Over the past decade, the online shopping experience has become increasingly visual. As consumers browse for products and services, they expect to see compelling images and enticing graphics. This is true of image-first social platforms, like Instagram, as well as for the search engine results page itself.
Naturally, this focus on visualization has some implications for print on demand companies. As you seek to advertise your company, whether with Google Ad image extensions or simply with social media posts, it’s important to pay attention to your visual presentation. The question is, how can you design paid media content that generates attention for your print on demand business?
Paid Media Design Tips for Print on Demand Companies
Here are a few tips and principles to keep in mind.
- Colors are paramount. Studies have shown that a majority of consumers make snap judgments based on color alone, which means it’s extremely important to choose the correct palette of hues. Think about colors that go well together, that consistently reflect your brand, and that convey the right emotions. Here, some basic color theory can be helpful. Red is associated with urgency and passion. Yellow signifies optimism and youth. Green has a calming, relaxing effect, and may also be associated with wealth. The list goes on from there.
- Balance is pleasing to the eye. Generally speaking, images will engender a more positive response if they convey a sense of balance. This can mean a symmetrical design pattern, radial balance (think a spiral staircase), or crystallographic balance (imagine an assortment of donuts, arranged neatly on a tray with different toppings on each one). Balance is something to prize in your paid media designs.
- Get the lines right. Straight lines usually indicate orderliness, while curved lines suggest movement. Use these principles to guide the user’s eye to the most important elements of your imagery, including the CTA.
- Typography matters, too. Choosing the right font is truly an art, and there’s not necessarily a right way to do it… though many design experts will tell you that serif fonts work best. You have some freedom to find the font that’s best aligned with your print on demand identity, but make sure clarity is a top concern. Your paid media designs won’t amount to much if nobody can read them. Also, be careful not to clutter your designs with too many different fonts; you should never need more than three typefaces.
- Add contrast. Contrast is what makes an image pop. You can achieve it by juxtaposing different colors, shapes, or sizes. Here, the important thing is to avoid imagery that’s flat, but also to avoid imagery that’s cluttered.
- Think in terms of size and scale. Different elements of your design will be presented in different sizes. Thinking about scale can help you direct the reader’s eye to the important design elements. Most of the time, people will look at the largest element first, then shift their attention to the second largest element, and so forth. Again, use this principle to guide your reader, and to ensure that they ultimately land on your CTA. (A related concept is the concept is hierarchy, which basically says that you want to present the most important information in the largest font.)
- Be consistent with your branding. Hopefully, your design choices reflect a real vision and identity for your print on demand business. To achieve this, you’ll want to be consistent, using the same family of colors, fonts, and design choices across all your paid media designs.
With these principles in mind, you should be well on your way to making really smart, effective graphics to promote your print on demand business.
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