Not all black is created equal, especially when you are preparing artwork for print.

If you have ever looked at a color on your computer screen and then seen something slightly different when it was printed, RGB and CMYK are part of the reason.

After a decade of hyper-polished, algorithm-optimized design — and now a flood of AI-generated content that's technically flawless and emotionally empty — customers are craving the opposite. Imperfection on purpose. Something that looks like it came from human hands. Something beautifully flawed.

Digitally designing something to become quality printed media deserves a little thought before sending “print-ready” files. Technology makes it possible to produce highly targeted, personalized marketing and direct mail materials with speed and precision. But while the technology is flexible, the quality of the final printed piece is often determined long before production begins. File format, resolution, color setup, and layout all play a critical role in ensuring the finis

What's new in print for 2026? Plenty. From vintage-inspired typography and expressive layouts to sustainable papers and rich textures, designers are finding fresh ways to help brands stand out. You don't need to embrace every trend—just borrow one that feels right for your business and see where it takes your next print project.

Design often gets judged on aesthetics—whether something looks modern, clean, or visually appealing. But in marketing, especially translated to print, it is not just about appearance. It’s about performance.

Color is one of the most powerful elements in visual communication, but it’s also one of the most technically complex when it comes to printing. Clients often assume that what they see on screen will magically appear the same in print, but the way color works in digital design and physical printing are fundamentally different processes.

Printing is more than putting ink on paper — it’s about reproducing images accurately and making colors pop in a way that reflects your brand. To get the best results, it’s essential to understand how images are processed, how inks behave, and how the paper and viewing environment affect the final printed piece. Paying attention to these factors ensures consistent, high-quality results every time.

Colin Wheildon’s Research on “How Typography and Design can get your Message Across—or get in the Way” shows that typography and design choices directly affect readability and comprehension and are still relevant today.

If you're using Canva to design your projects, this step-by-step guide will help you create a PDF that meets professional printing standards. Follow the simple instructions below to ensure your files are set up correctly and avoid delays, rework, or added cost.

Good design does more than look great. It plays a vital role in how a message is received, understood, and acted upon. Especially in direct mail and print marketing, strong visuals can pull readers in, guide their focus, and push them to respond.

Meher Montessori School case study Client information Founded in 1972 by Executive Director John Page, Meher Montessori School is an AMI accredited Montessori school serving children from 2 1/2-12 years of age. It is located in Altadena, adjacent to Los Angeles. The AMI accreditation is of special significance because of the estimated 3,800 schools in the United States that call themselves "Montessori" only about 190 or a slim 5% are formally recognized by AMI. AMI, which sta

Marketing Basics With modern variable printing, the text and graphics on each sheet of a press run can change to reflect the characteristics of its intended recipient. Such personalization has proved that it can generate many times the responses of non-variable printed pieces. To be effective, however, variable printing involves preparation starting from a project’s earliest stages. Variable information printing is a highly effective marketing tool. It gives you the ability t

Anyone who has used Photoshop long enough is familiar with the Clone Stamp tool. This little gem has been a favorite for many a photographer or artist. But, how do you improve on something that is so great to begin with? Well, you may have noticed that using the Clone Stamp with a hard edge brush can result in obvious dot shapes. You can soften the edge, but you may see differences between the source and destination backgrounds. Also, making precise point source selections ca

Getting your file imaged onto the printing plate at the lowest cost Desktop Publishing Desktop publishing is the process of using the computer and specific types of software to combine text and graphics to produce documents such as newsletters, brochures, books, etc. Which Platform? Both Macintosh and PC platforms are is acceptable. Industry standard software is available for both the Macintosh and PC. Industry Standard Software Applications Page layout: Adobe InDesign Illust

One of the first things to think about when creating a brochure is how it will fold. Making a plain paper folding dummy can help you determine accurate sizes for the panels. A few of the more common folds are roll fold, accordion fold and gate fold. The panel sizes are determined by the fold you want to use. An accordion fold is one of the easiest because all of the panels are the same size because of the zig-zag. The roll and gate folds fold in on each other. To make the bro

Use the latest version of a page layout software — some programs require additional prepress steps Using the latest version of standard page layout software will cause the fewest problems for your printer. The reason for this is that the digital technician who prepares your digital files for printing has a high level of expertise. The standard page layout program is InDesign. Photoshop and Illustrator are not page layout programs. You can build pages using these programs, but