Tips and Tricks from Graphic Designers
Graphic designers share some tricks on making impactful print materials.
With the world becoming more digital every day, how can you create effective print materials that will catch the attention of a wide range of customers?
Almost everyone is present online these days. Data shows that 64.4% of the total world population is using the Internet at the start of 2023. However, this does not mean you should go digital and ignore printed materials in promoting your business, product, or service. In fact, neuroscience research reveals that paper-based content and advertisements are more likely to be remembered compared to their digital counterpart.
Nevertheless, even if print is here to stay, it does not mean you can just create printed materials and expect your customers to increase in numbers gradually. It is vital to design powerful and effective print materials to reach the maximum number of customers.

How to promote products and services through printed materials
Back in the day, businesses only use flyers and brochures in promoting their products and services. Today, some of the most common forms of promotions using printed materials include stickers, postcards, pens, notebooks, mugs, mouse pads, and almost anything that people use every day.
Amongst the strategies of businesses is connecting their promotional materials with their company. For example, if they are engaged in exercise equipment, they give out caps, water bottle containers printed with their logos, and other similar sports-related items.
Other strategies for promotion include:
- Sending out greeting cards during special occasions
- Using cars as mobile advertisements by affixing bumper stickers on the vehicles and having someone drive the vehicle all over town
- Giving out calendars to customers before the start of the New Year
- Displaying standees in foot traffic areas or during events
- Hosting events and giving out souvenirs like t-shirts and other apparel
- Hosting actual tutorial programs about print and graphic design sponsored by your company

Tips and tricks in designing effective materials
Print design focuses on printed materials like magazines, flyers, business cards, book covers, and all those that you can hold with your hands. It is crucial to produce print materials that will send the right message about your business.
1. Think of your brand.
One of your primary purposes in creating printed materials is to have a strong recognition of your brand. This can be done by incorporating significant components of your brand in your publicity materials.
For example, your brand colour and logo should always be incorporated in your posters and flyers. This way, people can easily recognise your business and all the things associated with it whenever they see the colour, logo, or statement in your campaign materials. In other words, in designing your printed materials, always think of ways to incorporate your brand so that your target audience can easily associate your business with these things.
2. Know your target audience.
Before creating your materials, identify your target audience or those who would be your potential customers. The materials should match what your target audience wants or prefers. It will be futile to create brochures, for example, about pet grooming services, without considering the people to whom you will hand them out. The content of your print should be able to attract and pique the interest of your target audience which is why it is crucial to research them before creating your material.
3. Start with the content and design.
Ensure you have an eye-catching design and persuasive content to have effective print materials. In creating remarkable designs and content, consider the following tips:
Limit your typefaces.
It is not easy to scan multiple typefaces or fonts, so make sure to use simple and easy-to-read typefaces. Did you know that most professional graphic designers stick to just one or two types of fonts and just play with scaling, weights, and colours to make designs look attractive? So, whether you prefer script or sans serif as your chosen font, limit them to just one or two types to make your text easily readable.
Use scaling.
Feel free to resize your elements in order to find the right proportions or add emphasis. Headings and subheadings are useful in creating emphasis, especially if you are making an article about your product, business, or service.
Do not be afraid of white space.
More is not always better. Allow your content to breathe. It is not always necessary to fill up the entire space of a poster, for instance, so do not load it up with images and texts. Usually, your main message must be larger and more visible than everything else. Some space for other smaller texts may also be considered.
Stick with a few colours.
Have a central colour palette composed of 1 to 3 primary colours and another 1 to 3 secondary colours. Then, just adjust the brightness or use different tones for some contrast.
Use grid systems.
This has to do with your layout, especially if you are designing multiple pages for your print materials. Grids enable you to position your texts and images so they look clean and polished.
Layer it up.
Along with grids, layers are a great way to create next-level printed material. One of the easiest ways for beginners to apply multiple layers is type over imagery. Just make sure that the colours of the texts remain visible and readable.
Use borders and patterns.
Borders can help reinforce the theme that you are working on. Patterns can help you fill up empty spaces.
Keep the text concise and simple.
It is easy to go overboard when creating promotional material. But even if you want to put everything on it, remember that it is always best to keep everything simple. For instance, if it is a write-up, make the sentences short and the words straightforward and direct. People’s attention spans are getting shorter, so you must catch the reader’s attention in your first few sentences.
Use high-quality images.
If you are creating a full-page printout for your event or launch, having high-quality pictures can create a major impact on your material. Contrarily, pixelated images are not pretty to look at and will create negative feedback on your part.
4. Contact a professional.
A DIY layout and design are something that you can always explore. However, there are times when a professional designer should handle the job.
Let’s say you are about to launch a new product or service, or you have a big event coming up. Professional designers can help you create a credible image based on your target audience. If you are not an expert when it comes to layout and design, you can simply tell the graphic designer what you have in mind, and they can turn your idea into tangible and effective material. This will further save you from the stress of experimenting with designing your own print material.

Contact Jennings Print for Your Print Materials in Maitland, Hunter Valley, and Newcastle.
Jennings Print has been helping businesses with their promotional marketing needs for over 50 years. We produce high-quality brochures, booklets, flyers, stationeries, business cards, and other promotional products – almost everything that you’ll ever need to promote your business.
Our state-of-the-art printing equipment, in-house graphic designers, and a team of knowledgeable people can assist with your promotional needs. Contact us on 02 4933 5735 or send your enquiries to admin@jenningsprint.com.au at your earliest convenience.