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DESIGN is the key component of our finished products. From brochures, to brand development, every company needs an image that tells its story. The goal of an effective design piece is capturing your audience’s imagination. Make something impactful, make it unique and always make it memorable.

To effectively tell your story and make your mark, there are many steps to take before you send your file off to print. We covered Prepress Woes: 3 common file issues that can save you money last month, and the tips below are more key elements to remember as you finalize your file…

1. Proofread. The odd thing is that clients can be calm about minor errors in the design, like lines not being of the same thickness or such. But errors in the text are fatal. Use a good proofreader. If the client wants to proofread himself, be sure to have that in writing. An email is a great confirmation.

2. Make the artwork the correct size. Does the design brief specify the size? Have you rechecked Document Setup? Always double check if you aren’t sure.

3. Keep the color of the logo in the right format for the media used. For print, use the logo in vector format if possible. Logos sent to you inside Word documents are no good unless the design is for web or a PowerPoint presentation. Make sure the colors of the logo are in accordance with the brand guidelines. For print, the format should be CMYK, not Pantone unless the work is going to be printed with spot colors.

4. Color correct your monitor every four weeks. It will be hard to use either CMYK or RGB workflow with confidence if your monitor is not color corrected at least every month. Some software even has reminders built in.

Treat this as a dry-run to the final product, as a printed proof will help you see how any bleed marks, color assignments, spacing, and more can translate when it’s printed. Look over it carefully, especially if this is the last printed proof you’ll get.

Need help with Design? We can help you all the way from start to finish – contact us today!

Author Davant

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