Knowing what questions to ask before printing a brochure will help you save time, money, and make the biggest impact. Here are the most important aspects of a brochure:
- The SIZE of the finished product – standard sizes are going to be more economic and print faster than specialty sizes. However, a specialty size may draw more attention and help your brand stand out. You will need to decide if the premium you will pay on the specialty size is worth it in the long run.
- PAPER SELECTION – If you have decided to go with a printed brochure you already realize the importance a physical piece (to see, touch and feel) makes to your audience. The paper stock that you select needs to play an important role. Talk to your printer about paper options and ask for samples. Also be sure to ask if any of your options must be ordered in specific increments. Some stocks have a minuium order quantity. Keep in mind that many of the specialty paper options take extra time to order and receive.
- How the brochure is FOLDED – By definition, a brochure is a folded piece – but this doesn’t mean that there are only a hand full of options. You can go with a standard basic fold, a roll fold, a parallel fold, a gate fold, and the list goes on and on. Your printer will have a folding guide that can help you decide which option is best for you. They can also make a “dummy” (a blank to-size folded piece produced from the actual selected stock) of your project to help you visualize the end result. Be sure to ask which of the options will be folded mechanically (less expensive) and which will need to be folded by hand (typically cost more).