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A little knowledge is a dangerous thing — especially when it comes to ordering marketing collateral for your business.

Before you say “it’s only a brochure, how complicated can it really be?” and sign your life away on a glitzy new sales piece, be sure you know what you’re committing to. Otherwise you just might find your business ends up with thousands of unused brochures, a hefty invoice and — in two year’s time — enough outdated material to fuel a good-sized bonfire.

Getting a brochure designed and produced is like anything else — easy, when you know how. So, before you order that new brochure, arm yourself with some basic knowledge so you get the marketing collateral you need to build your business, without breaking the bank:

1. Would You Like Printing With That?
Typically, brochure printing is not included in the cost of a custom brochure design, so be careful about approving a budget based on the first number you hear. The graphic design (layout, images, colours, etc.) and content development (the writing of the text for the brochure, or the editing of the text you provide) is done as a specific task. Since the printing is actually a different but related activity, you should get a quotation for design and development and a second quote (or a breakdown of costs for both activities) for printing, the cost of which is based on the quantity of the brochure and the type of printing (more about that later).

2. To Bleed — or Not to Bleed?
Taking the design images to the very edge of the brochure is called a “bleed”. Because this generally requires the printer to use paper slightly larger than your final brochure size, then trim it to size, it typically costs a little bit more. In some cases, the additional expense is well worth it as it results in a much more professional-looking product.

3. Colour Me Confused!
Everyone knows that more colour means more cost, right? Well, sort of. Black and white printing is always less expensive but when it comes to colour things get a little more complicated. If you’ll be printing digitally (i.e., from a high quality colour laser printer), using full or limited colours doesn’t impact cost because the item will only run through the laser printer once. With “offset printing” (done on a typical printing press) full colour printing costs more than one or two colours because in a full colour print job the brochure must go through a very specific press that can handle that type of work, which requires the creation of print plates, set-up time to configure to each unique need and in some cases the paper must run through the press multiple times.

4. How Many is TOO Many?
Whether you choose offset printing or digital printing will be dictated by quantity. Generally, if you need upwards of 1000 copies, offset printing will be the less expensive option. As the quantity increases, the unit cost for each brochure will fall. The incremental cost of printing 1500 vs. 2000 copies will be minimal, so you have to consider whether it makes more sense to have 5,000 brochures at, say, 50 cents each, or 500 brochures at $1 each? The answer depends on how many brochures you’ll realistically use, and in what period of time.

5. Is it Worth the Paper It’s Printed On?
Thicker paper will give your brochure some “heft” and help to keep its shape, but the heavier the “stock” (industry lingo for paper) the more expensive it will be. You may be better off choosing a lighter stock that is coated (has a sheen) to protect it, rather than one that is heavier, but uncoated. And if you’re folding your piece, how will the creases look with your paper choice? The right choice depends on the purpose and use of the piece, but an experienced professional will advise you appropriately.

6. Keeping it Simple
When it’s time to develop a new brochure, everyone starts getting creative. Fantastic ideas about pockets, folding, images, stamping, embossing, die-cuts and colours come out of the woodwork and they all sound great — until you hear how much they cost. You’ll be relieved to know that you can, however, create a unique, professional brochure that gives your business credibility and supports your market positioning without investing a small fortune. By working with a professional (like 5th Business) you get the expertise to know how to create impact without overextending your budget. Creative uses of shapes and sizes of brochures, for instance, can create significantly more oomph, without necessarily impacting cost.



© 2005 5th Business Management Practice Inc.
www.5th Business.com