Are You Showing Your True Colours?

If you’ve been following our blogs the past couple of weeks you’ll know that here at LG Davis we’re helping you learn more about the printing process.

If you missed our first couple of posts on writing great content and why material matters for print then – don’t worry, click here to read them.

This week we’re looking to splash some colour into your life and as this is important, you might wanna grab a cuppa and read on…

Is Colour That Important In Print?

Well, ink aside - the world is full of colour and colour is one of the first things that people will see when they look at your print. It’s going to help draw them in, the thing that entices them and it may be the thing that makes them stay.

So, we talked a lot about the headline in our first blog in this series, click here to read it, and it is the most important part of your print, but colour helps a lot.

Your branding is crucial here because if you use specific colours then now is a brilliant time to highlight those colours and use them on paper. You want your brand to be consistent.

You want colours associated with you and your business to be something that people can use as a linking factor between your website, social media, online, offline, in store or other pieces of marketing collateral.

They become memorable and synonymous with you and your product or service.

Be mindful of the images you use

Images might not always be required but when they are, make sure they work hand in hand with your written content and your brand. We live in a very visual world, so they are important, but overcrowding or placing irrelevant images all over your print media can do more harm than good.

It’s not just decoration, it’s an extension, a small window into your world that you can give the reader, so make it accurate.

If you have your own images they would be the best option, not only do you not have to worry about stock and licensing but it’s also the raw authentic you and that’s what people want to see. Use images of real people, that's how you build a relationship with people.

For instance, if it’s an advertisement, then show off that product, if you’re a done for you service, showcase your offices or work space, if your business is in consultancy show them your face and introduce yourself!

Another couple of tips about colour use

• If you do have a corporate colour use it so the reader gets used to it

• Use a secondary colour to highlight important text

• Use bold text to highlight stand out points

• Use colour blocks with white out text to make the page look different

• Use another colour for Call To Actions so the reader knows when they see it.

What to watch out for with colour

Different types of material will absorb different amounts of ink so colours can look slightly different on different materials.

Uncoated material will look slightly duller than coated materials as it’s more porous.

Conclusion

Colours and images are important but always use them sparingly so not to confuse your reader. Use your corporate colours sparingly and use secondary colours to highlight important text.

If you need any further help or information on how to use colours in your designs call us on 0121 430 9000.