Print Design is an Art Form, but It Can Also Be Fraught With Potential Pitfalls. Even a Professional Printing Company Makes Mistakes, and They’re Not Always Easy to Anticipate. Expensive Print Design Blunders – Like Missing Deadlines, Printing Without Proofing, or Getting Your Colors Wrong – Can Leave You in a Very Tight Spot.

No One Wants That! That’s Why We Reached Out to a Panel of Professional Printing Companies and Asked Them to Share Their Biggest Blunders and How They Could Have Been Avoided. Read on to Learn the Seven Most Costly Mistakes Print Design Professionals Make, and How You Can Prevent Them From Happening in Your Projects.

 

Mistake #1: Not Having a Clear Brief or Plan

Without a doubt, It's Impossible to Hit a Target That You Can’t See. The Same Holds True for Designing a Successful Print Product—without Having Clarity on Your Overall Goals and the Specific Details of the Project, You Won’t Get the Results You Want. That’s Why Print Design Experts Agree That One of the Biggest, Most Costly Mistakes You Can Make When Getting Ready to Design a Print Product is Not Having a Clear Brief or Plan.

In Order to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck, It's Essential to Know What It is That You're Trying to Accomplish Before Starting. Are You Looking to Make an Impression? Build Trust? Communicate Something Inspiring? It's Important to Consider These Questions and Use Them as the Foundation for Your Project's Brief and Plan.

Without Knowing Exactly What You're Trying to Achieve, It Will Be Difficult to Choose Colors, Fonts and Creative Elements That Are in Line With Your Objectives. And All of This Can Lead to Wasted Time and Money, Not to Mention Unnecessary Frustration. So Be Sure That You Have a Detailed Plan Before Diving Into Any Print Design Project—it Will Save Time, Energy and Money in the Long Run!

 

Mistake #2: Not Knowing the Tools and Techniques

It Might Seem Like a No Brainer, but One of the Most Expensive Mistakes Print Designers Make is Not Knowing Which Tools and Techniques to Use. Using Outdated Techniques, Skipping Steps, or Not Knowing How to Adjust for Different Printing Processes Can All Add Up to Added Costs and Delays.

The Good News is That There Are Plenty of High-quality Resources Available That Can Help You Stay Up-to-date on the Latest Tools and Techniques. From Tutorials on Specific Processes to Examples of How to Get the Effects You Want, You Can Make Sure You're Using the Right Tools—and Get Your Project Done Right the First Time.

Here Are Some Crucial Tips to Keep in Mind:

- Always Review the Document Before Beginning a Project in Order to Understand What is Needed

- Make Sure Your Colors Are Accurate and Will Look as Planned on the Printed Page

- Familiarize Yourself With Common Technologies Used in Large Format Printing Such as Uv Curing Vs Traditional Inks

- Research New Trends and Technologies, as Well as Updated Software Such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop for Design Work

- Keep a Portfolio of Past Projects So That Clients Can See Your Work Before Hiring You

By Keeping the Above Tips in Mind, You Can Save Yourself Time and Money, and Produce Better Results for Your Clients.

 

Mistake #3: Poor Use of Metrics

Mistake #3 is Poor Use of Metrics. No One Wants to Waste Money on Print Designs That Won’t Reach the Right Audience, but That's Exactly What Happens When You Don’t Use Metrics in Your Design.

Metrics Can Help You Determine if Your Print Products Are Serving the Purpose They Were Created for. By Tracking and Analyzing the Impact of Your Designs, You're Able to See Which Ones Are Successful and Which Ones Need Improvement or a Complete Change.

Keep Track of Your Data

To Prevent Making This Mistake, Try to Have a Comprehensive Understanding of Who You're Targeting. That Way, You Can Choose Materials and Messaging That Will Resonate With Your Target Audience. Additionally, Measure Costs Against the Value Received From Having Printed Pieces and Compare the Effectiveness of Different Materials, Such as Flyers or Brochures, Against One Another.

What's More, Keep Track of Responses to Surveys or Other Forms of Feedback From Customers Who Interacted With Your Print Materials So You Can Gain a Better Understanding of How Successful They Truly Were in Achieving Their Goals.

By Taking Advantage of Data-driven Insights About What Works for Certain Audiences, You Can Craft Messaging That is Tailored to Those Audiences — Giving Your Print Designs an Edge Over Those of Competitors.

 

Mistake #4: Using Poor Quality Materials

We've All Heard the Saying "You Get What You Pay for". This is definitely the Case When It Comes to Printing Materials. Poor Quality Materials Often Lead to Terrible Results.

Think About It: Your Piece Will Look Rushed and Unprofessional if It's Printed on Thin Paper, Which Can Happen When You Opt for a Cheaper Grade of Paper. And if You Don't Select a High Grade of Paper, the Colors May Not Accurately Reflect the Design.

It's Best to Avoid Using Cheap Materials in Your Print Production Process, So Here Are a Few Things to Keep in Mind:

1. Select the Right Type of Paper for Your Specific Needs and Budget. Different Types of Paper Offer Various Characteristics That Affect Printing, Such as Weight and Opacity.

