An ad poster is supposed to catch the eyes of your target group members and arouse their interest. One of a posters’ most important functions is to be an eye catcher. The content of a poster needs to be easily captured by the viewer. It is also supposed to have the viewer associate the content with a certain product. Especially for companies it is important to put elements on the poster that transfer its purpose – the advertising purpose. That means the poster has to include messages as a text, connected with a related design like pictures or other graphics. All these elements are supposed to work together.

Using the example of MAGNUM we will explain to you what you have to keep in mind while creating your poster and how to construct the message and the pictures as effective as possible:

While creating your poster you should place the most important elements on a slant that goes from the left, upper corner down to the right bottom of the poster. This is just the way we gaze at pictures.

Between the left and the right end of the slant you should place a graphic what totally fascinates the observer. Otherwise his or her eyes glance along the poster diagonally and leave it totally emotionless.

A prime example for an effective poster design is the mentioned poster from MAGNUM: This advertising is pretty sober but still very impressive so it attracts attention.

Take a try on the first picture!

• Where did you look at first?
• Which element did you focus mostly?
… Was it in the centre of the poster?

This area of the poster in addition with the written message is a working eye catcher what totally attracts attention. The eye catcher that goes from the areas of the written message to the picture is one of the most important features on the poster. Between all the other posters we meet in our environment like on street lights, advertising pillars, or bus/tram stops, we need a punctual advertising message to get interested.

The poster we used here does not have any extensive graphics. The components of the picture, the ice cream and the tiny women, build a unit since the ice cream is in the middle and the woman is watching at it. The woman is also still a little bit in the focus of the ray light what delighted the ice. The light focuses both in the middle of the whole picture. The same applies to the letters, what are still a little bit delighted as well. That means the colours and their brightness are also pretty important for the customers perception since it also controls the customers view. Because the message is very short it would not be an effort for the customer to read it. So we have a message as a text and a picture. We still need an emotional aspect in the poster. This emotional effect is given by the picture what tells you that you can enjoy a magnum in a very special moment.

The example shows how challenging it is for advertisers to create an eye catcher poster. Here are some basics to make a good ad poster:

• There should be only one big component on the poster – either the headline or the picture. One should be bigger than the other.

• If the headline and the picture would be in the same size the layout would appear pretty boring. In this case no priority would be shown so the viewer does not know where to look at first and where to look next. The headline should be in a different size to release excitement while gazing at the poster.

• You better leave some empty space so the poster is not too overcrowded.

• Use contrasts and contrast colours for example in the background or use darker colours in the shade.

• Do not use pale outlines. If so, they should be thick enough to recognize them.

• All points of view need to be realistically, even the shadows.

• The picture needs to be identifiable. So do not cut off anything important – except it helps to reach someone’s attention.

• It can be helpful to have a white frame around the poster so it stands out from all the other, similar posters around – e.g. on an advertising pillar.

• The viewer needs to be able to have a look on the poster from every angle of view. Therefore the poster needs to have different contrasts, the message should be big enough, do not use too crazy points of view and not too many details.

• The viewer looks at the poster in the shape of a Z. Then he or she goes back to the most important elements, the eye catchers, on the poster what caught his or her eyes.

See our attractive offers for posters in our shop.

Source:

http://www.ibelieveinadv.com/commons2/magnum6-412×217.jpg

Different kinds of perfect binding

How does the perfect binding work? It works in different ways. To bundle the printed products cold or hot glue can be used.

Cold glue

In case of using cold glue technique casein glue will be applied to the spine of the brochure. Due to chemical processes it will connect strongly with the paper during the drying process.

Hot glue

Hot glue basically means the processing of granulated ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA-Hotmelt). At room temperature it is hard. This glue will be melted with 170°C. Then, during the time when it is good to process mechanical, it will be applied on the spine of a brochure.

