Guideline to Print

There are three basic parts to a print ad and several sub parts. They are:

• Illustration
• Headline
• Copy
• Other parts
  • insert illustration
  • subhead
  • captions
  • logo
  • tag line or lead out.

In a print ad the reader's eye will read as we have learned to read:
left to right, top to bottom from wherever we start.

In a print layout the reader's eye will see:

• 1st - the Illustration (you have 1-3 seconds of attention)
• 2nd - Headline, 5 times more reader's than the copy (1-5 seconds)
• 3rd - Copy, nine of ten people seeing the ad won't read it.

The headline and illistration work together to get interest and deliver the main points of the ad.If interest is generated they will lead to the reading of the copy. If they don't work to generate interest then zero percent read the copy.

As you prepare to create your ad layout you should start with your copy. The headline and the illustration will evolve from the copy planning. Writing copy is known as copywriting, not to confused with a legal copyright.

As always, consider your market audience, business (client) objectives and the stage in the development and life of the product, service, store or brand that you are preparing to advertise. The basic process is:

• Write a Copy Platform - aka copy plan,copy policy, copy outline
  • a situation analysis (for a printable Word document click here)
• Develop a Concept - what information to use and how to implement the objectives
  • Identify audience you want to target
  • Set clear and attainable objectives
  • List the information you want conveyed.
• Choose an Approach - inform, persuade, entertain, motivate, affect behavior, etc. You may do several of these in your approach.
  • Tone - factual, emotional, fear, humor, sex, etc.
  • Style - dramatize, story, "slice of life", demonstration, presentation of benefits, testimonials, expert opinion, etc.
• Write and Create the Ad - Creative - message, tone, headline, illustration, copy, etc.
  (for a printable Word document of a Creative Strategy Worksheet click here)

The following guidelines will improve readership and increase the likelihood of moving the reader from information and attitude formation to purchase behavior.

General Guidlines to Page Layout

• Have a Dominant element (focus) on the page
• "Z" factor for eye tracking
• Eye Weight
• Balance

Illustration

• if possible, show the product in use
• or show the benefits of the product or results of use
• Show salient product features or the product itself
• if you can't feature the product or salient feature, use babies, animals, hands & feet to get attention
• sex, fear, & humor will get attention but may compete with the message
• bigger-than-life faces repel
• it should arouse curiosity and have story appeal relevant to the target audience
• visually simple and clear of clutter with proper contrast to surroundings
• create a visual scandal
• flag down the target audience
• use characters from television if you are using television as well
• with the a gender related product or benefit, men identify with men & women with women

Headline

• if placed below or in the illustration, readership will increase 10%
• promise a benefit
• flag the target audience
• if newsy to the target audience or a question that is answered for that audience, readership increases by 22%
• use your brand name here (5 x more readers than copy)
• should be ten words long or less
• quotes around the headline increase readership 28%
• No ending punctuation ...
• ALL CAPITALS IN A HEADLINE WILL RETARD READING
• avoid tricky headlines, puns (use a pun, go to jail), bragging, analogies

Copy

• short sentences and paragraphs
• spacing between paragraphs, increases readership 12%
• use editorial style of puiblication: column width, typeface, readership will increase 6 times
• use margin marks (bullets, asterisks, numbering) bold or underlining to highlight point
• answer the questions an interested person would have
  

Type & Color

When Reading Type...

Legibility - We are also concerned with Legibility: how easy it is to recognize short bursts of text (headlines, buttons, etc.) and recommend san-serif typefaces (Arial or Verdana).

In print, the rule of thumb is serif for text and san serif for headlines.

Typography

Main Font

Heading Font

Sub Heading Font

Highlight Fonts

Bold

Italics

Contrast (typeface color on background color)

Readability (easy to read a lot of text) vs. Legibility (easy to read short bursts of text)

 

Type Suggestions for readability & legibility

Readability - lots of text use serif type faces 10-14 point types use short lines of text; constrict bodies of text in column formats use proper contrast between type and background color (no red type on bright yellow background ; no gray type on black background) Avoid large amounts of text in all caps, bold, italic formal script, etc. adequate ascenders and descenders, Legibility - bursts of text san serif typefaces avoid mixed lower/upper case (Antique Olive; Hobo; Peignot) Avoid type set in all caps (we recognize shapes when reading, i.e. cat dog (different shapes) vs. CAT DOG (same shape) Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig, huh?

Color (Chroma) Scheme

Background Color

Main Text Color

Background Color

Heading & Sub Heading Text Color

Highlight Text Color

CYMK or print color which is subtractive through light blocking (not Indexed Color (256 RGB color, browser safe) from additive color, like a monitor with light shining through RGB)

Using Color

Hue - a specific spot on a color spectrum (no black or white mixed in) Tint - Hue + white Shade - Hue + black Tone - Hue + gray Intensity or Value - how light or dark the hue Contrast - degree of separation between values Note: Color should add power to a design. The design should begin in black and white and hold up without color.