Print Perfect: 5 Common Printing Mistakes to Steer Clear Of
Many people consider print marketing a thing of the past in today’s digital age, but that’s not the case. Around 56% trust print marketing more than other types of marketing initiatives. Printed materials give your business credibility, as customers can hold a tangible product in their hands.
You might be tempted to undertake the design and printing of your upcoming marketing materials. Read on to learn the top five common printing mistakes you should try to avoid. Partnering with a professional printing services company is key to preventing these errors from occurring before you hit the print button.
1. Using a Blurry Image
Whatever images you use should be high-resolution enough so they come out clear when printed. Low-resolution images will have the following issues:
- Less accurate colors
- Blurriness
- Poor overall quality
Images should be around 300 pixels per inch when printed. You can right-click on the image to view its info and properties.
2. Too Large or Small Text Size
It can be challenging to find the right size font for your graphics. Text that’s too small can be hard to read. Too large of text can look unprofessional and overwhelm your design.
The font size you choose depends on what you’re having printed. Here are some guidelines to follow:
- Handheld Items: 10 to 14 points
- Headlines: 18 to 28 points
- Subheadings: 14 to 28 points
You want to arrange your text so it’s easy to scan and read.
3. Forgetting About Your Print Guides
A print guide is included in most design files. This guide includes things such as the following:
- Safety areas
- Trim
- Bleed
- Fold
Print guides are intended to make it easy to design your project because you’ll see where it needs to be folded and cut. It’s important to remove your print guides before you have the file printed.
4. Forgetting About Bleed
Bleed refers to the part of your design that goes past the spot where the paper will get trimmed. This is important to keep in mind if you want your printed design to go to the edge of the page without any white space around it. If so, your design needs a bleed.
The standard size for bleed is 0.125″ around the edges of a design. You need to ensure your design has a bleed so you avoid cut-off text or white space. The zone inside of the bleed is referred to as the safety zone.
5. Grammatical Errors and Typos
You can never proofread a project too many times. Don’t cut corners on this point, even if you don’t have a lot of text on the page. Some ways you can check your file include:
- Using spell-check tools
- Having others review the file
- Hiring a professional to review the document
Partner With an Experienced Printing Services Company
Finding a printing services company you can trust with your corporate print and digital designs is important. You want the agency to capture your vision while ensuring exceptional final results.
The printing experts at Auctus Graphics are here to assist with your commercial print solutions. We’re a one-stop shop for designing, production, and logistics when it comes to custom-printed graphics. Explore our signage and print services page, and schedule a consultation for offset printing for large format designs.