Have you ever been to a business district during rush hour? If there’s a hive of activity, there are always heaps of materials handed out for advertising. Brochures epitomize the most popular of them as they are relatively easy to create, distribute, and track. But there’s the flip side of the coin: since it doesn’t take a lot of effort to go with brochures, cheap brochure printing designs are sweeping into business districts. And because they look cheap and feel cheap when holding them in your hands, these brochures never produce the result.

Yes, brochures can be effective. They can show off what you want to show off about your company and get your audience to interact with your brand. But if it’s cheaply made, a brochure is just a piece of paper.

Here’s how to print a brochure and ensure it isn’t viewed as cheap or fails to produce the result.

Write a brief

You wouldn’t start building a seaside house without a blueprint. A brief is like your blueprint for a brochure printing project. It’s made with clear sections and answers showing what you’re printing brochures for, what you expect from them when handed out, and how eye-catching you want them to be.

It’s vital to define your design preferences and brand-specific information and elements to be included in your brochures. Write them down and prepare a share-ready brief.

Find a brochure printing company

This may be the most important step in steering clear of cheap-looking brochures. Many brochure printing services simply don’t have enough expertise — both in marketing and printing — or are under-equipped to design and create compelling handouts. 

Thankfully, there are companies that strive for excellence and are capable of achieving it. These are usually filled with positive testimonials and have plenty of expertise to flaunt in their portfolios. Often, they offer comprehensive brochure printing services that go beyond just putting paper into printing equipment and include design, customization, and distribution assistance.

When looking for such a company for brochure printing in South Africa, you’ll want to share your brief and ask for an expert opinion. Communicate the objective of your handout campaign and get clued in on whether the provider has relevant experience. If they have it, they might be a great hire for your project.

Discuss ideas and see your brochures go to print

Whether they are yours or generated by the printing company, original ideas are everything. Go over your brief with the service provider for brochure printing in Johannesburg and talk through:

  • Brochure layout and style ideas
  • Print sizes and folding options
  • What images and finishes are best for your handout campaign
  • Copy and fonts

The printing company you’re working with should advise you on the paper type and technical things like resolution, alignment, format, and print bleed. You may also request some templates to visualize your would-be brochures but never ignore customization. Any touch-up that can make your materials unique can give them the edge and a more professional look.