The flyer, the brochure, and the catalog are three of the most commonly used types of printed materials for marketing. But you have to understand what their capabilities, costs, and limitations are before getting started. You wouldn’t use a screwdriver for a job that requires a hammer, and you wouldn’t use a catalog where a flyer will do the job.
First, think about what you are trying to accomplish and who you are trying to reach. Do you own a pizza restaurant and need to reach the closest hundred homes in the area? Or do you own a clothing store that sells everything from footwear to ball gowns? Make sure you have a plan on what to promote and who your audience is likely to be, before you decide on the print vehicle.
· Let’s start with the flyer. It’s the least expensive and the simplest to produce. A flyer is sheet of paper and is usually sized as either 8.5 x 11” or 8.5 x 5.5.” Flyers are usually distributed in large quantities – they can be inserted into a newspaper, placed on car windows or handed out at an event. They cost only pennies per piece but offer limited space to promote your store, product or service. Flyers are meant to get attention but are not likely to have much shelf-life (people will look at them and then discard them within a short period). These are often printed on light weight paper stock to keep costs low.
· A brochure is usually printed on a heavier paper stock that is meant to last. A brochure is distributed in a much more selective manner: it may be handed out personally as a follow up to a lecture or sales presentation, or it may be mailed to interested customers who requested specific information. It is assumed that the people who receive or pick up the brochure are genuinely interested in the topic. Most brochures are printed on 8.5 x 11” letter size paper and folded down to fit into an envelope or be placed in a rack. These are called “tri-folds.” Of course, there are many other sizes available and brochures can have multiple pages or different folds. So the pricing will vary accordingly.
· Catalogs are most often used by a store or manufacturer that has many items that they need to display. Catalogs can run from a handful of pages to a hundreds of pages. They can be distributed in a variety of ways including insertion into a newspaper, sent through the mail or handed out in-store. Catalogs can be printed on light news-stock or a heavy gloss paper so the pricing will range widely depending on the size, total pages, type of paper and the binding method.
If you questions about which product to use and how to lay out the design, it is recommended that you contact a quality print shop like Conquest Graphics that can offer you some professional advice.
Some printers specialize in just certain types of projects and others have the equipment in-house to accomplish everything from business cards to multipage catalogs. Your pricing will usually be better if you work with a print house that has the capabilities to do the entire project at their plant (such as Conquest Graphics). If a print shop needs to send out a certain portion of the job, it will cost more. For example, a neighborhood company may be able to print the brochure but will likely have to get it cut and folded at another facility which will add to the pricing.
Your best bet is to call a good quality printer that has lots of experience. Tell them what you are thinking of printing and get some pricing on the different options before you get started. Remember what you are trying to accomplish and who you are trying to reach! When in doubt, ask the experts.