Tips & Ideas to Instantly Improve the Look of Your Materials
(for non-designers)

This is a list of some of the biggest mistakes I see in do-it-yourself graphic design. Some business owners really do want to try their hand at creating their own brochure, website or flier. You can use my tips as a resource, or, you can hire me and leave it to the professional and be rest assured that it will be done right.

Tip #1: Resolution of Digital Photos. Are you wondering why the last time you used a digital photo in your project it looked OK on the screen but printed out blurry? It's because the resolution (pixels per inch) wasn't high enough. Many digital cameras take photos at 72 pixels per inch, even at the highest resolution setting. Sure, you'll get a larger photo, but the result is still only 72 pixels per inch. Photos have to be converted to at least 300 pixels per inch in order to have optimum print quality. This can be done in a photo correction software, such as Photoshop. As a rule of thumb, photos should be the size they will appear in print, at 300 dpi.

Tip #2: When In Doubt, Go Smaller. Don’t make text size too large. It will look clunky and amateurish. Body copy should not be larger than 11 point type, preferably 10 points. Business cards look slicker and more professional when the size of the text is 8 or 9 point type.

Tip #3: Go for Size Contrast. Headings should be bold and at least 2 or 3 point sizes larger than the body copy for contrast. Also, never use all capital letters. They are generally harder to read.

Tip #4: Avoid Hard-To-Read Fonts. Those fancy script fonts are pretty, but they look awful and they're hard to read in a flier or a brochure when used in a headline with more than 3 words. Use them sparingly and as decorative elements.

Tip #5: Avoid Rivers and Gaps. Align text flush left, ragged right. Forced justified text (aligned straight on BOTH sides) tends to create gaps between words that looks awkward. Force justification should only be used in lines of type longer than 3 inches, such as in novels or magazines.

Tip #6: When Everything is Important, Nothing Is. Remember, if everything is big and bold, nothing will stand out. Select only a point or two to emphasize. Also, use italics and bold to emphasize, not all capital letters.

Tip #7: White Space is Good. Don’t place your text too close to the edge of the paper, to a photo, or to a graphic. Leave some white space.

Tip #8: Cut the Cheese. Avoid using cheesy clip art in serious sales pieces or brochures, unless your company is of a less serious nature, such as party supplies or children's puppet shows.