Alongside websites and marketing, our team designs brochures, product datasheets, sales presentations, flyers and other print and digital documents. These projects are smaller than websites, but they follow the same pattern: the design work is quick, and the waiting is for content, images and decisions. We have delivered too few standalone design projects to publish statistics, so this guide is based on experience.
Brochures
What to prepare
- [ ] Purpose: sales handout, trade fair, mailing, leave-behind after meetings
- [ ] Audience: who reads it, and what should they do afterwards
- [ ] Format and page count: A4, A5, folded, number of pages
- [ ] Final texts per page, or key messages if we should write
- [ ] Images in high resolution (for print, much higher than for the web)
- [ ] Logo in vector format, brand colours (including print values), fonts
- [ ] Contact details, QR codes, legal information
- [ ] Print quantity and whether you have a printer, or need us to arrange it
What slows brochures down
- Texts that are much longer than the page allows
- Images only available in web resolution
- Several rounds of wording changes after layout
- Late decisions on format or page count, which change the whole layout
Product datasheets
Datasheets are structured documents: product image, key benefits, technical specifications, dimensions, certifications, ordering information.
What to prepare
- [ ] A template decision: one design used for all products
- [ ] Technical data in a spreadsheet, one row per product or variant
- [ ] Product images and technical drawings
- [ ] Certification logos with permission to use
- [ ] Languages needed
- [ ] Whether datasheets are for print, PDF download or both
The biggest time-saver is a template approved on one product first, then applied to the rest. Changing the template after twenty datasheets are finished means redoing all of them.
Sales presentations
What to prepare
- [ ] The story: problem, solution, proof, offer, next step
- [ ] Existing slides, even if outdated, as a content base
- [ ] Numbers and facts you can back up
- [ ] Customer logos and case studies you are allowed to show
- [ ] Brand assets
- [ ] The software your team uses (PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides)
We build presentations as editable templates, so your team can adapt them for each meeting without breaking the design.
Print specifications
For printed items, clarify early:
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Format and bleed | The printer needs extra margin around the design |
| Colour mode | Print uses CMYK; screen colours must be converted |
| Paper and finish | Affects how colours and images look |
| Resolution | Print images need far higher resolution than web images |
| Fonts | Must be embedded or outlined in the final file |
| Quantity and deadline | Affects printing method and schedule |
If you have a preferred printer, ask them for their file requirements before design starts.
Common mistakes we see
- Too much text. A brochure is not a website. If every page is full of text, nobody reads it. We usually suggest cutting copy so each page carries one main message.
- No clear next step. Every brochure and presentation should end with what the reader should do: call, visit a page, scan a code, book a meeting.
- Outdated information. Printed items live for months or years. Avoid details that change often, such as prices or staff names, or plan for a digital version that can be updated.
- Inconsistent product naming. Datasheets expose inconsistencies between product names on the website, in the shop and in the catalogue. Fix the naming once, everywhere.
Brand consistency
Print materials should match the website and social media. If brand colours, fonts and logo usage are defined, share them. If not, the design project is a good moment to define them – the same brand sheet then serves all channels.
Feedback that keeps design projects short
- Review the whole document in one go, not page by page on different days
- Collect comments from colleagues into one list
- Mark text changes clearly in a PDF or document
- Approve the layout before fine-tuning wording
- Check printed proofs for important print runs
Reuse and digital versions
A brochure or datasheet designed well can be reused: as a PDF download on the website, as a lead magnet behind a form, as content for social posts and as a sales attachment. We prepare web-optimised versions alongside print files.
AI-generated imagery in print
If you plan to use AI images in printed materials, the same rules apply as on the web: no AI images of your actual products or with your logo, and a consistent style. Print also reveals artefacts more clearly than screens.
How long design projects take
The design work itself is typically short. The timeline depends on how complete the content is at the start and how many feedback rounds follow. A brochure with final texts and images can be designed in days; one where texts are written during layout takes much longer.
FAQ
Can you write the texts for our brochure?
Yes. Give us key messages and facts, and we draft copy for your review.
Do you handle printing?
We prepare print-ready files to your printer's specifications and can coordinate printing if needed.
Can we edit the presentation ourselves later?
Yes. We deliver editable templates in the software your team uses.
Which logo files do you need?
A vector file (SVG, AI or EPS) plus versions for light and dark backgrounds. A JPG from an email signature is rarely enough for sharp results.
Why do screen and print colours look different?
Screens use RGB and print uses CMYK. A brand should have defined values for both, otherwise colours drift between the website and printed material.
Planning a design project?
If you want a realistic plan for your own project, book a short call with our team and we will walk you through the phases, what we need from you and where projects like yours usually lose time. You can also browse finished work in our design portfolio.
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