What Every Designer Wants You to Know

We know not every marketer has a design background, but most all are expected to dig into the realm of design at some point. From those of us with a design background, here are a few things we hope you non-designers will keep in mind.

Whitespace, it’s there for a reason and it’s a good reason.

Whitespace is one of the most overlooked and underutilized elements that make up a great layout. Too often, whitespace is seen as empty space and, therefore, a waste of real estate. However, the truth is that whitespace is one of the most valuable parts of your design.

When designers talk about whitespace, it’s the negative space between elements in a composition. It is the portion of the page left unmarked; the space between graphics, margins and gutters. It is the space between columns, between lines of type or figures that provides visual breathing room for the eye. Layouts that are easy on the eyes keep readers engaged and make them want to keep reading.

Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is one of the most useful composition techniques in layout, design and photography. It produces layouts and images which are more engaging and better balanced. The rule of thirds involves mentally dividing up your image using 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines like a grid. Then position the important elements in your layout along those lines, or at the points where they meet.

The idea is that an off-center composition is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural than one where the subject is placed right in the middle of the frame. It also encourages you to make creative use of whitespace.

Vector vs. Bitmap, what’s the difference?

There are two main type of image files: Bitmap and Vector. Bitmap images are more common in general and use such file endings as jpg, gif, png, and tif. They are widely used on the web or video. They are created by individual squares of color called pixels. Vector graphics are common for images that will be applied to a physical product like a printed brochure or t-shirts and use such file endings as ai, eps, or dxf. These files are created mathematically. If you resize a bitmap image it will become pixelated, meaning you will see the pixels and image will appear blurry. If you resize a vector image, it will resize cleanly to any size you want since it just has to recalculate the image mathematically. You can take a one inch logo for example and blow it up billboard size and have it look as good as it did as one inch. Bitmap images should never be sized up and when you get a bitmap image, you want to make sure it is as high in resolution or pixels as possible.

The designer color spectrum: CMYK, RGB, Hex, PMS, Spot…What’s the difference?

In grade school we learned the basics of mixing primary colors by finger painting… red + yellow = orange… yellow + blue = green… and if you mixed them all together you can make a big brown / black mess.

That is essentially how 4 color printing process works. Only instead of starting with blue, red and yellow, you start with a particular shade of those colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. 4 color process uses the color space known as CMYK. Why K? They didn’t want to use B for black because people may confuse it as blue. The 4 colors are combined, one layer at a time in multiple runs, to create the desired colors. Colors are defined by the % of each color used. For example, a specific red color would be represented as C=34 M=98 Y=96 K=52.

Displaying colors on computer monitors and TVs doesn’t work like it does with a CMYK 4 color process. If you mix all the colors together on a computer monitor, you get white instead of black. That is because the colors are “additive” and referred to as “RGB.” RGB uses Red, Green and Blue to create color. As you add colors, you’re adding more light from the monitor’s backlight source to create the different colors. Add all of them and you’ll ultimately end up with white.

Because they are completely different color spaces, you can often have undesired results when trying to print RGB design files using a CMYK process. In fact, because they are different color spaces there are even certain shades of colors that can’t even be achieved with CMYK. This is why you should always convert your image files to CMYK color mode before you use them in a printed piece.

RGB colors used in web design are often represented in hexadecimal values that a browser can read. These are either 3 or 6 digits values preceded by a hashtag. Hexidecimal colors (or Hex color codes) are made up of numbers 0-9 and then letters A-F. As a hexidecimal white would be #ffffff and black would be #000000.

Pantone is a corporation that created a proprietary Pantone Matching System (PMS) color space. It provides a color matching system to provide uniformity when discussing and producing color. Pantone colors are printed as spot colors which means the color is printed in a single run as opposed to being created by a mix during multiple runs like with CMYK process. Using a defined spot color as opposed to a “mixed” color creates a more exact color match.

