The Magazine Production Company

The Scalable Era: Why Local Newspapers are the New Frontier for Independent Publishers

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:52:44 GMT

With the UK government pledging millions to revitalise local journalism, Dean Cook explores the emergence of a new lean publishing model. By combining professional outsourcing with hyperlocal expertise, the next generation of community newspapers is bucking the national trend—offering a reputable, sustainable, and inclusive career path for independent creators.

In an era dominated by the fleeting nature of social media, a quiet revolution is taking place in the UK’s media landscape. The government’s recently unveiled " Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan" signals a significant shift in how community information is valued, funded, and produced. For the modern publishing professional, this marks the beginning of a "scalable era" — where high-quality local journalism no longer requires a massive corporate newsroom, but rather a streamlined, expert-led production model.

Data-Driven Success: Bucking the National Trend

While national headlines often focus on the decline of print, recent independent research proves that the hyperlocal newspaper model is not only thriving but expanding. A March 2026 survey of 600 residents across Hailsham and Bexhill — conducted by insight6 — found that nearly 60% of residents had read or looked through their local free newspaper in the past four weeks.

These findings, published in InPublishing , reveal that 45% of respondents engage with every or most issues. Crucially for advertisers, over 55% of readers notice the adverts , with that figure rising to 70% in certain areas . This data confirms that well-distributed, community-focused print titles maintain a level of trust and visibility that digital-only platforms struggle to replicate.

Read the full research report here: Independent survey shows hyperlocal newspapers bucking trend .

A Model for Modern Inclusivity: Unlocking Dormant Talent

The beauty of this new, scalable approach is its inherent inclusivity. Because the model relies on high-level skills rather than physical presence in a central office, it opens the door to a wealth of "dormant" talent. It is a perfect opportunity for recent retirees with decades of professional experience, parents balancing part-time commitments, or those who may be unable to perform physically demanding roles but possess sharp editorial minds.

This democratisation of publishing means that as long as you have the vision and the local knowledge, the barriers of traditional employment no longer apply. It turns local journalism into a viable, flexible career path for anyone with a story to tell.

Reputation Matters: Newspaper vs. Magazine

The government’s action plan reinforces a crucial distinction: the authority of the newspaper. According to the DCMS, local newspapers are the primary providers of "public interest journalism." Unlike lifestyle magazines, newspapers are perceived as reputable pillars of democracy that hold local institutions to account. This "reputational premium" is why the government is prioritising newspapers for statutory notices and public information campaigns.

Architectural Support: Structuring Your Business for Growth

Moving from a vision to a physical publication requires more than just an editorial instinct; it requires a robust business framework. Paul Gibson, MD of Regional Media Group , is a specialist in the hyperlocal news sector and the driver behind the successful hyperlocal newspapers in East Sussex, provides the proven digital platforms and structural guidance necessary to launch these titles.

Whether you are looking for a franchised setup, a co-directorship, or seeking to remain a purely independent entity, Gibson offers first-hand support, mentoring, and guidance. This collaborative approach allows editors to lean into his extensive experience and his advocacy for government funding, making it possible for a one-person business to operate with the impact of a much larger organisation.

Production Power: Scalability Through Expert Outsourcing

To remain scalable, a local paper must avoid the "people-heavy" costs of the past. The Magazine Production Company provides the professional engine for this new model, offering high-end design, print coordination, and digital production services.

By outsourcing the technical heavy lifting, an editor can focus entirely on newsgathering and community engagement. This "production-as-a-service" model ensures that every issue meets the aesthetic and functional standards expected of a reputable newspaper, without the publisher needing to manage an internal design team. It is a lean, professional, and highly scalable solution for the modern age.

The Roadmap to Success: Engaging with the National Vision

The Amplify: Local Media Action Plan is a strategic blueprint for the next decade of British publishing. Prospective publishers are strongly encouraged to read the full government outlines to understand how their goals for community growth align with national funding priorities.

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There has never been a better time to "sew the seed" of a new publication. By combining Paul Gibson’s structural mentorship and proven readership models with the scalable design expertise of The Magazine Production Company, local creators can build a sustainable, reputable business.

To discuss partnership opportunities or to see examples of successful hyperlocal newspapers like Hailsham News , Bexhill News , Eastbourne News and Crowborough News contact Paul Gibson today. Learn how to transform your local journalistic skills into a thriving, professionally produced newspaper.

#AmplifyLocalMedia #hyperlocalnews #newspaper #PrintIsNotDead #HowToStartALocalNewspaper

The Sonic Shift: Why audio is the next frontier for independent publishers

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:03:56 GMT

Discover how audio highlights and podcasts can increase reader engagement, accessibility, and advertising revenue for independent magazines and local publications. Dean Cook looks at what can be achieved.

For years, the independent publishing world has focused on the tactile beauty and visual layouts of print and the interactivity with digital publications. However, as consumption habits evolve, could the more successful publishers be the ones moving into the "eyes-free" market — content where readers can tune their ears into?

Integrating audio into your publication strategy isn't just a luxury; it’s a mechanical necessity for growth. Here is why:

Accessibility and inclusion: Providing audio versions of your lead stories ensures that your content is accessible to the partially sighted and those with reading difficulties, broadening your community impact.
The multitasking advantage: Most readers appreciate the latest news that is tuned to them however, they lack the time to sit and read. Audio allows them to engage with your brand during the morning commute, at the gym, or while doing chores.
A new revenue stream: Advertisers are always looking for more "real estate." Offering a 15-second audio "shout-out" or namecheck during a podcast is a premium add-on that increases the value of your media pack.
Brand authority: A polished, dual-speaker broadcast suggests a level of professionalism that sets an independent title apart from a simple blog or social media group.

The Strategic Power of Audio

How exactly does this benefit your specific readers? We’ve put together a short conversation between two of our AI-generated hosts, Sam and Alex, discussing how audio content creates a more robust ecosystem for your magazine.

LISTEN: Why your publication needs a voice

Case Study: Crowborough News (March 2026)

To demonstrate the real-world application of this technology, we produced a "Highlights Edition" for the March 2026 issue of Crowborough News .

In just a few-minute podcast, listeners are brought up to speed on the town’s campaign for a ne w banking hub, Matt Weston’s historic Olympic gold medals, and local events at the Camden Arms. Crucially, the audio provides organic namechecks for local partners like Lighthouse Fostering and Eastbourne Auctions , proving that audio can be as profitable as it is informative.

LISTEN: Crowborough News March 2026 Highlights

Case Study: Production 360 (Issue V3.1)

To demonstrate the real-world application of this technology, we produced a focal point two-person podcast on a case study in Issue V3.1 of Production 360 .

With concise dialogue, listeners gain insights into how Veidekke, one of Scandinavia’s largest construction firms, is revolutionising corporate communications by adopting broadcast-level production standards. The audio showcases how audio can add a further layer to a publisher's content.

LISTEN: Production 360 Issue V3.1 Highlights

Issuu Users FUMING Over 450% Price Hike!

deancook@magazineproduction.com (Dean Cook) — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:46:51 GMT

Independent publishers are in uproar after digital publishing platform Issuu, acquired by Italian technology company Bending Spoons in July 2024, slapped them with a staggering 450% price increase. The move, which saw the Premium and Optimum plans merged into a new "Unlimited" offering, has sparked accusations from its customers of "price gouging" and left many smaller publications scrambling for alternatives.

Adding fuel to the fire, Issuu's communication about the price changes has been slammed as "sneaky" and "unethical", eroding trust amongst its loyal user base.

Those attempting to downgrade to the entry-level "Starter" plan (£195/$252pa) are finding it severely limited, with key features like auto-detect hyperlinks missing and third-party ads now appearing on a paid service. One customer fumed, "It's like they're trying to force us onto the 'Unlimited' plan, no matter the cost!"

Issuu defended the price hike, claiming the changes will "support the development of the platform" and benefit all users. They acknowledged some negative feedback but highlighted "positive feedback" regarding new features. However, this explanation has done little to appease the growing anger.

Independent publishers are now rallying, airing experiences and complaints on Reddit and review sites like TrustPilot . Many are actively exploring alternative platforms like BlueToad , Yumpu , FlipHTML5 , and Flipsnack .

One industry insider cautioned, "Issuu must listen to its users and restore its Premium service and pricing before they lose customers and harm its brand and reputation, which has taken years to build.

"This kind of price hike is unsustainable for many independent publishers and charitable organisations. We hope that Issuu reconsiders and supports the publishing industry."

UPDATE — 19 March 2025: On 19 March 2025, Issuu issued an updated inactivity and storage policy by email to its users. Issuu stated: "We’re also updating our inactivity and storage policy to be clearer. We’ll retain the Content (including flipbooks) for 1 2 months from the starting date of your inactivity , after which the Content may be subject to deletion.

"If you become an inactive user, you will receive an email notification before we delete your Content to give you the opportunity to back up such Content, before we delete it. An account is considered inactive if there has been no interaction with Issuu for 1 year."

How do we interpret this? Even if you are a paying subscriber and have not uploaded content within a 12-month period, your published Content may be subject to deletion.

UPDATE — 12 August 2025: On 8 August 2025, Issuu updated its refund requests page , stating "Issuu offers full refunds for annual subscriptions if the request is made within 60 days of the invoice date. For monthly subscriptions, refund requests are accepted within 20 days of the invoice date." While this is a positive development, it remains a request. You can request a refund using a link on the same page.

Issuu also highlights a note that "We send a renewal reminder email for all annual plans 30 days before the renewal charge. This reminder is sent to both your account’s primary email and billing email addresses." To us, this sounds like Issuu's way of saying it met its advance payment communication obligations. In typical instances, expecting a renewal charge similar to a previous amount would be acceptable. However, when a renewal charge has increased considerably, Issuu's communication to warn those who may neither have the budget nor the time to explore or prepare alternative options, which could significantly impact their business, has been woefully insufficient. Issuu should consider that its 30-day renewal reminder email may also be caught by the recipients' junk mail/spam filters, which could result in the customer not being aware until after the increased payment has been taken.

In our opinion, Issuu should have taken proactive steps to communicate in advance and secure a new agreement regarding its updated pricing and service options with each customer before the price increase took effect in 2024. I nstead, it has damaged its relationship with its once-loyal customer base.

#issuu #issuupremium #issuupricehikes #issuupricing

What is a hybrid magazine? A blend of print and digital

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 12:26:33 GMT

A hybrid magazine is a publication that is designed and produced once so it can be published digitally and in print, with interactive elements available in both formats. This approach can save time rather than creating two separate products — one geared specifically for digital and the other for print, such as working to different sizes or pagination lengths. Interactive features allow a more engaging and immersive experience for the reader regardless of whether they read the publication online or in print.

What are the key features of hybrid magazines

1. Interactive Elements:

QR Codes: Scan these codes to access exclusive online content, videos, podcasts, and interactive games.
Augmented Reality (AR): Use a smartphone to overlay digital content, like 3D models or animations, onto the printed page.

2. Digital Extensions:

Online Platforms: Access additional content, such as web-only articles, updated-driven content, podcasts, webinars or forums.
Social Media Integration: Connect with the magazine's community and other readers through social media channels.

Benefits of hybrid magazines

Enhanced Reader Experience: Interactive elements and digital extensions make reading more engaging and memorable.
Increased Reader Engagement: Hybrid magazines encourage readers to participate and share content actively.
Innovative Advertising Opportunities: Brands can leverage the unique format to create innovative and interactive ad campaigns.
Data-Driven Insights: Tracking digital interactions provides insight into reader behaviour and preferences.

The future of print

Hybrid magazines demonstrate the enduring appeal of digital and print media. By embracing technology and innovation, print publications can continue to thrive in the digital age.

Are you ready to experience the future of print? Feel free to drop us a line.

Print vs Digital: The Great Magazine Debate

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:31:48 GMT

Since the mid-noughties, the publishing industry has been undergoing a seismic shift, with digital media rapidly gaining ground. As a result, many have questioned the future of print magazines. While digital platforms offer convenience and accessibility, print continues to hold a place in the hearts of readers. Have digital magazines replaced print magazines, or is there something else to consider?

The debate surrounding whether digital magazines have truly replaced print versions is complex and multifaceted. Proponents of digital magazines often point to their convenience, accessibility, and environmental benefits. They argue that digital platforms allow instant content access, searchability, reduced paper consumption and a potentially global audience. Additionally, digital magazines can incorporate interactive elements like videos and hyperlinks, enhancing the reading experience.

However, many readers argue that heavily-paginated titles are challenging to navigate and read through a small device screen, continuing to strongly prefer print magazines. They value the tactile experience of holding a physical publication and reading without distractions or screen glare, allowing a more immersive, deeper experience with crafted, curated content. Some also argue that print magazines offer a sense of permanence, exclusivity and collectability that digital versions cannot match.

Print magazines have and will continue to offer a unique tactile experience that digital simply cannot replicate. The feel of paper, the aroma of ink, and the satisfying rustle of pages create a sensory delight that engages readers on a deeper level.

Research suggests that people retain information and understand what they've read better when reading from a printed magazine. This is also supported by many studies showing magazine readers prefer print. It carries a sense of authority and trustworthiness. The effort and cost associated with producing high-quality printed material can elevate the perceived value and the brand.

On the other hand, while reader behaviour can limit read time, digital magazines provide an exceptional level of convenience and interactivity that traditional print magazines cannot compare. With just a few taps on a device, readers can access a vast library of content anywhere and anytime, on a variety of devices, eliminating the need to carry physical copies readers to consume content at their own pace and convenience. Adding interactive features, such as hyperlinks to further content, such as podcasts and websites, and embedding video content enhances the reading experience and creates a more engaging way to deliver information. Digital magazines also eliminate the costs associated with printing, shipping, and distribution. This can lead to significant savings for both publishers and readers.

The Future of Magazines

Rather than viewing print versus digital as competing formats, publishers should embrace a hybrid approach that leverages the strengths and benefits of both.

Broader Reach: Combining print and digital allows you to reach a wider audience, catering to both traditional print readers and digitally savvy consumers searching for content within your arena.
Enhanced Engagement: Regardless of print or digital magazines, interactive features like videos and hyperlinks can be applied in both formats to enhance reader engagement.
Increased Brand Awareness: A multi-format approach increases brand visibility and recognition across various platforms, strengthening brand loyalty.
Synergy: Print and digital formats actually complement each other. For example, exclusive content offered in one format can drive engagement with the other.
Future-Proofing: By embracing print and digital, publishers can adapt to evolving consumer preferences and technological advancements, ensuring long-term sustainability.

In our opinion, there has never been an either/or scenario with the Print vs Digital debate. The future of magazines lies in a harmonious blend of print 'and' digital. By understanding the unique advantages of each format and combining them strategically, publishers can create compelling and enduring products that resonate with readers in the digital age.

#printvsdigital #magazines #printmagazines #digitalmagazines #hybridpublishing #magazineindustry #futureofmagazines #magazinedesign #magazineproduction #magazinesynergy #magazinecontent #magazinepublishing

Print magazines: A timeless medium in the digital age

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 17:03:05 GMT

Are print magazines still relevant in today's digital world? The short answer is a resounding yes. Despite the proliferation of online content, magazines offer a unique and invaluable experience that sets them apart. Curated content, in-depth coverage, and visual appeal provide a distinct and enjoyable reading experience that fosters a community. Magazines offer a timeless and immersive quality that continues to resonate with readers. And with positive indications that print magazines are making a return, there are also signs of renewed interest from advertisers.

Here's why magazines remain a powerful medium:

Curated Content: Magazines provide a carefully curated selection of articles and features, offering readers a focused and in-depth exploration of specific topics. Unlike online platforms that can be overwhelming with information, magazines take the time to select and present relevant and engaging content to their target audience. This curation process ensures that readers get the most valuable and interesting information on the topics they care about.
Tangible Experience: A magazine's physicality provides a tactile and immersive experience that can significantly enhance reading enjoyment. In an increasingly digital world, there is something special about holding a physical object in your hands and turning the pages of a magazine. The experience can strengthen the connection with the content and make it more memorable.
In-Depth Coverage: Magazines often delve deeper into subjects than online articles, providing a more comprehensive understanding. While online articles may be shorter, magazines have the space to explore topics in greater detail. This allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of complex issues and develop a more informed perspective. The application of QR codes provides further sources to web pages, videos, podcasts and more.
Visual Appeal: High-quality design, photography, and illustrations make magazines visually engaging and memorable. Magazines are designed to be visually appealing, with a focus on high-quality production values. This attention to detail can make the content more engaging and memorable and help convey the message more effectively.
Community and Connection: Magazines can foster a sense of community and connection among readers who share similar interests. In a digital age that can sometimes feel overwhelming and isolating, magazines can provide a sense of belonging and connection, sharing interests and values.
Revitalised Attraction from Advertisers: Print advertising enjoys significant consumer preference. Readers are more likely to engage with and trust print advertising.

A Return to Print Media

As these articles below suggest, magazines (and local newspapers) are making a comeback. Although they may focus more on niche areas, they still feed an audience that craves curated, quality-driven content.

While online content offers convenience and accessibility, magazines provide the exclusivity of a unique blend of depth, quality, and engagement that continues to resonate with readers. So, the next time you're looking for a break from your digital devices, consider picking up a magazine and immersing yourself in its pages.

#magazines #digitalmedia #printmedia #contentmarketing #lovemagazines #curation #tangibleexperience #indepthcontent #visualappeal

#community #connection #timeless

How to design a digital magazine: The power of professional design and publishing platforms

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 12:35:32 GMT

Creating a digital magazine can be rewarding, but it requires careful planning and execution. One of the most crucial aspects is the design. A well-designed magazine looks visually appealing, enhances user experience, and improves discoverability. In this article, Dean Cook explores the benefits of hiring a professional magazine designer and using a publishing platform like Yumpu to create a successful digital publication.

