Cover

Because you want the reader to open the brochure to read more, your cover needs to have something intriguing and/or compelling. Questions work well — you can provide the answer on the inside flap or front panel.

The flap (inside front panel)

This is the sweet spot for your message. But keep in mind: the inside flap of a trifold brochure is just a bit smaller than the outer one. It has to be for the brochure to fold and open properly. Our free template takes this design quirk into account, so you don’t have to worry about it.

The inside spread

Most designers set up a three-column grid, or two with a side bar. Keep your text concise, choose highly legible fonts, and use bullets wherever possible — the narrowness of trifold brochure panels makes longer paragraphs hard to read and absorb.

Now for the forgotten real estate – the spaces between the panels.

These margins should be twice as wide as the outer margins. That way, when the brochure is folded, your text or images are centered appropriately within each panel.

The back cover

Readers often ignore the back panel, so don’t bury important messages here. Most typically, the back panel is reserved for company boilerplate messaging or location information.

Last tip: Always print your design full-size and look at it folded before you print it. This forces you to make sure the type is readable and your panels are in the right order.

Got any questions about trifold brochures? Do you know any tips we’ve missed? Tell us what’s on your mind in the comment box below. And don’t miss our FREE downloadable trifold templates. They make the design and printing process simple and hassle-free — with no tricky spots!

Typical flyer printing applications include:

• Promoting a specific event
• Announcing a new product or service
• Introducing a new business (“now open!”)
• Communicating “at a glance” information for future reference

Flyer Design Tips & Best Practices

When it comes to flyer design, a lot depends on how you’re going to distribute your flyer or expect it to be used. Will you mail it, hand it out, hang it up or leave it wherever your customers gather? Think about how your audience will encounter your message. A flyer that is hung up on a wall needs to be more like signage. One that is mailed could hold more information, because the audience will presumably be able to take more in.

• Dynamic design can generate pass-along value and grab attention. Think of the band or nightclub flyers you see at coffee shops – they’re like mini posters! But always keep your design brand-appropriate.
• Keep it simple and bold. Don’t overload your design with too many visuals and multiple fonts.
• Text should be short and concise. Wes-Tex can print double-sided flyers, so if you have a lot of details to communicate, you could include them on the back.
• Don’t forget that paper choice has an impact. A nice bright paper stock will help your image pop, and a higher quality of paper can add cachet and credibility to your message.
• Ask for what you want. Include a strong “call to action” — such as “Call Today” or “Order Now” — and make it very visible to the reader.
• Don’t forget your contact information! Make sure you include business’ name, phone and/or email, web or physical address.
• A map is probably not necessary, as people these days can find anything from a simple address. But if you do include a map, pare things down – just show the key streets and maybe one landmark nearby.

What flyer printing best practices have worked for you? Seen any great flyer design ideas lately? Created something cool yourself? Share your experiences in the comment box below. And remember, at Wes-Tex, we’re always here to help you make the most of any project. Just give us a call and let’s talk about your needs. 

Use our new 8.5" x 11" flyers and tri-fold brochures to deliver a polished, professional message — plus you can download our free templates to make design and pre-production a lot easier. Either format can be printed single- or double-sided, so you’ve got plenty of room to work with.

We’ve also added to our portfolio of stock options, with three new business-card stocks available for full-color printing. Natural Raglan (80C), Natural Classic Crest® (110C) and Digital White Linen (80C).

At Wes-Tex, we’re always listening to our customers and looking for new opportunities to surprise and delight you. Don’t see something you need? Let us know! Leave a comment below with more ideas you’d like to see from Wes-Tex. 

Every New Year brings with it some serious opportunity to flex your creative muscles with one of the most useful tools of print-marketing… calendars.

Here are five interesting and outta-the-box ideas to consider:

1. Magnetic Cards – Go Four It!

Marketing printed on magnetic cards gets extra looks because they end up on fridges showcasing things like shopping lists and kids’ artistic masterpieces. So, instead of giving them one great looking and useful calendar with your marketing message on it, why not give them four?  Break up the year into three-month chunks, and create four great-looking seasonal designs. Viola! You’ve now got four spaces on their fridge. Bring on the pint-sized Picassos!

2. Glossy Tabloid Poster – The Perfect Size

Cube walls all over America are just begging for a calendar big enough to be seen clearly from office chairs, but not so big that they invite the ire of office managers and co-workers. 11x17 poster is the ‘just right’ option that gives designers room to make an impact without crowding out what matters – the months and days of the year.

