Even though we live in a digital world, when it comes to advertising, the printed word still carries a lot of weight. Whether that is through magazine distribution, handing out leaflets and flyers, or in a product catalogue, you have the opportunity to get your product in front of the people who really matter. However, one thing that can undermine this is a substandard level of printing. If you are not an experienced printer, there are a number of common mistakes that can be easily made. The good news is that while it is not difficult to make these mistakes, rectifying them is usually quite a straightforward process. In this article, we thought we would take a look at some of the common errors that plague inexperienced printers and how, with a bit of care, they can be eliminated.
Spelling Mistakes and Poor Grammar
There is just no justification for typographical or grammatical errors in printed materials. It is without a doubt a big deal, because research has shown that even one mistake can cause sales to drop by 50%. It typically comes down to people writing their documents in Microsoft Word and then counting on the spellchecker to spot mistakes. Obviously, spellcheckers cannot detect correctly spelled words when the intended word is terrible.
For instance, the sentence “proofreading is useless” would not be recognised. Additionally, spell checkers are still hit-and-miss when it comes to grammar and usage, so you shouldn’t rely on them. Before sending your paper to the printers, thoroughly proofread it.
Sacrificing Quality for Quantity
When it comes to printing, quality is all too frequently sacrificed in favour of quantity. When having documents printed, there may be a propensity to print as many as possible while lowering the quality to keep the cost down. This is probably the worst thing you can do.
No matter what you are printing for, quality is critical. As a result, you should always give it precedence in whatever you do. Cost-cutting is crucial, but poor printing truly stands out and can reflect poorly on your company.
Making Text Too Small
When designing for print, you must give careful consideration to how the work will appear and become deeply involved in the design process. Even if you frequently have the screen zoomed in, it might be quite easy to forget that the printed text will be difficult to see at a very small font size.
Generally, text below a font size of 6 has trouble remaining readable. Additionally, if you’re going to use very small print, remember that it’s crucial to choose specific, contrasting colours. Also, keep in mind that the font you choose might have a significant impact.
Disregarding the Need for Proper Ink Coverage
When designing digitally, you can be sure to get the colour you want if you use exact levels of red, green, and blue. Still, it’s important to know how much ink you need to put on the paper when printing.
This is because paper can only hold a certain amount of ink before it starts to break and get damaged. Avoiding this issue is simple: check the printer’s tolerances before using it and attempt to keep ink coverage below 240 percent.
Hopefully, the information contained in this short piece will help you understand the pitfalls that can be associated with printing and will help you avoid them and produce quality work that will impress your existing customers and attract new ones.
