Okay, so we are not all physicists and, on occasion, people get the terms translucent and opaque reversed. However, as you will see, this could cause real problems when using Machineable Presorted Addressed Admail, so we want to take a few minutes to clarify these important concepts.

If something is opaque light cannot pass through it and, therefore, you cannot see through it. If something is translucent, then light can pass through it and you can see through it. The extent to which light is blocked is referred to as opacity. If opacity is very low, one can see through something more readily. If opacity is high it is more difficult to see through it.

As direct marketers, opacity may not seem like all that important of a concept right now, but with Canada Post’s push towards more machineable mail products, it’s a concept that is going to become increasingly important for all of us.

Why? Well, when it comes to envelope construction for machineable products, Canada Post cites a required opacity of 80% or greater. Any machineable mailing that fails to meet these requirements can be subject to rejection. Since rejections cost you money and can erode the savings of using Machineable Presort, it only stands to reason that the concept of opacity will bear an increased importance as we move forward.

Interestingly though, it’s not just the weight of the stock that affects the opacity. Some envelope manufacturers use tinting on the inside of the envelope to increase opacity. While this is a clever trick, it also means that there is no simple correlation between paper weight and opacity levels. Additionally, we found it difficult to track down any charts that specify opacity percentages for different envelopes, either generally or for particular envelope manufacturers. As such, that good old ingredient “common sense” should also be considered as we look at opacity requirements.

In another upcoming blog post we will be looking into the “quiet zones” on machineable envelopes. Basically, these are reserved areas in which you cannot print. It goes a bit further than just what’s printed on the envelope though. Even though your design might comply with all of the quiet zones, if images from the contents are visible or partially visible through the envelopes and appear within particular quiet zones, the mailing pieces might be rejected. Again, because rejections can be pricey, the degree to which text and/or graphics show through the envelope must be considered when using this product.

Also, be aware that the envelope that works for one mailing may not work for another! Why? Well, imagine if you were to mail just a single letter inside a plain #10 envelope, where there was virtually no content bleed through the envelope. You might even send this to Canada Post for pre-testing and have a 100% acceptance rate.

This might lead us to believe that the envelope that was used would always be 100% compliant. However, what if another used the same envelope, but had a very dark graphic on one of the inserts? That’s a much more saturated area than plain letter text, and as such might bled through the envelope, even though the of the original letter did not. If this happens, there is a very good chance that the pieces might now be rejected, despite the fact that it is the same envelope.

In view of the foregoing, unless you are using envelopes that are entirely opaque, it is difficult to say that a given envelope will always be your best bet. I think that you have to look at each piece and work with Canada Post and your mail service provider to ensure that your combination of envelopes and contents meet the stated requirements.

I hope that the importance of opacity is now “clear”. All kidding aside, this is a very important factor to consider when using Machineable Presort. As we noted earlier, your layout and design might be 100% compliant, but the image of contents bleeding through the envelope could well cause your pieces to be rejected.

If you have any questions about the new Machineable Presorted Addressed Admail product, please feel free to contact us. We would be happy to discuss this exciting product with you.

Basically, typography is the art of type (text). Or, depending on your point of view, it could also be called the science of type. Perhaps it’s both.

Regardless, typography is one of the most fundamental elements of design (modern or otherwise). Unfortunately, it is also one of the most overlooked elements too – especially among amateur and DIY designers, who typically focus their efforts on graphics and, to a lesser degree, layout (though good layout is actually very much wrapped up with good typography).

That being said, this article is prepared as a sort of primer on the very basic things you can potentially do to improve typography and avoid some basic blunders that could have a detrimental effect on your mailers.

A Quick Word on Fonts

Before getting into a discussion about better typography, though, I want to take a few moments to talk about fonts. To be really technical, you never chose a font to use in a design. You chose a typeface.

Back in the days when type was actually set with individual metal (or sometimes wooden) characters called sorts, a font actually referred to a very specific set of characters. So a set of 9-point Garamond would be one font, while another complete set of 12-point Garamond would be another font. Likewise, an italic set would be a different font from a roman (normal) set.

In today’s computer age, however, the term “font” has taken on a somewhat different meaning. In our contemporary context, a font has come to represent a computer file containing information for each of the characters in a particular set. Because this information is generally vector based, today’s fonts are entirely size-independent and can be scaled up or scaled down at will.

