Poster Printing - Which Paper to Use for Your Poster Designs

When it comes to purchasing a custom printed poster from your own design what are the main differences between the papers that you can choose from. This article is designed to help you select the best option in order to display your poster design at its best.

While many purchase posters off the shelf a large number of people are designing their own posters with programs such as Adobe Photoshop, In-Design, or even Microsoft PowerPoint and having them printed to custom size. Custom printed posters can be quite expensive so obviously those purchasing them will want to ensure they get the best quality print for their money.

The first thing to determine is which type of paper the poster is going to be printed on. The most common types are matt papers, satin & gloss photo papers, each of these papers have their own unique qualities but all are suitable for poster printing.

Matt Poster Papers are best used where certain lighting conditions can affect the view of the poster as they do not reflect much light making the posters viewable from all different angles. They have quite a large colour gamut meaning that the printed colours will be a very good match to the screen colours that were used when designing the poster.

Gloss Poster Papers are ideal for that photographic look and feel. They are the perfect choice for designs such as photo collages or large photo prints. They have a much large colour gamut than matt papers and are able to produce stunning photo quality prints with the colours being an extremely close match to the screen colours. Due to the glossy finish they can suffer from light reflection but this can usually be decreased by positioning the poster where the lighting does not shine directly onto it causing glare.

Satin Poster Papers are a semi-gloss and have a larger colour gamut than the matt papers but not as large as the gloss so the colours will not be so vibrant. They tend to have a slightly textured appearance which helps to reduce light reflection whilst still having that photographic look. This makes them a better choice than the gloss if the posters are going to be displayed in brightly lit rooms.

Another thing to consider is the weight of the papers which is measured in gsm (grams per square metre). Ideally matt posters should be printed on at least 180gsm as this will ensure that the poster remains in good condition especially if it will be put away and re-used from time to time, with the gloss or satin papers 200gsm or above is ideal.

To ensure that the poster remains in perfect condition consider having it encapsulated (laminated font and back) as this will help stop fading and creasing.

You may also want to check what inks are being used to print the poster. Always try to use a printing company that uses at least 8 ink colourants in their printers as they provide a much greater range of colours than printer using just 4 inks. Printers using 8 inks or more are able to produce true photographic quality at up to 2400dpi.

I mentioned above about the printed colours matching the screen colours. To ensure that the printed colours do match your screen always use the "Proof Colour" option in programs such as Adobe Photoshop or similar. The proofing option should be set to the type of printer that the poster will be printed on, for example it should be set to CMYK (swop) for printing onto commercial CMYK printers or set to Adobe RGB or sRGB if being printed onto an RGB photo printer. RGB is the best choice as it has a much larger colour gamut than CMYK. Also if it is possible ask the printing company for the icc profile used for their particular ink and paper settings as this would provide an even closer screen to print match. This is a small file that simulates the printer inks and papers of the printer being used to print the poster.

A last suggestion is to always compare poster printing companies, check which printers and papers they use and also view their customer reviews, if they have lots of happy customers it's likely that you will be one too.

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Does Your Logo Need a Tagline?

There are plenty of taglines (also called straplines or slogans) out there that make a logo something special. From Nike's "Just Do It" to McDonald's "I'm Lovin' It", they say something special about the brand and company behind it. The best taglines make us think, make us smile or offer a clever twist on the brand - that's how they operate. Some taglines are as famous as the logo design, often to the point that the memorable slogan renders the logo unnecessary. This isn't particularly something that can be said of a new business, more of an established identity over many years.

Your strapline can back up the ethos of your logo. It can communicate the benefits of your brand above your competitors.

Tagline Communication: What should it do?

Your tagline is designed to provide further definition of your company's service or product. A rock solid strapline will communicate your brand promise or message. Your tagline needs to be succinct to be successful and needs to linger in the mind of the visitor. It is the mental footprint you want your clients and passers-by to remember.

A tagline can also be a way of furthering the value of your company and provide an additional persuasive push. It can be an integral part of your logo design or a separate element to be used within further branding. A catchy slogan should be descriptive enough to evoke something from your client and should be judged along four main lines:

• Longevity - does it stand the test of time? Some taglines are very much rooted to their decade, The New York Times' for example used "All the News that's fit to Print" throughout the 1980's.
• Portability/Memorability - does it have an impact on our culture, media or language? Is it something we regularly hear round and about?
• Equity - has it become synonymous with the brand or product?
• Originality - has it done something different to stand out from the crowd? Has it broken new ground in the industry?

These four variables are more applicable to larger brands, but there's no reason you shouldn't keep them in mind when brainstorming ideas.

Do you need a Tagline?

Many logos are designed to stand the test of time without the need for any backup, but in some instances a catchy slogan can make all the difference. A tagline can be the differentiator between your brand and the rest of the market. An amazing tagline may be exactly what you need to stay in the mind of a potential client.

Your strapline can be made part of your logo, and at Inkbot Design I'm always willing to work with your ideas to create a logo design that incorporates your tagline and represents your brand. If you have a list of potential taglines, or none at all, I am more than happy to help decide the best approach through a consultation chat.

Developing a Winning Slogan

Most people will choose to employ a professional, but there's no reason you can't develop a fantastic strapline yourself and involve the professionals when it comes to the visual design. Here's a quick and simple way of coming up with your catchy slogan:

1. Think about your message - what do you want to say to your current and potential clients?
2. What value do you bring to your clients?
3. What benefits do you offer above the competitors?
4. How are you different from the others in your field?
Overall, be honest, be original and be succinct (three to six words at the most).

A tagline can be the difference between success and failure but it isn't always necessary. There are many brands that can achieve just as much success with a professional logo design. A slogan may depend on how your business operates and where you want to take it.

If you want to engage Inkbot Design in creating your company logo design, whether it incorporates a tagline or not, simply get in touch.

Inkbot Design is a Freelance Graphic Designer specialising in Logo Design and Brand Identity. Based in Belfast, UK. Be sure to Get in touch! http://inkbotdesign.com/

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