Published: March 30, 2014
by Erin Nolan
Clean copy and high-quality images are both essential to getting your message across. When you follow proper planning steps, getting clean copy together can be quite painless.
Remember to:
- Include all copy. Make sure to include all of the information that needs to go into your design.
- Give your designer a Word file with all necessary information, that way she can copy and paste it directly from your document into the design. This reduces the chance of error and saves time.
- Proof, edit, and approve all copy prior to giving it to your designer. Only the final copy should be handed over.
Look for top-quality images to include in your design. Keep in mind that a reputable designer will not use an image found on the internet that belongs to someone else. OC Creative respects copyrights; we will not use images without the proper permissions. Besides that, the resolution of an image captured off the internet is at only 72 dpi, while print quality is at 300 dpi or higher, meaning an image taken from a Google image search that looks fine online will result in a low-quality print image.
Care needs to be taken when choosing images:
- Vector images are preferable for logo designs. These can be scaled without losing image clarity, which makes them perfect for projects like logos. Vector files will end in .ai, .eps, or .pdf.
- Stock photo websites provide high quality images. Websites like www.istockphoto.com can be used to search for images to purchase and include. If you go to a stock photo website yourself and choose some potential photos, it saves the designer time and will save you money.
- If you do choose your own image or photo, be aware that the designer will need to approve it for usability.
Both clean copy and high-quality images are crucial to a great design, so remember these tips and choose wisely!