A typeface, on the other hand, essentially represents an entire family of glyphs and characters. Thus, if you look at all the different Arial fonts that you likely have on your computer, they would all be variations of the same basic typeface. Generally speaking, a typeface is united by common shapes, proportions and other key features that remain recognizable through all of its variations.

In many ways, this point comes down to little more than semantics these days, since the terms “font” and “typeface” are being used with an ever increasing interchangeably. However, the distinction does have a certain important bearing on our next point.

Mix With Caution and Restraint

One of the hallmarks of poor typography might very well be getting a little typeface happy and using a wide range of different types across a single piece. This is something that should really be avoided since, in the vast majority of cases, it tends to result in a layout that is more confusing than genuinely interesting.

There are, admittedly, some truly exceptional designs that make use of several different typefaces, but these are few and far between and generally require a very deliberate and intentional thought process that only really works in certain circumstances. As such, it’s probably best to just avoid it.

Instead, I would recommend restricting yourself to no more than two or three different typefaces at the most. You can use one for your body text, one for your headings and, if necessary, possibly one other for subheadings or callouts. I think that 99% of the time you won’t need any more than that.

Also, please notice that I am talking about typefaces here, not fonts. This is where the difference between these two concepts becomes important. Generally speaking, bolding a section of text means drawing from a different font file. However, since you are actually staying within the same typeface, this would not count against the recommended 2-3 typeface restriction. Nor would the use of italics, condensed or black variations, all of which can be used to add weight and emphasis to body copy.

Contrast in Shape

If you do elect to use multiple typefaces in a design, one thing that I would strongly suggest would be to use typefaces with a strong contrast between their unique appearances. For instance, you would not want to use Georgia for the title and Garamond for the body.

While this doesn’t look all that bad, these two fonts are similar enough to make them almost indistinguishable from each other, unless you are really looking for the differences. If this is the case, then what’s the point of varying the typeface at all? Moreover, for the few who may actually notice the difference, the similarities could almost make the choice seem more accidental than anything else.

Instead, try using typefaces that really contrast against each other. For example, on one recent mailer that I worked on, I used Garamond for my titles and Arial for my body copy.

Because one is a serif typeface and the other is a sans-serif, there is a clear visual distinction between them. This makes the difference seem much more natural and intentional.

On Serifs

Speaking of serifs, there is a generally held belief that using serif fonts for longer passages of text actually helps increase legibility and readability – at least for printed material. However, I have also read some articles that suggest that it doesn’t make a difference at all, and that both serif and sans serif fonts can be equally readable.

I’m certainly not going to tell you that you have to choose one or the other, but I will say that this general assumption has become something of an accepted convention for larger blocks of printed text. So, if your direct marketing piece has extended blocks of copy, you may want to at least consider using a serif font.

On the other hand, there is also a school of thought that suggests that using sans serif fonts presents a more contemporary and professional image. This way of thinking likely stems from two different sources. First, while sans serif type is certainly not a modern invention, serif typefaces certainly have a much more classical feel. So, through a simple matter of contrast, the sans serif variety seems to have a more contemporary and modern feel to it.

This is further compounded by the fact that, due to issues of screen resolution, sans serif typefaces tend to be the font of choice for web design. This association with the internet also tends to emphasize the modern quality of the sans serif font.

Ultimately, the choice of whether to use a serif or a sans serif font is left up to you, but hopefully you now have a bit more knowledge to help you make an informed decision.

Centring

Over the years, I have seen a strong tendency towards over-centring text in layouts. Many people seem to believe that it provides a quick way to add visual interest. I would recommend, however, that while centring can be an effective technique, it should be applied with a great deal of caution and restraint.

By and large, centring should be reserved for elements like:

• Titles
• Short captions
• Callouts
• Slogans

As a general rule of thumb, avoid centring body copy, or any other block of text more than a few lines long. The problem with this is that the ragged left margin of centred text tends to disrupt the natural pattern of reading from left to right. Over the span of a few lines, this isn’t such a big deal. Over larger blocks of text, however, it can become very difficult to read.

The over use of centring can also make a piece look really jagged and unordered, especially if there is a large variation in line lengths. Most of the time, simple left alignment will work just fine, so unless you have a specific reason for changing the alignment, I recommend keeping it aligned to the left.

