5 Proven Principles For Print Ads

There’s still something to be said for print advertisements in a digital age where everyone wants to talk about PPC advertisements, social media, and web design. And if you know how to design compelling print ads, you’ll enjoy a robust ROI. Here are a few pointers:

1. Know Your Limits

The first key is to understand what you’re capable of and where you need help. Too many small brands make the mistake of trying to do all of their print design work in-house, when they could benefit from hiring it out to a print design agency. One of the benefits of working with a design agency is that you get consistent work that’s delivered on demand.

You’ll have to do your own research and find the design agency that fits your needs, but Superside is widely considered to be among the best. They’re able to develop cohesive branding that helps companies build trust within the marketplace.

2. Use The Grid System

You need some sort of overarching approach to streamline your print designs and ensure consistency. Most designers choose to operate within a grid system to develop a clean and polished look.

“The structure is made up of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines,” Tuts+ explains. “It doesn’t end there – if you want to add complexity to your page, try adding angular or curved lines.

There are no strict rules as to what is and what isn’t a grid. That’s the beauty of design—as a designer, you can create your own grid. As long as you follow it throughout a project, you will create clean pages.”

The important thing is that you have a plan for developing compelling designs that are both visually appealing and digestible.

3. Be Intentional With Colors

Color plays a vital role in print ads. Not only do you want the color scheme to correlate with your brand and establish positive associations with your mission, but you also have to consider the implications of color psychology.

Every color on the color wheel has its own psychological associations. Red, for example, is associated with feelings of passion, excitement, and urgency.

Blue is calm, trustworthy, and wise. Green is wholesome, organic, and safe. You can discover more about color psychology in marketing and branding with this guide from CoSchedule.

When thinking about the overall color scheme, be sure to take the combination of colors into account. There should always be a clear primary color, followed by a secondary color, and possibly a tertiary color.

4. Use Layers For Pop

Flat design rarely works (unless that’s an intentional design choice that reflects your brand’s personality). To generate the most visual impact in a print ad, use a multi-layered layout that adds depth and stimulates interest.

The easiest way to use layers is to ensure you have multiple types of content on the page. This includes text, images, and other graphic elements.

5. Give Typography Some Thought

Fonts and typography tend to be afterthoughts, but they play a significant role in the overall look and feel of a print advertisement. It influences how your audience sees, reads, and reacts to the ad.

Each font has specific associations and effects. Sans-Serif, for example, creates a calm and clean look. (Apple and LG commonly use these fonts.) Serif fonts, on the other hand, are more charming, classic, and refined. (Tiffany & Co. and Time Magazine use them.)

“Alternatively, brands geared towards women tend to use flowing, swirly calligraphy fonts like Alex Brush or Allura, while those geared towards men use sturdier, bold fonts like Brothers or Bank Gothic,” Printivity mentions.

Play around with different fonts and combinations. However, try to limit the number of fonts you use in a print ad to between one and three different types. Any more than this and you risk overwhelming the viewer.

Give Your Print Marketing A Boost

Everyone wants to talk about digital design these days. And while there’s certainly value in developing compelling design work for websites, social media, and other digital mediums, you shouldn’t forget about print.

It used to be that digital was a way to cut through the noise and establish a little differentiation in the marketplace.

But the inverse is now true. With so much oversaturation in the online world, brands that take the time to invest in compelling and cutting edge print marketing will rise above the chaos and connect with customers in powerful ways. Give your marketing an advantage by applying the principles outlined in this article.