that just leads to an overcrowded message. White (or empty) space improves readability and draws the eye to the area you want the reader to look at.
White space is about more than leaving room for design elements, it also improves engagement and retention and generates more attention to the most important elements.
More detail about the reasons for using more white space are outlined in this informative article by Artwork Abode.

4. UNDERSTAND TEXT DESIGN.What comes first to a reader is the largest, brightest element so make sure that’s your most important message. Follow it with the second largest, brightest element for the next most important and so on. This is the principle of hierarchy and is a vital key to an effective message.
Pay attention to text design details such as alignment, kerning, scaling and stretching. If you’re not sure how to get this right, check out these excellent articles on kerning from 99 Designs, hierarchy from 254-online and the basics from Looka.

5. USE THE CORRECT SOFTWARE.Avoid using online sites or free software that create print products, they come with problems that often mean having to go back and start again using the correct software. Adobe Creative Cloud is the industry standard for design professionals. It includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat which are the basic packages you need to create professional print design.
If you’re not positioned to pay for a subscription to any or all of these or have the skills to use them, think about hiring a graphic designer to create or finish your work. The investment will pay off in better marketing that sells more of your products. We can help you with all aspects of print design. Give us a call if you need to know more, we’re here to help.

6. KNOW YOUR MATERIAL.Colours can reproduce differently across the range of papers and materials that can be printed on and can look quite different between products if they’re not professionally produced or printed on the correct machines.
The only way to be certain you’re going to end up with the correct shade across all your printed marketing is by using an experienced printer.