Conclusion

Obviously, there is a whole lot more that we could say about typography, but we’ll wrap it up here. Hopefully some of these concepts and ideas will prove useful to you the next time you begin developing a direct marketing piece. In the meantime, if you are looking for information about typography in general, please check out some of these awesome resources:

• Typography – Wikipedia – Read all about the history and concepts behind typography.
• A 20 Minute Intro to Typography Basics – a great article that covers more technical typographical concepts.
• Improving typography through space – a really interesting article that discusses the importance of using proper space in typography
• I Love Typography – A blog dedicated entirely to the art of typography
• Typography Served – a gallery of awesome typography-based designs

But is that really where branding ends when it comes to direct mail? Maybe. Then, again, maybe not!

In a recent article on the Canadian Marketing Association blog, entitled “Direct Mail: Content vs. Design”, author Eli Nicholson writes:

People are much more likely to take interest in a mailing piece that they recognize. If they received a white piece of paper in the mail that read, “McDonalds, two can dine”, they would think of the offer as a prank. This is where design is vital in a campaign.

Direct Mail: Content vs. Design

It’s an interesting thought, isn’t it? I have to say that I would probably agree with the assertion, too. I mean I’ve been receiving McDonald’s coupons in the mail on a periodic basis for years now. Even before I moved out my parent’s house and had to start contending with my own mailbox, I would see these pieces and grew to recognize them.

As far as I can remember, they have always been the same (or at least very similar) – featuring a multi-fold layout, bright red and yellow colouring, pictures of burgers that look so much better than anything you would ever actually get from the restaurant itself, and perforated coupons offering some sort of deal. That’s it. That’s what McDonald’s direct mail is supposed to look like. Anything else would just seem strange and out of place, and wouldn’t fit with the overall brand.

Nicholson’s white piece of paper reading “McDonalds, two can dine” would be so incredibly jarring that I don’t even know how I would respond.

From this point, the next logical question to ask would surely be: how does the shape, structure and appearance of your direct mail relate to your brand? Additional questions may also follow. If you’ve been mailing for years, have you developed a particular style or format? What are the key elements? How would changing any of those elements effect the way that your customers and/or potential clients view and/or respond to your brand?

On the other hand, if you’ve had very little direct mail experience but are looking to get into this form of advertising (and, of course, we really think you should), then the questions can be entirely different. What kind of format would best suit your brand? Can you develop a unique mailer (with specific branding guidelines), which will remain viable and recognizable for years to come?

Either way, it’s probably a good thing to know and understand how the (repeated) shape and design of your mailers impacts your brand. Effective testing is probably the best way to figure this out. What qualifies as “effective” and how you want to go about doing that testing is up to you, but some of the areas that you will want to consider might include:

• shape
• colour
• folds
• perforations
• packaging (envelope, poly, self-mailer)
• dimensions
• paper stock

I’m sure you can come up with a few more too. Do all of these elements need to be consistent across all of your direct mailers? Certainly not! That would probably get more than just a little restrictive. Selecting just 2 or 3 and using them to set standards for all your direct marketing pieces can help to establish a sense of uniformity across your direct marketing efforts.

There can also be a developmental benefit too. A couple months ago, I wrote about the boundaries of creativity, and suggested limits and constrains can actually be beneficial for designers (within reason). This is because it allows for greater focus, and the same basic concept can ring true here. Establishing a few basic rules of your direct marketing pieces can provide a framework for creative development, and having this kind of starting point can be much less daunting than approaching a completely blank end empty canvas.

In closing, I feel the need to underscore that nothing we’ve considered in this article is absolute, or carved into some tablet somewhere, as one of the commandments of direct marketing. These are merely some thoughts and ideas that emerged through my reading of Nicholson’s own article. Still, I hope that you can find them interesting or useful – or maybe even both!

Many of our readers have seen our oval and round die cut postcards and some will remember the muffler, dog house (no, not Tiger’s), rooster and monitor shapes that we presented at our recent seminar, compliments of Canada Post. We have made the case that tastefully designed mailing pieces featuring different shapes will stand out and be noticed in a sea of otherwise look-a-like mailers and we are delighted to see more customers giving this a try.

