Everyone has some ideas about their own advert, however if you are unfamiliar with the elements of design and using desktop publishing software it can be a daunting task. Fear not - we can help create an advert, or even just offer some improvement on your own ideas. It is very satisfying and rewarding to be complimented on an advert of your own design, so give it a try… There are many free online apps for creating adverts, some even offer templates to make it easier. We regularly receive artwork created with Canva, or if you feel up to the challenge you can get a free 7 day trial of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. However it’s probably best to work with whatever you find easy to use and it’s not unusual for us to get adverts created on Microsoft Word, or Publisher. If all else fails, send the component parts - the logo if you have one, text and pictures by e-mail and we will assemble it for you. When sending your advert, our preferred format is in PDF, however we are able to accept artwork in almost any format. Just remember that it needs to be in high resolution - 300dpi or more, otherwise the print copy will not look sharp. Commercial print is in CMYK colour format. Your computer monitor is in RGB, so if your software allows, set up your artwork in CMYK, otherwise the printed copy will appear slightly different, with colours more muted. CMYK will not reproduce ‘fluorescent’ colours. The proof copy we return to you will be in CMYK. If stuck for ideas, have a look at what others in a similar business are doing, note what they consider key points, what picture(s) are important, then don’t copy - improve. Size Start by deciding what size of advert you want. This is usually determined by budget and what you would like to say. If you feel the need to have several pictures you will need space to display them in a clear and meaningful manner. See our advert size chart here. Once decided, either create a new page/canvas at that size in the software you are using, or draw a box to that size and keep within it. Regularly reduce the on-screen version to the printed size to check how it will look. Content Don’t be tempted to overwrite content, particularly in smaller ads. You want the advert to be clear and concise with an effective header. This lets the browsing reader instantly know what your business is, without having to read the rest of the advert. Keep it simple. Whilst you can be more creative with your titles, avoid overly ornate fonts or text styles in the main body text and don’t write so much that the font size becomes difficult to read. Don’t be afraid of white space, occupying all of the white space of an advert with text and imaging can feel overwhelming to prospective customers. Having a proper white space ratio makes print ads more visually appealing and reader-friendly. Try to be unique. The text and design should help create a feeling that is unique to effectively demonstrate what sets you apart from competitors. This is known as a “Unique Selling Proposition”. While your product or service does not have to be the only one on the market, it’s best to promote it from the unique angle of what makes it better than the others. Ensure Contact Information Stands Out Make sure your contact information isn’t buried in the ad and try to provide various avenues of getting in touch (phone number, e-mail, website etc). This ensures the customer has options, so they’ll be more likely to contact you. It can also be a good idea to include your landline number, that lets people see you are local. Only include your Facebook if you regularly update the entries. Images Many people are visual and possess relatively short attention spans, others might just scan your advert not realising they could benefit from your services. So ads that are all text may be off-putting. For this reason, using images and/or graphics correctly can help catch attention and get your message across. Avoid using generic photos purely for decorative purposes and make sure any visual imagery works alongside your copy. Keep in mind that good quality original photography often works better than stock photos, just don’t go overboard. Try to avoid putting text over photographs. Unless you can achieve a good contrast between light text on a dark background (or the other way round) the text becomes lost and difficult to read. Proof Read Check your spelling and grammar. Then check it again. Meet the Deadline Our print deadline is the 13th of the preceding month, however if you need assistance, get in touch as soon as possible, or by the 10th at latest. Whether just starting out, or already established, it is highly likely that you will need to consider not only your adverts, but also a web page, Facebook and other social media, headed notepaper and business cards. Branding then becomes important and a logo will make your business instantly recognisable. We recommend that to keep consistency in all your printed and on-line presence, you consult with a professional designer. We regularly receive work from Ellen McBride - EMB GRAPHICS LTD www.embgraphics.co.uk design@embgraphics.co.uk 01887 829 837 Marius Bezuidenhout - Web Smart Media Ltd www.websmartmedia.co.uk marius@websmartmedia.co.uk 07884095911 01796 470558 Kirstie Pirie - Source Marketing www.sourcemarketing.co.uk info@sourcemarketing.co.uk 01738 583858 Local and highly recommended.