Marketers should know your color mixes. Not just for Pantone, but for CMYK, RGB and Hexadecimal too. Have a brand identity document, or style guide, with these defined colors mixes and share it with any designers and printers you work with.

What is a Bleed and how is it important?

Bleeds allow you to run artwork to the edge of a page. On a press, the artwork is printed on a large sheet of paper and then trimmed down to size. If you do not allow for a 1/8 of an inch bleed, any misalignment while cutting will result with the artwork not running to the edge of the paper. Bleeds ensure you get the results you want. Small mechanical variations in printing can end up leaving a hairline white edge where there should be no white edge at all, if the image is not extended beyond the final trim size. Extending images 1/8″ beyond the final trim size guarantees that images truly will go all the way to the edge of the printed paper. Always check with your printer or publication on what their bleed requirements are as they do differ from place to place.

Offset Press vs. Digital Press, it’s all printing, right?

While there are several different types of printing, the two most common are offset and digital. Offset printing technology uses plates to transfer an image onto a rubber “blanket”, and then rolling that image onto a sheet of paper. It’s called offset because the ink is not transferred directly onto the paper. Each plate prints a separate color. Digital printing doesn’t use plates the way offset does, but instead uses options such as toner (like in laser printers) or larger printers that use liquid ink.

Offset printing has the highest quality of printing and is better for large runs. It can also be used to print on variety of paper types with custom finishes. Special custom inks such as metallic and Pantone colors are available. Digital printing is great for smaller print jobs and has a lower cost to set up. You can also use digital printing for variable data like names and addresses to personalize your pieces.

Do you really need all four colors? Adjusting your colors to save $

Many times folks design this amazing, beautiful piece and then get hit the reality of what it will cost to print it, especially offset. It happens to us all at some point. Here’s a tip. You may save money by using spot colors. If you only need one or two colors, instead of the full four CMYK, then you will save on plates, which saves money. Two color piece and even monochrome pieces can look very classy.

Tips for choosing the right photos

The right kind of imagery can make or break an entire piece of content. No matter how well written, perfectly edited, or emotionally engaging, it will be nothing without the right image at the forefront. Your audience will notice your imagery long before they read any of your copy. Also, generic imagery paired with generic copy will portray your client experience as, yep, generic. I have never seen a firm tout that they have generic client experience. Think of your images as body language. You may hear a person say they are fine, but their body language says something very different. Your copy might say you have superior or excellent client service, but your images might say otherwise. Choosing the right photos is more important than most people think.

First, don’t ever compromise on quality. Your images should always be clear, crisp, in focus and of the proper resolution for your application. Second, the image should speak for itself. You don’t want to miss out on connecting with your audience because what you are actually trying to say is buried deep within your copy. Next, if you can try to strike an emotional chord with your image, your audience will react. Let your image be the hook that reels them into your copy.

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. How would you react upon seeing an image at first glance? Also, show it to a couple people in your office and ask for them to react. We sometimes don’t see the full image after we make a first impression. A fresh set of eyes can help.

Thou shalt outlining thy fonts!

When working in a vector based design program, it is very important to convert your text to outline. Not everyone will have your swanky fonts and if you want them to print, I’ll have to outline them. For example, in Illustrator, with your text selected, go to the Type menu and select Outline Fonts. Always make sure to save a draft before your outline your font in case you have to make a change later. I will usually save my original file as .ai and my outlined file as .eps. Then I can tell from the file name if I’ve outline the fonts or not.

Packaging your InDesign projects

Similarly to outlining your fonts in vector programs, you can “package” your InDesign files. Before you go to press with a piece, with the file open in InDesign, go to the main File menu and choose Package. It will then show you a report to review to make sure all your images are link, if they are in the correct color format, etc. Have verifying everything looks good, click Package. It will then create a folder with your InDesign file and all support files linked to it, including all your fonts. You can then easily zip that file and shoot it over to your press house.