Disadvantages for cold and hot glue

Both kinds of bindings also have disadvantages. Bindings with hot melt-glue do not last that long because the glue gets cold pretty fast so it can hardly enter the paper fibre. The cured glue works like a clip so it basically holds the brochure together. The hot melt film sets itself like a bar clamp around the inner sides (the content pages) of the brochure. It would make the brochure automatically shut down. To avoid this effect you usually push the pages down with the palm of your hand. Due to this it happens sometimes that the prudish hot melt glue on the spine of the brochure would break and the binding would not last very long.

This problem doesn’t exist if you use cold glue (with dispersion glue). Due to the long drying process of the glue the industrial usage will be lowered.

Polyurethane reactive glue (PUR)

For this reason a third solution for the perfect binding was found. It is the PUR perfect binding. By the way: This is exactly what we use.

PUR stands for polyurethane hot melt adhesives. Those were processed with 130°C and congeal while cooling down. For the final hardening the glue absorbs all the moisture from the surrounding area. During this process the glue becomes a carbamide what cannot be dispersed. It keeps all pages of the printed product strictly together. To sum up this way of perfect binding looks attractive and lasts pretty long.

Additionally the very first and the last pages will be pasted over about 5 mm to the inner cover page to make it much more durable. Here is an example for the first page:

The art work

The content pages

In connection with the pasting over of the first and last two pages keep in mind while crating your artworks that this 5 mm of the designed space will get lost because of the binding.

You need to put writings and pictures, what are not supposed to get cut off, more in the inside, away from the bleed.

In general: The content pages have to be created as continuing, separate pages. Please save them in a file with a clear name and use one of the following closed formats: PDF, JPG, TIFF, EPS, PS (PostScript).

The cover

Compared to the content pages the cover needs to be completely assembled and the back sides have to be added as well.

Strength of the back = number of content pages ÷ 2 x grammage ÷ 1.000

Once you prepared your artworks for the cover you need to save them as a separate file (file with two pages – the cover inside and outside). The name of the file should be related to the matter of the content pages. Please also use one of the closed file formats mentioned above.

Just in case four cover pages are not enough to present all information on the first view, you can use a six sided cover. Then you have to prepare your artworks just a little bit different: The cover page what is also the backside of the brochure needs to be 2 mm shorter and the additional cover page needs to be 4 mm shorter. That’s it!

Calculate your brochure with perfect binding in our shop now!

1. The format

Whatever what kind of brochure you want to design – always leave a gap of 3 mm to each edge. This extent of tolerance gives a little more space for cutting. To avoid white edges on your brochure you need to pull all coloured zones and pictures which are supposed to cross the edge, completely into the extend of tolerance. Furthermore you should leave a gap of 3 – 5 mm inwards to the bleed. This is essential to avoid having fonts, logos and other objects not right next to the edge of the brochure after it got cut or to stay away from having them even cropped. Here is an example for size A4 and A5 (w/ and w/o bleed) for staple binding.

A5: 148×210 mm (with bleed: 154×216 mm)

A4: 210×297 mm (with bleed: 216×303 mm)

The grey edge in the picture marks the bleed. This area will be dropped out after the brochure got cut. The font “artwork guide” was moved a little more inwards to improve the layout optically.

2. Survey for all sites of the brochure

To make it a little bit easier to create the artwork you can generate every page of the brochure separately. The right order and the fitting will be done by our colleagues. The same applies for all the cover pages of the brochures. For sophisticated design wishes you can have us printing brochures with a 6-sided cover. Because of the variety of opportunities to individualize your product it is important that you deliver the cover pages preassembled. Therefore you just need to prepare the artwork like you would do it for a 6-sided folded leaflet. That means the artwork need to be prepared as front sites and as back sides. They also need to be a PDF.

Click here to get further information.

3. The inside (staple binding)

While preparing your artwork for the inside of your brochure you need to consider the bleed about 3 mm all around the designed area. Especially if fonts, graphics or other pictures need to be printed larger than two pages it is necessary to have them overlapping. See some examples in the following pictures. Save the separate sites as a PDF and keep the right order.

