Guest post by Jayde Ferguson – Perth, Australia
Poster printing has become an inherent part of any business organisation, whether big or small. Businesses need banners, posters and various visual collateral to communicate information to clients and potential customers.
This is why it becomes important to choose the right paper quality that not only balances your cost considerations, but also looks good enough to represent and enhance your business or organization. We look at a few tips on how to choose the perfect paper type for your posters.
1. Balance Cost
For small scale organisations, cost is one of the most important factors, but even large scale businesses do not have an endless supply of money and are always look for effective ways to save and manage costs. Thus, it is important to balance this factor and consider not only the paper type, but making sure they are professionally printed at a poster printing company to save on costs.
If you are going to print a large number of copies, go for something that is inexpensive. For quality considerations, you can still make it look good by choosing blended paper materials like cotton, bamboo, polyester and alpha cellulose. These materials still provide a stylish look whilst not putting a huge hole in your company’s pocket.
2. Life of the Posters
You need to decide how long you want your printed posters to last. Do they need to be durable enough to last the distance? Or are they only required to be showcased for the next two weeks?
For long term projects, your paper needs to be acid free and thick (about 60 lbs. or above). Not determining the life cycle of your posters prior to printing can be a costly mistake that’s easily overlooked.
3. Personal Taste and Company Image
Determining your own personal tastes and the image of the company you are showcasing, can help in deciding what paper fits best for the project. High quality paper with a glossy or silk finish gives a very sophisticated and classy look.
But, some designs might favour a matte finish over a glossy one. Some poster papers have a warm tone (tending towards red) which makes them pleasing to the eye while others have a cool tone (tending towards blue). These choices will determine your final result to a large extent and should fit with the design of the poster.
4. Location
The location is important because for outdoor posters, material needs to be strong and durable while indoor posters can afford to sacrifice durability for looks. Again, thickness becomes an essential factor in this because you do not want the poster to crumple under its own weight.
High grade photo paper would do the trick for outdoor posters. For indoor posters, you can go for various materials depending on your target audience.
If they are purely internal but need to stay professional, for example boardrooms, go for photo grade medium thickness, glossy finish and an additional protective coating. If it is going to be in the usual staff rooms, standard printing paper made from cotton would be durable and not too costly either.
Defining the purpose of your project and putting together a brief before your start is the key factor in determining what paper type will work best. Protective coating is one of the better options with its waterproof varnish and will ensure your posters are immune to external factors, so keeping this in mind to incorporate into your budget is ideal.
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This article was written by Jayde Ferguson who writes for Snap, an Australian printing and marketing firm.
P.S. For your printing needs in the U.S., click here.
