While rich, vibrant color adds life to your business documents, printing full color graphics is considerably more expensive than a one- or two-color project. To get the most for your advertising dollar, it is important to know when it is and isn't cost effective to choose full color. Items that sell themselves primarily on appearance may be worth the added expense of full color printing. These are often impulse purchase items whose sales may depend on the use of color and attention-grabbing graphics.

Printing in full color on offset presses becomes cost-effective in quantities above 1000. Most of the cost is in the set-up. For quantities below 1000, color laser printing or "Indigo" digital color printing might be more economical. These digital processes are priced per page, so inquire about possible price breaks at certain quantities.

If a portrait is the main graphic element in your piece, full color may work best. A warm, personable feeling comes from the natural flesh tones of a full color portrait. Photos can also be created as duotones using two ink colors. Duotones give your documents color with plenty of highlights and shadows. Different color combinations evoke different moods as illustrated in these duotones created with black plus a second ink color:

Photos courtesy of David Mutch Ph.D. and Visionary Voyager Corporation http://www.visionary-voyager.com

One-color printing does not limit you to black ink on white paper of course. Different screen tints of any color from 10% to solid can create the impression of additional colors. Screens can be applied to text or graphics or serve as background. And using reversed type and graphics, your paper color can serve as an added color in the mix.

When printing with one or two inks, you are not limited to the four process colors (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) that commonly combine for full color printing. There are thousands of standardized spot colors to choose from in the Pantone palette. When using ink colors other than black, printing all your stationery items at the same time can save you extra press "wash-up" charges and assure consistent color.

II. Proofreading: Tools of the Trade

A business often makes its first impression on its public in the form of the written word. Typos can cost you credibility. To minimize mistakes, proofread everything. Ideally, have someone other than the writer proofread. If you can't delegate it, leave it alone for a day before proofing. Check for typos, incorrect word breaks, format consistency (type size, margins, alignment, spacing), subject/verb agreement, repetition, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, type size and general appearance. When you allow time for proofreading, you can avoid costly revisions and leave your potential clients with a positive first impression.

Combining type can be tricky. It's best to limit a design to three typefaces: one for headings, one for body copy and one accent type. The typographic wheel helps ensure compatible pairings. It is generally safest to combine typefaces across the wheel from each other rather than selecting close relatives.

From Designers in Handcuffs, Pat Matson Knapp, HOW Design Books www.howdesign.com

Many of the design topics covered in this publication are in response to questions clients and colleagues have asked. If you have your own questions about type, page layout, graphic file formats, color, branding your business, marketing with print media, or related issues, please email linda@kauaidesign.com and I will do my best to answer them. Answers to inquiries of general interest may appear in a future edition of The Graphics Grapevine.