4. The inside (spiral binding)

The advantage of spiral binding is that it is much easier to scroll through it and to handle a high number of pages. While creating your artworks keep in mind to leave additionally some space for a bleed of 1. 0 cm to 1. 5 cm for punching (so bleed + 1. 0 cm or 1.5 cm extra). If you ignore this fonts or pictures might be punched. The same applies to the cover of the brochure.

Visit our shop to learn more about the brochures we offer.

General Information

The z-fold is besides the gate fold and the roll fold another sort of the parallel fold. At least two pages of the sheet of paper go in opposite directions. This way the folder gets its z-shape what gives it its name. It also goes by the name leporello-fold, according fold or certina fold.

By folding the paper sheet twice – both folds parallel to each other – three parts were developed. Both cover and back side may be designed and printed so the product has got six pages finally. This is called double-leporello-fold. By folding the paper sheet three times parallel you will get a four-parted-folder what means it has eight pages in the end. It is named triple-leporello-fold.

The history of the name leporello-fold goes back to the 19th century when Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni “was popular. Don Giovanni (Don Juan) compiled a list for his master with notes and pictures of the ladies who were debauched by him. Once the number of former relationships grow up to several hundred Leporello found a way to fold the paper to an archive. Because the opera was pretty favoured those foldable books were called Leporello.

The artwork

Preparing the artwork for a leporello-fold is one of the easier sorts of folds since all pages may be established in the same size. Only the 3 mm bleed to all sides need to be considered. Often used for z-folds is the DL- format. In our online shop you will find some artworks for this format and for many other formats as well. Feel free to personalise them especially for you. There you will find the PDF what includes the correct dimensions and there is a Photoshop-file also.

Click here to get our provided artwork.

Moreover we provide tamplates for Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe PDF. Click here for a closer look.

When choosing the details for your folder (e.g. number of pages, grammage, chromaticity) keep in mind what is your target group and what kind of message would you like to transfer.

Is the folder supposed to support another way of communication (may be a personal conversation) or is the folder the only chance to communicate with your customers – what means it has to give much more details is also an significant thought. According to these thoughts you decide now about the information your folder has to give and both its format and the number of pages. Please note: Do not put too many information in one page otherwise the media confuses people and they won’t notice the main massage anymore.

Ideas for using this way of folding best:

This kind of fold gives you the opportunity to section information after their topic. No matter if you use a 6-pannel-folder or an 8-pannel-folder – the first side offers space for the main message. The following sites allow you putting information on two double pages plus closing page or three double pages plus a closing page. Because every page appears separately the reader – probably your potential customer – receives the information separately and more specifically.

z-fold with eight panels

z-fold with eight panels

Additional information for creating your artwork:

• Pay attention that font and pictures are at least 3 mm away from the trimming mark – inwards of course. So you will get a harmonious general view for your final folder. The same distance needs to be between font or picture and the fold. This information does not matter for pictures what cross the fold.

• Backgrounds do not need this gap either. Pull them into the trimming edge. This is to avoid white edges after the folder got trimmed.

• Artificial lines might be pretty helpful while designing the folder. Please remove them in the file you just made ready to print; otherwise they might be printed as well.

• It helps a lot if you take a sheet of paper and fold it the way you planed to make your folded leaflet. It visualizes the readers handling while inspecting it.

Save your final artworks as an immutable file. You may use:

• PDF

• JPG

• TIFF

• EPS

• PS

For two connected pages of your folder we suggest to provide a separate file – so two in all. Please mark both with a clear name like folder-outside.pdf, folder-inside.pdf, or folder-part1.pdf, folder-part2.pdf.

Calculate your folded leaflets now.

Source:

http://cbl-ascona.ch/2011_kursprogramm_e.pdf

The gate fold mostly bases on the parallel-fold. The breaking edges run parallel to each other. So the gate fold is also a sort of the parallel-fold.

Gate fold basics

Two outside panels were folded to the inside without having them crossed with another part of the folded leaflet. You can fold the document in the centre also. All in all there will be six or eight pages to design however you want to. Due to this special way to fold, the gate fold may be used to effect moments of excitement for the observer.