While there are DIY tools and software available for creating magazines, nothing can quite compare to the expertise, craft and support of a magazine production artist who can:

Create visually appealing layouts: Ensure that your content is presented in a way that is easy to read and visually engaging.
Optimise for readability: Choose appropriate fonts, colours, and spacing to enhance readability across different devices.
Maintain brand consistency: Ensure that your magazine's design aligns with your overall brand identity.
Publication management: Coordinating and managing the publication's content, ensuring all parts of the process are completed within client timeframes and budget.
Prepare for commercial printing: A professional designer would also prepare the publication in readiness for commercial printing if printed copies are ever required.

The Benefits of Using a Publishing Platform like Yumpu

Yumpu is one of the top digital magazine publishing platforms. It offers numerous advantages, including:

Improved discoverability: Compared to other digital providers, Issuu automatically optimises articles to rank in search engines. As a result, magazines hosted on Yumpu can benefit from the platform's credibility, making your publication more discoverable for potential readers to find your magazine from a search query.
Interactive features: Yumpu allows pages to show videos and includes feature-rich hyperlinks, such as websites, podcasts, emails, telephone numbers, and page navigation, enhancing reader engagement.
Analytics: Track key metrics such as page views, time spent, and reader demographics to measure your magazine's success.
Distribution: Easily share digital issues and pages across your social media, emails, and website's homepage.

Cost-Effective Solution

While hiring a professional designer and using a digital publishing platform may seem like an investment, it can actually be a cost-effective solution in the long run. By creating high-quality, visually appealing magazines suited for digital-device viewing, you're more likely to attract and retain readers and help build a reputation, leading to increased advertising revenue.

If you're ready to publish a digital magazine, we're here to help. Our team of experienced magazine production artists with digital publishing know-how can assist you with everything from concept development to final production. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a magazine that stands out.

#digitalmagazine #magazinedesign #magazineproduction #publishingplatform #issuu #professionaldesigner #visualappeal #userexperience #discoverability #readerengagement #digitalmarketing #contentcreation #ezines #magazinepublishing #magazinedesigner #magazineproductionartist

Why a regular magazine benefits trade shows, exhibitions, conferences and events

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 14:49:03 GMT

In today's fast-paced business environment, trade shows, exhibitions, conferences and events play a crucial role in connecting businesses with potential customers, partners, and suppliers. Organisers seeking ideas to enhance engagement should consider publishing a regular magazine, as it can significantly improve the event's value proposition for visitors and exhibitors.

Here, we explore several reasons why publishing a regular magazine benefits everyone involved.

Key Benefits for Visitors and Exhibitors

Information and Education: A magazine is a valuable resource that offers in-depth articles, case studies, and white papers on industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies. This helps visitors stay informed and make informed decisions. For exhibitors, it's an opportunity to showcase their expertise and position themselves as thought leaders.
Lead Generation: By featuring relevant content and targeting the right audience, a magazine can generate leads for exhibitors. Visitors who find the content valuable are more likely to engage with exhibitors and explore potential business opportunities.
Brand Awareness: A magazine can help exhibitors increase brand awareness among their target audience. By advertising their products or services, exhibitors can reach a wider audience and establish themselves as trusted brands.
Networking Opportunities: A magazine can facilitate networking by providing a platform for industry professionals to connect and share ideas. This can lead to valuable partnerships and collaborations.

The Importance of Impartial Authority

Whether printed, digitally produced, or both, a magazine can establish itself as an impartial authority in its industry. By providing unbiased information and analysis, a magazine can build trust with its readers and position itself as a reliable source of information. This can be particularly valuable for organisers, as it helps attract visitors and exhibitors seeking credible information.

The Power of Case Studies and White Papers

Case studies and white papers are particularly valuable features in a magazine. They provide real-world examples of how products or services have been successfully implemented, helping visitors understand the benefits and applications of different solutions. Exhibitors can also sponsor these features, offering them a unique opportunity to showcase their expertise and generate leads.

Promoting Trade Shows, Exhibitions, Conferences and Events

A magazine published by organisers can be an effective tool for promoting the event itself. A magazine can generate excitement and encourage attendance by featuring articles about the show, highlighting key exhibitors, and providing information on conference sessions and workshops. Additionally, the magazine can be showcased on social media platforms like LinkedIn, expanding its reach and engaging with a broader audience.

Choosing the Right Magazine Production Company

When selecting a magazine production company to partner with, it is essential to choose a company with experience in producing high-quality content and an understanding of your industry. Whether your event is local, national, or international, a reputable magazine production company can help you create a publication that delivers value to visitors and exhibitors. By working together, you can create a magazine that becomes an indispensable resource for your industry and contributes to the success of your trade show or exhibition.

Ready to Elevate Your Event?

If you're an organiser looking to create a high-quality publication that engages your audience and drives results, we're here to help. With our expertise in magazine production and deep understanding of the trade show industry, we can help you develop a publication that sets your event apart to help attract visitors and exhibitors. Contact us today to discuss your project and learn how we can help your event grow.

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What is pagination? The art of compiling your content for print success

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 18:25:18 GMT

In newspaper and magazine production, pagination primarily involves numbering and positioning editorial and advertising content as pages. It also enables the production artist to group pages, such as knowing where to add sections or supplements while working within a printer's printing plate and sheet arrangement to support print efficiency and costs.

To start, we need to work backwards. The number of pages in a publication is determined by the printing company's printing plates and the large flat sheets of paper (litho sheet-fed printing) or a large roll (web-offset printing) on which the pages will be printed.

Printing plates, usually made from aluminium sheets, transfer the pages' inked image to the paper. Depending on the page size and the plates' size, each printing plate may generally contain 8, 16, or 32 printed pages (pp). The full-colour print process uses cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). One printing plate is used for each colour. We refer to a group of CMYK plates as a 'set of plates' or a 'colour set'.

Small printing presses can print 8pp in one single pass, ideal for low-run, small-paginated magazines. Larger sheet-fed printing presses print 16pp in a single pass, more suited to typical mid-paginated low- to mid-quantity print runs. Longer paginated publications with higher quantities generally require a web offset printing press, which can print 32pp in a single pass.

Here's a video showing how web offset printing works.

As a rule of thumb, we will prepare pages working to the nearest 4pp, 8pp, 16pp or 32pp, knowing there will be no issues sending pages off to print, especially if magazines are self-covered. Self-covered magazines mean the cover is printed on the same stock paper as the text, such as 32pp, 48pp, and 64pp. However, if a cover is printed on thicker paper, which may also have a lamination or UV varnish added to the front and back cover, we will add a '4pp' to the specification. We then refer to the publication's pagination with text pages and a cover as 32+4pp (32pp text and 4pp cover), 48+4pp (48pp text and 4pp cover) or 64pp+4pp (64pp text and 4pp cover) as examples.

Before you start an issue, what should you know?

When we produce a magazine, the first question we ask is the pagination — how many pages will the issue contain? This is because the publisher would have pre-arranged and agreed on the specification, pagination, quantity, specification, mailing information, cost and dates before starting the issue.

This information is usually shared well ahead of time with the editor so they can formulate their content and advertising sales to sell sufficient advertising space. Combined, we can build a flatplan to gain a snap-shot overview of where content can be paginated.

Business-to-business magazines (B2B) typically sit around 64pp text plus 4pp cover. Depending on the quantity and the printing press size, the text pagination could comprise eight sets of 8pp plates, four sets of 16pp plates, or two sets of 32pp plates. Consumer titles are usually around 160+4pp, comprising ten sets of 16pp plates or five sets of 32pp plates. Covers are printed separately. The text and the cover come together at the binding stage.

If the magazine needs to increase its pagination, we try to add the number of pages to match another set of plates, whether that may be 8pp, 16pp, or 32pp. We're mindful of optimising the cost of printing.

What happens if the final pagination is different to what you've planned?

The content must be adjusted to what is required by the printer. We know how many pages we are working towards from the outset and ensure all content is accommodated. If any content runs under or over the predetermined pagination, we then work on a contingency of adjusting copy and images to suit or introduce another feature already sidelined for such eventuality, sell last-minute advertising at a discount, donate space to charities, or include 'house adverts' to help fill space.

How does prepress ensure pages appear in the correct order?

Once a magazine is approved for printing, the next step is prepress, which is critical in magazine production as this is the point at which pages are imposed. Alongside technical artwork checks and accepting the correct pagination, the prepress software strategically arranges/imposes magazine pages, which are then imaged collectively onto printing plates. When printed double-sided, the imposed arrangement of grouping pages becomes signatures. Each signature is the number of pages printed on both sides of a sheet, typically 8pp, 16pp, 32pp, or even 64pp. Ultimately, this would ensure that when the sheets have been printed, signatures are folded, collated, bound and trimmed, pages will appear in the correct paginated order and orientation within the final magazine.

How does pagination work with digital issues?

As the publication is not being printed, you can publish any number of pages or pagination length. With many page-turning solutions available, preparing pages as double-page spreads is advisable. However, we always exercise best practice by working to the nearest pagination set of fours just in case the digital issue ever needs to be printed in the future by you, your advertisers or readers.

Understanding pagination, sets of plates, imposition, and signatures can help you optimise your print efficiency.

Want to learn more about magazine production? Explore more for a wealth of resources with magazine production and publishing!

#magazineproduction #printproduction #prepress #pagination #imposition #printsignatures #graphicdesign #printing

Are you looking to hire a magazine designer? How can we help?

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 15:41:14 GMT

As an independent publisher, your vision is the driving force behind your magazine. But translating that vision into a visually stunning, reader-engaging publication requires a skilled and experienced magazine designer or a magazine production artist, as many often refer to the role.

We have an established history in the print and publishing industry and often take a proactive, forward-thinking approach to do things better, faster, and easier. We also find ways to keep client costs down, such as providing a fixed price per page so clients can confidently budget ahead.

Since the advent of broadband in the early 2000s, we have been able to remotely provide effective outsourced magazine design services. As our business expanded, in 2008, we rebranded as The Magazine Production Company. Over the past two decades, we have had the privilege of working with publishers across the UK, Europe, the US, and Africa, adapting to the changing needs of the industry.

Today, in the world of magazine design and production, we work hard to remain at the forefront of software and technology. But our commitment doesn't stop there. We also strive to understand the unique challenges that independent publishers face because we believe that understanding is the key to providing effective solutions. That's why we offer a service built to empower success tailored to the needs of independent publishers.

Direct Client Relationship: Accountability You Can Trust

You won't find us on freelancer platforms like Fiverr , Upwork , or PeoplePerHour , which take additional fees for at-arms-length services; here are other reasons why . However, when you're looking to hire a magazine designer directly, we prefer to be accessible and more accountable. We will allocate a dedicated, experienced team member who will most likely be available whenever you need it. This would also provide you with a dedicated point of contact and, in turn, build a direct relationship. This ensures clear communication and a complete understanding of your project goals; it assists with keeping your production costs down and, most importantly, accountability. We take responsibility for the quality of our magazine design services.

A Network of Experience: Your Blueprint for Success

It is also our secret weapon: a curated network of highly skilled magazine production artists. While each team member brings years of experience, we can also provide scalability as your business grows, enlisting additional team members as and when you require but only paying for the time they're needed. With this dynamic, collaborative approach, we create a bespoke blueprint for your magazine, ensuring cohesive and visually impactful publications that resonate with your target audience.

Actioning a Contingency: No Breaking Links

Freelancers are human, and so are we. In case of illness, holidays, or an urgent project potentially affecting other client commitments, we can reassign your project to another team member so your business will always continue — on time and within budget.

Transparency and Trusted Service: Your Peace of Mind

We understand the importance of building trust with our clients. That's why, since May 2012, we've been a registered member of Trading Standards' Buy with Confidence scheme , a testament to our commitment to transparency and ethical business practices.

The Magazine Production Company Advantage

By choosing The Magazine Production Company you gain access to more than just design expertise. We offer:

Dedicated project management: We handle the heavy lifting, ensuring your project stays on track and within budget.
Streamlined communication: You'll have a direct line to your magazine designer, keeping you informed and involved at every step.
Unwavering commitment to quality: We take pride in delivering magazine design services and hope to exceed your expectations.

Ready to take your magazine to the next level?

Contact us at The Magazine Production Company today to discuss how we can bring your vision to life. With our personalised approach, experienced team, and commitment to quality, we'll help you create a magazine that stands out from the crowd.

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The Magazine Production Company: Your perfect partner in magazine design

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 15:05:53 GMT

Are you an independent publisher searching for a magazine designer to bring your vision to life? Look no further than The Magazine Production Company ( www.magazineproduction.com )!

Whether your magazine is in print, digital or both, we understand the unique challenges faced by independent publishers in the UK. For over twenty years, we've been the trusted magazine design partner for a variety of publications.

But why choose The Magazine Production Company? Here's what sets us apart:

1. Predictable Budgeting & Scalable Expertise for Independent Publishers: Pioneering fixed pricing per page, we empower independent publishers to budget with confidence but also outsourcing your magazine design to The Magazine Production Company offers several advantages:

Access to a Talent Pool: Unlike a single freelancer, you gain access to a team of experienced designers, ensuring expertise and continuity even with unforeseen circumstances, such as illness.
Cost-Effectiveness: Our fixed-price model eliminates hourly rate uncertainty and allows for efficient project management, saving you time and money.
Scalability: Our team can seamlessly adapt to projects of varying sizes and complexities, meeting your specific needs without needing to expand your internal staff.

2. Collaborative Partnership: We believe in building a true partnership with our clients. We don't just design; we collaborate with you to understand your target audience, brand identity, and content goals. This results in magazines that are not only visually stunning but also resonate with your readers.

3. Access to a network of experienced professionals: While we may be a small, dedicated team of production artists, we have a wide network of experienced professionals who can assist you with writers, editors, advertising sales, or even commercial direction.

4. Global Reach: Our focus may lie in supporting independent UK publishers, but our reach extends far beyond. We've successfully designed magazines for clients in the US, Europe, and Africa. No matter your location, we can adapt to meet your needs.

The Magazine Production Company is more than just a cost-effective magazine design service; we're your one-stop shop for all your magazine production, general artwork and printing needs. From concept to completion, we'll guide you through every step of the process, ensuring a professional end product is produced within budget.

Ready to get started? Contact us today for a free consultation, and let's discuss how we can turn your magazine vision into a reality!

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Unveiling the powerhouse: what software do you need to design a magazine?

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 18:04:57 GMT

So, you're ready to embark on the exciting journey of creating your own magazine! But amidst the flurry of brainstorming content and captivating visuals, a crucial question arises: 'What software do I need to create a magazine?'

While numerous options exist, industry veterans swear by Adobe's Creative Suite , a robust ecosystem of tools designed to empower you to create breathtaking magazines. At the heart of this suite lies Adobe InDesign , the undisputed industry standard for crafting sophisticated and refined layouts, integrating compelling text and visuals, and ensuring seamless file preparation for proofing, commercial printing and digital publishing.

But it's more than just InDesign. Adobe's Creative Suite unlocks a treasure trove of synergistic tools:

Adobe Illustrator : Vector graphics powerhouse for crafting stunning logos, illustrations, infographics and icons.
Adobe Photoshop : Renowned image editing software for colour-balancing, enhancing, correcting and optimising images and photographs.
Adobe Acrobat: There are four versions of Acrobat: Acrobat Reader, Acrobat Standard, Acrobat Pro, and Acrobat Teams. We use Acrobat Pro. It simplifies the workflow, collaboration, review, and proofing processes and can also make limited modifications to PDF files received.

Alongside several other applications used daily, software alone isn't the magic ingredient. While the Adobe Creative Suite empowers, remember expertise and design skills are fundamental. Constructing various parent pages and style sheets, orchestrating content, managing communication, and understanding commercial printing, all the while having a finger on the workflow pulse to ensure deadlines are met, is diligently piloted by an experienced magazine production artist.

Free or budget-friendly software alternatives may seem tempting at first glance, but remember:

Time is money. Spending hours wrestling with non-intuitive software can significantly impact your productivity and, ultimately, the quality of your magazine.
Amateurish and inconsistent layouts scream for attention, but not the good kind. Your magazine must exude professionalism to attract readers and advertisers, both crucial for long-term success.

Leave it to the experts. It certainly doesn't cost as much as you think — you'll receive far better results faster. Production artists have invested years in hardware and industry-standard tools, honing their craft while keeping up to date with the latest developments. By doing so, you'll be well on your way to creating a magazine that informs, entertains, and stands out from the crowd without tearing your hair out in the process.

If you need help with production, feel free to contact us .

#magazinecreation #magazineproduction #magazinedesign #adobecreativesuite #indesign #magazinesoftware #professionalpublishing

How to design a magazine: It's more than just making a page look good

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 19:01:06 GMT

So you have a fantastic magazine idea! It is filled with captivating stories, stunning visuals, and a message that will resonate with your target audience. You turn on your computer, fire up a design program, and think, "Piece of cake!" But hold on there, aspiring publisher. Creating a professional, print-ready magazine goes far beyond simply arranging text and images on a page.

To design a magazine is a journey into the intricate world of production, layouts, and commercial printing, where seemingly small details can make a big difference. Sure, anyone can throw some words and pictures together. But to truly captivate your readers and shine on the newsstand, you need to understand the technical wizardry behind the scenes. This is where things get interesting and potentially overwhelming.

Dive into the Printing Dimension

Forget "what fits on the screen." Printing introduces a whole new set of rules, and here are a few technical basics:

Bleed: Images and backgrounds that extend beyond the page's edge, creating a seamless visual effect after trimming.
Trim marks: Guiding lines for the printer to know where to cut.
Safe zones: The sweet spot where text and essential elements won't get chopped off during trimming.

Now, imagine building paragraph/character styles, tools to help maintain consistency, and parent pages for efficient layout production across multiple pages and ensuring everything complies with commercial printing standards. It's like navigating a complex foreign language, and the consequences of getting it wrong can be time-consuming and costly.