2. Choose a Desired Finish That Best Complements Your Design (Matte or Glossy).

3. Choose an Ink Type That Matches Your Design Goals (Uv-cured or Eco-friendly).

4. Consider Other Items Like Lamination or Embossing to Further Enhance the Quality and Esthetics of Your Piece.

By Taking These Steps, You Can Ensure That You Get Good Quality Results in Your Print Projects Every Time!

 

Mistake #5: Poor Planning and Scheduling

Okay, So You Just Learned About All the Potential Things That You Need to Consider to Create Great Print Design Projects. But What Would Happen if One of These Things Don’t Go According to Plan? The Answer is Simple: Your Project Could Be Delayed, or Worse, Fail Altogether.

That’s Why It’s Important to Plan and Schedule Each Stage of Your Design Process. Here Are a Few Tips From Experts on How to Avoid Making This Mistake:

Set Realistic Deadlines

If Something Takes Too Long, Chances Are That You Won’t Have the Time or Energy to Do It Right. You Should Set a Reasonable Timeframe for Each Stage of the Project and Communicate It With All Stakeholders Involved.

Have a Flexible Plan

Things Don’t Always Go as Planned — That’s Why You Need a Flexible Plan and Should Allow for Some Buffer in Your Timeline, So You Can Make Changes if Needed.

Track Progress Regularly

It’s Important to Track Progress at Regular Intervals, as It Will Help Keep Everyone on the Same Page and Identify Potential Issues Early on. With Regular Check-ins, You Can Also Ensure That Everyone is Held Accountable for Timelines and Deliverables.

 

By Planning Properly and Tracking Progress Regularly, You Can Ensure That Your Print Design Projects Stay on Track and Turn Out Just the Way You Envisioned Them.

 

Mistake #6: Unqualified Staff and Equipment

One of the Biggest Mistakes That Print Design Experts Make is Employing Unqualified Staff and Using Outdated Equipment. While It May Be Tempting to Save Money by Going for a Cheaper Option, You Will Ultimately Pay the Price in the Long Run.

Using Unskilled Labor and Outdated Equipment Can Lead to a Multitude of Problems:

1. Poor-quality Materials —cheaper or Used Equipment Won't Create Prints of the Same Quality as Their Modern Counterparts.

2. Slower Production Times — Outdated Machinery is Less Efficient Than Newer Models, Resulting in Longer Production Times Than Necessary.

3. Potential Safety Hazards — Using Older Equipment Safely Requires Extra Training Which Not All Staff May Have.

4. Unreliable Results — Beginner Staff May Not Be Able to Deliver Consistent Results Every Time, Which Could Compromise Your Brand's Reputation if Customers Aren't Satisfied With Their Final Product.

If You Want Quality Prints Without Any Mishaps, It's Best to Invest in High-quality Staff and Up-to-date Machinery From the Start. That Way, You Can Avoid Costly Mistakes and Get Your Projects Done on Time and With Great Results!

 

Mistake #7: Not Testing and Evaluating the Finished Product

The Last Mistake on This List of Costly Print Design Blunders is Not Testing and Evaluating the Finished Product. It's Very Easy to Think You've Noticed All the Errors, but This is an Area Where You Don't Want to Be Too Confident.

No Matter How Comprehensive Your Editing Process is, Mistakes Can Still Slip Through. That's Why It's Important That After Your Design is Finished, You Take the Time to Evaluate the Quality of the Final Product. Don't Assume Everything is Okay Until You've Taken a Closer Look to Make Sure There Aren't Any Typos, Broken Links, Misplaced Images or Formatting Issues.

You Can Test and Evaluate Your Work in Several Ways:

- Print at Least One Copy of the Design Proof and Inspect It for Any Inaccuracies or Inconsistencies.

- Use Software to Check for Typos, Broken Links, Bad Color Combinations and Other Potential Issues With Print Designs.

- Have Someone From Outside Your Team Review It for a Fresh Perspective or Feedback From an Experienced Eye.

By Going Through This Quality Assurance Process, You'll Ensure That You're Submitting Perfect Designs That Won't Get Rejected by Printers or Disappoint Your Clients.

 

Conclusion

If you’ve decided to Take Your Design in-house, it helps to have a Plan and a Knowledgeable Team. By Avoiding Costly Mistakes, You’ll save Time and Money, as well as Create Professional Designs. We’ve outlined Some of the Most Common Print Design Blunders, but There Are Countless More.

To Ensure Successful Print Projects, Seek Out Advice From Experts or Consider Working With a Skilled Partner. With a Partner, You Can Leverage the Most Advanced Technology, Collaborate on Designs, and Benefit From Their Experience in the Industry.

At the End of the Day, the Ultimate Goal of a Printing Company is to create an Exceptional Experience for Your Customers. Investing in the Right Technology, Process and People Will Do Just That. Get It Right and You’ll Have a High-impact, Successful Print Project That Leaves a Lasting Impression.