They don’t have to.

Thanks to the remarkable design software we have available today and the sheer limits of  imagination there is very little you can’t accomplish with a simple postcard design.

If you have a great idea, don’t write it off simply because it would cost too much money. Instead look for alternative design tricks to accomplish the same thing.  Let’s look at my favorite 3 approaches for ‘faking’ an expensive die-cut or 3-D design:

1. Layer. For that 3-D design you want to create but don’t have the budget, all you need is some creativity to create a 3-D design that will be looked at and then looked at again.

An example of this was a recent client that approached me about designing a  “invitation” for an upcoming event.   She wanted something that would be noticed and reminiscent of a traditional invitation. The catch? She wanted it to be a mail-ready postcard.

No problem? As you can see, I created a layered effect to simulate the the actual postcard was peeking out of an envelope.  The client loved it! And the campaign has been very well received.

2. Add Texture. This may seem like a no-brainer and it is indeed one of the oldest tricks in the book, but adding nice textures and grains to your design pieces will create the illusion of either a linen type of stock or perhaps something more earthy like these wood grained business cards for a woodworking shop I designed recently.  There are no ends to the types of textures you can use, to jumpstart your creativity, here are some ideas to get you started:

• Rust
• Metal
• Wood
• Fur
• Grunge
• Dirt
• Aged Paper

3.Think Outside the Proverbial Box. As we mentioned earlier, when your client approaches you with big ideas and a small budget help them think outside the box. Sometimes creating even “traditional” pieces with a twist can be huge attention grabbers. This happened with a project I worked on for some friends that were getting married. They wanted to be ‘different’ and sent out their ivitations as postcards.

So we did. After a photo shoot in a rose garden we had everything we needed to make a striking invitation that kept them under budget. Rather than the traditional light flowery colors, we went with bright and bold blacks, reds and whites.

The guests loved them. And these ‘wedding’ postcards received a lot of attention with other clients.

The bottom line is, regardless of your budget, a simple printed piece with the right design techniques can be astounding. Don’t be afraid to try something new (or something old!) and explore your options. Remember that you do not have to be confined to the 4 straight sides of a postcard, business card or other flat piece, you can use these sides as a platform  to boost your design to the next level.

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In this tutorial we’ll layout a basic newsletter using InDesign, but keep in mind that the same principles of good newsletter design could be used in any program.

Step 1: Set Up Your Document

To get started, first open a new document in InDesign (Apple + N). This basic newsletter will be 1 page front and back so set up your document as shown below:

Step 2: Save

I never go farther without saving my document (Apple + Shift + S). Get into the habit of saving early and saving often.

Step 3: Create Your Header

Depending on how design-savvy you may already be you may already have an adequate header to place at the top of your newsletter, if so, simply place the file in and skip to step 5, if not, we’ll create your header now.

The amount and types of things you want to include in your newsletter header may vary from what you see here, but we’ll stick to a simple rule of thumb. To create your newsletter header, we want to add your logo and some simple graphics that represent your branding to the top of the page.

If you’re not sure where to place your logo, try right-aligning it to add visual interest. In this example, I’ve simply added a blue background behind the logo to anchor to the newsletter name, volume and issue numbers and date. Next, I created a basic 3 pt white line straight across about 2/3” from the bottom.

Step 4: Add Your Newsletter Name

Since we created an anchor point for our headline, we can now add our text and the title of our newsletter. Again, to add visual interest try a few different arrangements. If you’re still not sure what to do, remember that simple is probably better in most cases.

Step 5: Adding Intro Text

With any newsletter you will have a main article or headline story. To create visual interest add this story in full width across both columns of your layout.

