Print Design

A print designer is a type of graphic designer who specializes in designing items that will be printed, as opposed to those that will only be displayed digitally. Print designers have been around for centuries, and the earliest designers worked with letterpress machines to manually create prints.

Today’s technology allows for digital printing, but good print design skills are still essential to a quality and legible finished product. Print designers often use specific software platforms such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Photoshop. They may work on book cover design, poster layout, and other projects that are destined to be printed.

Web design focuses on products that will be displayed online. A web designer might create an ecommerce store or social media graphics. The requirements for those elements can be very different from the requirements when creating a design that’s going to be printed.

Print design focuses exclusively on designs that will be reproduced on paper, wood, or another form. Designers need to be aware of printing challenges, size ratios, how colors display, and other important elements.

Nearly any printed material is an example of print design. A print designer might create any or all of the following:

• Book covers
• Business cards
• Greeting cards
• Packaging
• Posters
• Printed signage
• Shopping bags
• Stickers
• T-shirts
• Wedding invitations

Many factors are essential in creating a good print design, and the elements that are most important can vary depending on the type of print design. For example, a brochure needs to be designed so that it uses all of the space available yet is still easy to read. Book covers need to be captivating, and since they contain minimal text, there’s heavy emphasis on the effectiveness of the visual elements and graphics.

All high-quality print design does share certain elements. The choice of font is always important. Different fonts can evoke different feelings and responses, and some fonts can be difficult to read at certain sizes.

Color is also an essential element. A designer needs to be familiar with how color prints and how that can differ from what you see on the screen.

The print’s resolution also plays a direct role in its quality. The right resolution will help to make a printed image look its best.

Ultimately, a good print design is visually appealing, clear, and easy to read. That can be more difficult than you might think, so consider working with an independent print designer who can help ensure that your upcoming project is a success.

Graphic design refers to the creation of visual content. That content might be printed, or it could be shared digitally.

Print media refers specifically to materials that are produced through printing, such as newspapers and books. A print designer is a type of graphic artist, but some graphic artists might not work with print media.