Next week, we will be mailing out two exciting new postcard shapes for a new agency/client. These were designed by the agency, but Highland Marketing assisted by ensuring that the cards met the maximum size requirements, while achieving the best postage rates. We were also asked to obtain final approvals on the die cuts themselves from Canada Post, which we were pleased to do.

We are also working with a charitable organization that has come up with a very unique shape that suits the nature of their fundraising activities. Needless to say, we hope that this goes ahead as it would showcase both the cool card design as well as some innovative ideas that they are implementing to minimize the use of traditional donor pledge cards and business reply mail.

You might be wondering how expensive special die cuts are. Well, first you need a die, which your printer can arrange. A basic die is generally around $400 to $500. Of course, the die is usually a one-time investment that can be used for future print jobs as well. Apart from the cost of the die, you also have to add the price of the die cutting after the pieces have been printed, which usually increases prices from 10% to 25%, based on volume, when comparing a rectangular piece to a die cut piece. However, as prices can vary considerably from printer to printer, it really does pay to shop around when considering special die cuts.

I would also like to note that in Canada, there are no additional postage charges when using special die cuts for Unaddressed Admail or pre-sorted Addressed Admail. Nor should there be any additional mail preparation charges. This being said, the incremental costs are for the die and die cutting.

At the time of writing, we are hoping to coordinate a large mailing through one of our clients that will enable us to compare results for rectangular and special die cut mailers that convey the same message and offer. I realize that hard numbers are important for marketers and we will post this information once it becomes available. In the interim, common sense tells us that things that are tastefully different will stand out from the crowd and special die cut mailers will be effective, as long as the products or services are appealing and there is a reasonable offer.

As always if there are any questions regarding this post, or Canadian direct mail in general, please do not hesitate to give us a call.

To be quite honest, this is something that we hear this from time to time, and sometimes it can be a tough mindset to overcome.

Readers directly involved in marketing will recognize that oh-so-problematic word “once” and begin formulating their counter argument that most advertising requires some repetition. Unless you’re giving away money, a single mailing piece or advertisement of any type usually does little to attract new customers. It takes time and repeated exposure for an advertising campaign to become truly effective.

Of course, it’s important to note that the quality of the piece itself plays a large role, regardless of the number of repetitions. Effectiveness can also vary depending on whether the advertisement is for an existing company introducing a new product or for a new company introducing its products or services. If brand recognition is already present through a known company, it is much easier.

So, how many times do you have to mail to be effective? Well, if you were opening a new store or office, unless your initial offer was spectacular (perhaps filled with loss leaders), I would think that you would need at least one initial mailing, combined with 1 to 2 follow-up mailings. I recall attending a seminar a few years back on newspaper advertising and they maintained that it could take 7 – 8 placements to start receiving calls. Given that the seminar was run by a local newspaper and that direct mail stands on its own (and is not buried somewhere on page 11), I honestly believe that you can get away with far fewer repetitions, as noted above.

Like the title suggests, I don’t think that you should shoot the designer or the postal service if a single mailing does not bring the results that you are looking for. However, design and creative do play a large role in the overall success. Who isn’t grabbed immediately by the Knorr Sidekicks commercial featuring sad little “Salty”, walking away from home as streams of salt tears pour out of his eyes?

Pure genius! I realize that this is a television commercial, but the image of Salty in the corner of a direct mail piece would have been very powerful as well.

So, there is no doubt that good creative is extremely important, but if you are introducing a new business venture or trying to make more people aware of an existing business, you are likely going to need a few mailings to be successful. Otherwise, you might as well keep your money in your pocket.

In closing, we would like to reiterate that you shouldn’t shoot your creative team if your direct mail doesn’t work with one drop. We can confidently say that direct mail does work, as is evidenced by the many repeat clients that we have (an interesting word, “repeat”). Lastly, we use direct mail ourselves to not only attract new business, but to showcase different types of mailers. This results a win-win situation that works well for us and our clients.

As always, if there are any questions regarding this post, please do no hesitate to give us a call!

Imagine receiving a high-gloss, expensive-looking brochure from a grass-roots, charitable organization soliciting a donation. Your first reaction might be, “If they can afford to print this quality of stuff, maybe they don’t need my money”.