Read more about how that works: To affect the folded leaflets’ impression in specific points it is important to consider how the customer will handle the folded leaflet while studying it. He probably sees the closed front at first. Take a look at the pictures below to get an imagination.

Open gate fold (six pages)

Closed gate fold (eight pages)

How to make your folded leaflet much more impressive?

If there are any announcements you have to make to your customers – any changes or important product information – phrase your message in the folded leaflet more exiting. You can reach this by using the AIDA-formula what helps you to create your folded leaflet and may be used for all kinds of advertising material.

What does AIDA stand for?

• Attention

• Interest

• Desire

• Action

The very first page is supposed to arouse attention or rather to motivate the potential customer to grab the folded leaflet. This reaction may be caused by the relevance of the topic for the viewer or by his curiosity about it.

Here is an example:

Pretend you carry on a business – e.g. some kind of removalists including clear-out service. You could picture a messy apartment on the cover page. To arouse interest you could ask something like:

• Are your parents-in-law visiting soon?

• Still alone?

• When have you seen your cat for the last time?

On the next page you should explain the relation to your company and show your service list and your logo of course (you could also show it at the very first page (cover) already – it should not dominate though). Assure the viewer with some short headwords that will explain why your company is the correct choice for a movement. Give information about prices and your contact details only on the very last side – the back side – of the folded leaflet. If you have convinced the potential customer with the first couple of pages already he will take a look at the rest of information as well.

Why not putting a smile on your friends’ and family’s face by giving them a photo calendar created by yourself as present? Or do you plan to surprise your business partners or colleagues with a calendar for 2012? No problem at all – with our “Create-a-Calendar” tool you can easily create your personal calendar with your favourite photo-memories – it’s only a few clicks away!

1. Calculate your calendar

You can use our Create-a-Calendar tool for 13-sided wall calendars in sizes A5 to A2 and desk calendars in size 297×105mm. Simply go to the respective shop category of wall calendars or desk calendars, select your desired size, the required print run and your favourite paper type etc. By clicking on the “Create calendar” button the Create-a-Calendar tool opens.

2. Choose a layout

You have a variety of calendar layouts available

– be it modern or elegant, black or white layouts or more colourful and creative ones

– be it with or without the possibility to insert your company logo.

You can scroll these by using the arrow on the right. Select your preferred layout by clicking on it.

3. Create your calendar now

Now you can upload the desired photo for each month and for the cover page by choosing the respective calendar page at the top and clicking on the uploading symbol (either in the centre or in the tool bar to the right). Right after the upload you will see if your photo is suited for an optimal print result – discernible on the green, yellow or red marking. By using mouse over a respective auxiliary text will be displayed. You can also rotate or flip your image by using the tools on the right hand side. For layouts which allow the insertion of a logo you can upload this one using the logo symbol at the bottom on the right.

4. Save and order your calendar

Having uploaded an image for each calendar page you can now continue the order process by clicking on the “Buy now” button. Alternatively you can put the created calendar into the shopping basket and add other products to your order. Please note, that it is not possible to order two different calendar designs at the same time. If you want to have your calendar draft available later on, for example to complete it or order the same calendar design once more, you can save the draft by clicking on the symbol in the top left-hand corner. The draft will be saved for 12 months and can be selected via “Calendar drafts” in the customer area at any time. In total you can save up to four different calendar designs.

Do you feel like putting a smile on your friends’, family’s, colleagues’ and business partners’ face and creating your very own calendar now? Explore and enjoy “Create-a-Calendar” here!

Symbol legend:

	Logo : for calendar designs having this symbol you can upload your company logo, which will then be placed on each calendar page
	Upload image
	Rotate image 90° clockwise
	Rotate image 90° counterclockwise
	Flip image horizontal
	Save calendar draft
	Load calendar draft

Mr Thomas Bohn, founder and managing director of Saxoprint has appointed Klaus Sauer to his associate and managing director.