Software Savvy: Beyond Basic Programs

While free basic design programs exist, they often lack the key features and precision needed for professional magazine creation. Enter Adobe InDesign , the industry standard for a reason. Its powerful tools and features, combined with our expertise in Illustrator , Photoshop , and Acrobat , allow us to seamlessly manage every aspect of your magazine's creation, from concept to final print-ready file.

The Power of Experience

We get it. Designing a magazine is tempting, and everyone deserves a chance to express their creativity. But let's be honest, wouldn't you rather have your brilliant idea translated into a polished, professional publication that turns heads and delivers results?

An experienced hand like ours can:

Navigate the technical complexities, saving you time, money, and frustration.
Adhere to printing standards , ensuring your magazine looks its absolute best.
Optimise layouts and design , enhancing readability and visual impact.
Identify and prevent potential errors , avoiding costly reprints and delays.
Protecting your advertising revenue , checking incoming ad artwork to ensure it prints as the advertiser intended.

Embrace the Collaboration

Don't think of us as gatekeepers; think of us as collaborators. Share your vision, your passion, and your unique content. We'll guide you through the design and printing maze, ensuring your magazine becomes a reality that exceeds expectations.

Remember, a well-designed magazine is more than just a collection of words and pictures. It's a carefully crafted experience that informs, engages, and resonates with your audience. By understanding the technical aspects and leveraging the power of experience, you can create a publication that truly stands out.

Ready to turn your magazine dream into a reality? Let's talk!

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The Dawn of the Hyperlocal Newspaper — is it better than a community magazine, and why every town and city should have one?

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:24:45 GMT

The world of publishing in the UK is evolving, and with it, the way communities connect. While door-to-door community magazines hold a certain charm, a hyperlocal newspaper is a cost-effective powerhouse poised to revolutionise community engagement.

Imagine this: your free-to-read hyperlocal sits proudly in newspaper dump bins at supermarket entrances, readily accessible to thousands of shoppers each week. Local residents grab their free copy alongside groceries, immersing themselves in the latest local buzz. Sounds appealing, right? But beyond convenience, a hyperlocal newspaper offers distinct advantages you can't ignore.

Printing Powerhouse

Vanishing Act (in a Good Way): A hyperlocal newspaper's "grab-and-go" appeal typically sees 10,000 copies disappearing within a few days, ensuring your message reaches an engaged audience catching up on the town's monthly news. With each copy being read by other household members, it would be no surprise that the readership could be even higher.
Cost-Conscious Champion: Based on 32pp, copy-for-copy, newspaper printing is roughly 35% cheaper than magazine printing and carries four times more page space. If you include professional design and production, it's still more cost-effective than magazine printing alone.
Short Lead Times: Upload artwork one day, delivered to you the next, all ready for multi-point distribution. While easily possible, you must book your print slot in advance and be committed to hitting the deadline.
Eco-friendly: Newspaper printing boasts surprising eco-friendliness using paper through responsible forestry practices, a renewable resource that is readily replenished.

Community Connection Power

Frequency Frenzy: Weeklies, bi-weekly, or monthly — you choose. For a single-handed news gatherer/editor, a monthly hyperlocal newspaper for most towns is ideal. It makes for a great start-up publishing business, a fantastic opportunity for journalists and content writers.
Reaching the Unplugged: Newspapers provide access to local news for those not on social media, promoting inclusivity.
Wider Net: Supermarkets attract diverse demographics. Imagine young families discovering park activities, retirees learning about senior centre events, or pet owners finding new dog-friendly cafés. It's also a valuable tool for your local government to convey town council news and developments. Your content caters to everyone.
Print Interactivity: Add QR codes for readers to watch YouTube videos or listen to podcasts or allow readers to visit advertisers' websites for hidden offers, discounts, and more. The hyperlocal is an important platform.

A Digital Newspaper

In addition to print, an interactive digital version can be published, too — available to anyone unable to pick up a physical copy. Interactive issues can be showcased on your website and shared across social media. Previous editions can always be easily found on the website's back-issues page. Watch your online visibility rocket, attracting readers beyond the supermarket aisles. Remember, the more readers, the stronger your community connection!

A Win-Win for Advertisers

What are the benefits for advertisers by placing an advert in a hyperlocal newspaper that also has a digital magazine version:

Laser-Focused Reach: Forget casting a wide net. Hyperlocal publications allow you to directly target the specific community where your customers live, work, and shop.
Dual-Platform Power: Get the best of both worlds with print and digital exposure. Reach readers who prefer the tactile experience of print alongside those browsing online. Think vibrant display ads in the paper coupled with interactive digital versions.
Community Connection: Hyperlocal publications are woven into the fabric of the community, nurturing trust and positive associations. By advertising here, your brand becomes part of the conversation, aligning itself with community values and local support.
Engaged Audience: Hyperlocal readers are actively interested in their community, leading to higher engagement rates compared to broader publications. Imagine your ad being seen by residents actively planning their weekend activities or searching for local recommendations.
Budget-Friendly Options: Explore various ad formats to suit your needs and budget, from display ads to sponsored content. Some publications even offer attractive packages combining print and digital placements. Is there a better way for advertisers on a budget to carry their business message from less than a fraction of a penny per reader?

By leveraging the power of hyperlocal focus, dual-platform reach, and community engagement, advertising in a hyperlocal newspaper and its digital counterpart can be a smart strategy for businesses looking to connect with local customers and grow their brand within a specific geographic area. The newspaper provides a solution for localised marketing services.

Of course, magazines have their strengths, but when it comes to cost-effectiveness, reach, and local engagement, hyperlocal newspapers offer a surprisingly sustainable option for community news dissemination.

Ready to join the printing revolution?

Analyse your audience, crunch the numbers, and remember the digital realm! Create a website or social media presence for your hyperlocal newspaper, amplifying your reach and solidifying your position as the community's go-to source for news and connection.

Remember, the power lies in serving your community. So, partner with your local supermarkets, drop us a line and see how cost-effective hyperlocal newspapers could be, then watch your publication become the talk of the town!

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Strategic content powerhouse: Why your business needs a magazine (and how it pays for itself)

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 19:12:24 GMT

In the age of endless scrolling and fleeting attention spans, it's easy to think print is dead. But what if I told you a well-crafted magazine could be your business's secret weapon to dominate your industry, engage your customers, and even turn a profit?

Whether the magazine is in print or as a dynamic digital magazine or both, it can be designed to become the ultimate resource for everything in your industry. It isn't just a promotional pamphlet; it's a strategic content powerhouse brimming with stories, insights, and insider knowledge that sets you apart as an undeniable authority in your field.

Just imagine what your magazine could offer:

Curated Content for Modern Minds: Your magazine blends compelling industry-wide news, company announcements, staff achievements, cutting-edge product reveals, industry-wide spotlights, or even nostalgic flashbacks reflecting how far you have come.
Shining in Your Industry: Showcase your expertise through engaging articles, stunning visuals, and even adding interactive elements such as video and podcast content for a more profound experience, ensuring your message sticks like never before.
Community Building at its Finest: Your magazine isn't just about you; it's about fostering a vibrant community around your brand. It can feature customer testimonials, supplier spotlights, and event promotions, turning the magazine into a platform for connection and collaboration with industry professionals. Imagine the trust and loyalty this builds among your stakeholders.
A Platform of Industry Expertise: Want to position yourself as the thought leader in your field? Your magazine is your megaphone, encouraging contributors to delve into industry trends, analyse key developments, and offer insightful commentary, solidifying your brand's image as the go-to source for knowledge and guidance.

Now, for the best part: What if your magazine could be self-sustaining? Inviting key suppliers and industry partners to sponsor content or advertise within the magazine could easily cover the costs of editorial magic, its design and production, the printing, mailing and preparing a digital version for your social media activities — a steal for the impact it delivers.

It's a win-win: you get top-notch content, your suppliers build brand awareness, and your customers enjoy a valuable resource — all under the umbrella of your industry leadership.

Your magazine isn't just a publication; it's a strategic investment in your brand's future. It's about building deeper connections, establishing authority, and driving engagement. Ready to ignite your business? Let's get your magazine rolling!

Bonus Tip: Use your magazine as a voice to promote upcoming industry events and trade shows, further solidifying your presence and maximising ROI. So, feel free to share this post on LinkedIn and tag your industry connections, suppliers, and potential advertisers. Let's start the conversation about how your magazine could revolutionise your business and help your industry!

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DIY design disaster or eye-catching content? Cracking the code on magazine software (and why hiring a magazine designer can save the day)

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 10:53:14 GMT

The thrill of holding your own magazine, a tangible testament to your creative vision, is undeniable. But before you dive headfirst into the world of self-publishing, let's talk software, the tools that could either propel your masterpiece to greatness or send it spiralling into a design disaster zone.

DIY Software: Freedom with a caveat (or ten)

A plethora of free and affordable software beckons, promising creative control and budget-friendly publishing. But hold your horses, aspiring editors — remember, with great power comes great responsibility (and potential pitfalls):

Time Warp: Learning software, designing layouts, wrangling images – your initial enthusiasm might wane as deadlines stretch and quality suffers.
Constricted Control: free software generally means basic software, restricting placement and control over how copy is presented.
Amateur Hour: Let's be honest, unless you're a design savant, your first attempts might resemble a ransom note, not a professional publication. Poor typography, unbalanced layouts, and amateurish visuals can alienate readers and essential sponsors.
False Economy: The initial thrill of "free" might fade when you factor in the hidden costs of lost time, compromised quality, and potentially lost opportunities due to an unprofessional presentation.

Hiring a Designer: Investing in excellence

Now, let's paint a different picture. Imagine your magazine, not just designed but transformed into a captivating masterpiece. Skilled designers bring your vision to life with:

Swift Expertise: Professionals work magic with layouts, typography, and visuals, shaving weeks off your production time and delivering a polished product that screams 'quality.'
Eye Candy for the Win: Forget amateur hour. Imagine stunning visuals, captivating layouts, and typography that dance with your words. Professional design attracts readers, sponsors, and advertisers like moths to a flame.
ROI (Return on Investment): Yes, there's a cost. But consider it an investment in your vision. A professionally designed magazine commands higher reader engagement, attracts more sponsors, and ultimately boosts your bottom line.

The Verdict: A Balanced Approach

The good news? You don't have to choose between DIY purgatory and designer heaven. Find the sweet spot! For basic content creation and layout, explore user-friendly software. But when it comes to the final design, invest in a professional. Just a few days of their expertise can transform your amateur effort into a publication that shines, attracts, and ultimately succeeds.

Embrace the Art of Collaboration

Creating a magazine is a journey, not a solo sprint. Let talented designers be your artistic allies, transforming your raw vision into a polished gem. Remember, the cost isn't just about money; it's about an investment in your dream. Choose wisely, collaborate skillfully, and watch your magazine blossom from pixels to published perfection!

For a free friendly chat, why not drop us a line?

Magazine mayhem: why most magazines fail

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 18:45:26 GMT

Mmm..magazines — glossy havens of curated content, trendsetting tastemakers, and whispered dreams of holding your own words in print. But in the ruthless realm of publishing, dreams can turn to dust faster than a dropped doughnut in a bakery. Why? Buckle up as we explore the Top 10 reasons why most magazines fail .

1. Audience Ghost Town: Imagine crafting exquisite poems to...tumbleweeds. Targeting everyone leads to engaging no one. Define your niche, hone your focus, create quality content and build a dedicated reader community instead of a lonely echo chamber.

2. Cold Content : Dullness is the death knell for any publication. Captivating articles, stunning visuals, and fresh perspectives are the lifeblood of your magazine. Ditch the yawn-inducing and pump up the page-turning power!

3. Financial Freefall: Magazines are a marathon, not a sprint. Underestimating costs, relying solely on ad fairies, and budgeting with a blindfold are recipes for financial disaster. Plan, invest wisely and diversify your revenue streams to avoid an early print obituary.

4. Distribution Desert: Your masterpiece deserves a grand reveal, not a dusty attic corner. Craft a robust distribution strategy, tap into relevant channels, and make sure your mag finds its way to eager eyes, not oblivion.

5. Digital Deluge Denial: The media landscape is a tidal wave, and clinging to a paper raft won't keep you afloat. Embrace the digital world, build a captivating online presence, and engage your audience beyond the printed page.

6. Advertiser Apathy: Sponsors want bang for their buck, not chirping crickets. Understand their needs, deliver engaged readers, and avoid ad space that's as exciting as watching paint dry.

7. Team Turmoil: Internal chaos is a productivity black hole. Foster a collaborative spirit, ensure clear communication, and resolve conflicts before they morph into print-stopping hold-the-front-page dramas.

8. Competition Coma: Ignoring your rivals is like playing chess blindfolded. Analyse their strengths, identify your unique edge, and carve out a niche that makes you your domain's reigning ink king (or queen).

9. Overambition Overreach: Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are successful magazines. Pace yourself, prioritise, and celebrate milestones along the way. Burnout is a creativity killer, not a badge of honour.

10. Data Deafness: Your readers are valuable feedback machines. Listen to their analytics whispers, respond to their preferences, and continuously improve your content. Ignoring their voices is like sailing without a rudder — destined for a messy collision with reality.

Remember, magazine success isn't just about fancy fonts and flashy covers. It's about a holistic approach — focusing on quality content, strategic planning, and a relentless pursuit of improvement. So, channel your inner Gutenberg, avoid these perils, and watch your magazine blossom from a fragile sapling to a towering titan of the publishing world!

Unveiling the timeline: How long does it take to create a magazine?

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 17:43:41 GMT

The anticipation of holding your very own magazine is a tangible testament to your passions and expertise. But before you dive headfirst into the world of publishing, one question inevitably arises: how long does it take to create a magazine? The answer is a blend of factors influencing the time it takes to develop your publication masterpiece.

The simmering stew: The basics of magazine production

Let's dissect the process, step by tantalising step:

Concept & planning: Brainstorming themes, defining your target audience, solidifying content goals, and establishing a timeline — this foundational simmer can take two weeks to two months, depending on your vision and complexity.
Content creation: From captivating articles to mesmerising visuals, this stage could span four to eight weeks, influenced by the length and number of pieces, the research involved, the talent you enlist, and the time it takes contributors to supply their content.
Magazine design & production: This is where your magazine blossoms, with typography dancing with images and text transforming into a visual symphony. Depending on the pagination, this stage could take a week to four weeks — even longer for high-pagination titles. It all depends on the design complexity and desired revisions.
Prepress: Since we would have checked all the assets as we produced the magazine, prepress approval could take minutes from when the client approves the publication.
Printing: Typically, the printing of magazines takes four to six working days, but we recommend that for higher-paginated/longer-run titles, machine time is booked with the printer in advance, especially if the paper needs to be specially ordered for the print work. Time-sensitive newspaper projects can be printed same-day but only if booked in advance.

The time warp: Variables that shape your timeline

Remember, these are just estimations. The actual time warp depends on several variables:

Frequency: Is this a monthly masterpiece or a quarterly gem? Frequent publications naturally tighten the timeline, or particular deadlines may overlap.
Page count: More pages translate to more time dedicated to creation and production.
In-house Vs. Outsourced: Are you a one-person orchestra or a collaborative ensemble? With an in-house team, you would have greater control and flexibility working with a deeper understanding, but talent may be limited and carry a higher cost. Outsourcing provides a larger pool of talent who can expedite the process and swiftly produce the desired results. They are also likely to be more cost-effective.
Revisions & approvals: Do you embrace the first draft or meticulously polish every detail? The number of revisions can significantly influence the timeframe and price. Proofing content before submitting it to production can substantially reduce time when working through amendments.

Remember, quality takes time

While rushing might seem tempting, remember a magazine is an investment in your vision. Skimping on time can compromise quality, leading to less engaged readers, fewer sponsors, and a less captivating final product.

So, how long does it take to create a magazine?

There's no one-size-fits-all answer. But as a rough guide, a disciplined monthly A5 32pp community magazine could take four weeks to source and write content, sell advertising, produce the pages, print and deliver. For longer bi-monthly paginated titles, you could look at several weeks or more for a complex, high-quality publication.

Embrace the journey

Creating a magazine is not a sprint but a thrilling adventure. Savour the process, enjoy the collaborative spirit and let your passion guide you. With careful planning, strategic allocation of time, and a dash of flexibility, you'll witness your magazine blossoming from concept to captivating reality.

If you wish to discuss your objectives and how long it would take to produce, why not drop us a line?

Are magazines still profitable? Unveiling the diamonds in the digital dust

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 13:32:56 GMT

The scent of fresh ink, the tactile experience of turning pages, the captivating allure of curated content — in a world dominated by pixels and swipes, magazines hold a certain je ne sais quoi . But in an age of instant gratification and digital overload, the question whispers: are magazines still profitable?

The answer, like a well-aged whiskey, demands nuance. It's not a simple yes or no; it's resilience and reinvention, quality content captured like diamonds sparkling amidst the digital dust.

The diamonds that endure: While the landscape has shifted, magazines haven't faded into sepia-toned nostalgia. Niche publications, armed with laser-sharp focus and passionate communities, do thrive. Think artisanal coffee magazines for caffeine connoisseurs, sustainable fashion guides for eco-conscious consumers, or premium periodicals published for professionals. These diamonds, expertly cut and polished, cater to specific desires, cultivate loyal followings, and spark joy (and sometimes revenue) far beyond the ephemeral click.

In the digital age, relying solely on printed pages is not enough. A captivating online presence, strategic social media engagement, and value-added digital issue experiences are the settings that can make those diamonds truly shine.

Investing in expertise: Polishing your gemstone.

