As with all other processes in the printing industry, it can be challenging to master Print design. Learning the intricacies of printing design takes work, and it’s normal to make mistakes. These are our top 5 design mistakes to avoid when designing Print materials:
Bleed Margins
The bleed is the area that will be trimmed on the sheet or edge. This is why it's essential to ensure your design is not cut when printing. It is crucial to use margins when designing. Generally, 3 mm should suffice.
Resolution
A resolution refers to the tiny dots of colour that make up an image. Resolution is often measured in pixels per inch (or PPI), but it can also be dots per inch (DPI.) For sharper prints, a higher DPI is required. 300 DPI is the recommended standard for printing. I
Colour Profile
You should use the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) colour mode to create your digital display design, but if you plan to Print the design, CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) colour mode should be used. Printers render images using CMYK inks. The CMYK colour mode lets you see how the colours will look after printing. Using the proper colour mode, you can avoid surprises like accidentally printing other colours.
Font and Text Crowding
One of the most common problems with Print design is layout mistakes. A good layout or composition can make your printed materials easier to read or understand. You should only use up to two or three fonts. Too many fonts and types will make your design challenging to read. You should also kern your text. Kerning refers to the amount of space between text characters. Kerning refers to the distance between text characters. If it is done correctly, your text may be easier-to-read.
Formatting
There are many file formats that you could save your design as, each for a different purpose. If you need help deciding which format to choose, think about whether the image should come in a vector- or raster format. Raster images are made from lines and curves. Vectors are made of pixels. These images can be scaled to any dimension while maintaining their original form. You can make your design larger if you don't want it to become pixelated.
Minuteman Press Centurion is available to help create excellent printed marketing materials for your company. We can help you with all your questions and concerns. Contact us today!
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