On the other side of the coin, imagine someone trying to sell you an expensive beach-front condo with a single-sided, one-page flyer on 20 lb copy paper. This probably does not convey the right image either.

Whether we are talking of ourselves as businesses or individuals, there can be a big difference between how we see ourselves and how others see us. The truth is, some people don’t see us the way we would like them to. Fortunately, good marketing can stem that tide and reverse opinions over time.

I don’t think that we can go too far wrong by simply trying to promote our organizations in the light that we would like others to see them. If we want prestige, we can build prestige. If practical suits us best, then we can keep the steak (the content) and cut back on the sizzle (all the snazzy “extras”). If we are fundraisers, we want to show prudence and demonstrate the value of donating to our cause. Most of it is common sense, but sometimes things can get out of focus and we can all make mistakes.

I recall when the economy started to soften, we turned to some laser-printed self-mailers, on pastel stocks. For a business that prepares regulatory and proxy mailings and employs strict procedures for the fulfillment of OTC samples, it just did not fit our image – and a few people were quick to tell us this. Lesson learned! We stood back and looked at our collective mix of clients and realized that, although they were quite diverse in nature, it didn’t matter if we were promoting turnkey postcard solutions or innovative packaging ideas for product samples, they had come to expect a certain level of “image” in all of our marketing materials.

If you are selling a prestige product, then you will likely want the gloss, the steak and the sizzle. If practical is what you are selling, then prudent (but not cheap) is your best bet. Of course, frugality can often enter the picture. For example, in Canada, many newsletters are mailed as self-mailers. Therefore, if you are a charitable organization and you are mailing your newsletters in envelopes, some might question why you are spending money on purchasing and printing envelopes and paying to have them stuffed and sealed.

Sometimes the packaging suits the image of the company, but not what is actually being mailed. Take for example, a small, single sample that is floating loose in a box measuring 6” X 9” X .75” thick or an item that is packed into an attractive package so tightly that the package itself is actually bulging. In this case, you could have appealing samples with nice packaging, but the image portrayed can undermine the effectiveness of each.

All things considered, again, I think that plain common sense is the best bet. If you are looking to build a prestige package and budget is an issue, wouldn’t it be better to send out 2,000 high-quality items rather than 10,000 that you had to scrimp on and do not fit the image that you envision for your organization? Just think, if the 2,000 items work well, then maybe you can do another 2,000 or perhaps the balance of 8,000 if you are getting excellent returns.

The now departed, and greatly renowned lawyer Johnnie Cochran coined the famous phrase “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” Sometimes, when it comes to marketing and conveying the right image we might say “if it doesn’t fit, perhaps we should quit.”

As always, if there are any questions on this or any other direct marketing topics, please do not hesitate to give us a call here at Highland Marketing.

Obviously, as a professional designer, I would probably first recommend taking your concept to a professional designer who is knowledgeable in this area. By the same token, however, I am also somewhat of a realist and I understand that for a lot of people, a professional designer is simply a luxury that they cannot afford. In that case, or for those people who just love to do it themselves, here is a list of tips that should help you out.

DPI

Here’s a simple truth: screen resolution and print resolution are two very different things. Most graphics for your computer or the web are designed at 72 dpi. Essentially, that translates into 72 pixels per theoretical inch on your screen, though we cannot look at these measurements as absolute. Your monitor will be set to a specific resolution, which does not necessarily directly correspond to the actual physical dimensions of your screen.

In other words, when it comes to measuring, trust the rulers that are built in to most design applications. Don’t put your own ruler up against the screen. Aside from the possibility of scratching, you probably won’t get an accurate measurement.

I digress.

When it comes to print, though, you are generally going to want a document of at least 300 dpi. This will allow for nice, crisp images right off the press. Also, if you’re worried about cost – don’t be. I have yet to meet a printer who charges more for higher resolution images.

So be sure to design your pieces at at least 300 dpi. They will look better because of it.

Pantone Vs. Process

In my experience, there are two very different ways of handling colour in the print industry. First, there is simple flat colour printing, using any one of a wide variety of Pantone or spot colours. The inks used in this process come in very specific, pre-formulated colours. This makes Pantone-based printing ideal for projects that require a very specific colour, such as the green in a logo or something to that effect.

