By: Chris Barr
If you run a small business and plan to launch an advertising campaign using brochure printing, you will no doubt be worried about the costs. Of course, you will also be wondering how to lower these costs. It’s easy to find incredible prices for both brochure design and printing services, however, there are many things to consider that will influence the cost.
What size should the brochures be?
One of the first things people ask themselves is “What size brochures do I want?”.This option is extremely important depending on your chosen distribution method. If you will be mass mailing your brochures, having a brochure that is larger than standard letter size can cost considerably more to mail, however, it will stand out above all of the other mail in the mailbox the day it is received.
The number of pages (or folds) you use in your brochure along with the grade of paper, can determine your postage rates. The safest bet is to try and choose a standard size that is small enough to keep costs low while still being large enough to attract attention from your target audience in your chosen display setting.
The most commonly used sizes are 8.5×11 Tri-fold Brochures and 11×17 Tri-fold Brochures.
Stick to a regular shape
Although many people like quirky advertising and it may be tempting to use a non-standard shape for your brochures this can drastically increase the price. For example, a home insurance company may well want to use a house-shaped brochure to advertise their services, but since this shape will have to be custom made by the printer, it will almost certainly cost more. Just because the brochures are rectangular doesn’t mean that they have to be boring. You can find other ways to spice them up.
Order in bulk
Many people will order separate print jobs for their brochures and have them delivered a few thousand at a time, but figuring out how many you are likely to need (over the course of 6 months to a year) can save quite a bit of money over the long term. Bulk printing jobs cost less because it increases efficiency on a printing press, and the more you order, the cheaper they become. A single large order shipped costs considerably less than having multiple smaller brochure orders shipped. Be smart and plan ahead.
Cut costs but don’t cut corners
A final consideration is the quality of the brochure printing. Do you go for full color printing or black and white? Do you have high resolution photographs included in your design or just text? While weighing these options consider that if your brochures don’t attract attention from your target audience, the brochure printing will have been a complete waste of time and money. You must make sure that your brochures are interesting, vibrant, and eye-catching above all else, so don’t try to cut too many costs here. All of the recent research conducted by national print advertising resource centers has produced the same findings: Full color printing generates huge increases in response rates. A recent study confirmed that full color printing generates up to 65% higher response rates. With significant improvements in printing processes within the last few decades, full color printing is now extremely affordable. Avoid local print shops for bulk print orders (over 1,000 quantity) and find an experienced printer who will work with you to ensure great results at a super-low rate.