Talking about what a presentation folder actually is, let us elaborate a bit on its functions. A presentation, folder, which is sometimes in the folder printing world known as a Pocket Folder is quite a sturdy folder, which is used to store documents, the kind that are generally distributed out during a sales meeting or as the name suggests during a presentation.
Though it can be customized to varied sizes, presentation folders or an a4 Document folder are some of the most common presentation folders found for folder printing world – owing to the fact that A4 size is generally the most preferred size for document printing.
Coming to the aesthetic aspect of folder printing, when printed creatively- a presentation folder actually serves as the perfect means to promote and market your organisation to a new client base, as well as enhance your existing image with steady clients.
Now coming to the Basics of Printing:
The Basic Design Elements: When it comes to folder printing, a presentation folder is printed on both the front and back cover usually. Another popular practice is to print on the face of the interior pocket flap as well, and it adds little to none additional cost. Folder printing can be unicolour, two colours or even full/multicoloured, largely dependent on your budget, and the image you’re trying to convey. Another design element that can be added to folder printing is metallic foil or embossing, that can be used instead of, or to complement the printing process.
The Right Construction Matters: The most common sized presentation folder is 9” x 12” (when closed). This is the rough size for the a4 presentation folders or a4 document folders. This is the most economical choice when it comes to folder printing sizes since it is ideal for holding brochures, sales literature, contracts or for that matter any other document that measures 8.5” X 11” or even smaller. On the inside, two interior pockets with horizontal flaps are generally the standard practice for presentation folder designs, chosen by most people. Having said that, however, there are many different types of pocket configurations which one can select from.
Since sturdiness is an important deciding factor in the quality of a presentation folder, it should generally be made from a heavy yardstick that will ensure lasting durability. Apart from that presentation folders should have a clear protective finish such as UV or aqueous coating or in some cases, even a plastic laminate on them, post the folder printing process.
Coming to the intricacies here are a few tips that will help you achieve the best payoff:
- For One Colour Designs, PMS Ink is the Best Way to Go: As most designers know about folder printing – when it comes to cost-effectiveness, a pre-mixed PMS ink is the best when it comes to designs of one colour only. It also turns out to be the best choice when trying to match the hue of your folder design to the company’s brand colour palette. It also helps you end those sometimes-apparent small variations that a CMYK ink tends to bring.
- For Designs with Multiple Colours CMYK is Best: Known as the four-colour process in the world of folder printing, CMYK works best for multi-coloured designs. The method grants you access to a whole wide range – a full spectrum if you may, of colours. The only limitations you might face is if your design for the a4 presentation folders has the hue blue or orange on them, since they are a little more difficult to produce.
- Pure Black isn’t Necessarily the Best Black: When using CMYK ink for folder printing, and you want a part of your design to be pure black – a natural assumption would be that that you set the area to 100% black and 0% to every other colour. The truth, however, is quite far from this – you can achieve a much richer and deeper black with the following formula: 60% Cyan, 40% Magenta, 40% Yellow and 100% Black. Try this and see how the black seems much deeper on your a4 document folder.
- For Creating the Perfect True-Blue Use 30% More Cyan than Magenta: Similar to the tip for black for folder printing, even blue is a tricky colour to work with – when working with CMYK ink. A lot of times it might end up looking purple on a4 presentation folders as a final product. In order to get a richer deeper hue, that is true blue in nature, you need to make sure that the percentage of Cyan is set 30% higher than Magenta. For example, if an area is at 30% Magenta, then for it to look bluer it needs to be set on 70% Cyan.
- Experimenting with Fluorescent or Metallic Colours: Using PMS ink can open your design up to new possibilities, including metallic colours and also fluorescents. Experiments with the said pigments can help you add some eye-catching elements to your folder printing – which cannot be achieved using the four-colour process.
- For Long Fibered Stocks Try Embossing or Debossing: Embossing or debossing lets you imprint designs directly on to the paper by raising it or by depressing it. This technique works best in folder printing when dealing with long-fibered stocks as compared to short fibre stocks, where the effect would be too muted
Hence keeping these folder printing options and tips in mind, you can go ahead and create captivating designs for your a5 presentation folders or for that matter a document folder of any size or kind.