This is where the true magic happens. Imagine your niche magazine not just as a printed gem but as a multifaceted masterpiece. Skilled professionals can:

Design delights: Dazzling layouts, captivating visuals with typography, and adding interactivity — a good designer transforms pages into portals that beckon readers in.
Wordsmith wonders: Editors and writers sculpt articles that inform, entertain, and resonate with your target audience. Their expertise ensures clarity, flow, and that elusive "I can't-put-it-down" quality.
Digital diamonds: From building your website to crafting engaging social media campaigns, digital experts ensure your magazine shines online, attracting readers, sponsors, and advertisers.

These investments might seem like luxuries, but they're strategic assets — tools to provide advertisers with a marketing service. A professionally crafted magazine, both in print and online, attracts more readers, generates buzz, and becomes a magnet for sponsors and advertisers. This, in turn, fuels growth and can potentially transform your niche diamond into a thriving enterprise.

So, are magazines still profitable?

Niche magazines, armed with strategic focus, digital savvy, and a professional touch, can be profitable. The key is to understand your audience, invest in quality content and presentation, and embrace the opportunities that the digital world offers.

If you wish to discuss your plans and objectives, feel free to contact us .

Can I self-publish a magazine? A dream or delusion? Unveiling the DIY diamonds and designer pearls

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 12:18:31 GMT

The urge to hold your own creation in your hands, a tangible testament to your passions and expertise, is undeniably alluring. Enter the enchanting world of self-published magazines, where you call the shots, and your imagination sets the boundaries. But before you dive headfirst into this exciting, yet sometimes chaotic, realm, let's answer the burning question: can you self-publish a magazine?

The DIY diamond: Crafting your vision on a budget

Can you self-publish a magazine? Absolutely! With a computer and access to the internet, basic software, online templates, a fair degree of time and a DIY spirit brimming with potential, you can conjure a basic magazine with your unique voice into a tangible expression of your passion. It might not be the Mona Lisa of magazines, but it'll be authentically yours, a diamond mined from the rough. But remember, diamonds take time to polish.

Just like a rough diamond, a self-produced magazine can sparkle with potential, but it might lack the brilliance and captivating shine of a professionally polished gem. Think blurry photos, amateur-led layouts, and text that stumbles rather than flows. These elements, while charmingly honest, might not attract the readers, sponsors, and advertisers you dream of.

Investing in pearls: Where expertise elevates your vision

This is where the magic of collaboration takes centre stage. Imagine your DIY diamond transformed into a breathtaking pearl necklace, each pearl meticulously chosen and strung by skilled artisans.

Design delights: A talented magazine designer weaves magic with layouts, typography, and images, transforming pages into eye-catching portals to your content. Think of high-resolution quality photos, captivating infographics, and a layout that dances with your words.
Words worth waiting for: Skilled writers and editors sculpt articles that inform, entertain, and resonate with your target audience. Their expertise ensures clarity, flow, and that elusive "I can't-put-it-down" quality.
Polishing the pearl: An experienced editor acts as your guardian angel, ensuring deadlines are met, budgets are adhered to, and quality remains the guiding light. They're the diamond cutter to your rough gem, shaping it into a dazzling masterpiece.

These investments might seem like luxuries, but they're strategic assets. A professionally crafted magazine attracts more readers, generates buzz, and becomes a magnet for sponsors and advertisers. This, in turn, fuels growth and potentially transforms your initial investment into a pearl of immense value.

So, can you self-publish? The verdict is... it depends!

The answer is a blend of factors. Your goals, resources, and tolerance for adventure all play a part.

DIY delight: If your magazine is a passion project for your close circle, a self-produced gem can be a fun and rewarding journey.
Pearl powerhouse: If you envision your magazine conquering the market, investing in design, editing, and other pearls of expertise is the key to unlocking its full potential.

Remember, the cost of a magazine isn't just about money, it's about an investment in your vision. The choice is yours, and the possibilities are as endless as the stories you weave.

If you would like to discuss the best options for your budget, feel free to drop us a line .

Is it easy to create a magazine? Unveiling the glitter and grit behind the glossy cover

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 11:14:47 GMT

Ah, the allure of the magazine. A tangible testament to your passions, a platform for your voice, and a gateway to connecting with like-minded souls. But before you dive headfirst into the world of publishing, let's address the burning question: is it easy to create a magazine?

Well, dear reader, the answer is as nuanced as a well-crafted cocktail. It's a delicious blend of creative freedom, logistical hurdles, and enough glitter and grit to fill a sequin factory.

The DIY Path: Can You MacGyver a Masterpiece?

In the internet age, anyone with a laptop and a dream can technically self-publish. Free software, online templates, a fair bit of elbow grease and a decent amount of time can create a basic magazine. But be warned, this shortcut can often come at a cost. Think of it like baking a cake from scratch versus buying a pre-made mix. Sure, the homemade version might be quirky and charming, but it might also be lopsided, with a slightly burnt crust and a questionable flavour.

Investing in Excellence: When Design Becomes Destiny

This is where the magic happens. Imagine transforming your magazine from a humble cupcake into a mouthwatering layer cake, each tier crafted by a professional baker.

Visual Alchemy: A skilled designer weaves magic with layouts, typography, and images, transforming pages into eye-catching portals to your content. Think high-resolution professional photos, captivating infographics, and a layout that flows like a well-told story.
Wordsmith Wizardry: Skilled writers and editors sculpt articles that inform, entertain, and resonate with your target audience. Their expertise ensures clarity, flow, and that elusive "I can't put it down" quality.
Captain of the Ship: An experienced editor acts as your guide, navigating deadlines and budgets, ensuring quality remains the north star. They're the Gandalf to your Frodo, the Yoda to your Luke Skywalker.

These investments might seem like luxuries, but they're strategic assets. A beautifully crafted magazine attracts more readers, generates buzz, and becomes a magnet for sponsors and advertisers. This can fuel growth and potentially transform your initial investment into a lucrative venture.

So, Is It Easy? The Verdict Is In...

Creating a magazine is like climbing Mount Everest — challenging, exhilarating, and ultimately rewarding. The ease depends on your goals, resources, and tolerance for adventure.

DIY Delight: If it's a passion project for your bookshelf, a basic self-produced magazine can be a fun and affordable journey.
Polished Perfection: If you envision a publication poised to conquer the market, investing in professional expertise is the key to unlocking its full potential.

Remember, the cost of a magazine isn't just about money, it's about an investment in your vision. Do you want a quirky cupcake or a showstopping layer cake? The choice is yours, and the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

If you would like to discuss your magazine, feel free to drop us a line .

How much does it cost to create a magazine? Unveiling the true value beyond the price tag

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 10:46:42 GMT

The attraction of publishing your own magazine, a vessel for your passions and expertise, is undeniable. But when the excitement settles, a crucial question emerges: "How much does it cost to create a magazine?"

Like a well-crafted cocktail, the answer is a potent mix of factors, each influencing the final price tag. But before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let's dispel a myth: the cost of a magazine isn't just about money; it's about investment.

Can you publish a magazine on a shoestring budget?

The brief answer is yes! Today's technology has democratised publishing, allowing enthusiasts to use basic software to create magazines. Still, it requires some elbow grease, many days of your time, and will likely produce less-than-desired inconsistent results. However, remember, a cheap magazine will attract few readers and advertisers. Why? Because quality-driven content and presentation are the lifeblood of any publication, and skimping on them can leave readers feeling unsatisfied and advertisers hesitant.

Investing in excellence: Where your money makes magic

This is where the true value of your magazine shines. Imagine:

Experience at the helm: An experienced editor acts as your captain, navigating the publishing seas, ensuring deadlines are met, budgets are adhered to, and quality remains the north star.
Compelling words: Skilled writers and editors sculpt articles that inform, entertain, and resonate with your target audience. Their expertise ensures clarity, flow, and that elusive "I can't put it down" quality.
Captivating visuals: Magazine designers weave magic with layouts, typography, and images, transforming pages into eye-catching portals to your content.

These investments might seem like luxuries, but they're strategic assets. A beautifully crafted magazine attracts more readers, generates buzz, and becomes a magnet for sponsors and advertisers. This, in turn, fuels growth and potentially transforms your initial investment into a lucrative venture.

So, how much does it cost?

The honest answer is it depends. Page count, frequency, printing choices, and the level of professional involvement all play a role. But as a ballpark figure, if you hire professionals for content creation, editing, proofing, design, production, printing, mailing and publishing an interactive digital issue, a typical low-run quarterly magazine with 36 pages could cost anywhere from £5,000 to £10,000 per issue. If you were to hire just a magazine production artist to create an interactive digital-only issue from your supplied content, it could be achieved in just a few days for as little as £700.

Remember, this is just the starting point. Invest more in sophisticated design, increased print runs, higher-quality paper, and targeted distribution; the price tag will climb. But so will your potential return.

Conclusion: Beyond the Numbers

Ultimately, the cost of creating a magazine is less about a single number and more about a strategic vision. Do you want a passion project for your bookshelf or a polished publication poised to conquer the market? The answer will guide your spending and determine the necessary resources to make your magazine dream a reality.

If you would like an idea of how much your magazine is likely to cost, feel free to drop us a line . We would only be too happy to discuss your objectives and what is possible within your budget.

From dream to magazine reality: Can I create my own magazine?

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 18:15:59 GMT

So, you've got a unique voice, a burning passion to share, and the itch to see your name on the cover of a beautiful creation. The question isn't 'can' you create your own magazine, it's 'how' do you do it in a way that reflects your vision and wows your readers? This guide is your roadmap to publishing success and why partnering with a professional magazine designer who understands the production, print and digital processes is the secret sauce to saving time, polishing your masterpiece, and making your budget sing.

Step 1: Define Your Niche and Audience

Before diving headfirst into layout and fonts, ask yourself: what story are you telling? Who are you telling it to? Identifying your niche, that sweet spot where your passion intersects with your target audience's interests is the foundation of every successful magazine. Think National Geographic's breathtaking exploration or Vogue's trendsetting fashion bible.

Step 2: Craft a Captivating Title and Brand Identity

Your title is your first impression, your "Hello, world!" So, make it count! Choose something catchy, memorable, and true to your magazine's essence. Design an easy-to-see logo and visual identity that complements the title and resonates with your audience. Consistency is key — let your brand shine through every page, from the cover to the credits.

Step 3: Assemble Your Dream Team

No magazine island is an island! Surround yourself with talented writers, photographers, editors, and experienced magazine designers already armed with magic wands to bring it all to life. Their expertise will save you time, catch those pesky typos, and ensure your magazine's visual storytelling is on point. Think of them as your creative allies, transforming your vision into a polished masterpiece.

Step 4: Embrace the Power of Professional Design

Here's where the magic happens. A magazine designer is the architect of your visual feast. They'll translate your ideas into beautiful, functional layouts, crafting a smooth-as-silk reading experience. From choosing fonts and colours to balancing text and images, they'll make sure your magazine is not just informative but a visual delight.

Step 5: Let Professionals Iron Out the Errors

Typos? Spacing issues? Design inconsistencies? These gremlins can lurk in the shadows, ready to trip up even the most meticulous publishers. But fear not! Professional editors and proofreaders have eagle eyes and a knack for sniffing out these pesky errors. They'll polish your content to perfection, ensuring your magazine shines with accuracy and professionalism.

Step 6: Showcase Your Work in the Best Light (for Your Budget!)

Let's talk budget. Working with professionals may seem like a splurge, but it's actually an investment that pays off big time. Their expertise can help you stretch your budget further, avoiding costly mistakes and ensuring your magazine looks and feels premium, even with limited resources. Think of it as putting your money where it matters — in the hands of skilled professionals who can elevate your magazine to the next level.

Ready to Unleash Your Inner Publisher?

Creating your own magazine is an exhilarating journey, filled with creative expression and the satisfaction of seeing your vision come to life. By embracing the power of a professional magazine designer, you'll save time, refine your content, and showcase your work in the best possible light. So, gather your team, unleash your creativity, and get ready to share your unique voice with the world — one stunning page at a time!

To learn more, get in touch with us here at The Magazine Production Company . We can help guide you on your publishing journey.

From a blank page to a brilliant read: How do you produce a magazine?

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 16:54:13 GMT

So, you've got a story to tell, a niche to fill, or a passion to share. Congratulations, you're ready to embark on the thrilling journey of magazine production! But where do you start? With this comprehensive guide, we'll break down the process into bite-sized steps, helping you transform your vision into a glossy (or digital) masterpiece.

1. Define Your Niche and Target Audience

Every magazine needs a soul, a reason to exist. What unique perspective will you bring to the world? Who are you trying to reach? Pinpointing your niche and target audience will guide every decision, from content to design. Think National Geographic's focus on exploration or Vogue's dedication to fashion.

2. Craft a Compelling Title and Brand Identity

Your title is your first impression, so make it count! Choose something catchy, memorable, and reflective of your magazine's essence. Design an easy-to-recognise logo and develop a visual identity that complements the title and resonates with your target audience. Consistency is key — let your brand shine through every page.

3. Gather Your Content Crew

No magazine is an island. Assemble a team of talented writers, an experienced editor, and a magazine designer (or a magazine production artist, as we prefer) who share your vision. Be bold and tap into talent or collaborate with fellow creatives. Remember, diversity in voices and perspectives enriches your content.

4. Plan Your Issue

Before diving into your content creation, it is essential to map out your content and plan magazine production deadlines. With your editor and writers, brainstorm article ideas, schedule interviews, and plan photo shoots. Create a content calendar and ensure deadlines are met to ensure your magazine flows seamlessly. Think of it as your blueprint for brilliance.

5. Write Captivating Articles

The written word is the heart of your magazine. Invest in quality writing that informs, entertains, and inspires your readers. Whether it's in-depth features, witty interviews, or insightful commentary, keep your target audience in mind and let your passion shine through.

6. Capture Eye-Catching Visuals

A picture is worth a thousand words, especially in a magazine — source high-quality photographs, illustrations, and infographics that complement your articles and add visual interest. Remember, good visuals can elevate even the most complex topics.

7. Design with Intention

Magazine design is the thread that weaves your content together. Choose fonts and colours, and establish a format that reflects your brand identity and enhances readability. Don't be afraid to experiment, but remember — clarity and functionality are paramount. That said, as magazine production artists, we would support you here at every step.

8. Edit with a Keen Eye

A sharp editor is your magazine's guardian angel. Scrutinise every word, image, and layout decision. Ensure accuracy, consistency, and a smooth reading experience. Remember, good editing polishes your content to perfection.

9. Choose Your Platform

Will your magazine grace the newsstands or soar in the digital realm? Consider your target audience's preferences and budget constraints. Print offers a tangible experience, while digital allows for broader reach and interactivity, including YouTube videos, podcasts and links for a more profound experience. We can produce either or combine to produce and publish a hybrid magazine.

10. Promote and Distribute

Spread the word! Leverage social media, press releases, and targeted advertising to reach your audience. Explore distribution channels like newsstands, online platforms, and subscription services. Remember, a great magazine deserves to be seen (or read)!

Bonus Tip: Embrace the Journey! Publishing a magazine is not a sprint but a creative marathon. Success won't happen overnight, but using the right resources can accelerate growth. There will be challenges, but the rewards of seeing your vision come to life are truly special. So, stay passionate, persevere, and enjoy the ride!

Remember, this is just the magazine publishing roadmap. The beauty of magazine production lies in the endless creative possibilities. So, grab your notebooks, fire up your laptops, and unleash your inner publishing powerhouse. The world awaits your unique voice — go forth and create a magazine that makes a lasting impact. You can always drop us a line .

Forget hourly rates: Why fixed-price-per-page is the Magazine Production powerhouse you deserve

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 15:01:03 GMT

In the bustling world of magazine production, deadlines dance on tightropes and budgets pirouette in a constant balancing act. So, when choosing your page-turning partner, which pricing model leads the way: hourly/day rate or fixed-price-per-page? Dean Cook explains…

Confidence takes centre stage: Imagine knowing the exact cost for every page that sparkles into existence. Fixed-price per page banishes budgeting anxieties, letting you plan with precision. No more heart-stopping invoice surprises, just clear, upfront pricing that lets you focus on creating the next issue's masterpiece.

Speed demons of efficiency: We're not just confident; we're fast too. Fixed-price incentivises us to streamline processes, optimise workflows, and unleash our inner efficiency ninjas. Every second saved translates to faster deliveries and happy clients — both for us and for you!

Transparency, a breath of fresh air: Gone are the days of wondering where hours vanished. Fixed-price is a window into our world, offering clarity and peace of mind. You deal directly with your dedicated page production artist, eliminating communication hiccups and ensuring every pixel aligns with your vision.

Fiverr and Upwork fatigue? As well as hunting for an experienced magazine production artist whom you are likely to work with over many months and years, both platforms operate on flat-rated commissions, which can be quite high, especially with higher-value projects. Coming directly connects you with your personal production artist tailored to your magazine's unique needs. Here are other reasons why you won't find us on Freelance platforms.

Cost-effectiveness — a beautiful byproduct: Our efficiency obsession doesn't just benefit speed; it fuels cost-effectiveness, too. Every minute saved is a penny (or pound!) earned, translating to competitive prices that deliver maximum impact. Your magazine shines, and your budget smiles.

So, next time you're tempted by the hourly siren song, remember: fixed-price-per-page is the secret weapon for a smooth, cost-effective, and efficient magazine production journey. Why settle for anything less?

What is the difference between RGB and CMYK?

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 18:00:29 GMT

When creating artwork, what is the difference between RGB and CMYK, why does it matter, and what colour mode is better? Dean Cook explains

RGB and CMYK are the two most common colour models in graphic design. RGB stands for red, green, and blue, the primary colours for digital displays, such as computer monitors, TVs, and smartphones. CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, the primary colours used for printing. The main difference between RGB and CMYK is the way colours are mixed.

Why is black 'K' in CMYK and not CYMB?

Black is referred to as 'K' for Key, Key Colour, or Key Plate – a vital colour with full-colour printing, but also 'B' is too ambiguous as it could stand for blue (as found in RGB), brown or beige.

Colours misbehaving?

