Easy Steps To Achieving Perfect Printing Every Time

A guide to planing and producing the perfect printed materials for business documents or marketing materials. An overview of the processes involved. Follow these steps to ensure the best quality end product.

Always A Place For Print
New start-up businesses and long established companies still have a need for hard-copy materials despite the fact that we live in a digital age. Whether it is professionally produced business documents or high quality printed marketing materials that are required, the process involved remains the same.

The print process has some key steps, some of which are repeated when amendments are required and documents are re-circulated for approval. It is better to have copy fully approved before starting on the design as it can be time consuming to make text changes within the designed format which could also affect the layout. Steps to be followed for printing flyers will include:
- agreeing the purpose and audience of the document
- writing, editing, proof reading and approving the copy
- agreeing the design concept and document format
- obtaining print quotes and sample materials
- designing the document (adhering to branding guidelines)
- circulating for review and proof reading
- finalising artwork for the printers
- reviewing and signing off the printer's proofs.

Know The Details
For a job such as quality printing flyers, there are some basic format features that need to be agreed in order to obtain a realistic quote from the printers. The printer will need to know the size of the flyer (A5, A6, DL etc) and how many pages (a page counts as one side of a piece of paper) so a flyer would be 1 or 2 pages. The weight, type and quality of paper stock can be specified as can the number of ink colours required. A job might typically be black and white or a four colour process (CMYK) but additional 'spot' colours are sometimes required where specific pantone colours can be added to the process. As well as colours and paper stock, different finishes can also be applied to give a matt or gloss appearance. If the company chosen for printing flyers will also be doing the design and artwork then it is a good idea to submit a design brief along with branding guidelines when specifying requirements.

Steps To Perfection
To ensure quality printing flyers it is important to check accuracy at each step of the process. When copy is written ensure it is fit for purpose, proof read and fully approved. When the design is drafted make sure it adheres to branding guidelines and check that no errors have crept into the copy when it has been inserted. Most importantly, the printer engaged for quality printing flyers will provide a proof of the artwork supplied. From this proof the layout, colour, image resolution and copy, must all be checked carefully as this is exactly how the printed item will look. Errors spotted at this stage can be rectified, it will be too late to do anything once the item has gone to print, so get more than one person to check the proofs.

Felicity Fletcher regularly writes on quality printing flyers and other marketing related topics for a variety of websites and blogs.