Looking great on screen isn’t always enough
By Rhys Thomas
A few weeks ago, a client got in touch a bit confused. 63 had designed some brand collateral, which they loved it, and then they had it printed with a different supplier. The printed boards turned up and the colours were ‘off’. Not massively, but enough to spot for anyone who knows the brand well enough. The client wanted to know what had gone wrong.
And the answer – nothing, really. And that’s the point of this post.
Design is for digital and print – and we take both just as seriously
At 63 we create video, websites, campaigns and brand strategy. We also create packaging, signage, event stands, brochures and leaflets. We don’t see print design as a bolt-on to the digital work, it’s equally important and we’re just as proud of a beautifully specified print piece as we are of a slick video.
The skill of designing for print
Designing something for printed is a genuine skill and can catch out even the best digital designers. Here at 63, being a part of Pollards means we know print and work with colleagues every day who specialise in all kinds of print finishes. Knowing exactly how a specific colour will behave on press with different stock and finishes is an art. While a digital screen will make colour with light, print makes it with ink sitting on a material, and that needs design translation, from print ready files to on press settings.
That’s exactly what happened with our client. Nothing was wrong with the design, and nothing was wrong with the print, on their own terms. But something fell between the gap of us and the other print supplier that got lost in translation or application.
Double checking
With Pollards as your one accountable nothing falls between the gaps. We ensure design and print consistency for robust brand control.
Our designers at 63, Pollards creative agency, know print design inside out, and every project that’s heading for our production team also gets checked by a print specialist before the client ever sees a proof. Two disciplines, two sets of eyes, catching the stuff that only shows up once ink meets material.
It’s the difference between a brand looking the same everywhere it is seen and one that looks slightly “off” in ways nobody can quite put their finger on.
Let design be great wherever it ends up
Whether it’s a campaign that only ever lives on a screen or something that’s going to be printed, worn or displayed, it gets the same level of care at 63. What’s easy to miss from the outside is what happens after the design is signed off, and that’s exactly where Pollard’s connected brand delivery comes into play. Because 63 is a part of Pollards, our print design work is backed up by people for whom print is their craft.