GRAPHIC DESIGN: Print

by Gary Crossey | Oct 12, 2005 | Advertising, Graphic Design, Product Photography

While the format for this print ad is long and tall. It may not be the easiest format to showcase well online.

Asheville Print Advertising.

For most businesses print advertising is that extra word-of-mouth. While most businesses do benefit from marketing – you do have to know when and where you advertising dollar is best spent.
For the series of prints advertising designs I had to first photograph the products. Once I had the photography collection I created a base template with InDesign.
While the template did serve to reduce graphic design time – by bringing all the design assets (logo, photography, styles) together into one place. The ads were always different sizes, with different artwork, and a different list of features – which always required design considerations.

Product Photography

Shining products photography with iridescent showing that luminous different colors from direct angles.

Outside Signage

All weather signage. This is the graphic for a huge outdoor all-weather banner. The finish had a nice matt finish that stopped the sign from reflecting in the bright sun of event lights.

Outdoor signage is the graphic design task that separates mice from men. The large Enter the Earth banner was printed on a durable waterproof roll. My objective was to provide my client with signage for his traveling booth. The signage needed to show well, and travel well. I selected a rubber finish that added years to the usage of the signage.

PRINT AD: Series

by Gary Crossey | Sep 6, 2005 | Advertising, Graphic Design, Product Photography

Asheville Print Ad for National Trade Shows

Asheville Print Ad series created for small business. While the client is local. They are a global player . They manage fragile items that they discover from around the planet.

How I designed my Asheville print ad series

When I design for a print ad series.  I begin with reason and logic. It is important for me to visualize the big picture. For me to connect with the target market. And for the print ads to reach their goal.
Questions I asked before I designed my Asheville print ad series.

• Who will see these print ads?
• What do they need to know?
• What are they looking for?

Asheville Print Ad Elements

While some people can claim graphic design for a print ad. That is not the case with this series of print ads. All design aspects of this project were handled by Irish Guy.

• Logo Design – Created Brian Jones & Gary Crossey.
• Product Photography – Gary Crossey.
• Graphic Design for Print Ad – Gary Crossey.
• Website Design & Development.
• Product catalog, with online store and shopping cart.

Ground Work for Graphic Design

This project required layers of planning. Photos of the products had to first be taken. Given the reflective nature of the product line creating print quality images is difficult.  Each picture required a custom approach. The photo collection I created was quickly approved.
A series of print ads followed. To ensure print quality – I handed all of the digital files for the printer. Providing the printer whatever format best meet their needs.
The print ads ran in a national trade mag. Reprints of the ads also ran. Different versions of the ad ran – with various product line changes and feature product.

What direct the design choices for the print ad?

I did my research. I reviewed years of similar trade show mags. Their primary focus is BUSY. Overload of images – everyone is trying out do everyone else. Which is fine. As long as you use graphic design and typography principles to reach your target market.
Or limit your you curbside appeal – and pile everything into your ad.  For this series of print ads – the client wanted to set his higher quality product line apart from everyone else. Some of the lines they have global exclusive rights to.
The design focused on either one featured item. Or, a small collection of similar high quality items.
The marketing  objective of the print ads was too provide the location of the Trade Show booth. And an insight to their featured product line. Most participants of the trade show first review the trade show magazine for vector booths they want to attend. I trimmed the ads with bright memorable colors. Making the ads easy locate in the mass of other ads.

Reduce Graphic Design Costs

To reduce graphic design costs the print ads were converted into InDesign templates. The templates were easy and fast to update with new feature photography and product listings. The templates had four different variations that could be adjusted for most basic print requirements. The template deployment saved my clients hundred of hours in labor costs – that was better used to advertising costs.