Print Design Tips as a Non Graphic Designer
Print marketing is a must for most businesses, whether you run a business online or in-person. That being said, this can make a lot of business owners nervous. There’s a lot of pressure to make sure your print materials look high-quality and eye-catching, but what do you do if you’re not a graphic designer? Luckily, there are a lot of tips non graphic designers can use to make sure they have successful designs.
In this day and age, anyone can handle creating print designs for their own business no matter their experience level. You don’t need any expensive tools, equipment, or software to get started. In this guide, we’ll share print design tips for non graphic designers.
Create a Design Guide
To begin, make sure you have a clear design guide for your business. This means identifying key branding elements for your business like:
Logo: Create a custom logo or have a professional design one for you. Custom logo design is a great investment, and it doesn’t have to be expensive.
Colors: Colors help tell your brand story. Choose colors that are right for your industry, as well as help target your audience.
Fonts: While it’s tempting to choose a ton of fonts that you like, stick to a targeted few that represent your business and your audience. Some fonts suit some industries more than others, so consider what works best for yours.
With these basic things together, you can create a clear design guide for your business. This is a short guide with your branding elements, logos, graphics, and tone. Together, they help you market your business and stay consistent no matter what you’re creating.
Consider Design Hierarchy
Next, an easy way to spot work from a non graphic designer is to when there’s no attention paid to the design hierarchy. What is this? It’s when you’re mindful of the sizing of different elements on the page so you direct your reader’s attention. Whether you’re making business cards or a flier, design hierarchy matters.
When you make everything eye-catching, nothing really captures anyone’s attention. The reader doesn’t know where to look, and this is confusing. Not only are they likely to throw your print marketing into the trash, but you’re not sharing any information. Instead, use the design hierarchy to make sure the most important information is largest, while smaller information isn’t as in-your-face.
Use White Space
Another common mistake from non graphic designers is ignoring the white space. It might be tempting to put a lot of information on your design, but this ends up having the opposite effect. Instead of communicating with your audience, you leave them disinterested.
White space is your friend. Don’t try to cram as much information as you can on your design. The purpose of good design is to convey something to your readers. If it’s too cluttered, your message has no room to breathe. It’s also important to consider the bleed for your design so important things don’t get cut off. When in doubt, leave more white space (also known as negative space).
Try Templates
Last but not least, don’t be afraid to try templates. These are a fabulous tool for non graphic designers. There are so many free or inexpensive templates online, and they’re a nice compromise if you’re unable to shell out the money for a custom design. However, be mindful of how you customize this template to make sure it’s one-of-a-kind and unique.
Where can you find templates? Some great options are to use Canva or PicMonkey. Most of these have free versions, and their go-to templates are professional and easy to use. Just make sure to read the sizing guide for your specific print service so you keep everything sized and formatted properly.
Master Print Design as a Non Graphic Designer
In today’s world, you don’t need to be a professional graphic designer to create graphics for your own print materials. Whether you need a logo, flyer, or postcard, this is something you can whip up yourself using the design tips above.
As a non graphic designer, it’s good to take a look at the basics of design. Make sure you know your goals and what you’re hoping to accomplish. From there, you’re free to try any design that speaks to you.