We recently provided you with an insight into the trials and tribulations of business card design and how to ensure that your company business card avoids the bin; if you missed it then you can read it here. As a follow up to this useful graphic design article, we are now providing you with some pointers as to what makes a great leaflet design (ultimately preventing the leaflet from joining the business card in the bin).
Leaflets are used in various ways as a business marketing tool; whether the business itself is large or small the humble leaflet can have a large part to play in promotion. Whether they are pushed through a letterbox, displayed on a bustling shop counter, strewn across the tables in a classy cafe or simply inserted in a local newspaper - leaflets are everywhere. This is why it is so important that your leaflet design is created in such a way so that it stands out from the crowd and does its job. Here are some handy tips:
1. Ensure that you are fully aware of who your target audience is and what you want your leaflet to acheive before you hand the reins over to the professional graphic designer. If you don't know this information then there's no way that it will be conveyed to them and the result will be a design that doesn't work!
2. You need to make sure you say what you want to say within the top 7.5 centimetres of your leaflet. This is what people will see when it is within a stand, so use these 7.5 litlle centimetres well.
3. You are not wiriting the next installment of Lord of the Rings; make sure that all copy is concise and in short, enticing statements or bullet points and not chunks of seemingly endless text. It won't be read.
4. Size matters; it is all well and good thinking that you will do a massive leaflet or a crazy shape but the most common leaflet sizes are DL (99mm x 210mm) and A5 for a reason. Most leaflet holders are in these sizes. Also, these sizes are portable and easily put in trouser pockets!
5. As with every single piece of printed marketing material, the quality of the paper/card used and the finish applied is paramount. Even the very best design can be ruined if it is printed on tracing paper! A nice matte or glossy finish on a paper no thinner than 115gsm should suffice.
6. The final point is probably the most important of them all. When you have read your leaflet through, do it again, and again and get someone else to read it too! Responsibility for final artwork sign off lies with you, the client, and nothing looks worse or more unprofessional than a spelling mistake, especially repeated 10,000 times over!
Take a look at our print design portfolio here and see how we could apply our affordable graphic design services to your business.