Have you ever made a design that looks perfectly good on screen but appears blurry or washed out on paper?
This could be due to a variety of reasons including the wrong document size, image format, or post-design saving errors.
Poor quality prints can affect the way people view your brand and if you run a small business, putting out quality prints should be a high priority.
Keeping a few design principles and printing guidelines in mind while creating your projects can significantly improve their quality.
1. Keep Your Color Palette Minimal
It can be tempting to go overboard with the colors but this can result in a clashing design because the machine has to process more colors.
Using numerous colors also means that you have to make all of them complement each other properly which is not the easiest thing to do.
Even brands that have colorful print and packaging designs follow certain design rules and principles when it comes to their color palette.
Using different shades of the same colors will help you establish unity across all your print products especially if you want to expand your brand.
2. Pay Attention To Document Sizing And Spacing
Incorrect document sizing will affect the quality of your prints by squashing your information or making it look too small with excess blank space.
Depending upon the kind of product you want to print, make sure you choose your document size and resolution accordingly.
For example, the standard print size of a business card is 3.5 × 2 inches. However, if you want to include extra design elements, make sure to allocate extra bleed space so it doesn’t look cramped.
To avoid your text or images from being cut off, design with safety margins that measure at least ⅛ inches.
Scale all your text and design elements properly and use the correct proportions to keep your design cohesive and visually appealing.
3. Invest In High-Quality Printing
If you choose a cheap printing service to save some extra money, it will show in your designs and branding products.
Cheaper printing services mean lower quality printing materials and inks which will lead to unappealing and washed-out colors.
If you want high-quality prints which reflect your brand values, invest in high-quality printers or printing services that will print your designs accurately with vibrant colors.
Professional printing services will give you access to different options like bond paper, matte coated paper, special finishes, and embellishments.
On the other hand, if you want to invest in a printer for your design projects, make sure to get a high-quality one like the Roland BN-20. You’ll get a compact printer/cutter that reproduces your print designs with stunning colors.
4. Use Vectors
Vector graphics have several advantages which make them great for print projects.
If there are logos, illustrations, letters, or other flat elements in your design, it is better to use vector graphics because they always stay sharp even if they are highly magnified.
There might not be a big difference between your JPG logo and vector logo on your computer screen or in small printouts but in large printouts with high resolution, the difference becomes very obvious.
Unless your designs include highly detailed artwork or special filters, try to stick to vector graphics.
5. Embed Your Fonts
If you don’t embed your fonts, your custom font might not show when your design is opened on a different computer and it might be substituted with a different one.
To prevent this from happening,
- Flatten your images into one layer and save your whole design file as an image file.
- Embed your font to save your font information within the document.
6. Proof-Check Your Design For Printing
Make sure you scan your work for any mistakes, spelling errors, or blurred edges before giving it for printing.
If possible, have an experienced editor check your work to see if everything is perfect.
Conclusion
Instead of sticking with sub-par or moderate-quality prints, always strive for the highest quality prints you can get to elevate your projects.
It can be a little tricky if it is your first time working with print, but once you get the hang of it, the high-quality prints will come rolling in!