In today's artwork world, using the colour mode of the output intent is always good practice. However, if you produce artwork for both screen and print, which method is better and why?

If artwork is to be printed, RGB colours must be converted to CMYK at some point in the process. If left to computer software to convert colours, whether when PDF files are exported or relying on the printer's prepress system to convert, managing colours within your artwork would be outside your control. Also, the printer will not see how you see colours on your screen. As a result, you will likely encounter vibrant colours that will dull; oranges appear brown, bright greens darken, or there is a shift in colour, such as royal blues printing with a greater hint of purple. In short, results can be disappointing.

We would never solely rely on any pre-press process to blindly convert RGB colours. Instead, we prepare images and artwork as the print output device requires, minimising any colour changes that could occur later in the process; we are in control.

Every image a client provides receives colour treatment, profile management, balancing, and enhancement to ensure images replicate as we intend. We do most of the work in RGB before converting to CMYK and making further adjustments if required before saving and ready for placement.

Compare this to other providers who aim to save time, simply drag-and-drop unmanaged RGB images, resulting in poor colour and/or dark (over-saturated) images. Here's a typical example of what we frequently hear.

What do designers prefer?

Designers offer valid opinions as to why working with RGB is better; others CMYK, and those that advocate the latter are likely to have gained more insightful experience working with commercial printers — as we have, showing greater consideration with the technicalities of colour and how it can behave on specific substrates (materials used to print on). We consider possible outcomes when constructing artwork regardless of whether it appears on screen or in print.

Should I use Canva to design a magazine?

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 11:15:18 GMT

With the popularity of Canva, we can see why anyone would want to use it to design artwork. It offers pre-made templates to edit, and you can choose font styles, change colours and more, but is Canva the ideal tool for creating and designing professional-looking magazines?

We have a passion for magazine design and production, and since the 1990s, we have used many page layout software to achieve quality results. These include PageMaker, Quark XPress and InDesign. In addition, we also use Adobe Photoshop for imaging, Illustrator for logos and infographics, Acrobat Pro for proofing and output, plus other apps to help with our day. However, we've heard a lot of buzz surrounding Canva and decided to give it a try, but we quickly realised that Canva isn't a good tool for designing magazines. Here are several reasons why.

Limited page layout options: Canva is okay for creating single-page designs, but the options are very limited when designing multi-page magazine layouts. This makes it difficult to create a cohesive and visually pleasing design for a publication.

Limited control over design elements: While Canva is helpful for quickly creating simple graphics, it doesn't offer the same level of control over design elements as professional page design tools like InDesign. This can lead to limitations with layout, which may not be ideal for its intended output.

Lack of control over image placement and sizing: When designing a magazine, it's essential to have precise control over the placement and sizing of images to create a visually stunning layout. Unfortunately, Canva's image tools are not advanced enough to allow for this level of control.

Limited typography options: While Canva has a lot of fonts to choose from, many of them are not easy on the eye to allow the reader to absorb content quickly. In addition, the need for advanced typography and the development of key tools, such as paragraph styles being one of several, makes it challenging to create unique and eye-catching typography for headlines and flow and format body text with ease.

Poor quality output : Canva is primarily designed for online use, and its output quality for print may not be as high as that of professional design software. This can result in lower-quality prints that may look blurry.

Limited colour management: Canva, by default, uses RGB. The print industry uses CMYK . As a result, the colour profiles in Canva are not managed as effectively as with professional design software, which can result in colour discrepancies between what you see on your screen and what is printed.

Lack of pre-press features: Canva does not have pre-press features, which can result in printing errors or a less professional-looking finished product.

Compatibility issues: As experienced with Microsoft's Publisher for many years, commercial printers have encountered technical difficulties, such as issues with fonts. It has led printing companies to refuse this particular format simply because of inherent flaws in the architecture used to create the artwork, only appearing as the plates were imaged and picked up after the printing was complete. Canva uses a cloud-based architecture to create artwork, which is likely to be a reason why Canva focuses on ' personal printers ' (found at home or in your office) rather than a 'commercial printer', which Adobe's InDesign is compliant with its pre-press systems.

False economy: It's not unusual for us to hear it can take someone with little experience using Canva several hours to design a single page that they would feel comfortable for print. However, if you have a 48pp magazine, completing one magazine could take more than a month, making the project economically unviable.

What can we do to help

With content to hand, we can deliver a more refined-looking page, in keeping with your house style, in a fraction of that time, knowing it has met all the compliant standards for commercial printing and other onward output, such as digital magazines.

With magazine production, there is a critical requirement to have an experienced hand to steer you through and properly manage each issue to deliver the results you're after in a timely fashion and within budget, allowing you to focus your time on driving your publishing business.

Overall, while Canva is a decent tool for creating simple graphics and digital assets, it isn't the best for designing magazines.

Why you won't find us on any freelance marketplace platforms

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 18:47:43 GMT

There's no denying that the rise of marketplace websites when searching for freelance design services has helped to connect businesses with designers, but with it comes questions. Here, we highlight why you won't see us on marketplace platforms.

When hiring a freelance magazine designer, a popular choice is to use marketplace platforms such as Fiverr or Upwork . While these platforms make it easy to find freelancers for various tasks, there are reasons why you may want to consider having direct access to an experienced magazine production artist without a marketplace platform in sight.

You'll get better service . You will have direct access to any members of our team who will be able to understand your aims and objectives fully. It's more than just the quality of the final output; our communication and planning with our clients are important.
You'll save money. Marketplaces take a service fee on every project. This can add up with more considerable project work, such as magazine production.
You'll have more control. Unlike a marketplace, where you're at the mercy of the freelancer, we take ownership of projects and deliver within realistic timeframes, communicating what those timeframes are before we commence work.
We don't cut corners. And for very good reason. Work supplied by marketplace freelancers may need correcting or recreating later, which can invite further unexpected costs. We frequently see it with supplied artwork.
You're protected. If marketplace freelancers don't deliver on their promises and you miss your deadline, it can be difficult to get your money back. We prefer to provide our clients with confidence when choosing to work with us directly, which is why we are proud to have been independently vetted and registered with Trading Standards' Buy with Confidence scheme .
Experience. Each team member is not only fully conversant with continual investment in the latest software and supportive tools, but we have also worked in prepress production departments within commercial printing organisations and, therefore, understand the intricacies and technicalities when it comes to fulfilling design work.
Collaboration. Some projects may require additional members of production artists to deliver a project within a shortened timeframe. Being a team, we can expedite any requirements once we have identified and justified why and how this would work. If using a marketplace platform, how would this foresight be identified, and how would this work when hiring individuals using a marketplace platform?
Management . We will plan and manage projects to ensure all remain on track to meet deadlines.
Resourcing assistance . With many years in the business, we have a bank of contacts we have previously worked with, enabling clients to enlist additional services only when required.
Availability. Illness can strike anytime, or a team member could be on holiday. It doesn't mean your project should be put on hold. Unlike a marketplace freelancer, we can provide you with a choice. We can work around it, or if time is of the essence, we can move the job to another team member who can pick up the project, minimising delay or incurring additional costs.

In a nutshell, we offer clients direct access to our experienced production artists to deliver an efficient and cost-effective reliable service, directly managing your project as we strive to exceed expectations while keeping pricing as low as possible, which is why you won't find us on any marketplace platform.

To find out more, drop us a line via our contact page .

What is the magazine production process

deancook@magazineproduction.com (Dean Cook) — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 16:17:34 GMT

Magazine production processes can vary from publication to publication, but in essence, a basic formula is generally followed. Here, Dean Cook looks at what the key process is.

Fundamentally, with any process, it all falls on planning. This allows editorial contributors, advertising sales and production artists to deliver their part of the process by the required time to ensure all runs smoothly. It also helps to keep business costs to a minimum.

It was only in the late '90s when a 100pp monthly magazine involved a team of 16 people; we were a tight-knit family — we had to be. We all understood our roles, ultimately working together to have a large cardboard wallet containing pages of film ready to hand over the moment a courier arrived to drive 200 miles to the printer.

Of course, it is not like that now. Long gone are the number of people involved in the process today, often outsourcing certain services only as and when it's needed. As one example, the art director, production manager, image editor, illustrator, page designer and prepress have evolved to be one job for one person, now known as a 'production artist'. Of course, it comes with significant cost savings and increased efficiency for the publisher, but only if the production artist possesses all the necessary skills and abilities to service. Still, the fundamental magazine production process continues to be applied.

Work backwards

The whole process is anchored to the publication date. These dates are often scheduled one year in advance, so content and editorial planning can ensure contributors can be booked to cover events, for example. In addition, with planned features known, advertising sales have time to attract companies associated with the feature in some form, maybe to organise sponsorships, banners, cover wraps and create social media promotional activity when the feature is published. Either way, it never happens overnight.

A publication map is prepared between the publisher, editor and advertising listing the themed/subject matter occurring several issues ahead. This list is often shared within a media pack/media file — a sales guide for advertisers highlighting all the magazine's key features and unique selling points.

With known publication dates, editorial, production, print and distribution deadlines are set and booked to ensure personnel availability when the publisher requires. This goes a long way to ensure efficiency. It also helps to keep costs down. Many publishers turn to professional production artists as a cost-effective, efficient and reliable way to produce a magazine. But, as with any skilled people, they are in demand, so booking time in advance is essential.

Editorial

The editor's role is to ensure a content strategy is actioned, allowing contributors sufficient time to plan, source, curate, write and supply content and imagery for editing. The editor will then proof , maintain the editorial house style, finalise the content, collate all the assets and prepare an editorial list indicating how many pages each feature will run in readiness for production.

Advertising

The advertising sales primary role is to sell but also align advertisers with forthcoming features to help increase exposure with the title and see what additional social media exposure could be included. With the selling of advertising, which could take months to build relationships and agree terms, the advertiser's artwork would need to be supplied no later than one week before the print deadline. The production artist can then check and advise if technical errors are apparent and, if need be, allow time for the originator to correct and resupply.

Many editors will work closely with advertising sales and/or the publisher to list advertisers in the forthcoming issue in order of appearance, size and whether it is new or repeat artwork. For example, with most magazines, premium positions, such as full-page adverts, are listed first, followed by half pagers and smaller advertisers behind. It helps with upselling if an advertiser wishes to have a more prominent position.

Flatplanning

With editorial and advertising information collated, the production artist will create a flatplan , translating both lists to visually present how the magazine is likely to be constructed. The production artist can also seek pagination optimisation, which can help keep printing costs in check. The flatplan will highlight holes assessing whether further editorial should be supplied or if advertising could be sold. With the flatplan agreed, designing the pages can then get underway, even if pagination revisions are required during the process. Most smaller-paginated magazines may only need a simple list.

The flatplan also allows the production artist to keep track of the magazine's progress and prompt to chase editorial or advertising that has yet to arrive. The flatplan also helps the editor and advertising sales to keep track of their respective progress as well.

Magazine Design and Production

This is where we sit, collating all the editorial and assets, using the flatplan to guide what needs to be done. Our role will include all communication, processing of images, sourcing others (which usually includes colour-balancing and cut-outs); preparing illustrations and infographics; processing and checking of advertisements; coming up with ideas, such as exploring themes; constructing pages, positioning and fitting elements; being creative with formatting and applying typography; preparing proofs and making amendments; managing surrounding production to ensure all remains on track; preparing, uploading and technically approving pages at prepress; and preparing files for digital applications.

Preparing for output

By today's standard, assuming content has already been checked, and the pagination layout has gone well, visual proofing of all pages is ready for the editor. However, for a 68-100pp issue, we find that visual proofing only requires a day or two before the final print sign-off is received. The production artist then prepares a print-compliant PDF file and uploads it remotely into the printer's prepress system. After a short processing period, the production artist can check the RIP (Raster Image Processed) files to ensure nothing has failed before approving all pages for print. The pages are then queued for plating. Finally, the production artist may need to prepare further PDF variants to add a more profound reading experience by adding links and embedding video for digital publishing or even extracting content to be re-edited further for social media activity.

How essential is the print deadline?

By the print deadline, the printer would have ordered the paper and scheduled printing press time in advance to ensure the magazine can be swiftly turned round, bound, trimmed and finished ready for mailing and/or onward distribution. If the print deadline is missed, it could be several days before the printer can create a sufficient time slot amongst other planned magazine work to get your magazine on the press. So, to deliver any magazine on time is critical. With smaller-sized, less-paginated magazines — such as a 32pp A5 issue — timing isn't so essential.

Circulation

Subscription and circulation can be handled in a variety of ways. Still, generally, with smaller independent titles, the publisher would maintain subscriptions then release the mailing list of each issue for the mail fulfilment team to process and organise for the postal company to pick up and mail directly to the readers.

Wholesale distributors dispatch magazines through a national network to contacts who exclusively work in each geographic area. The publisher or wholesaler can arrange for the magazines to be collected from the printer and dispatched to regional distribution centres.

Copies going onto newsstands or retailers carry a barcode and cover price and are supplied on a 'full sale or return' basis. The wholesaler and distributor take a percentage of the cover price of copies sold. Wholesalers scan unsold copies with the credit claimed back. Multiple retail groups, supermarkets and newsagents decide whether to accept a title to sit on its shelves; it can often involve promotional arrangements. Most magazine launches would require a budget to secure shelf space but could be subject to a product selection process to assess commercial viability.

Is it a numbers game?

To create a successful magazine , the publisher and editor must have a clear focus on its audience and uphold the primary mission. Quality content is vital for the reader is king. With today's available technology, combined with the right support to present content professionally, most magazines can be viably produced to service a small number of readers; however, whether it's a viable price for advertisers to pay, well that has yet to be seen.

How to annotate PDFs: A step-by-step guide for editors

deancook@magazineproduction.com (Dean Cook) — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 20:05:50 GMT

The days of printing pages to pen red ink to highlight amendments or typing out a list of changes in an email are long gone. Dean Cook looks at how annotating PDF files has become the easy, faster and more accurate way to apply changes.

We work with editors and content providers who always aim to supply clean copy for page layouts which can speed up the production process. However, the odd typo that wasn't picked up before can often appear after the pages have been laid out. That's fine — word blindness is common when writing content; it's how it works. We're used to running through a round or two of amendments before the artwork is signed off for print or to produce a digital publication, and this is where annotating PDFs comes into its own.

For anyone not familiar with annotating PDF files, here's a brief guide to show you what five easy-to-use tools you should use in Adobe's Acrobat.

How does it work?

Basically, using Acrobat's tools, amendments can be easily applied and saved within the PDF. The production artist can then import your requested amendments from the PDF directly into the original InDesign document. It then enables the production artist to see exactly what those changes are and where they need to be applied throughout the artwork while maintaining document conformity for onward applications. This process helps to significantly reduce time spent locating, interpreting and correctly applying the amendments.

The toolbar

In Acrobat, we can see all the available tools (pictured below) at your disposal. The five key tools you would use are: Sticky Note (1) , Highlight (2) , Strikethrough (3) , Text Replace (4) , and Text Insert (5). We'll cover the features below.

When you're finished, just save the file and send it to the production artist. They will do the rest.

Do I need Acrobat on my system?

Not at all. Adobe has a free online tool (available here) where you can upload PDF files and then, using the available annotation tools, apply your amendment requests. Once done, you can either share a link with your production artist or download the PDF and upload it onto your shared servers, so comments and changes can be imported into InDesign directly from the PDF. Once applied, the production artist will supply an updated PDF file.

What if I have another program to annotate PDFs?

That's fine. We can still work with it. However, while it is possible to annotate the PDF, importing tool-applied features and comments into InDesign may not always be possible. Instead, we would open the PDF in Acrobat and then manually run down the list, cross-referencing changes, which will invite time to service, but there is a risk that some amendments could be missed or incorrectly applied. In the long run, using third-party software could be counter-productive, but it's nowhere near as bad as marking up hard copy using a red pen.

Magazine printing costs have gone up. Can I get it cheaper?

deancook@magazineproduction.com (Dean Cook) — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 15:27:51 GMT

We are all experiencing increased costs of late with the current climate making it incredibly unpredictable. Here, Dean Cook explains how it is affecting the print industry and what you can do to keep pricing down.

Supplies

Increasing energy costs and shortages with print-based products have led to higher prices, making it particularly challenging for magazine publishers when profit margins are already notoriously tight.

The pandemic caused a rapid drop in demand resulting in paper mills closing down or others reconfiguring to focus on packaging where demand was increasing. Paper mills that have remained to supply paper are now overwhelmed with current market demand, increasing prices. However, when 2,200 workers strike at a paper mill in Finland for several weeks, it has put a real strain on the supply chain and now affecting end-users. Even if action ceases soon, it could still be several weeks before we see stock and supply levels start to return.

Ink availability is also limited as two key ingredients — ethanol and n-propanol — have been diverted to be used in hand-sanitiser, a vital product during the pandemic.

China has started to cut the use of power to reduce emissions, impacting the manufacturing of aluminium used for imaging plates.

Logistics

With the cost of fuel, customs delays, shipping container rates currently 900% higher than at pre-pandemic levels, transit times doubling to 70 days, trying to get supplies in the right places and at the right time is extremely challenging.

There is a shortage of HGV drivers. Many European drivers working in the UK before Brexit have been unable to return due to immigration rules.

Warehousing

Combined with logistics comes warehousing, and demand is on the rise. Consumers are increasingly ordering online, and because of logistical issues, more products are being stored and shipped to satisfy demand. As a result, there is real competition for storage space for paper, increasing prices to buy, rent and run. Many inland warehouses and distribution centres are already full, and it's causing a backlog with ports that are already under immense strain.

Staffing

Across all industries recruiting skilled workers is proving challenging. From paper mills, transport, ports, warehousing, printers, staff shortages have drastically changed the way companies re-evaluate and recruit employees. As the pandemic hit, so demand for print fell; many printers were forced to let staff go. As print sales return, there aren't enough people to produce the work; therefore, companies need to increase wages to retain and recruit additional staff.

