Bigger and Badder Than I Look
Today’s small business owners are in a unique position. People seek out the niche companies. Just ask Seth Godin, the marketing genius. The key element is to make your company appear larger than it actually is. By being small and looking big, you will come off as specialty, expert, and a solid choice. If there are two niche businesses to choose from, they’ll select the one that appears bigger and more established; every time. Why? It makes them feel good, it qualifies their choice, and it made the choice easier for them. They like that. Do your best to create an identity, not simply a logo. Create an experience, not simply a website.
Depending how difficult it is to convert customers in your market, blank folders may not impact your prospects to the level required. If the competition is fierce, even standard pocket folders may not even be enough. For those times, we offer some advanced suggestions on how to make your folders appear more expensive and sophisticated than they actually are. You get the benefit of looking like a major corporation on a mom-and-pop shop budget with the following design tips.
Get the look of two ink colors for the price of one by using a screen of one ink color. Spot ink colors are printed as solid colors. However, when you use a percent of that ink (a screen) color for a portion of your image, you get what appears to be a second ink color all in one pass on press.
Get the look of a more expensive folder design by using 4 color process and “screen combinations” in your folder. Four color process uses black, red, blue, and yellow ink colors in varying screen patterns to create full color photos and images. You can also combine these 4 process colors to achieve the look of your corporate or PMS colors by using screen combinations – saving the costs of additional ink colors being used on your folder.
A simple yet effective technique to use in designing your custom folder is to print (flood) the folder with one ink color except for the areas where you want your logo or copy. This is called reversing the logo or type and creates a striking folder.
Patriotism sells! Use the American flag and/or the bald eagle on your pocket folders and you will find customers passionately support your business.
Use two complementary colors to create a unique and exciting presentation folder. Here’s one technique to consider:
- Flood the outside of the folder with a screen using the ink color of your choice while printing the copy in a solid of that same ink color. Be sure to print the pockets using the color designated for the inside of the folder.
- Then flood the inside of the folder with a complementary ink color.
- You will end up with a folder that stands head and shoulders above the crowd.
A great way to use your logo in a subtle manner is to varnish your logo on a black folder in a repeating pattern. Here’s how to do it:
- Flood the folder with black ink on the outside and pockets. Either reverse your logo and copy out of the black ink or choose another ink color to print your logo in.
- Add your logo in a repeating pattern to the folder in a gloss varnish and print the rest of the folder in a dull varnish. This creates a tone on tone effect and makes the folder both subtle and dynamic at the same time.
Embossing and debossing are a great way to add tactile appeal to your presentation folder. Embossing is the process of raising the paper by applying pressure and heat to raise the image. Debossing simply creates a depression in the paper to create a lowered image. Both processes result in a very elegant folder and work especially well on dark textured stocks such as linen.
If you have some wild ideas about how you would like your folders to look, let The Folder Store help you find a way to achieve your desired style.
Image Credit: law_keven