Process, on the other hand uses a combination of four colours – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (ie CMYK) in order to create the illusion of a full spectrum of colour. This method is used for pieces that have a broader range of colour requirements, such as photographs.

That difference can be simple enough.

A problem creeps up, however, when these two types of colour start to get mixed. Layout applications like Adobe’s InDesign can accommodate for colours in CMYK and from the Pantone library. They can also do this simultaneously, meaning that you can have both CMYK and Pantone colours defined in the same document.

This can cause some serious issues to arise when the file goes print with Pantone colours and CMYK colour, than the printer may have to approximate the Pantone colours. I’ve seen this happen before, and also seen the CMYK mixes come back looking quite different than the Pantone colour they were intended to imitate.

In my experience, this often happens when importing or placing a logo that was designed with Pantone colours into a document. With InDesign (the layout application that I use), this will automatically import the particular Pantone colours into my swatches collection. This is a really quick and simple way to test to see if you’ve unwittingly placed some Pantone colours into your document.

Of course, having Pantone colours is not necessarily a bad thing. Some presses will actually accommodate for more than your standard four colours, allowing you to add spot pantone colours (usually up to 2) throughout the design. They key is simply to make sure you know what colours are included in your document, so as to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Colour Space

I’m not going to get into a lengthy discussion about the differences between RGB and CMYK colour spaces. You can read about that in the article Getting to Know RGB and CMYK over in the Highland Marketing Knowledge Base. As mentioned in the previous point, however, when you’re working with full colour print, your images should be in CMYK mode. This will just help to ensure more accurate and predictable colours.

In many cases, RGB colours can actually be rendered into CMYK at the printer’s shop, but this is not always the case. I clearly remember learning this lesson on one of my first full colour designs. I had done a great deal of web work previous to that project, and was very comfortable working with RGB. So I did all my layout work in RGB and left all my stock images in that mode, too.

When the proofs came back, probably about 90% of the colours looked fine. There were, however, a few areas where colours looked flat or muted or just plain wrong. I quickly learned that I had a colour space problem, and went back and changed all my colours to CMYK.

On the next proof, all of the colours looked perfect. So, when designing, be sure to keep your full colour designs in CMYK mode!

Bleeds & Crop Marks

If you are designing your piece with the intention of having your artwork run right to the edge of the page, then don’t forget that you are going to need to provide bleeds (where artwork actually extends outside of the dimensions of the finished piece) and crop marks, so that your printer can cut the piece down to its proper size after it comes off the press.

This is a pretty simple and fundamental concept when it comes to designing for print, but it’s amazing how many times issues arise in this area. There have been numerous times when I have seen “print ready” artwork come in without bleeds or crop marks. Usually, it’s just a matter of an option having not been checked or turned on during the creation of the PDF, and can be remedied easily enough.

However, in those painful instances where it is more than just a simple export mix-up (such as having not created bleeds at all), fixing the problem can become quite costly, both in terms of time and money. In my experience, the best option here is to try to always keep the concept of bleeds and crop marks in the back of your mind as you are designing. This should help to keep you focused and help prevent any troublesome mistakes!

Font Issues

Fonts are strange things, and don’t always behave the way we think they should when moving from the computer to the press, especially when there is also a movement from a PC to a Mac environment (or vice versa). Fonts can suddenly be lost or characters can go all wonky. I’ve seen all sorts of incredibly strange and seemingly inexplicable things (though I’m sure that, at a technical level, there is actually a reason).

It helps to be aware that these issues exist, and to be able to look for any strange inconsistencies when reviewing proofs. If you only have a small amount of text in a document, you can also protect yourself by actually converting the text to curves. This will take the letters of your fonts and convert them into vector shapes. When you do this, the text is no longer editable, but it also becomes completely independent of fonts, meaning that your document will no longer be subject to any weird font issues.

It’s a handy little fix, but just remember to save a copy of your file before you make the conversions, since the text will become uneditable. It’s always good to have a saved version to go back to in case changes are needed.

Well that’s it. I hope that some of these tips will be useful to you when it comes time to design your next direct marketing piece!

It’s funny how quickly that dream can turn into a nightmare.