As a result, expect print costs to remain high for the foreseeable future as limited supplies try to meet demand.

Can you still source cheaper printing?

By planning well ahead and shopping around, you may find a more efficient print system setup, but, at the time of writing, it may not be a good time to move as the supply of materials and price is driving the industry.

Many printers rely on continued business to estimate usage to then source and order paper several weeks in advance so it can be delivered on time to ensure your magazine is printed seamlessly. If you were to gain a better price with another printer, it doesn't necessarily mean the company would be able to source additional paper to service your job. Returning to your original printer could see your previously allocated stock has been used elsewhere.

While it may be an idea to do nothing, we offer our UK-based clients a complimentary service putting them in touch with suitable printers ensuring they are paying the right price for the service and delivery. The difference now is that we ask printers only to quote if they can meet client requests. Just because one printer may not have the paper you're after, another one may; therefore, it's always worth dropping us a line to see what we can do. We often find the pricing we are able to source is more competitive than online providers and it comes with personal service too.

We wish to remain open and transparent with what is happening in the industry and assure you that, with our team and strong relationships with our suppliers, we will do all we can to help you through this challenging period.

What is a flatplan

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 14:52:00 GMT

A flatplan is an essential and integral link in the production of any magazine. It shows an overview of pages containing editorial and advert positions before production commences.

Generally, it is a sheet containing all the pages in the magazine. It makes constructing a magazine far easier and provides an overview of all the pages.

For the editor, sales and, more importantly, the production team, it offers complete control of the publication process. It creates efficient workflow practices, good communication, avoids confusion, omissions, content duplications and clashes.

A flatplan helps to identify unwanted errors as it happens, track progress, and cross-check content and adverts to ensure that anything missing is followed up and received in good time. It can also avoid rejigging pages after the content has been laid out.

For the production team, it helps to measure time, therefore, avoid slipping past any time-sensitive print deadlines and any stress that it brings.

While a flatplan can easily be generated as a simple A4 sheet showing brief details of all the pages, there are flatplan solutions available. However, we feel many are over-engineered, which require additional time to service. Our tried and very much trusted simple flatplan, used with discipline, can be far more efficient, offering instant on-the-fly decision making.

For smaller paginated titles, we do not generally require a flatplan; instead, a simple editorial and advert list presented from cover to cover is all that is needed.

So, would you like to start a magazine?

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 18:16:00 GMT

Hello, and welcome to what could be the start of your publishing journey. Are you here with a great idea yet intrigued to learn more, such as the actual costs to start a magazine? While there is a wealth of information on our website, let’s start by investing your time.

Anyone venturing on a publishing journey often dream of having a successful title, but before it can be successful and attract advertising, it requires three key things to be in place: broadcast appeal and format; quality content – ‘The reader is King’, so has to be satisfied; and the route to market — the magazine has to reach your advertisers’ potential clients.

Comprehensive planning with financial investment is sure to help you steer around most pitfalls you are likely to encounter, especially in the early days. Still, in reality, eight out of ten magazines fail by the fourth issue purely because of inadequate groundwork or under-investment.

The excitement of rushing to get the first issue out before undertaking thorough and proper research is the easiest mistake any new publisher can make. Instead, we would recommend preparing a feasibility study. You’re more than welcome to run it by us and see if we can shine a light on your aims before launching from the starting blocks.

Research doesn’t have to be arduous or costly, but it needs to be carried out with thought and consideration before the first magazine goes to print. Here is a brief list of what should be covered:

Will I be able to reach sufficient readers?
How will it be distributed? (Distribution area: geographic, demographics and method).
What would be the optimum number of pages? (Consider the unit mailing weight and what costs would it attract).
How often should it be published? (Frequency).
Will it be manageable with limited resources?
Can I draw up a business plan?
How is it to be funded, and would there be sufficient cash flow?
How long can I sustain the initial investment?
Where do you see it sitting financially in 12- and 24-months from now and are targets realistically set?
Will it be profitable? (Make allowances for bottom-end expectations).
Will advertisers support it?
Can advertising rates be cost-effective to attract the smallest of businesses?
Can I build a community/following?

The first issue sets the standard

Your first issue marks the benchmark of future issues, so it has to be as near perfect as it reasonably can. The more research you do now, the greater the understanding of risk. In addition, it will give you the benefit to tweak the plan way before you start to work on your first issue.

How much does it cost to publish a magazine?

This is the most common question we are asked but, until we’re armed with key factors, it is one we are unable to immediately answer. While providing a price for production and printing is straightforward, anyone looking for an overall figure should also seek answers to the following. What are your overheads? How much do you need to earn? What are the costs to hire contributors? Do you need a salesperson to establish and accelerate relationships with advertisers? Do you need to hire a professional editor? We can help with costs associated with production, print and mailing. Can you build your social media base, or can this be outsourced? Will you be investing in any marketing activities yourself? Is there anything else you need which we haven’t covered here? Once all costs have been collated, it can then be evaluated and assessed for its viability. Either way, every magazine is different and attracts different costs.

Do your figures still stack up?

Printing sufficient copies while keeping advertising rates at a cost-effective level while attracting the smallest of businesses is a delicate balancing act. Ultimately, though, what would the advertiser’s cost per reader be and is it affordable? Can it be bolstered with value-added services, such as social media exposure? You could consider publishing smaller, separate issues online and across social media to help gain traction. It would also act as a signpost to your magazine. Read more about the benefits of publishing a magazine online here .

The value of advertising

The principal of all sales is understanding the customers’ needs and fulfilling them. Advertising is the lifeblood for most magazines, so when starting a new publication, try to understand what a company is looking for before it decides how to spend its advertising budget.

Often asked, ‘how much should I charge for advertising?’, well, that answer very much depends on the cost to publish and distribute it but balance it sufficiently, so the price point doesn’t hinder cash flow.

While setting rates is essential, it is also important to be flexible. For example, if a company like British Airways is prepared to advertise, but only offers to pay half the price, take it and jump for joy. Recognised and respected brands often attract other advertisers, and it helps build your brand and reputation.

To engage with potential advertisers, here are five facts from The Association of Magazine Media why advertising in magazines work:

Engagement : Magazines continue to score higher than TV or the internet.
Trust : Consumers trust and believe magazines and embrace advertising as a part of the brand experience.
Action : Magazines are motivating. More than 60% of print magazine readers took action as a result of an advert. Digital ads also drive response.
Valued conten t: Readers have a positive attitude towards advertising in magazines, and the information it provides is useful.
Influence : Magazine readers are more likely than users of other media to influence friends and family on product purchases in every shopping segment.

So, while you’re here, let’s see if your idea is a great idea by clicking here or, to view other available content, click here .

The benefits of proofreading content before production

Sun, 03 Oct 2021 14:25:00 GMT

Working alongside a variety of independent publishers, many having limited resources, Dean Cook often experiences a relatively relaxed approach to grammatical standards only to be corrected during the production stage. Here, he looks at ways to reduce time, work better and drive standards efficiently.

Professional publishers understand the importance of communicating descriptive writing with accuracy, structure and creativity; however, the personal writing ability, sometimes found with the independent publisher, can often limit the final result.

The importance of broadcasting to the public

Radio, television, newspapers, magazines and websites, positioned in a public environment, aim for perfection, or, at the very least, meet minimum standards expected by the industries they operate. The quality of the written word is paramount as the publication’s creditability can easily be affected if its content isn’t up to scratch.

I readily admit that I am not a writer, journalist, or editor. I tend to leave content creation to the professionals. Instead, I am a production artist dealing with the intricacies of constructing publications while maintaining client timelines.

Over recent years, our production team has increasingly spent time filtering glaring errors then relaying them back to the editor. Although we take pride in every magazine we produce, the sub-editing of copy is outside our remit, yet, we wouldn’t let anything slip aware that an error was apparent. So, how do we reduce the number of mistakes while maintaining content accuracy, speed and production efficiency?

Before sending content to production, proofread the copy, proofread it again and then have someone else proofread it

Continue to proofread and correct editorial content in Word to the best of your ability until you are completely satisfied to sign it off. Only then should finalised content be handed to production.

To supply clean copy aids better format, construction, accuracy and speed during the production stage. As a result, it reduces visual revisions, invites fewer proofs, speeds up the approval process and can attract lower production costs.

We appreciate copy errors can still be spotted after the page is composed. In most cases, there would be very few resulting in clients ultimately approving their magazine for print within a couple of production proofs.

Supplying unfinished copy will only slow the production process as the production artist would become involved with corrections. Amendments would need to be located, interpreted, applied, and then adjusted if the change has caused a reflow with the copy. The editor would spend additional time cross-checking that all amendments were applied correctly. Ultimately, this would increase time and invite a risk of missing the print deadline. No one wants to see that happen.

For the best top-ten proofreading tips, click here . If you feel grammar isn’t your strong point, Grammarly could be a handy tool. As stand-alone software and as a plug-in working alongside programs on your system, it filters most common grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. To find out more, click here .

Ideally, it’s always worth investing in your content so it can meet broadcast standards. Hiring a professional proofreader would undoubtedly benefit your publication in the long run. Or, why not consider enlisting the services of a freelance editor who can apply content direction and write with creative flair.

For more information, then please get in touch with us .

The Magazine Production Company — a Trading Standards approved business

Sat, 22 May 2021 18:30:00 GMT

Feel assured! Since 2013, The Magazine Production Company has been proud to be a Trading Standards approved business to show it operates in a legal, honest, and fair way.

As this industry is not regulated, the company has taken steps to provide its clients with a continued assurance of attention to service and value for money.

The Magazine Production Company’s managing director, Dean Cook, said, “Some clients received poor levels of service from previous magazine designers which included unsatisfactory workmanship, missing deadlines or leaving the publisher mid-production to pursue other client activities. No publisher should expect this level of service. Becoming a member of Trading Standards’ Buy with Confidence demonstrates we can provide clients with personal service, meet expectations and good value for money.”

Trading Standards’ Buy with Confidence scheme is the largest of its kind in the UK and allows potential clients to independently check on companies they are considering.

For any company to be on the scheme, they must pass a set of tailored background assessments. The membership scheme is not given lightly – amongst other checks, each applicant receives a visit from Trading Standards. A selection of clients would be contacted too. In addition, the company must abide by the scheme’s code of conduct, which requires them to follow the letter and spirit of the law.

If all the scheme requirements are met, a business will be granted membership, and its conduct will continue to be monitored. Clients can turn to Trading Standards for advice in the event of an unresolved issue.

Trading Standards act on behalf of consumers and businesses and work for local government councils. They advise and enforce laws that govern the way consumers buy, sell, rent and hire goods and services.

You can check The Magazine Production Company’s current independent client feedback by clicking here .

Where can I find good editorial content

Sun, 09 May 2021 15:33:00 GMT

With broadcast-quality content key for any magazine, there is one question that we often hear with publishers hoping to launch a new magazine: where can I source content?

We find the smaller the budget, the more limited you are in gaining well-written content, but here are seven options worth considering.

1. Use content and images from other websites.

NO — DON’T! As tempting as it may be, it should be avoided. You would be stealing someone’s hard work. Never copy content from other websites as this breaches copyright and could result in legal action being taken against you. If you would like to republish content, always get in touch with the publisher/author for permission. Now that got your attention, here are six options you should consider.

1. Write the magazine yourself — but proofread it before you publish.

If you are passionate about a subject, then write it yourself. There is no harm in being the editor of a magazine. You’re reading this, aren’t you? My writing skills aren’t brilliant, but I hope my knowledge can steer you in the right direction. I chose to offset my writing ability with the available resources and budget. Still, I would always proofread my copy before publishing it on the website or passing it on to production .

Although my skill set is in the production of magazines for independent publishers, I have found myself writing for trade publications; however, the editor would rewrite, correct and enhance what I am trying to say and apply their style. I don’t have the benefit of an experienced editor here in my office, but when writing in a more relaxed fashion in a blog or here among the pages of our website, at least this can be appreciated by you, the reader.

2. Use and credit a contributor.

Is there someone fresh from college who is keen to get their foot in the door to exercise their writing abilities for free? Do you know someone who may have some spare time and who is passionate about your subject matter? Great, but be prepared to wait as they’re likely to write articles in their spare time. If they fail to deliver, you may need to source other articles at short notice.

3. Could an advertiser supply content?

This is a particularly good option for community-style magazines. For example, could a local restaurant owner, or their chef, pull together a recipe. Can a local vet write some words on pets health? Could your local mechanic furnish you with some words about how to check oil levels? How about a local financial adviser construct a feature about mortgages? The list is endless.

Not only have you secured advertising (if they could write for every issue), but the advertiser gains a valuable editorial page without directly selling their products/services — which often generates more of a response from readers than a blatant advert. In return, this adds value for your magazine. If your advertiser takes out a full-page ad, why not offer them an editorial page? It gives you current content and a relevant feature for your publication.

4. Use a sponsored editorial supplier.

There are companies out there that write non-time-sensitive articles for free; however, you would need to use a sponsored ad that paid the company to write the article. Nevertheless, it is a good solution as the content is well-written and usually comes with a good image. In addition, the sponsored ad from a recognised business is often well-designed that could attract additional advertisers.

For community or lifestyle magazines, take a look at: www.freefeatures.co.uk .

5. Pay for a pre-written article.

Some professional writers invest time writing quality articles complemented with quality subject photography covering varying topics. Okay, they are not bespoke articles, but they tend to be non-time sensitive and are professionally written, which could be applied to a wide variety of magazines.

With many articles on offer, you could arrange with the writer to buy in bulk, giving the impression that you have a specialist writer in-house. They can even ‘top and tail’ the article, so it suits your publication’s style. For example, can you imagine having an article on the South of France with the appearance it was specifically written for your magazine with no money spent on travel or hotels? This is where publishing has become more dynamic — spending effectively gives your magazine a lovely well-written feel with high-quality image impact.

Many articles are complemented with a collection of high-quality photography – quick, easy, and that’s several pages sorted then? It just needs to be produced and laid out in your magazine style and format.

Andrew Marshall is one bank writer who has a library of quality features, including Food & Drink, Travel, Golf, and Lifestyle features. Feel free to email Andy Marshall here or call him at +44 (0)7765 888141.

6. Hire industry specialists, freelance writers or editors.

Now, this is where independent titles should be investing: hiring professionals to write specific, fascinating, informative, relevant and live content for your audience. Specialist writers are key to any successful magazine and could attract some key advertisers who want to be represented alongside impactful content which aids reaching your valued readership. So yes, although far from being a free service, investing in any seasoned professional is sure to gain a return.

We work closely with several freelance editors/writers covering a variety of industries and subjects who are well suited to complete a magazine that you should be proud of.

Just drop us a line: 01273 911730, or click here to email us.

How much does it cost to design a magazine: A guide for every budget

Sun, 09 May 2021 14:25:00 GMT

Dreaming of launching your own captivating magazine? One vital question likely tops your mind: "How much does it cost to design and produce a magazine?" While every project is unique, this guide delves into the factors that influence pricing, helping you plan and budget for your publishing journey.

Key Cost Factors

Complexity and Creativity: Streamlined content with pre-formatted layouts may qualify for a lower page rate, while image-heavy issues with intricate design elements require more time and expertise, naturally commanding a higher cost.
Content Format and Page Count: Longer magazines with diverse content formats (articles, interviews, infographics) naturally demand more design hours compared to text-heavy, shorter issues.
Advertisement/Editorial Split: Designing and integrating advertisements necessitates additional effort, impacting the overall cost.
Professional Support: Collaborating with experienced editors helps streamline the process, potentially reducing design time and cost.
Parent Page Development: The initial creation of master templates or " parent pages " for your magazine is a separate cost consideration.

Navigating Pricing

Free Consultation: Instead of offering a blanket "one-size-fits-all" price, we prefer a personalised approach. Your free consultation allows us to understand your vision, content mix, and desired level of creativity, enabling us to provide a tailored quote.
Ballpark Pricing: To get a rough estimate, share details like page count, format, advert/editorial split, and design aspirations. The more information you provide, the more accurate our ballpark figure will be.
Fixed Page Rates: Once we understand your project specifics, we can determine the average time per page and establish a fixed rate, giving you confidence and budget clarity.

Additional Costs

Royalty-Free Images: High-quality, royalty-free images might incur additional costs depending on your usage needs.
Infographics and Illustrations: Custom infographics or illustrations may necessitate separate fees.
Extra Work: While minor alterations within our scope are typically accommodated, significant deviations from t the initial project brief might involve additional charges.

Industry Insights

It's worth noting that the magazine design industry lacks standardised regulations or widespread accreditation. While anyone can offer design services, choosing an experienced team like ours ensures your publication is not only visually stunning but also built for professional printing and smooth production.

Exploring budgets

While we can't offer a one-size-fits-all price for designing your magazine, ballpark figures are always a good starting point. We encourage you to share your budget range with us! Understanding your financial parameters allows us to get creative and explore various options that suit your needs. Whether you have a smaller or larger budget, we're committed to finding a solution that brings your magazine vision to life within your financial constraints. So, don't hesitate to open up about your budget — it's simply the first step towards crafting a stunning magazine that matches both your vision and investment.

Ready to Discuss Your Dream Magazine?

Contact us today for a free consultation ! We'd love to collaborate on bringing your magazine vision to life and providing a transparent, tailored cost estimate that fits your budget.

Affordable marketing ideas

Tue, 04 May 2021 14:31:00 GMT

The pandemic has proved to be challenging for a lot of businesses. The environment we operate in is very different from before, such as being asked to work from home. Now, more than ever, companies need to seek ways to accelerate back to better health. If so, have you sought help from magazine publishers? Can they be your affordable marketing service?

With a renewed appreciation for magazines, we are now at the start of another golden era of publishing with pricing levels to advertise now more affordable, even allowing the smallest of home-grown businesses to get involved and start advertising. And here’s why.

