Using custom-printed envelopes, labels, forms, filing folders and other materials can be a big benefit to any organization. Among other things, you’ll boost brand recognition and credibility as well as operate more efficiently. However, there are some common mistakes when it comes to custom printing that can lead to disaster. Here are six of the biggest custom design mistakes and why you should avoid them at all costs.

1. A Poor Design

Everything starts with the initial design. If you have a bad design, you’ll get a bad result. Take the time to come up with a good printing design or hire a professional graphic designer. In particular, you want to ensure the template matches what you’ll be printing on — creating a design for an 11” x 17” envelope on an 8.5” x 14” sheet will inevitably cause issues.

2. Choosing the Wrong Printing Process

There are many types of printing processes, depending on the material. Whereas some printing methods work best for paper, others are ideal for fabrics and plastics. You even have multiple options when you’re printing envelopes such as offset and litho. If you select the wrong process, you can end up with a bad look or a ruined batch.

3. Not Enough Bleed Area

The bleed area is the part of the graphics that goes beyond where the paper is cut. This accounts for natural variance when the actual printing and cutting takes place. If you don’t leave any bleed area or not enough, you could end up with white edges around your artwork. Experts recommend having at least 3 millimeters of bleed area.

4. Going Outside the Safety Line with Text

While artwork should go all the way to the edge, the text should remain within the safety line. Anything that strays outside this line could get cut off when the paper is trimmed. You certainly don’t want your business name or contact information missing from hundreds of documents.

5. Low-Resolution Graphics

Most printers recommend a minimum 300 dpi (dots per square inch) image resolution when customizing printed materials, such as envelopes. If the resolution is any lower, the final result will typically look blocky, blurry and pixilated, leaving a poor impression. You should avoid graphics pulled from websites or social media since the resolution can be as low as 72 dpi.

6. Spelling Errors

Few things can ruin a promotional campaign like spelling mistakes. Even one spelling error on business stationery can make you look unprofessional — not to mention that getting contact information wrong can lead to communication issues later. We recommend getting someone to proofread your materials, as fresh eyes can spot things you might have missed.

Custom-Printed Business Materials

The Supplies Shops can perform professional custom envelope printing to help bring customers closer to your brand while letting you focus on day-to-day operations. We even provide an online design tool to help you create the look you want.

Keep these custom print mistakes in mind when designing your stationery and let us do the rest. Custom orders over $99 ship free. We also offer custom labels, custom tape, custom filing folders and custom business forms.