Partner Article

What-Not-To-Do ? Style Guide For Printed Flyers

Creating the perfect promotional flyer for a business can be like walking a tightrope. There is a fine line between eye-catching and garish, just as there is a fine line between understated and boring. These types of promotional materials are still considered to be a strong and effective way to encourage client interaction and generate interest in a product or service, and so it is important to stand out in the sea of similar literature. While a strict ‘to-do’ list can stifle creativity, a simple list of ‘what-not-to-dos’ can help to prevent businesses from committing the many common flyer faux-pas which consign their materials to the bin.

• 1. Avoid Clutter

The temptation to cram every last bit of information into the small space on a printed flyer can be a hard one to avoid, especially if this is for a particularly important campaign. Over complication and clutter can become the very opposite of eye-catching; the human eyes can’t decipher which piece of text or picture to look at first, and will gloss over the leaflet entirely without registering its contents. Images and texts can have a much greater impact when not competing with other ideas on the same page, so resist the urge to cram in product descriptions and small print where there isn’t any call for it.

• 2. Don’t Be Tempted To Sway From House Style

Many companies have a simple house style for the letterheads and in-house documentation. For those who don’t, it is worth developing one to use on their promotional materials. It can be tempted to sway from house style and try to create something vibrant and new, but more often than not, this can create distance between the printed leaflets and the brand, confusing customers. Continuity is important, and creates professionalism, so it is vital not to waver from a strong house style.

• 3. Don’t Shun High-Quality

A pixelated image or low-quality picture can take a flyer from stylish to amateur. Stock photos are a great choice, but ensuring that they are of high-quality when in printed format is paramount for flyers with a professional edge. Many companies opt for their leaflets and flyers to be printed in different sizes, so it’s important that the largest size (usually A4) still shows the image with smooth edges and plenty of detail.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rebecca Appleton .