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Flat, Forgotten, or Captivating? How Bold Display Design Changes Everything

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Here’s the thing no one tells you before you head to your next trade show or event: Most booths get ignored. Not because the team isn’t great. Not because the products aren’t solid. But because the display doesn’t do enough to earn attention in a room full of noise. At every event, there are two types of booths: The ones people pass by. The ones people walk toward. The difference? It’s not the giveaways. It’s not the clever pitch. It’s the display itself. Let’s look at the real difference between booths that blend in—and displays that captivate. Flat, Safe, and Forgotten Flat banners. Tabletop signs. Posters taped to the back wall. They still have a place. But when they’re the only visual element, they leave your booth doing the bare minimum. Flat displays make your team work harder. They rely entirely on human interaction to start the conversation. They say, “We showed up,” but not, “We ...

Brochure Fold Cheat Sheet: How to Pick the Right Layout for Maximum Impact

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When it comes to designing a brochure, most people focus on the words and visuals. But there’s a quiet decision that can dramatically shape how your message is experienced: Which fold should you choose? Your brochure’s fold isn’t just structural. It’s strategic. It controls the flow of your message, how your reader interacts with the piece, and whether the experience feels flat or dynamic. To help, we’ve created a quick-reference Brochure Fold Cheat Sheet to guide your next project. Whether you're launching a bold campaign or explaining a service step by step, the right fold can make all the difference. Flat Brochure (No Fold) Use this when your message is singular and powerful. Think: posters, menus, display pieces, or one-page promos. Best for: bold visuals, direct messaging, minimalism Works well for: handouts, retail settings, takeaways Not ideal for: content that needs flow or segmentation Why it works: Flat brochures are immedi...

Why Do Brochure Projects Always Get So Complicated? (And How to Fix It for Good)

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You’ve probably asked it halfway through a project—right after the third round of edits, the “urgent” email from sales, or the meeting that left you with more questions than clarity: “Why is this taking so long?” “Who’s actually in charge?” “Why does no one agree on what we’re doing?” Let’s get straight to it: Brochure projects don’t fall apart because of bad design. They fall apart because of unclear collaboration. And if you’ve been stuck between competing opinions, last-minute feedback, and a print deadline that doesn’t care about your internal politics, we get it. The good news? There’s a better way to work together, and better results on the other side of it. When Should We Involve the Printer? (Hint: Not After the Final Draft) One of the biggest time-wasters in brochure design? Waiting until the piece is “done” to send it to your printer. By the tim...

The Print Advantage: Engaging at Your Audience's Pace

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You’ve felt it. So has your audience. The constant scrolling. The relentless pop-ups. The 2-second attention spans. The pressure to move faster just to keep up. And in the middle of it all, you’re trying to tell a story. Trying to build trust. Trying to say something that actually matters. What if the problem isn’t what you’re saying, but how you’re delivering it? The Loudest Message Isn’t Always the One That’s Heard Digital marketing moves at the speed of distraction. Ads vanish in a blink. Social posts get buried in seconds. And even your best messaging risks being reduced to a skim or swipe. That doesn’t mean digital is bad—it just means it’s noisy. And when everything’s loud, people stop listening. Print doesn’t chase your audience: It waits for them. It meets them where they are. It lets them engage when they’re ready. That’s not slow—it’s strategic. A Brochure ...

Dad-Approved Print Marketing: Tough, Practical, and Built to Last

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Father’s Day may be behind us, but the dad energy lives on. You know what we’re talking about—classic dad traits: practical, no-nonsense, a little sarcastic, probably wearing cargo shorts, and definitely giving side-eye to your “modern” marketing campaign. And if we’re being honest? Your next print project could probably use a little more of that. So let’s take a moment—post-Father’s Day—to appreciate what dads (and dad-like marketing) have always done best: kept things simple, sturdy, and surprisingly effective. Here’s what your next print piece might look like if it were designed by everyone’s favorite unofficial brand strategist: Dad. 1. Paper So Thick It Could Be a Coaster If your brochure can't double as a shim for a wobbly table leg, your dad would probably question your paper choice. He doesn’t believe in flimsy print. Neither should you. Thick stock = serious message. 2. Fonts You Can R...

A Brochure Isn't a Billboard. It's a Story Waiting to Be Unfolded.

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There’s something that happens when a person opens a brochure—if you’ve done it right. They pause. Not because they were told to, but because you’ve invited them in. The paper moves. A headline appears. A photograph pulls them forward. They turn a panel. Something else is revealed. Not everything. Just enough. And for a moment, they’re curious. The Point of a Brochure Is Not to Inform Information is cheap. Google has plenty. So do your competitors. If your brochure is just a laundry list of services, what makes you different? No one wants to be “educated” by marketing. They want to feel something. To be seen. To imagine what it’s like to work with you. To belong. That’s what a story does. But This Isn’t About Telling Your Origin Story This isn’t about where you were founded or how many square feet your facility is. That’s not a story. That’s a résumé. A real story starts with the custom...

Why the Smartest Brochures Don't Need a QR Code (Or a Screen)

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Walk into any marketing meeting today, and it’s easy to get caught in the digital spiral: “Add a QR code.” “Let’s layer in augmented reality.” “Can we track that in real time?” It’s not that these tools don’t have a place—they do. But somewhere along the line, we’ve started treating every printed piece like it’s incomplete unless it connects to a screen. That’s a mistake. Because the most compelling “technology” in print marketing isn’t new. And it doesn’t need batteries, bandwidth, or a backend. It just needs to be handled. The Original Interactivity Before we turned everything into a pixel, print had its own kind of magic. A gatefold that builds suspense before it opens. A clever die-cut that teases the message beneath. A soft-touch coating that makes your hand linger for just a second longer. These aren’t embellishments. They’re strategic. They...