If you’re reading this, you have access to some sort of digital device. That means you could automatically be a bona fide publisher.
Typewriters and printing presses? Pshaw! Expensive graphics apps? Who needs ’em? Online tools and common productivity programs such as Microsoft Word put a wealth of fonts, artwork, templates, borders, shapes and special effects at your fingertips, ready and waiting for whatever project you have in mind.
These tools offer pretty much everything you need to create fast, easy, cheap and effective print and digital communications. Plus, they’re designed to be intuitive so you don’t have to learn fancy graphics terms or hassle with a bunch of computer coding. A basic flier takes only a few minutes to put together. That’s powerful stuff.
But the same elements that make these programs so useful can also be the most confounding: There are so many options that it’s sometimes difficult to know where to start or how to put them to good use. The end products of this dilemma aren’t always pretty. In fact, I bet you’re already familiar with the visual and verbal cues that signal DIY design and content. Perhaps you, too, have been drawn in by the siren song of WordArt or Comic Sans. Yes, I’m looking at you, PTA newsletter chief. And you, office manager-turned-direct mail developer.
The way you present your words affects not only your message, but also your image. To get the best results, you have to follow a few rules:
- Thou Shalt Know Thy Audience: Who are you creating this publication for? A business flier should project a different style and tone than an invitation to your 5-year-old’s birthday party.
- Thou Shalt Know Thy Purpose: What is the goal of your publication? To draw in new customers? Promote an event? Provide information about your organization? The answer will guide your decisions on which elements to emphasize in the finished piece.
- Thou Shalt Use Restraint: Just because a publishing program offers a particular geegaw, doodad or waycool function doesn’t mean you are required to use it. And just because you have 500 photos at your disposal doesn’t mean they should all end up in your four-page newsletter.
- Thou Shalt Not Rely Solely on Spell Check: As handy as it is, spell check is not infallible in catching typos, grammar errors and confusing wording. (Exhibit A: there, their and they’re.) Get in the habit of running your work past another set of eyes.
- Thou Shalt Know Thy Limits: No, you don’t need to hire a professional for projects such as the birthday-party invite. But if a publication is important to your business or dear to your heart and just doesn’t look … right … no matter what you do, it might be time to ask for help.