A Look at Brochure Printing Services

A brochure can be a wonderful promotional tool for a wide range of professionals, but getting them set up can be daunting.  There are many brochure-printing services available that cater to both the amateur and professional. You can find them in a number of ways, including the phone book, the Internet, graphic design and advertising journals, or word of mouth.

Some companies will provide typesetting, design, color separations (four-color process), color proofing and proofreading service, while other companies just provide the most basic color printing, folding and shipping.

There are brochure-printing companies that will do everything for you; all you need is a clear idea of your brochure’s requirements and whether it is business, promotional or another application, and the brochure company will take it from start to finish.  Brochure design can be a challenge, so you might consider working with the professional designer that many brochure-printing companies offer. Some companies even offer sales literature development assistance and strategic marketing plans. However if you do your own design, copy writing, typesetting and art placement, and use these services sparingly, you will save money. One thing to keep in mind if you choose to do so is that most basic brochure printing companies will warn you that they will not proof read your work, and that corrections cost extra.

If you simply start at the beginning with a step-by-step review of your needs, many companies will walk you through the features and benefits of their products and services. Because there is so much competition, many services (such as shipping) are offered at a discount or even free. Furthermore, most brochure printing companies will provide their own customer service representative who will work closely with you to make sure your job runs smoothly and efficiently through the entire process, from pre-press to final distribution.

You should investigate thoroughly each brochure printing company and the services they offer to make sure they meet your requirements.  A well-designed brochure can work wonders, and are well worth the effort.

A Guide to Brochure Printing

Brochure printing can be easy if you first identify your needs and have a clear sense of your budget.  Whether it is for is a real estate listing, a trade show handout, a data sheet, or another application, brochures are a great promotional tool.

Start with a layout that includes the text and images you will need to convey your message. Then choose the type of printing that best suits your brochure. Brochures are typically printed in more than one color.

There are two basic choices in printing: offset printing and laser or digital printing. Both printing processes are capable of producing large quantities of high-quality documents. Most high quality, full-color commercial printing is done on offset presses using the four-color process. Offset printing is a process whereby ink is spread on a metal plate with etched images, is transferred to an intermediary surface, and is then applied to paper by pressing the paper against the intermediary surface.   Although set-up costs can be relatively high, the actual printing is generally inexpensive.

Laser or digital printing uses a laser beam to produce an image; this is also the way copy machines work. Offset printing usually produces clearer, crisper type and higher resolution images than laser or digital printing. However, smaller printing jobs can be done on a small low-volume laser or inkjet printer, or at a copy store, thereby eliminating set-up fees and some shipping costs.

Choosing paper is another very important aspect of brochure printing. Most printers will recommend a heavyweight, coated, or glossy paper to achieve a more vibrant, upscale look.

The folding of your brochure is another key consideration. Basic folding options include: the half fold or single fold, the tri fold (the left and right flaps open), and the “Z” fold (which opens up like an accordion). Almost all printers will give you a greater discount the more you print. 

Brochure printing can be easy and fun and allow for a good deal of self-expression, so go ahead, what are you waiting for?   Print that brochure.

Differences in Color Brochure Printing

Brochures are commonly used by business owners for trade show handouts, as information sheets, or basically for promoting products and services to target clients. In addition to your design and layout, the more effective brochure printing pieces are usually those done in full color.

Choosing the most suitable brochure printing colors though has a significant effect not only to your overall look and feel of your promotional items, but most importantly, to the impact it can have on your prospective audience. To maximize the use of color, you need to understand a few things about your color printing choice.

Full Color Brochure Printing
Full color brochure printing usually meant the standard four color commercial printing done on offset presses. This is being offered in almost every brochure printing company.

Basically, the brochure printers apply the 4 color build process called the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks). CMYK is used to create the color shades you commonly see in any brilliant, full color brochure.

