1: Check for Typos Before You Print
Always proofread your text before printing. Spelling and grammar mistakes make your business appear less professional and can make marketing materials less effective. These errors can also cause miscommunications within your business and with your clients.
While it may seem easier to rely on a spell-check tool, they don’t always catch every mistake. Make sure that more than one person has read the text through carefully before preparing your files for print.
2: Use Simple Designs
Whether you are printing marketing kits or office materials, you want to make sure that the design is simple and easy to read. Small and messy fonts, overcrowding, and low contrast all make text difficult to read. If you want effective print results, aim to create a simple, high-quality design.
3: Print Documents in Black and White
If your business frequently prints plain text or black and white images, you could be overspending without even realizing it. Printing a black and white document in color wastes a lot of money because printing in color costs more per page. Avoid overspending by making black and white printing your default setting, and ask your employees to check the color settings before they print.
4: Use High-Resolution Images That Convert to CMYK
Using high-resolution images will produce sharp, high-quality results. You can never change the resolution from low to high, so always check the resolution before incorporating an image into your print. The best resolution for printing is at least 300 pixels per inch.
Not all images can convert from RGB to CMYK, which makes your print a slightly different color from the image on the screen. RGB is best for digital design, while CMYK is best for physical prints. Always use images that convert to CMYK when creating a print design.
5: Allow Enough Room for Printer Bleed
If you want the background image, color, or graphic to reach the edges of the paper, it will require trimming. Whether you take your prints somewhere to be cut or cut them yourself, you must account for ink bleed.
Bleed refers to the part of the design that goes beyond the border set for trimming. Before printing, you should allow at least 3 mm for bleed. Forgetting to account for bleed results in your design having white edges after cutting.
6: Print Double-Sided if Possible
Single-sided printing isn’t always necessary and often wastes paper, which costs your business more money in the long run. Using less paper not only saves money but also benefits the environment and creates a more sustainable office.
If a print job consists of several consecutive pages, you should print double-sided to reduce the amount of paper required. Whether or not you set double-sided printing as a default setting on your commercial printer, make sure employees always check the configuration before printing.