Magazine publishers only publish qualified material expertly curated by professional journalists and skilled writers or specialist contributors who possess a wealth of knowledge. The aim is to publish broadcast-quality content that achieves reader respect.

Instead of offering just ‘ad space’, publishers today are trying to find flexible marketing solutions for their advertisers, such as a subscription-style service to provide all-year-round marketing. Publishers are now working as hard as ever to convey messages using a variety of methods across social media, digital exposure, and of course, in print to paint an overall campaign to visually represent your company by means of an ‘advert’ or ‘sponsored banners’ across its channels but there’s far more to consider…

View magazine publishers as your affordable marketing team

Publishing companies are ultimately service providers to their readers and advertisers. With a direct route to its established audience for advertisers, the publisher can:

provide access to an untapped market
provide marketing assistance
create and provide well-written content to serve your needs better
provide ongoing advertising support throughout the year and beyond
offer its audience any exclusive offers you may have
inspire readers to choose your products/services
be heard with clarity in the sea of digital noise
signpost the audience to your website
include your video to support their content
arrange topical webinars (how-to guides)
include attention-grabbing updates via eNewsletters
organise and promote podcasts which you could participate
organise, host and promote video-based training sessions
promote live events and product launches
republish your written material, such as blogs through its channels
provide the magazine’s brand association and reputation
create posts with your product/service, in turn, share across your social media. Ooh, the kudos.
help you to appear more robust than your competitors
access designers to create great-looking adverts for print and social media
access quality images and photography
access writers to copywrite sales content for your advert
work to an affordable monthly fee

It’s all about working together to expand your team, technically by outsourcing vital services to reach an existing audience to help make your business a success.

Magazine publishers already possess all the necessary tools and invested years of time and money evolving their platforms and exposure. They have a team of skilled and knowledgeable personnel willing to assist any company in how to best market your company in print, on their website and across social media. Never before has this marketing opportunity been so affordable. When times are tough, it could well be the best money you can spend to help accelerate your business back to good health.

“When times are good, you should advertise; when times are bad, you MUST advertise.”
Bruce Barton

If the above isn’t enough to whet one’s appetite, let’s look at the following.

Affordability: Even for a one-person specialist business, once you have identified your market, contact a magazine publisher (aka media outlet) specialising in that field/industry to assist with your marketing objective. The publisher can provide you with advice and guidance on how best to deliver your message to their audience to an affordable budget, in turn, allowing you to focus on what you do best.

Reaching new customers: Yes, while evident, the magazine provides you with access to its audience that you would not have otherwise previously reached.

Advertising promotes repeat business: The publication’s audience often follows the same media brand in which repeat business could arise.

Product/service announcements : Supplying the publisher with new product/service news/press releases can inspire and encourage buyers.

Influence: Crafted content published in the magazine and across social media can influence buyers to hone in on your products and services ahead of your competition.

Going direct: Are you selling products cheaper than eBay and Amazon if customers buy direct? Advertise it.

Promotional schemes: Can you offer exclusive discounts and competitions? While the audience benefits value for money from the magazine’s cover price, you can measure results directly if new customers apply discount codes when buying.

Let the publisher be your best friend: The more you can support the publication, the more they will support you; in turn, you gain value for money.

Ask the publisher for marketing ideas: They are a font of knowledge, and they could work to your available budget too.

Share the publisher's content: Sharing social media posts it publishes on your platforms can encourage your customers to share too. In addition, the association that your business also appears in the magazine will aid creditability.

Eat, sleep and repeat: Continued advertising will increase your brand awareness, but also, the audience today could be your customers tomorrow.

Commitment: No one ever said success comes overnight. Often years of hard work are applied to achieve the ultimate results. The same applies to marketing. Keep committed and it should accelerate results.

Popularity: Promoting your product or service within publications and across its social media platforms can increase your popularity and reputation to its audience.

Inspire readers: Offering the publication ideas on how readers can use your products can invite features that can be broadcasted on platforms and inspire readers to purchase your product. Never be afraid to turn your hand to writing and allow the editor to apply their expertise to make your product look fantastic.

Provide products for review: This is a good one! For the cost of the product, they will offer an impartial user review which can provide you with direct results. Use the reviews to promote across your social media. Constructive feedback could also find ways to improve your product further.

Searchable content: Some publishers generate a digital issue or duplicate content for their website. Often its content, especially if you’ve supplied products for reviews, can be accessed by search engines which will help to attract customers searching for specific information. The publisher will also apply keywords to help gain additional search engine traction.

Creditability: Content published in a magazine under its brand online is more likely to be trusted by the reader. This association can assist purchase decisions.

Advertising in a downturn/recession: This is good news for the bold. Now is a prime time to advertise enabling your business accessible to future customers whose suppliers may have ceased trading. It also positions yourself for better growth when things do bounce back.

Keepsake titles: Specialist titles carry a long shelflife as often referred back to over future years. Your ad could be a prompt if someone is looking for something particular.

Keep in regular contact with the publisher: A quick chat on the phone can prompt ideas for future content but also keeps a finger on the pulse of what is happening in the industry. Use this to your advantage.

Invest time: Periodically allow time to assess your marketing strategies.

Create a marketing budget – no matter how small

All successful businesses will have a marketing budget. No matter how small your budget, a good magazine publisher will always be willing to help. If they can deliver results, it should help to increase your marketing budget for even greater exposure. You’ve got to start somewhere.

While the future can be challenging, if you are inclined to assess your marketing and put something into practice, then, as history suggests, you’ll be much fitter for the long-term than those who have turned off their taps to let the water evaporate.

Allow magazine publishers help. Whatever your budget, they will provide you with the marketing service you and your business rightly deserves and it all starts by searching for and contacting the magazine that reaches your customers.

Do great ideas become great magazines?

Sat, 10 Apr 2021 17:02:00 GMT

Those who aspire to start a magazine often contact us to take their idea to the next stage. Many paint a wonderful picture, but Dean Cook finds in some cases that the easel appears to be missing.

As with any business, starting a magazine carries risk, with eight out of ten failing by the fourth issue. However, with over three decades of experience, we have identified the patterns that cause magazines to fail and, therefore, welcome a chat at the beginning of your journey. With the right guidance, you could be among the two out of ten magazines that succeed. Here, we will evaluate the actual time, financial implications, and any perceived difficulties you will likely encounter.

Quite frequently, the contact we receive is generally a desire to publish a magazine focusing on content and its look. While these are important, it's equally essential to ensure that the content is of high quality and that its viability is assessed. This is what will inspire and engage your readers.

Advertisers ultimately pay for a service that enables their message to reach an audience via a quality publication. Therefore, the money they invest must be effective.

Before contemplating whether to publish a magazine, it's crucial to establish a route to your readers/market. If there is no route to a quality readership, advertisers will not be interested; without advertisers, there is no money, and without money, a magazine cannot survive.

Before you contact us, here are our five top tips to help you build the basis of your business model:

Has your route to market been identified? If not, how will you find your readers?
How is your magazine to be distributed? Multi-point pickup, door-to-door, mailed direct-to-door subscription, retail sales, or distributed at events; what method would work best?
Are the quantities sufficient to satisfy advertisers' spend? What would their cost per reader be?
Will your magazine contain unique and quality written content? If so, how would that be supplied to you?
How are the first several issues to be funded? Can you find ways to increase the longevity of the initial budget?

It would be straightforward to take on new business without engaging in a viability assessment with our clients. However, we aim to build quality, long-term business relationships. Not only that, we hate saying goodbye before we've reached the fourth issue.

If we think your publication has potential but believe you're not quite ready to launch, we would be more than happy to provide objective advice and guidance. We hope ideas can be developed and brought to fruition later. Why not contact us via our form? Click here .

How to create a magazine

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 17:36:00 GMT

Anyone can have an excellent idea for a magazine, but what goes into creating one, and how does a magazine become a successful product?

For anyone who has had great ideas, the immediate realisation is that you can’t do it all yourself. Just because you have an inkjet printer, it can’t replicate high-quality publications. And even if you purchased the equipment and software production artists use every day, there is no way of instantly gaining the skills and experience necessary to turn the idea into suitable materials and output to commercial print standards to replicate high-quality images on paper — unless that is, you’ve just escaped the Matrix.

It’s obvious: you will need some help.

What you will need is experience and guidance with more than a little bit of talent, as well as an assured approach to planning out each step of what can be perceived to be a complicated process.

To help, we will need clarity of vision where your idea is concerned with a rational approach to both the cost of production and the relative value of the commercial return.

While classic mistakes are numerous, pitfalls need to be negotiated. So here is a brief realisation attached to great magazine ideas.

Some great ideas aren’t great commercial prospects. The harsh reality is not all great ideas can cover its costs nor be profitable

Some great ideas have a limited audience. If you have a limited audience, you have limited circulation and therefore limited opportunity to cover its costs — but that’s not such a bad thing if you’ve tapped into a highly qualified market and possess every contact in that industry

Some great ideas are still conceptual . Some magazines will struggle to fill pages with quality content written in a meaningful way

Some great ideas lean too much on advertising. If pages become overwhelmed with adverts, it will lessen the impact when communicating quality editorial and its purpose.

The first question we hear is how much does production cost? It’s probably helpful to understand how a magazine is costed. We usually offer a price ‘per issue’ based on the number of pages and design complexity. The topic and content aren’t relevant at this conceptual stage, but rather content quantity and format. It will enable us to hone in on a realistic price for production and how it will affect printing costs.

The second question is: how quickly can you publish it? If we have fully formed designs in our inbox — we can produce a magazine surprisingly quickly — it would be more days than months. However, we rarely get something so fully formed. Even from our more experienced clients, we still need to fill many gaps.

It could take several weeks if we started with nothing more than an idea and scant content. Of course, you can’t do it all — and we don’t expect you to — but do talk to us early on because we can give you great advice to avoid the typical pitfalls that first-time publishers often face.

So if you are one of the lucky few who have a great idea for a magazine and would like to see if it is viable to pursue tentatively stepping into magazine publishing for the first time, we would love to hear from you. So call us on 01273 911730 or enquire via the contact page.

What are our advantages over magazine freelance designers or design agencies

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 10:50:00 GMT

Are you looking for the ideal magazine design and production solution but require a more precise idea of who can offer you the best option at the right price? For example, what can our dedicated magazine production service offer compared to a freelance designer or design agency?

Working remotely has become commonplace for many but not necessarily driven by the pandemic. It's true many freelancers often work from home, alone; it helps to keep costs down. But what would happen if they were ill, on holiday, or committed to another project? Could you find yourself coming to a halt?

As dedicated production artists, we've worked remotely for over 20 years. As a result, we have processes in place with team support ready to step in if additional services or abilities are required but rarely leaned on at the time of need – but there just in case.

Another consideration is commercial experience. Has the freelance designer worked in a prepress department of a printing company and fully understood the technicalities of commercial printing? Our production artists have all worked in prepress and worked alongside print minders, so we fully appreciate the intricacies of the print process.

At the other end of the street, many design agencies, while at the upper-end of quality reproduction, often hire freelancers too. What is the cost to hire and house under one roof? Are you after a more functional process?

What can we offer?

Time and cost savings: It comes down to planning. All our clients deserve dedicated time, and allocating our production time in advance when you need it, allows us to manage our production time better, helping to reduce costs for all.

We can keep on working: If one of our team members has unexpectedly been taken ill, we can move files to another colleague who can then take up the reigns and still be able to get your magazine to print.

We can spread the workload: If you have several titles, we can distribute them across our team, all working to the same practices and standards; you would also have direct contact with them. Think of us as a co-operative — all having the necessary publishing, design and prepress experience sharing ideas and practices to find ways to do things better, faster and more accurately.

We invest in our tools: We are fully aware many freelancers and even larger design agencies don't often invest in software or hardware too often. But, to us, keeping technology up to date allows us to remain efficient and offer new features.

Compliant standards: From the moment we receive assets, we check and process every image, advert, and content. As a fundamental practice of ours, it ensures flawless artwork is delivered to print every time. Furthermore, it avoids correcting technical issues that prepress would otherwise highlight on print deadlines. Having worked in prepress, let's say, we know.

You have direct contact: We don't have administration staff or account managers. Instead, you have direct personal contact with a magazine production artist. We prefer our clients to talk to our team directly — this, in itself, saves an enormous amount of time and money — especially when a minor change could hold up progress.

Artwork approval: We only upload files to print once the last page has been approved. It means we can collectively upload all files in one hit, technically approve and have the pages ready and queued for plating in an hour or so – even less with smaller-paginated magazines.

We are an experienced team producing pages to professional standards working to realistic time-frames and budgets.

If you would like to hear of further benefits, why not give us a call on 01273 911730 or contact us here .

Outsourcing magazine production to another continent

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 14:53:00 GMT

Backroom production operations have popped up across the globe but could outsourcing your magazine to another continent save you time, money and maintain quality reproduction? Here, Dean Cook looks at service levels by outsourcing magazine production abroad.

Independent publishers intend to save money where they can, and this may include outsourcing magazine design services to backroom production companies in another continent. But, while this could save money, would it be a false economy?

While typically saving a few pounds/dollars/euros on each page may seem attractive, looking at the broader picture, it could uncover unfavourable inefficiencies. These often include:

low-level attention to layout and typography;
poor file management;
a non-fulfilment to properly check every single image and advert before placement;
an increased level of unnecessary communication adding to stress;
competence to deal with requests effectively;
extended response times;
operating in different time-zones;
a lesser degree to prioritisation;
longer lead times as production time is shared among other clients' titles;
a lower standard of diligence to correct amendments;
you may not have direct contact with the production artist;
and a high risk of non-compliant artwork supplied for commercial printing.

We often hear from our prepress contacts that they receive non-compliant PDF files from inept magazine designers, thus initiating hard-pressed prepress teams to deal with increased workloads to correct typical problems . This is one of the main reasons I wrote this article; opening the door to what you can't see later in the process, such as time lost making contact with the production artist once they're back at their desk several hours later because they are in a different time zone. Any production cost savings made at the beginning could dissipate by the end.

More often than not, the publisher would usually be unaware of the importance of artwork meeting compliant standards for commercial printing. While it's not in the publisher's remit, they rely on the trust that the provider, representing the visual element of the publisher to its readers, can meet commercial print standards.

Another note is that this industry is not regulated nor professionally recognised accreditation to qualify the production artists' abilities. Therefore, you only have the word of the production artist's/provider's experience.

Leading by experience

Preferring to lead by example, our focus is on efficient scheduling, delivering flawless production, and keeping pricing at competitive levels for the service and experience we offer. Besides:

we pay close attention to layout and typography;
fully manage and track files;
we check every single image and advert before placement and respond with a solution to correct if we spot anything that isn't correct;
provide a quality level of information and communication;
we deal with requests effectively;
respond within realistic time frames;
ensuring time-zones work to a client's advantage;
being able to prioritise;
work to dedicated production schedules for all clients;
work with a robust system when correcting amendments;
you have direct personal contact with our experienced production artists;
and, having hands-on prepress experience, we can send technically error-free artwork for commercial printing, therefore, requiring no intervention from any prepress team as we deal with technical issues on the fly.

We aim to upload print compliant pages to any printer's prepress system in the world, technically approve and queue the publication for plating within just a few hours of client sign-off.

If you already have a price or wish to explore a more efficient approach, let's see what we can do — who knows, we may beat the price you already have. Feel free to drop us a line via our contact page to learn more.New Paragraph

How to best produce a programme or guide for your show, exhibition, conference or event

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 15:44:00 GMT

Creating a captivating event programme or guide is essential for providing attendees with valuable information and leaving a lasting impression. While digital options abound, print materials still offer a tangible, memorable experience. Dean Cook explores the benefits of working with a professional designer to produce high-quality, effective programmes and guides.

The Importance of Professional Design

Expertise and Efficiency: Experienced designers understand the unique challenges of event programme design and can deliver results quickly and efficiently.
Visual Appeal and Branding: Consistent branding and visually appealing designs create a professional image and enhance your event's overall appeal.
Content Optimisation: Effective content placement and design ensure that key information is easily accessible and engaging.
Revenue Generation: Well-designed programmes can be a valuable revenue source through sponsorship opportunities and sales to attendees.

Key Services Offered by Professional Design Teams

Comprehensive Design: From concept to completion, professional designers handle all aspects of programme design, including layout, typography, and imagery.
Print and Digital Formats: Create programmes for both print and digital distribution to reach a wider audience.
Sponsorship Integration: Maximise sponsorship revenue by strategically placing sponsor logos and information within the programme.
Content Consultation: Receive expert advice on organising and presenting content effectively.
Print Management: Organise print quotes and manage the printing and distribution to ensure timely delivery and quality.

Why Choose Our Design Team

Proven Experience: We have a track record of successfully designing event programmes and show guides for a variety of events, from local gatherings to international conferences.
Customisation: We tailor our services to meet your specific needs and goals.
Competitive Pricing: Our pricing is competitive without compromising on quality.
Exceptional Customer Service: We are committed to providing excellent customer support throughout the design process.

Conclusion

No matter how small, investing in programme and guide design can significantly enhance your event's success. By working with a skilled team, you can create a visually stunning and informative guide within a budget that leaves a lasting impression on attendees and helps you achieve your event objectives. Why not drop us a little line to find out how we can help? We'd love to know more.

The advantages of publishing a digital magazine

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 14:19:00 GMT

Reach an untapped audience and publish your title as a digital magazine. Dean Cook looks at how you could benefit.

There has been a lot said in the industry about digital magazines replacing print over recent years, but, in all honesty, we have only found digital publications only complement printed matter and vice versa. It not only reaches potential readers through social media marketing but from search-engine queries too.

However, a digital magazine published online needs to be produced differently. For example, simulating a multi-paginated A4 magazine through a small screen of most devices can quickly turn off potential readers. We look into the reasons why in this article .

