What better way to start our new blog than to look at the limits of technology?
No, I'm not going to take you on a technophobic rant against the world's obsession with the latest and greatest electronic gear ... I'm going to talk specifically about newsletter production.
First, before I get labeled as an old-school purist, I'll be the first to say that newsletter design and production specifically, and graphic design more generally, has come light years in the past couple of decades thanks to the desktop publishing revolution. When I entered this business, cutting and pasting was an actual physical process, not something done on the desktop of your computer (and I swear, I'm not all that old). I would not trade my new tools of the trade for the old ones for anything (except maybe a large sum of money to allow me to retire).
However, having said that, there is a point where total reliance on technology can get you into an awful lot of trouble. With that in mind, I've compiled a list of mistakes that still cannot be avoided through the use of technology alone. Here it is:
1. What you see isn't always what you get ... even in the world of PDFs. Just because a PDF looks right on screen, don't assume that something won't mess up between the time you send it to the printer, and the time you pick it up in printed form. Always take a careful look at the proof (you did get a proof, didn't you?).
2. A computer's spell check program is no substitute for a careful read of a document by an objective third party editor. If no editor is readily available, go over it yourself with a fine tooth comb, and read the copy out loud as you proof it. You'd be surprised at the number of mistakes you catch doing it this way.
3. All software is not made equal! That $9 clearance "desk top publishing" software package you picked up at WalMart may not give you the same results as QuarkXpress or InDesign, no matter what the sales clerk told you! Talk to your printer first and see what they would suggest as far as software goes.
4. Learn the difference between web-safe colours, RGB, and CMYK. Learn how to colour correct properly, and don't assume what you see on your screen is what you'll see on the printed page. Trust us, you'll be glad you took the time to bone up on this stuff. Printing a face shot of your boss with a sickly green tinge to it does nothing for your career prospects.
5. Just because you have access to a bunch of fancy filters and cool visual effects doesn't mean you have to use them. The same holds true for fonts. Yes, there may be a thousand fonts on your computer ... but using half of them in your document will NOT increase the professional admiration of your collegues. It will just confuse them. Colour is the same. Depending on the printing process, pick a few main ones to work with. You don't have to use colour to shout out "look at me, I'm publishing in colour!" Good newsletter design enhances the content. Design elements that detract or that draw attention away from a newsletter's content lead to bad newsletter design.
6. Don't assume that a good graphic designer is simply someone who has access to a good computer and good graphic design software. Yes, I know that there are plenty of software packages that claim they allow a beginner to design a newsletter "just as well as a professional"; I just don't believe their claims. There is more to the process than basic design. I'm not discouraging you from trying, but keep this in mind ... graphic design is a profession, much like any other. If you have the time and patience, it's a great skill to learn. But if you are on deadline, and your job depends on it, calling in the newsletter design professional may be the way to go.
My two cents worth.