Remember, when working in print design you want to use serif fonts as a general rule because it’s easier for the readers to quickly scan and absorb. When working with a multiple column layout also keep in mind that the eye can decipher left justified lines of text quicker than ragged right alignments.  For this example I’ve used Garamond 12pt text with 16 pt leading as shown below:

Step 6: Format Your Headline

To maintain consistency in your newsletter try to use a headline font that closely matched the fonts in your logo and/or newsletter heading. This will visually give your newsletter a polished feel. Your article headline should be larger than an author by line. I’ve used Brody, 24pt to match the branding of the Web company.

Step 7: Add Your First Photo

What good is a newsletter without photos? Add your first one here and be sure to include a text wrap as shown to tighten up your design.  Keep in mind that depending on which direction your audience reads from you will generally want your image to lead the eye into the article. For my audience images on the left will do just that.

Step 8: Adding an Article Divider

Now that our first article is in place we should add an article divider before switching to our two-column layout. Your horizontal divider can be as simple as a 1 pt line or more complex such as a specific design element.

Step 9: Adding Your First Column Article

Repeating steps 5-7 you are now ready to add your first columned article with the following exceptions:

• Rather than extending the width of the page, you should only fill the first column with this text.
• Your headlines, bylines and image should be proportionately smaller than those in your main article.

Step 10: Adding Other Column Articles

Repeating step 9 you can now add the rest of your column articles. For a small newsletter I would suggest using the columns as needed on the second page as well as shown here.

Step 11: Adding a Pullout or Significant Fact

By now, those reading your newsletter may be drifting off to sleep. Once more, to provide visual interest we need to add another design element. Adding a pullout or significant fact for your readers that is set apart in larger text and spans the whole width again is a great way to vary your layout without creating chaos. Using the horizontal lines in Step 8 and your headline font, add something of interest to pull your readers back into your newsletter.

Step 12: Adding A Closing Article

The last article in your newsletter can be added to the left column following the same steps listed above. This article should give the reader a feeling of closure or include a teaser about what’s in store for the next issue.

Step 13: Adding Contact Information

Perhaps the most vital part of the newsletter is the contact information for the organization. I’d recommend including your logo again as pictured here along with any information or special instructions for your readers to get in touch with you.

Hopefully, the principles applied in this tutorial can help you in your next Newsletter adventure!

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What is this new phenomenon? It’s literally a digital display that is battery powered and snuggled in the front of the magazine cover. The cover, barely heavier stock than a normal cover is not even noticeably different. That is until the image changes in front of your eyes.

A friend was in a local bookstore and saw that flash of the magazine cover. It captured his attention and immediately he thought of me. As soon as he saw it, he knew it was a must have. There were only 2 issues left. After talking to the clerk, he found out that this "flashing" issue, was a limited edition. 1 of 100,000 made out of the more than 700,000 ran in the regularly subscription issues.

How does is work? Honestly, I’ve read the articles and I still have no idea. But I do know that it’s remarkable and chances are this will be the wave of the future. As designers, we are required to get the information and get on board.

In the meantime, I’ll be holding on to my copy of the magazine! And learning what I can about this new technology. To read the full article on the technology of this cover click here.

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Below are some incredible stationary packages, that I found in a Flickr pool. Enjoy!

I trust these have served as an inspiration to you! Happy designing!

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Hmmm… we discussed it and brainstormed a bit. My lunch party was made up of an interesting crowd. A female designer/writer, a male writer, a male web designer and a male systems administrator and then myself (another female designer).  This being the case 2 of the 3 guys said they didn’t consider the vector designs "girly" if done correctly. One was a little less than positive about it.

I’ve noticed that the trend has be very popular among some large scale restaruants on menus and promotional pieces. One which immediately comes to mind is the artwork at McAlister’s Deli. Which was where we were today.

I recently finished a project that I did with a heavy vector scroll pattern. The piece was entirely done by hand, but the look of it is definitely more on the "dark" side as far as design goes. It’s not got the light/white imagery that is normally associated with such scroll work.

See what you think .. . .

 Well? Is vector swirly images just for girls?  Cast your vote, but be sure to give some good reasoning to back it up!

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