Know when to fold 'em

My wife, Melinda, said the last post was devoid of personality, and I have bad news for her...this one is even worse. Printing geeks...FOLLOW ME!!! We're going to talk about folding panel sizes and save you some trouble. This topic did well in the poll, so at least three of you are interested.

First, some terms. The graphic below will help you name the fold you want and eliminate confusion. (The letterfold is also referred to as "tri-fold" but I stick with the traditional term because, in reality, there are only two folds, not three.)

Our Problem Children: Most folds are straightforward but some present problems, and they are letterfold, gatefold, and roll folds. Their common problem is that the panels can't all be the same size. The panels that fold inside need to be short to prevent a collision inside the fold and damage to the inside edge. We rework files all the time to repair these errors so offer the following information to keep you from losing your Zen like attitude.

The first thing to do is forget about using the "columns" feature in your layout program. It will give you equal sized panels and, for these three folds, that will not work. With equal panels all you can do is rework the layout, or cross your fingers and print, planning to trim the panel short in the bindery. You are hoping to make the layout work at the expense of your margins. If this is news to you it's possible your printer is doing this and not telling you, but why leave it to chance?

The Freebies: Half fold, Z fold, right angle, double parallel and accordion folds can all have panels the same size with no problems. None of these layouts require that any panel folding in be shortened. Love abounds. Divide the overall space by the number of panels and you're all set.

The Formula Method: For the problem folds, remember that any panel folding inside should be approximately 1/8" short. (For text weight it can be less, but for cover weight 1/8" is pretty important.) My friend Perry Albrigo at Pomegranate Studio solves this by changing the trim size of his document. If he wants a 9 x 12 letterfold he makes the trim size 11.875" to give him two panels at 4" and one at 3.875 to fold in. No complicated arithmetic. Neat, huh? Perry is a clever guy!

(To digress for a moment, let's ponder that the most common size of paper is 11" and that's a prime number. The most common number of panels is three, which is another prime number. It's enough to make you want to go metric.)

Finally, remember that the layout from the inside to outside should be mirror images, so that the short panel is always the one folding in. The guides you establish for one need to be "flopped" for the other.

The Actual Reality method: Get a sheet of the paper you plan to use. Cut it to the size you want. Fold it up. Mark the folds with a pen. Unfold it and get out your ruler. Transfer the panel dimensions you measure to your layout. Can't fail. The corollary: you can check your layout by printing it out (with crop marks, reduced, if necessary, to fit your paper) and trimming carefully. Try folding it up...does it work? For complicated compound folds this is a must.

The Templates Method: Templates that work are available at Graphateria's website, on the technical support page http://graphateria.com/Support_Templates.htm . These are PDF's which can be placed in your layout file. Pull your guides over to match the guides in the PDF and then remove the link. Voila! You're ready to begin your layout secure in the knowledge that your margins will work. (It doesn't hurt to print it out by way of a double check.)

If you need a template which is not listed, Graphateria will be happy to add it. Feel free to email or call me and we'll get the smart people to work right away. (While you're at Graphateria.com feel free to look around...they say nice things about me on the sales page.)

People with years of design of experience bring us files which have incorrect panel sizes. The drawback of the digital work environment print designers work in is that they are cut off from the physical reality of the medium. Your printer should always be available to help you bridge that divide so your stuff works on the first try. Don't be proud, don't be bashful, give your printer a call. Don't make their bindery guy have to decide how much to chop off your brochure so he can get it through the folder! Your friend in the printing business ran a folder for three years, and knows whereof he speaks.

Tell us what works for you, and please be sure to participate in the poll for future topics. Until then, see you online!

Hugh Butler

Your friend in the printing business

Why bother to print?

It's a complicated process...mailing is expensive...ink smells bad...Why bother to print? Consider the following:

People appreciate something tangible. It's more difficult to to make a "sale" (of products, services, or ideas) without offering something, at least symbolically. (This is why you will almost never see a trade show booth that isn't covered with free pens, pads, goofy pins, etc.) Printed collateral reinforces the feeling that you have something genuine to offer, and the higher quality you can achieve the stronger this impression will be.

In-Boxes are under pressure. The low cost of online message distribution is creating a traffic jam on computer screens, and the "subject" line provides a form of Caller-ID allowing instant deletion. Unfortunately, this can happen before the visual part of the message is activated. Printed material arrives "already open" and makes it's first impression immediately, with no action required by the viewer. Even direct mail which is destined to be trash will at least get one good look beforehand.

Control your quality. Print on demand is an effective way to shift the cost of printing to your viewer...what would collectively cost you hundreds of dollars will cost them only a token amount. One drawback, however, is that, after your designer has invested an enormous amount of work in the graphics you consign the actual printing to an environment you have no control over. The magenta ink cartridge may be empty, for instance, assuming the printer has color capability at all. The paper will almost undoubtedly be of low quality and the margins may cut off areas which contain your response information (!). This is a cost/benefit equation to consider from both sides.

Most people are non-linear readers. They peruse; they're drawn to various stories by sidebars or pull quotes; ads catch their eye, and this is a process well suited to a multi page printed document. Although some benefits of a PDF are hard to dispute, this is not one of them. People just don't click their way around a PDF the same way they introduce themselves to, say, a magazine. The compatibility of reading style and the ease of navigating a printed document means MORE of your message will get through before the reader tires and moves on to something else.

Some significant portion of your audience is old fashioned. Or, maybe not if you're selling skateboards... but it's a real possibility. Some people spend so much working time at their computers they burn out to online messages. Large demographic sections use machines or connections so slow that your graphics will never be seen. If you aren't tuned in to these preferences you may be missing a significant number of prospects.

Printed material as a part of a comprehensive campaign. The key to optimizing the unique strengths of printed material is to acknowledge it's cost, and fine tune accordingly. Mailing lists must be absolutely clean and up to date. Size and format must be controlled for production efficiency and the lowest possible rate of postage. Production quality levels must remain high to avoid, at all costs, a "homemade" look.

The major players in the direct marketing world invest billions of dollars a year in print and mail because of it's unique ability to reach a specific person and prompt a specific action via a specific transaction channel. (It doesn't matter whether that channel is analog or digital.) The same innovative data and design tools, and the same declining print costs (print, that is, not postage) that are available to them are also available to your organization. There is a spot in the mailbox for your message, and there is no reason why it shouldn't be just as effective as those from the "big guys". Remember, "junk mail" is only as junky as the message it carries.

I hope the New Year is off to a good start for all of you, and look forward to our conversations during 2009.

Hugh Butler
Your friend in the printing business