Now I’m all for creativity. I think it’s an essential component of the design process, and that we should always be looking to push forward with new, interesting and innovative designs and ideas. Creativity and ingenuity are, after all, the building blocks of progress. Assuming that progress is something to be desired, then obviously creativity is important.

But, when it comes to designing, we need to understand and respect certain creative boundaries. These may be technological, physical, cultural, spacial or any number of other types, but the important thing to remember is that these boundaries exist for a variety of reasons, none of which are maliciously intended to hold down your creativity.

Take web design for example. When creating a site for the web, a designer must work within the constraints of things like browser sizes, and standard web technologies, such as HTML, CSS or even Flash, all of which have their own sets of rules, which allow them to function in a (mostly) standardized and predictable manner.

Similarly, logo designers need to understand the way in which their design will be employed. A logo will likely be used at different sizes, so the design itself must be scaleable, with no fine details that would be lost when the logo is reduced past a certain point. A good logo design should also accommodate for both colour and black and white printing, which can have a very strong influence on the manner in which a particular piece is ultimately designed.

Ultimately, the same thing is also true when talking about direct mail. I’m sure that most of you are aware of the fact that there are physical specifications that must be adhered to. In Canada, these specifications can actually vary quite significantly from one postal product to another! That being said, it is important to recognize that they do not exist for the sole purpose of limiting your creativity.

These specifications all exist for a reason (even if that reason is not always entirely clear). Things like accumulated weight or the standard size of mail boxes have a significant impact on Canada Post’s ability to deliver the mail. If the shape or size of a package complicates or impedes the delivery of the piece, chances are that the efficiency of the letter carriers would be compromised. It only makes sense for them to try to put measures in place to prevent this.

Yes, these specifications do create boundaries of a sort, but you don’t have to see them as cruel restrictions designed to suffocate your creativity. Instead, think of them as important guidelines for focusing your thought.

A solid knowledge of what is permitted (and what is not) can help shape your thoughts and give direction to your creativity. You can quickly disregard ideas (even brilliant ones) that are unfeasible as direct mail, and work towards imagining concepts and designing direct mail pieces specifically tailored to the unique requirements of the postal system.

You can also save yourself time and money. We have seen numerous instances where a extensively designed prototype (or worse – a finished piece) comes in just out of spec. If it’s merely a prototype, the problem can usually be fixed, but this generally also means extra time and money spent on a revision. If the piece is already printed, however, it could be subject to costly reclassification and increased postage costs.

Of course, all of these kinds of problems can be avoided by knowing the limitations of a project and working within them. And that is the reason why it is so important to recognize that there are boundaries to creativity when it comes to design. They can help you get things right the first time!

After all, good design is about creating something that is effective – both in the response it elicits and the cost it takes to produce.

Often, the design process starts with content and expands outward from there (but not always – check out Where to Start: Copy or Design? for more on this). It only makes sense; the message is key and most of us will naturally gravitate towards crafting our content first, and then building a framework through which to present that content.

But, what if we did it the other way? It may sound unorthodox, but maybe it’s just orthodox enough to pass for brilliance, or at least to get us thinking from a different creative angle.

Of course, what we’re talking about creating here is not your run of the mill direct mail. We’re not going to decide that we want to use an envelope and then figure out what to put in the envelope. What would that accomplish? Chances are that, if you started with content, it would have ended up in an envelope anyhow. No, what we’re talking about is pushing the envelope, shoving it right off the end of the table, out of sight and out of mind.

Now ask yourself: what would be something really cool to receive in the mail? Or, to put in another way, what would really grab your customer’s attention?

One idea that comes to mind (and there are many more) is a package of trading cards, packaged in a nice shinny wrapper. Now that would be different. It would certainly capture attention, and most people would probably open the package, just to see what’s inside. That would certainly do wonders for your open rates, and, as long as the message is well crafted, for your response rates too.

Alright, so we have an idea for packaging, but what about content? Well this is where the real creativity comes in. Look at the packaging concept and ask yourself how it could be made to relate to your business? Let’s suppose you run a small consulting firm. Take a moment and ask yourself: what is the most valuable part of this business? If you’re like me, chances are your answer would probably be: the consultants themselves. Or, to put it another way, the consulting team.

Well there’s a connection right there.

