2 quick tips to save money on printed folders

Most companies are trying to save money in this economic climate but not all want to compromise on the quality of their printed marketing collateral. If you send information out and think you can't afford a beautifully printed folder to put your brochures, leaflets and price lists in then here's 2 easy ways to save money on your print.

1). Glued Pocket folder or self-locking folder?

With self-locking folders you simply make them up as and when you need them. They are die-cut,  creased and flat. Not only do they take up less storage but also it's 'you' making them up so you're not paying for the print finisher to apply a glue strip, make the folders up and then repack in boxes. In addition to this labour saving, your self-lock folders take up less room in storage. If you like a sample(s) of different types of folder mechanisms then contact us and we will send you some.

Capacity pocket folder or non-capacity folder: If your folder needs to hold more than 15 pages  and standard weight paper (anything up to 170gsm) then you do not need capacity. Anymore than that then the folder needs capacity which means putting in a double crease on the spine and pocket. So, typically if you're sending a lot of information out you will need anything from 3mm to 10mm capacity. You can still have a self-locking mechanism but they do take longer to make up.

2). Make the pocket smaller. For a  folder to take standard A4 items, a pocket of less than 100mm  means that your folder can be printed on a SRA2 sheet rather than B2 sheet. This can save a few hundred pounds in some cases. 

The perfect print finish for brochures and catalogues

Clients often ask us what the best lamination finish is for their brochures and catalogues. There are two main factors to consider here: the look and feel and then secondly the practicality. Lets look at the pros and cons for each laminate

• Gloss lamination : Pros: Hi gloss finish, doesn't show any scratches, increases colour print intensity, durable and protective print finish. Cons: can give the document  the 'Chinese takeaway menu' factor.


• Matt lamination: Pros: soapy, silky feel, non reflective. Cons: flattens the colours (ie Black print looks more grey in tone), scratches and marks easily. If you were to run your nail onto a matt laminated cover a dark line would be visible. Although durable, the covers could look tatty due to marking.

Personally I prefer the look and feel of matt laminate over gloss lamination. So, if the final printed item is more design led then this would be my preference. Conversely if the you are looking to produce a printed product catalogue, then gloss is probably the best option.

Reduce printing costs! Choose the right colours

There was a time when 2 colour printing was cheaper than 4 colour. Today however, printers are reluctant to spend their valuable production time washing up their expensive presses for a couple of Pantone special inks. The nervana for a printer is to have their presses running all day with the same ink. What we have now are printers running CMYK and charging a real premium to wash-up their units for a special Pantone ink colour.

When choosing corporate colours for your business, be especially careful to select pantones that match very closely to the CMYK version of the colour. Pantones that should be avoided are the oranges ie PMS 021; they simply print as a dirty brown in CMYK rather than the vibrant orange. The Pantone Color Bridge provides a clear indication how colours appear in their CMYK breakdown form. For a more dtailed explanation of colour breakdown see our previous post on the subject.

Paper Weight Caution!

Ever ordered some expensive brochure only to find that on delivery the cover or the text pages feel a bit thin? Don't be fooled by the weight of the paper. Paper is generally measured and sold in weight ie 350gsm or for say letterheads 115gsm. Although weight is an indication of 'thickness' it's not an accurate measure of it.

The same weight paper can vary in perceived thickness. In addition, different finishes also have a different thickness:

For example: a 200gsm range of papers: a gloss coated feels thinnest , then feeling heavier as you go on from silk to matt to an uncoated board.

Top tip: if you want your brochure cover to feel substantial either avoid a gloss coated board or better go up to higher weight board. Finally, as a fail safe, always ask for a sample of the board before giving the go ahead to print!