I’ve had to design two advertising pieces for a client recently and both pieces required very exacting specifications. The first was an ad for a magazine. The client simply told me the outside dimensions of the ad and “send them a JPG”. I knew those specifications were likely to be incorrect and contacted the magazine directly.

I was most freaked out by the “send a JPG” comment and was relieved the magazine wanted a PDF file though they simply said “high resolution” rather than specifying the resolution to use. They also gave me the bleed size, trim size and safe area. Once I had all that info, I could get to work on the ad knowing that it would be technically correct.

The next project was a postcard. The dimensions were quite easy, but knowing areas that must remain blank to meet post office specifications is extremely important. I talked with the printing who would print and mail the postcard and got a template that showed all the live areas. Then it was just a matter of designing the perfect postcard for the client.

Regardless of the type of project you will be designing, it is extremely important to know the specifications before you start. If you don’t have the exact specs, you may end up designing it 2-3 times!

Corel’s Early Black Friday Deals

Each year “Black Friday Sales” start earlier and earlier. Corel has already started their and the first wave of “early” deals applies through November 18, 2015. These deals offer up to 50% off and free shipping on top Corel products. As various vendors pass along their sales, I’ll do my best to pass along the specials to you.