Think about baseball or hockey trading cards, which feature players from different teams. Picking up on this motif, you could design a unique card for each member of your team, complete with a picture and a brief biography. Package them all together to create a team set, and suddenly you have a unique vehicle for promoting your business. Modify your website (or at least part of it) to match your cards, and you have the beginnings of an entire campaign.

The ideas could go on and on, but the important thing to note is that the ideas emerge by imagining a unique packaging concept and working backwards, allowing the package itself to actively shape the message. Essentially, we have reversed the design process, by starting with what is usually one of the last elements to be considered and/or designed, and using it to inspire the rest of the piece.

Of course, I am by no means suggesting that you should use this method for designing all of your direct marketing pieces. Nor am I suggesting that it will be appropriate for all projects. Sometimes that plain old envelope is exactly what you need. I am merely outlining one technique that you could potentially use to stimulate your creativity and allow you to explore alternative and innovative concepts for your direct marketing projects. Give it a try. If nothing else, at least you might have some fun.

One thing I definitely noticed about all these designs, though, was that they likely all come with a significant price tag. The various mailers certainly looked pretty slick, but it was also obvious that they came with rather significant production costs! Take this one for example:

There are huge costs involved with this kind of a piece. The cardboard stock will surely be more expensive than traditional paper, and though I can’t say for certain how much the cutting process would cost, there must surely be a significant level of investment.

On the other hand, I have read several articles which suggest that the best way to approach a direct marketing piece is to keep it simple. I’ve even heard it said that, to achieve success in direct marketing, we should actually make pieces “ugly.”

Is anyone else seeing a disconnect here? It’s no wonder that some mailers are left feeling a little confused about how to approach their campaign. Well, today, I want to dig a little deeper, and see if we can’t straighten some of this stuff out to some degree.

First, I think it’s necessary to establish just what is meant by the term “ugly”. Somehow, I don’t think that, in this context, the term is meant to describe something that is visually repulsive (at least to non-designers). It just makes no sense to alienate the recipient with a hideously unattractive design. Rather, I think that the term probably refers more to concepts of being “unpolished,” without all the refinement and alignment of a professional designer.

(Ouch – as a designer, I admit, this is difficult to swallow. My designer’s instinct tells me refine and align everything)

Why might this be of benefit? Well, consumers are clever people. When they get your direct mail piece, they read more than just the headlines and copy. They read the entire message that your piece is sending. This includes things like your design, your packaging, the tone and level of your copy. Many also see dollar signs. Is the piece obviously expensive to produce and mail? How will that perception affect your overall response?

If you’re a charity or non-profit, the response to such a piece could actually be much more negative than you might expect. Expensive looking pieces from charities can turn some potential supporters off, by giving the impression of being irresponsible and wasteful in spending. Most people want to see as much of their donations as possible go to meet the actual needs they are supporting, not towards marketing and administration. As such, a highly priced direct mail piece (or even a piece that is perceived as being highly priced) could have a profoundly negative impact.

The same could be true of any industry where cost is an issue. An expensive mailing piece can often suggest (even falsely) and equally expensive product or service. If your business is built around providing products or services at inexpensive and affordable prices, then an expensive direct mail piece could send the wrong (or at least a mixed) message.

On the other hand, though, some people are looking for high quality and/or luxury products or services. Some people want to buy from the best store, purchase the highest-end products and deal with the most elite service providers. They may be willing to pay more for higher quality, for a proven track record or even just for prestige.

If this is your target market, then chances are that you will want to consider a higher end direct mail piece (possibly to a smaller, extremely targeted list), in order to support your image as a highly quality or luxury retailer or service provider. In this instance, some of the inspiration from the “Best of Self-Mailers & Direct Mail Campaigns : Inspiration for Graphic Designers” articles may be more relevant to you!

The important thing to remember is that your message is comprised of your entire piece, not just the headlines, copy and call to action (though, of course, those are important). The form and packaging of the piece need to support the message itself and, by extension, reflect the basic values of your brand or organization. This means taking a good hard look at your target audience and working to determine what level of packaging and design would best support your message in their eyes.

This, of course, can also involve extensive testing. In the end, though, it should be worth it, by helping to clear up the mystery of which road you should take when approaching your direct mail – cheap and cheerful (as we like to call it) or something more elaborate (and usually more expensive). Both have their place, and both can work for you. It’s up to you to choose.