Nevertheless, what you see in your computer monitor would most likely be RGB color (red, green, and blue) instead of CMYK, which can be a totally different shade when you get them printed from the offset lithographic presses. The color shades would not exactly be similar; the difference would be in the calibration of your computer screen. Most brochure printer would require your text and images in CMYK though. As this part can be most tricky, there are software programs that can help you convert your RGB text or image into CMYK, which you can then bring to your brochure printing shop.

The advantage of having a four color brochure printing process nevertheless, is worth more. Colors are basically mixed and controlled by the computer to develop a more consistent quality in the end result. That is why full color offset brochure printing is the most popular choice for business owners today.

Spot Colors
Spot color brochure printing is applied when you have one or two color printing projects. What brochure printers do is mix inks to provide you with an exact color match every time you need it throughout your brochure printing process. The specially mixed inks are called pantone colors. Logos are mostly done in spot colors.

Spot color brochure printing is most appropriate when you need to have an exact match of a particular color to your brochure design with that color in the offset press machine.

More tips –

Full color brochure printing though needs to be well planned. You don’t just decide to use it on your brochure printing project just because you fancy it or that your competition is using it. When you decide to go for a full color brochure, remember to consider all the basics, like:

-  Where to apply the full color design? To be more cost effective, use both front and back covers.
- Consider your folding options. Do you want a tri-fold or a half fold?
- Determine your overall design and appearance.
- Consider your paper stock because it can have a great impact in the reproduction of your colors.

The most important factor to consider is to understand your colors and when to use them. When you plan to apply color to your brochure printing project, just make sure to consider all your elements and try to blend your colors with them. Bear in mind that your elements plus your color can create a huge impact on how your prospective readers will receive your print brochures. Use your colors wisely and see how your brochure printing items do wonders for your business.

Brochure Printing That Works

A successful business strategy is often defined by a good advertising and marketing plan. Look around. Any venture that lacks the proper come-on to customers is almost always doomed to fail.

Take a start-up Web design company, for instance. If its proprietors do not make the business known to prospective clients by placing ads on the Internet or by informing the local neighborhood of their services, they will mostly likely get only one or two orders a month, majority of which will be from relatives and close friends who are really left with no choice but to help their friends' ventures flourish.

This is where an effective and catchy brochure comes in. In an age where the Internet is the weapon of choice for most advertisers, a lot of people still prefer the feel of something concrete in their hands, as if to prove that the business truly exists and is not fly-by-night. Printing a brochure that strikes people's attention easily will do the trick.

Why do you need a brochure?

If designed and distributed properly, a brochure printing could the singlemost important traditional advertising strategy your company could have. Sure, a poster does the same thing, too, but brochures are easier to hand out and pass around and don't take up much advertising space.

Brochure printing is synonymous to traditional advertising as milk is to coffee. You may not have a brochure printed for your business, but doing so would make the experience sweeter and more interesting. If you're chatting with someone you don't know too well and would like him to know about your business, you could start with a brochure that sums up all you have to say.

A brochure is non-intrusive and non-aggressive. That means, the person you give it has the option to take a look at it now or set it aside for later. The important thing is, he will most definitely take a look at it. And if your brochure is printed in an enticing way, it will be something he will never forget.

How do you design the right brochure?

Most brochures are printed in the tri-fold, 8.5 by 11-inch layout, but you can experiment with their size, depending on the look you want to achieve and your budget. They can either be full-color and two-color. Full-color brochures are relatively expensive because they require more printing processes to be completed.

Full-color brochures are not always the more effective choice. If you're artistic and know how to play with different shades of gray and white, you can produce a brochure that trumps even the most gaudy looking ones.

Of course, the content on your brochure should be brief. The purpose of brochure printing is defeated when you try to write a semi-novel on it. Remember, majority of businesspeople and clients have short attention spans because of the plethora of advertisements around. Keep your pitch short and simple.

To sum up, brochure printing should answer the what, where and why of your venture. Your mission fails when the brochure reader will not be able to identify what your business is all about.

Brochure printing is not an obsolete advertising tactic, no matter what other modern marketers say. After all, brochures are the ones that more often end up being stuck to refrigerator doors and used as makeshift bookmarks. They have better recall.