3. Rip Cards – Make Your Appointment for Monthly Promotions 

Rip cards are those clever little marketing vehicles with a tear-away component at the bottom. Offers from appointment-based companies are made more memorable by using a rip card calendar for each month of the year. In addition to the days and weeks of the month, include a monthly promotion for customers to look forward to. As an added bonus, the tear-away can be used to fill in appointment date and time information that customers can conveniently detach and carry around in a wallet or pocketbook. Smart!

What interesting calendar ideas have you come across so far this year? Use the comments box below to share.

Non Standard Business Card Size Pros
• Non-standard business cards exude creativity and outside the box thinking.
• Great for industries such as advertising, music, entertainment, salons, etc., whose merit is won by creativity and inventiveness. Funky and unconventional business cards will prove to be appropriate.
• Custom shaped business cards can be a visual slogan – cementing what your company does or embodies without unnecessary words.

Non Standard Business Card Size Cons
• Non-standard size business cards don’t fit into the standard case/wallet/rolodex... etc.  So your recipient may end up folding your business card or putting it somewhere else only to lose it or forget about it.
• More expensive – unusual business card sizes tend to be more expensive to produce than the traditional business card size.
• Difficult to produce – Not all printers offer non-standard business card size printing.  Wes-Tex offers non-standard size business card printing in seven shapes and sizes.
• Non-standard business card sizes are not the best option for high turnover industries like sales, insurance, and some services.

So before you jump on the non-standard business card bandwagon, consider the industry you are in, your target audience, your budget and the goal of your business card. Once you know whether a traditional business card size or a non-standard business card size is best, find a trusted printer like Wes-Tex to bring your card to life!

Foil stamping, also called hot stamping, dry stamping, foil imprinting or leaf stamping, uses heat and metallic film in a specialty printing process that creates a shiny design on the paper or material of your choice. Foil stamping uses heated die or metal stamps to press the foil, making it adhere to the surface leaving the design of the die on the paper. Common uses for foil stamping are business cards, letterhead, gift cards, office folders and stationery. Foil stamping is often combined with embossing, thermography, flat printing or full color processes.

Foil stamping is the Mercedes of printing processes. It’s a status symbol signifying “premium” to your clients or customers and allowing for more creativity in your design.  Depending on your business and your clientele, foil stamped pieces may be a much-needed addition to your business portfolio. 

Price is the most obvious benefit to printing wholesale; however, there are many other benefits to printing wholesale such as color consistency, large volume printing and ease of ordering. Some wholesale printing companies such as Wes-Tex also allow you to manage all your orders from a centralized online account. You can create orders, track orders, order supplies, view pricing and research order history from one place. Printing wholesale is easy on your pocket book and your calendar.
 

Offset Printing Service Advantages
• Offset printing services are the most common commercial printing service for high volume projects because the unit cost decreases as the quantity increases.
• Offset printing services produce the highest image quality.
• Compatible with a wide variety of printing surfaces including paper, cloth, plastic, wood, metal and leather to name a few.

Digital Printing Service Advantages
• Very Quick turnaround times
• Competitive low volume pricing
• Printed press proofs are easily available and very accurate to final printed product.
• Digital printing services offer more flexibility such as changing out text and graphics on each individual piece without stopping or slowing down the press.

In summary, next time you are deciding on the appropriate printing service, consider quantity, turnaround, customization, proofing and printing medium, in order to make the most informed decision.
 

In the digital age it’s easy for any of us to go out and create and print the traditional business card, but hard for our business cards to stand apart from the competition.

Foil embossed business printing is a tried and true method to making your business cards, letterhead and documents not only more aesthetically pleasing, but also more professional. Foil embossing can be used to emphasize your logo or draw attention to specific information on the business card. Plus, foil embossing is available in 11 foil colors, so there is likely a color that complements your business’s color palette. It is also possible to have a specific area of the card or design embossed.  Custom foil embossed business cards are associated with high quality and luxury and thus, have a halo effect on your brand, product or service.

Now I challenge you to take a look at your current business card, better yet, throw it in the mix with the business cards mentioned above. Does it get lost in the clutter? Does it grab your attention? If not, then you should maybe consider foil embossed printing for your next round of business cards for you and your employees. Step up your business cards in order to stand out.

What are the new products?
Magnetic cards (3 sizes), rack cards, rip cards, bookmarks, club cards (2 sizes) and posters.

We’re continuing to build the Wes-Tex product line. We’d love to hear what your customers are asking you for. Send us product suggestions at service@wes-tex.com.

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