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The Brief

Communicating with the client is the first and most crucial step in the design process. At Style, our graphic designers will work closely with you to define what you are trying to achieve for your business. As a customer you may know exactly what you require or you may only have a few vague ideas about what you would like. We are here to help you, whatever your needs. If you are not sure where to start or would prefer to leave it to the experts, you can hand over the reins completely to our capable designers.

However, it is often a good idea to come in with a little creative direction, such as preferred colour, typeface, layout and possibly some examples of similar designs with these elements.

A few questions to ask yourself before discussing the brief are:

• The audience – who is the target market we are trying to attract and relate to?
• The message – what are we trying to get across to this audience?
• Existing branding - are there any existing branding elements we must keep consistent throughout the design, such as logos, colour scheme or typefaces?
• Deadlines - are there any necessary due dates for this design? (This can often determine which particular printing processes can and cannot be used)
• Budget - is there a particular budget that the customer must work within? (This will impact on the amount of time our graphic designers spend on a particular design)

Research

Sometimes it is a good idea to outline major competitors and their marketing efforts. This can often give you a better idea of what you are up against and provide some ideas on how to distinguish your brand from the competitors. We can assist you with this process.

Design development/proofs

Using all the information and suggestions provided during the brief process, along with the results of any research undertaken, we can progress intelligently to the design development stages. Using your preferences on colour, typeface, etc, as a basic guideline, we usually produce several design variations for you to choose from. We provide these designs in a proof, which can be supplied as a hard copy print-out or in PDF format via email for your convenience.

Making changes

Once you have viewed the proof from our designers, you can then select the preferred design and notify us of any desired alterations. This gives you the opportunity to mix and match your favourite design elements, using a bit of your own creative flair. Sometimes only one proof is required to come to a final design, and sometimes numerous proofs are needed if the job is a bit bigger.

Finalising the design

Once the design is finalised, we then can progress to the printing phase. However, in some circumstances, clients only require a design to be created. In these cases we can supply the artwork file in almost any file format, from low-resolution files for screen viewing to high-resolution print-ready formats.

FAQ:

What is artwork? (graphic design, layout, imposition and pre-press)

Regardless of what type of design service you are after, at Style we do not differentiate on cost. All of our graphic design services are priced at $88 per hour, whether it is artwork design, layout, imposition or pre-press. These services are explained below:

• Graphic design - the process of creating a design from a brief
• Layout - taking the customer's logo design and incorporating it into a design (essentially a replicating process)
• Imposition - taking a customer's completed artwork and making it the correct size for print, adding bleed, etc
• Pre-press or Pre-flight - taking artwork and checking the file to ensure its is ready to be printed on a press

Nearly all jobs at Style attract an artwork charge, however some require more work than others. The extent depends entirely on you. Customers can avoid an artwork charge by creating a press-ready PDF file which our designers will pre-flight without charge. For instructions on how to create a press-ready PDF see instructions page.

For the common layout for style printers see the resources page.

How much does artwork cost?

Artwork generally costs $88 per hour. But depending on what you are having designed – a business card or a 12-page booklet for example - how simple or complex the job is all factors in to the final cost.

However, we do have a few standard prices on our basic range of stationery:

• Business cards = $88
• Letterheads = $44
• Logo design = $264

Do you keep the artwork?

Yes, we keep all artwork filed on our archive system to benefit both the designer and our clients. If you require our design services in the future, you do not have to resubmit anything to us, so you can be sure that all the design elements - such as logos, colour, typeface and layout characteristics - are kept consistent throughout your company's stationery and/or marketing material.

Can you provide letterheads in Word?

Yes, we can create a letterhead design and supply it to you in a Word document so you can print it out on your own printer in your office or from home.

What format do you provide the design in?

We can provide the file in essentially any format you need. Its best to tell what you need it for and we will give the file with the correct size and type.

Why do artwork changes cost money?

At Style to keep the design process cost effective we simply charge on a time-and-materials basis at $88 per hour. Therefore every time a client requests changes the designer will keep a time sheet and this is charged to the client.