UCL COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
COMMUNICATIONS TOOLKIT: DESIGNING AND PRODUCING PRINT MATERIALS
Preparing materials for print can be a really daunting experience, especially if there are hundreds of
copies being made- these guidelines aim to simplify the process.
STEP 1- PLANNING
Lots of people decide ‘we need a four page A4 brochure’. Step back and ask- do you? What are you
communicating and to whom- what is the best way of communicating your message? The last thing to decide is
how many pages and what size it should be- form follows function!
It’s essential to start with a clear brief.
Ask:
 Who is it for
 Why do we need it
 Where will it be distributed
 What will be in it
 How much can we spend
If there’s more than one person involved, the whole process is much easier to get agreement on content and
look before you start. Think about the type of paper you’d like- thick, thin, glossy, uncoated? Printers can make
suggestions and send you samples.
Pagination and layout
Once you have decided on what content you want in your document, it’s a good idea to create a pagination
guide- this will help you decide what goes on what page and where. Don’t forget to add four sides for covers
(four sides - outside front, Inside front, inside back, outside back).
Now you’ve got the brief and pagination guide- work out your schedule.
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What’s the budget
What’s the format (eg A5 portrait)
What’s the quantity
What’s the page count (extent)
What’s the deadline- take off one week to allow for printing
Now ask printers for estimates (check UCL procurement services for a list of approved suppliers)
Jargon busting
Digital vs Litho
 Digital printing is good for small print runs (less than 1,000 copies) and quick turn around
 Litho is better quality, takes longer and can be more expensive for small print runs.
Colours: Eg: 2 colour, 4 colour
 For print, make sure your colours and pictures are in CMYK mode.
 Litho printing can be cheaper if you only use two colours- full colour is most common.
Binding/folding commonly used terms:
Saddlestitch- stapled, perfect bound- with a spine, roll fold- folded in on itself, z-fold- also called ‘accordion fold’,
perforated – if you need a ‘rippable’ pull-off section.
STEP 2 – PREPARATION
Now gather and/or create your text and images’
Copy
Think about what you are producing and make your copy appropriate – eg. if it’s a leaflet, use short paragraphs
to break text into small sections.
Photos/graphics
CMYK or grayscale for print, rgb for web
Highest quality possible to avoid pixelation - minimum 300 dpi resolution.
STEP 3- DESIGN
Think about:
Headlines, sub-headlines
Columns
Font
Images
Colours
Furniture (text in boxes, lines, pull quotes) to add interest
Remember ‘empty’ space is important
UCL logo and corporate guidelines
UCL logo must be at the top of every front page (unless joint branding)
If it’s on an image, it must be black
The UCL colour palette can be found in the guidelines- use tints of colours too
Fonts- must be Arial or Garamond. Arial is modern, clean. Garamond more traditional and elegant.
www.ucl.ac.uk/corporate-identity
Top Tips
Be careful of contrast - make sure you can read the text easily eg blue on blue is hard for older eyes to read
Use guides to make sure everything is aligned
Don’t use too many colours on the same document
Think about your audience when you are picking your colours, fonts and images
Look around for inspiration
STEP 4: PRINTING
Before you send to the printer, print off a copy and check it thoroughly- it’s easy to miss things on
screen- show a few other people as they may spot things you miss.
Create a print-ready pdf
Email to printer
They will return a printed or digital proof
Check alignment, colours, spelling! – Get other people to look at it.
Sign off
Wait!
RESOURCES
UCL Corporate identity:
www.ucl.ac.uk/corporate-identity
Photography, printing and design services, as well as UCL image library ‘Imagestore’
www.ucl.ac.uk/mediares
UCL-approved printers:
www.procurement.ucl.ac.uk/
Paper sizes and weights
http://www.papersizes.org/
Printing terminology glossary:
http://www.myprintguide.org/