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You're so excited. You've just spent wads of money to own your own Desk Top Publishing system. Now you can produce your own newsletter, brochure, letterhead, business cards---in fact anything a typesetter can do, you can now do. You'll have great looking pieces at a fraction of the cost.
Not necessarily.
Although we, too, have jumped on the Desk Top Publishing bandwagon and purchased our own equipment and software, this does not necessarily result in printed masterpieces.
For one thing, it takes many hours to learn the intricacies of a software program to produce professional, error-free masters. Is this really the best use of your time? Or would it be better spent working on what you do best--improving your professional skills. It doesn't take long to get the basics of a program, but it's the nuances that keep you tweaking and modifying those masters 'till the wee hours of the morning.
Anther factor has struck me clearly upon seeing the plethora of Desk Top Published materials circulating nowadays, is that you can usually tell they were Desk Top Published.
The one important component of being left out when producing materials is the graphic artist. People are spending many hours producing master copies, and much money on professional printing, only to produce homemade looking materials. Admittedly, they are better looking home materials, but homemade looking just the same.
When you're producing important pieces (e.g., brochures, letterhead, business cards), hire a graphic artist to help design the look that reflects the image you want.
For example, type styles speak volumes. A well-trained graphic artist can advise you as to which style fits your needs. She or he can also suggest layouts, colors, paper weights and designs, things you may have no idea about. Each of these elements communicates a different message, and whether chosen wisely or poorly, speaks volumes to the receiver before they've read a word. The question is, does it say what you want it to? Does it make you look good?
Tell the graphic artist you'd like to hire him or her as a consultant for a few hours to help determine the look you want. Then, if you decide to create the piece on your Desk Top Publishing system, you'll be maximizing the effect of your materials.
But if you're a novice at Desk Top Publishing, hire the graphic artist to complete that important project, as she or he will know about the intricacies of printing materials, and you'll have a truly professional piece, rather than one that looks homemade.
© 1993 Morgan Seminar Group
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Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, is a dynamic speaker and seminarist. She is the author of four books, TurboTime: Maximizing Your Results Through Technology, Calming Upset Customers, Life's Lessons: Insights and Information for a Richer Life, and Professional Selling. For information on her speaking services, books, and tapes contact her at 1440 Newport Ave., San Jose, CA 95125, 408/998-7977, 800/247-9662, fax: 408/998-1742, rebecca@RebeccaMorgan.com, www.RebeccaMorgan.com. Please contact Rebecca for permission to reprint or repost this item.
Personal Productivity/Time Management | TurboTime | Customer Service | Professional Selling | Management/Communication | Training | Motivational