Thomas Bohn and Klaus Sauer

With more than 20 years of service in different management and sales positions at the manufacturer of printing presses “Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG” as well as at “Koenig & Bauer” the 49 year old Sauer has of a lot of experience and extensive knowledge of the industry. This and the experience he gained during his preceding position as managing director at unitedprint.com SE, where he was instrumental in bringing about the company’s success, will help us to fulfil our ambitious company objectives in the future.

We look forward to the things to come and say once again – welcome to Saxoprint!

Thanks to the simplicity and clarity of the new page construction and web shop design it is even easier to order at Saxoprint.co.uk from now on!

One of the most conspicuous changes is the “switch design”- option on the home page – like that web shop visitors can choose if they prefer mysterious black or glamorous white when discovering Saxoprint.co.uk.

By choosing the product category of interest directly on the home page or via the drop down menu the customer reaches the calculation.

Just as on our “old” website the desired product can be configured choosing print run, finished size, number of sides and colour mode, paper type and gsm, further processing and perforation options as well as defining the time for completion of the order and the preferred delivery method.

Moreover additional services such as artwork check, reseller delivery or delivery splitting can be selected here.

We have also made the order process more efficient to save our customers’ valuable time.  From now on it is possible to go directly to the check out process without having to take the step via the shopping basket in between and we are currently working on even more optimisations of the order process.

Just as already used to, our customers can follow the status of their orders and take action e.g. by uploading their artwork files or giving their print approval when having ordered a galley proof via the menu item “Customer Area”.

A novelty in the Service & Help area of our web shop is the FAQ section in which

our customers’ most often asked questions are listed.

Of course, helpful artwork instructions and various print templates can be found here, too.

So remember to visit www.saxoprint.co.uk on 8th March and convince yourself of our new face!

Having ordered a print product our clients had the possibility to upload their artwork files via a Java-Upload or to send these by email to our cutomer service so far. From now on you can also upload your artwork via a Http-Upload or Silverlight-Upload. Of course the possibilities of using a Java-Upload or sending data by email remain.

By choosing the respective order on the “my orders” site of www.saxoprint.co.uk’s customer area and clicking on “Upload artwork” an upload layer is displayed.

Here you have the option to choose your preferred way of sending the artwork files of your order. Regardless of which upload possibility is chosen the files always have to meet certain requirements:

• As the upload is only possible once per order or upload process all artwork files of an order have to be transmitted altogether at once.
• It is important that the files’ names do not include special character such as £, ?, $ etc. as these can cause errors.
• The artwork files have to be in one of the accepted file formats: PDF, JPG, TIFF, EPS or PS. Furthermore large data volume can be sent as RAR or ZIP files.

http-upload

The http-upload is recommended for a maximum number of 2 files having not more than 30 MB data volume. There is no need to install any additional software when choosing this upload-option.

Silverlight–upload

The Silverlight-upload is suggested when having more than 2 artwork files, that however do not comprise more than 30 MB data volume in total. Before using this upload-option it is however necessary to install Silverlight.

Java-Upload

When having artwork consisting of a larger data volume than 30 MB or for clients who do not want to have to pay attention to the number of files or data volume we recommend the Java-Upload. For this one an installation of Java is required.

After the successful artwork upload a confirmation is displayed in an extra layer. The supplementing of further upload- possibilities is currently also under discussion.

Did you already make your decision?

Convince yourself now!

From 1st to 25th December you can explore Saxoprint’s magical and sleepy winter village.

Our huggable Christmas father will show you around the nightly winter wonderland that hides many surprises.

Hidden somewhere in between snow-covered conifers and Christmassy decorated cosy houses, games and riddles help you to get away from daily routine for a moment.

Go ahead and visit Saxoprint’s Advent calendar daily to find out which surprise is waiting for you!

On some days funny games will make you sweat and help you switch off after a hard day at work. On other days you can brood over exciting riddles and Christmassy hints will complete your this year’s Christmas preparations. Rest assured that once started you will definitely be hooked on!

Of course, there are also some great prices waiting for ambitious players that are eager to reach highscores and best times. Get tangled in a fun snowball fight with Christmas father, race against other players and hit the high score – get started now!

Current developments regarding our Advent calendar can also be followed on our company’s facebook site.