The do’s and don’ts of booklet design
Booklet design? Brochure design? Whatever you call it, they’re are a great way to communicate detailed information that won’t fit on a poster or flyer. Presentation is everything if you want your readers to be engaged and impressed.
Our tips below can apply to anything from a brochure, to annual report, magazine, sales document, brand communication piece, or financial report.
Establish a consistent style
Stick to graphic design rules such as thoughtful font choices and utilising a grid layout. Consistency and hierarchy is key. As a designer, don’t forget to set up paragraph styles and master pages so you can change your booklet design with ease.
Break things out
An endless wall of same-sized text isn’t engaging for anyone. Breakouts throughout a long article will make it more exciting. Ensure the correct message is being conveyed, add pictures and make important quotes stand out.
Don’t forget bleed
A booklet or brochure design is a print document, and like all printed items the artwork should include bleed. The standard amount is 3mm of bleed. Also double check that text is always inside a safe printable area, so that it does not get cut off when the pages are trimmed to size.
Be careful of the gutter
Depending on how a booklet is bound, the area between two pages can close together and make it hard to see. The thicker a book, the bigger the gutter will be. It’s small things like this that any graphic designer needs to be mindful of when creating a printed book.
Also, if there’s a double page photo don’t let important focus points such as faces run across the centre of the spread, they’ll disappear!
Decide on stock
The stock and finish that a booklet or brochure design sends a strong brand message to a reader. For example, an expensive thick paper with glossy print will speak to the premium feel of a luxury product catalogue. Recycled materials can reinforce the idea that a non-profit organisation is environmentally responsible.
Paper stock can influence the perception of a brand or the information within. It’s an important consideration that’s often overlooked.
Try to get content early
Text and images determine the layout and design of pages. If there’s drastic content changes during design, it’ll certainly end up increasing costs and time spent on a design.
If all the content is before a booklet is designed, it will leave your graphic designer to focus on making the best layout possible.
Is the idea of putting together the content of an entire booklet daunting? Our design team has a wide range of design experience but also adept in content writing, strategy, and other creative services for small businesses to large multinational corporations. When you need your promotional material to look its very best, we’re be happy to lend a hand.