If applied correctly, a digital-based publication can exercise digital broadcast channels to reach a broader audience. In turn, it aids as a marketing tool to help promote your brand and the premium printed publication within your publishing armoury.

Okay, not everyone has a decent-sized tablet, but it can be notoriously tricky to navigate your way through an A4-sized magazine on a screen the size of, well, a smartphone.

Is my magazine free to readers?

If you aren’t already offering some free content to your audience, then the digital format is a great platform to help reel in readers. It would help to exercise a digital medium to complement the printed counterpart sharing it across social media, emails and, of course, your website. Adding links to other websites, embedding video, or even providing access to podcasts etc., will add value and a richer experience for your readers, and your advertisers too.

Is my magazine a paid-for title?

Subscribers can pay the cover price to read the magazine online or download a copy for reading later, however, we have found the response from the reader using this method to subscribe is low. Readers generally favour to read premium content in a magazine delivered by post.

Look for opportunities

Digital reader behaviour statistics reveal a low-attention span when reading content online. So to match this, a limited-paginated variant of your title can be published instead. As a marketing tool broadcasted through social media channels and email subscribers, its main objective is to signpost potential readers to subscribe to the printed publication.

For ease, and to keep your costs down, you could repurpose previously published content and reformat, and optimise it for small screen viewing.

With the digital publication available to read online, contact your advertisers to see if they would be prepared to reshare valuable related content directly to their customers. For any advertiser, it is a value-added service showcasing wealth of quality content which can be shared at little or no cost to them in time or money. Each time it is reshared, it is doing more than just reaching an untapped market.

However, there's nothing like affiliation with a reputable brand but you could explore revenue opportunities too while bolstering relationships with advertisers by offering to provide a tailor-made digital magazine. For example, you could include the advertiser's logo and a banner ad on the cover and swap internal advertising with theirs — of course, all hyperlinked to web pages, podcasts and videos for a deeper experience for the reader. You could even republish one of their product reviews with ease.

Today, publications should offer more than just ad space, and to create a digital variant is a cost-effective and flexible way to exercise that need.

What digital magazine solution should I use?

Having explored various accessible digital magazine options over the years, we have embraced Issuu ’s solution because of ease of use for the reader, it works on all devices and operating systems, and, more importantly – unlike some other providers – it enables your magazine’s content available to search engines. In addition, we can layer it with interactivity and page navigation too.

The moment the magazine has finished processing, we can supply you with a short link for sharing on social media and email. Finally, providing you with HTML code enables your magazine to appear seamlessly on your website.

Give yourself, your company and your magazine the additional publishing power it deserves.

Would you like to know more? Why not drop us a line .

How to reduce huge PDF files generated from Photoshop and Illustrator

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 18:55:00 GMT

Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator are just a couple of the preferred programs used by designers to create adverts for magazines. However, we are often supplied with large data PDF files saved from these programs. It can certainly raise a few eyebrows as it can increase concerns about the file’s technical stability for commercial printing because issues can still arise — and sometimes when it’s too late to do anything about it. Here we show you how the file size can be reduced.

A feature found in these programs will not only omit background editable features when the document is saved, but it will also optimise the PDF better for commercial printing and reduce the file size, making it easier to send the artwork on for print.

So how do you reduce and optimise PDF file sizes from Photoshop or Illustrator for onward use? In Photoshop, simply uncheck ‘Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities’ while in Illustrator, uncheck ‘Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities’ in the ‘Save Adobe PDF’ dialogue box (under ‘options’).

Deselecting this check box could reduce a 40Mb file to just 2Mb as it omits any data that’s not required in the output. It will also remove many common issues encountered with publications receiving PDF files initially saved from these programs.

Keep the original file

It won’t affect your original file as long as you have kept a separate native PSD/AI version for future editing. Alternatively, choosing a ‘Standard’ at the top of the dialogue box will automatically turn this option off.

For commercial printing, we export using PDF/X-4 which has given us issue-free files for many years. It’s worth just creating a preset for commercial printing, so you don’t have to set the features every single time.

So going through the dialogue box, just set the following:

When you’re all done, click on the little icon in the far top right-hand corner and call your setting ‘Commercial Print PDF X4’ and then you’re good to go.

Next time you want to create a PDF, make sure the Adobe PDF Preset at the top of the dialogue box shows’ Commercial Print PDF X4’

To share this tip, use this link: http://bit.ly/optimise-PDF

Adobe's free, easy-to-use, compressor tool

Adobe kindly dropped me a line to say it also provides a free, easy-to-use, compressor tool that will help reduce the size of any document without compromising quality. You can access Adobe's free PDF Compressor tool here . With Adobe's high-quality PDF Compressor, users can reduce the size of their files with any web browser by simply dragging and dropping their document. Adobe and I know users will appreciate this trusted file compression resource.

Thanks to Adrienne at Adobe for contacting me.

#optimisepdf #optimizepdf

Magazine design from just £10 a page? What's the reality

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 16:16:00 GMT

Dreaming of a professional-looking magazine without breaking the bank? We hear you! But hold on, before you chase those 'super cheap' design deals, let's talk true costs and hidden catches.

Magazine design for £10 a page is certainly possible, yes, but keep in mind:

That's for simple, pre-formatted pages with your ready-made content. Fancy design, custom illustrations, and ad management? Expect extra TLC (and a slightly bigger price tag).
Beware of low rates tempting you with limited experience. Quality design, communication, and service matter! Don't fall for a false economy that ends in headaches and subpar results.

Think of us as your magazine fairy godmothers, guiding you through the glitter and grit of production. We:

Don't offer 'magical mystery prices.' We chat, assess your needs, and quote you fairly. Every magazine is unique, so you deserve personalised attention (and pricing).
Have eagle eyes for technical hiccups. No wonky fonts, blurry images, flawed PDF files or printing disasters on our watch! We meticulously check everything, protecting you and your advertisers.
Free ad placement? Sounds fishy, right? We don't just dump ads on a page. We ensure they're technically perfect, saving you time and potential revenue headaches.

Ready to skip the guesswork and get a stunning magazine you can proudly own?

Drop us a line. We'll happily chat about your vision and find the perfect price point.
Got another quote? Bring it on! We're confident we can match or beat it (and the quality!) because...
We're passionate about bringing your magazine dreams to life without the drama.

What image format should I use with Adobe’s InDesign

Fri, 29 May 2020 16:14:00 GMT

With four main image formats (JPEG, PSD, TIFF and EPS), choosing which image format to use is always a popular talking point with designers. Some say JPEG; others prefer PSD, many still use TIFF or even EPS. Here, Dean Cook offers up some food for thought to help keep productivity up without bloating the size of your InDesign file.

With near-on three decades in the industry naturally comes experience. Still, if the 'if it ain't broke, why fix it' approach has always been a stable way of working, sometimes you need to periodically check if other image file formats offer a better way of working while meeting standards for commercial printing. Do you need to change formats because of evolving hardware, software and processes?

Firstly, let's turn back the clock

When it came to photo imaging in the '90s, there were only two main formats: EPS (Encapsulated Postscript) and TIFF (Tagged Information File Format). While EPS and TIFF worked with PostScript printers, the optional Adobe PostScript Level II software cost a small fortune compared to linear printers, which were far more affordable. As such, most designers opted to buy the cheaper linear printers and work with high-resolution TIFF images; however, the trade-off with productivity was huge.

Using high-resolution TIFF files within Quark XPress using computers with limited processing power and a small amount of RAM often bought it to a crawl. As a result, designers were forced to break down larger Quark XPress documents to just a few pages, which became more manageable. Alternatively, designers could employ a workaround solution. One example was placing separate low-resolution positional TIFF files supplying the high-resolution images to the printers to be swapped out at prepress. Unfortunately, this was not only a headache for many, it was time-consuming too.

Investing in a PostScript printer brought benefits such as accurate colour reproduction and greater productivity with larger multi-paginated files. Unlike TIFF, the high-resolution EPS file had a built-in feature that offered a low-resolution 8-bit colour positional image that could be imported and positioned within Quark XPress documents. It greatly helped to reduce the limited processing power and RAM required to handle the document and kept productivity up. The genius part about this process is that the EPS' high-resolution image data was only called upon when sending the artwork to a Postscript-enabled printer. It was an important factor, especially when working on multi-paginated documents. EPS also proved to be a robust file format that allowed you to build pages from cover to cover with speed and ease.

Towards the end of the '90s, the PDF file format came into sight. With a bit of experimentation, distilling PS (PostScript) files quite simply revolutionised how artwork was prepared for commercial print. Embracing a new way of working, the PDF encapsulated essential data, it offered excellent compression rates for print while still being able to supply lossless images. With prepress RIPs (Raster Image Processors) increasingly processing PDF files, EPS-based images for all PDF generated artwork proved to be a robust way forward.

Embracing PDF, I moved away from reprographics and prepress to become more involved with the design, production and construction of multi-paginated publications, which can be optimised for various output intents from a single InDesign file.

What about JPEGs and PSDs?

As widely known formats, JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) and PSDs (Photoshop Documents) do a job, but they don't do it well from a production viewpoint. As with TIFF, they bloat the size of the Quark XPress/InDesign document, slows productivity, increases program crashes and can push through inherent issues to print. Okay, computer processing power and RAM are much better and way faster today, which lessens the speed aspect. However, bloated QXP/INDD files increase the risk of crashes as the program handles more embedded file information when, in fact, there is no need.

An image file format experiment

To find out what image formats would be best to use in InDesign, I decided to put together a little experiment. I created four identical 8pp InDesign files containing 20 CMYK images being the output intent and gamut of full-colour printing. The only difference was that each document had images saved as each of the four file formats: JPEG, PSD, TIFF and EPS.

Ensuring a level playing field, InDesign files were then 'Saved As' to remove inherent history information.

For this exercise, all JPEG images were saved with the quality set at '12 Maximum' to ensure a loss of image quality was minimised. TIFF files were saved with no compression, PSD files were natively saved, and EPS files were saved using Binary Code. The typical file size of one of the larger CMYK images was as follows: JPEG = 16.5Mb, PSD = 42.1Mb, TIFF = 45.4Mb, EPS = 57.5Mb. Don't dismiss these file sizes just yet.

Now, here's the point

So, if there is no apparent benefit in which file format to use when constructing artwork and exporting PDF files, what is EPS's productive benefit offer over its file format counterparts? It's not the image size of the source file. Nor is it the resulting PDF file size that is under the spotlight. For me, it's about minimising the InDesign document to maximise productivity while working with lossless images.

Let's look at the 8pp InDesign file size using different image file formats to show you what I mean.

Using JPEG images, the InDesign file size is 15.3Mb

Using PSD images, the InDesign file size is 17.7Mb

Using TIFF images, the InDesign file size is 15.5Mb

Using EPS images, the InDesign file size is 4.6Mb — yep, it is under 5Mb — well under a third compared to other InDesign file sizes.

The low-resolution positional images offered by the EPS file creates a leaner InDesign file allowing for faster productivity.

So then, for longer multi-paginated documents, such as magazines, you can work with robust, lossless images that won't bloat InDesign files and slow down productivity yet can deliver compressed flawless lossless files for commercial printing.

Never again would you need to break down pages into several working documents to ensure your computer can still work.

Just a Quark XPress did, InDesign will only call upon the EPS file's high-resolution image data when required, such as exporting a PDF or printing.

Let's scale it up a bit

What would the InDesign file be like if I produced a 132pp magazine or a 276pp product catalogue containing some 4500 images? With JPEG-, PSD- and TIFF-based InDesign file sizes, there is a mean average increase of 350% compared to the EPS-based InDesign version. So potentially then the InDesign file of a 132pp magazine would increase in size from 83Mb to around the 300Mb mark, and my lean 332Mb 276pp InDesign file containing 4500 images could see it bloat to a whopping 1.2Gb. That's a lot of data, and any part of it could induce a program crash.

To summarise

While working with larger EPS files may sound ironic, it contributes to very lean InDesign files. It means working better, smarter, faster with no need to split documents across several smaller paginated InDesign files either.

Your choice

Ultimately it does come down to personal preference. For me working with large multi-paginated documents, I would never use JPEG in artwork for print ("shock, horror", I hear you say!). You see, it's not about preserving data storage; GigaBytes are cheap. It's JPEG's damaging lossy compression that causes irreversible loss of quality in images, but it also bloats the InDesign file by some way, too (350%?). Replicating image quality and definition in print is key, rather than how much space images occupy on your hard drive.

TIFF and PSD are both very much on the same level as lossless formats. However, I am sure the majority will agree, PSD easily takes the lead out of the two as you can import native layered images directly into InDesign. It is convenient if you need to work in layers, and in these instances, PSD is also better than EPS, but it will contribute to the bloating of your InDesign file. So, it's better to use PSD files only if and when you need to.

Do I work with TIFF? Well, yes, I do, but only for bitmap/lineart and monochrome images. This format allows me to colour up once positioned in the InDesign document.

For the vast majority of flattened images, the lossless EPS is very much still the most solid format for print production. Yes, it requires more storage, but it's how the low-resolution positional help to keep InDesign's working file very lean, in turn, speeds up how it works with you. Being a sturdy format, EPS is quick to work with, quick to export and encountering technical issues is extremely rare.

The CMYK binary-coded EPS file continues to work beautifully today as it did at the start of my career. I still ardently remain that EPS is my preferred file format for flattened colour images for production and commercial printing. Adobe's Photoshop EPS is a more powerful format than you think.

Magazine printing

Wed, 27 May 2020 13:45:00 GMT

Cheap full colour magazine printing, while providing excellent quality and service, can be hard to find. We work hard to ensure the printing of magazines is competitively priced but using sustainably sourced FSC-certified paper

Full colour printing services

Wed, 27 May 2020 11:51:00 GMT

Cheap full colour printing, while providing excellent quality and service, can be hard to find. We offer a wide range of printing services that is not only competitively priced using sustainably sourced FSC-certified paper but the price also includes tracked delivery to your door (mainland UK only).

Despite our name, if you see it in print, we can do it. Business Cards, Business Stationery, Flyers & Leaflets, Booklets & Magazines, Cards & Invitations, Calendars & Wall Planners, Notebooks & Diaries, Presentation Folders, Stickers & Labels, Signage & Display Boards, Posters, Pop-up Banners & Exhibition Stands, Small Format Point of Sale, Outdoor PVC Banners and even Flags. Just contact us for more information.

Below are just a sample of items and costs.

Of course, with all small-format printing, including those above, there are many various shapes, sizes, paper stocks and finishing options available. To guide you through your best options, drop us a line.

MAGAZINE PRINTING: CLICK HERE FOR PRICING .

A few words to note.
All pricing quoted above assumes artwork meets compliant standards for commercial printing. Price excludes VAT if applicable. Certain print items are zero-rated for VAT. Typically, turn round times are 4-5 working days from signing off your proof but quicker turn round times are available – please call for pricing. Payment required on order. Prices subject to change without notice and correct as of December 2021. E&OE.

Demystifying design: The power of Parent Pages (Master Pages) in magazine creation

Sun, 24 May 2020 10:28:00 GMT

Creating a captivating magazine isn't just about weaving words and compelling images — it's about building a foundation that elevates your content and guides readers effortlessly through your story. In the world of professional design, this foundation takes the form of parent pages.

Think of parent pages as the invisible architects of your magazine. They lay the groundwork for a consistent, visually pleasing layout, ensuring each page sings harmoniously with the overall theme and brand. While some might mistake them for simple templates, there's far more magic at play.

Beyond Drag-and-Drop

Let's dispel the myth: parent pages aren't glorified placeholders waiting for you to fill them in. They're meticulously crafted blueprints that account for a multitude of factors, such as:

Adapting to Content: Whether it's a short blurb or a sprawling essay, different word counts need breathing room. Parent pages ensure graceful text placement and avoid awkward line breaks.
Image Harmony: From tiny thumbnails to stunning spreads, parent pages accommodate images of all sizes, ensuring balanced positioning and optimal flow.
Individual Identity: Each section of your magazine deserves individual personality. Parent pages allow for unique styling, typography, and bespoke elements, reflecting the character of each page.
Eye-Catching Flow: Pages shouldn't be visual puzzles. Parent pages guide the reader's eye through the content, making the journey effortless and enjoyable.
The Finishing Touches: Even seemingly small details like page numbering and consistent spacing fall under the watchful eye of parent pages, ensuring a polished and professional finish.

A Symphony of Pages

Parent pages aren't lone rangers. They orchestrate a team of supporting character, paragraph and object styles. These define the overall branding, from font choices to colour palettes, ensuring harmony across your magazine. Think of it as a musical score: parent pages set the tempo and rhythm, while character and object styles provide the individual instruments and their melodies. Together, they create a cohesive, captivating experience for your readers.

Templates vs. Bespoke Beauty

While online templates offer a budget-friendly starting point, they often lack the flexibility and nuance your magazine deserves. Choosing a pre-made template can often mean spending more time adapting your content to fit rather than having a layout that seamlessly complements your vision. Investing in bespoke parent pages is like commissioning a personalised soundtrack for your magazine. It ensures every element, from fonts to image placement, resonates with your unique brand and content.

Building the Foundation

Typically, crafting fully functional parent pages and style sheets doesn't break the bank — it may only require a couple of days. However, the exact cost depends on the complexity of your needs. Providing a detailed brief is key to receiving an accurate quote and getting the perfect foundation for your magazine to flourish. Remember, a magazine isn't just about filling pre-existing boxes. It's about crafting a unique canvas that showcases your content in its best light. At the heart of this process lies the invisible art of parent pages, shaping the visual narrative that captivates your readers.

Ready to unleash the power of parent pages for your magazine? Contact us today to discuss creating a bespoke foundation that brings your vision to life.

What should you consider when publishing a digital magazine

Mon, 18 May 2020 15:00:00 GMT

Digital content delivery can be packaged in various forms, such as flip-mags, Apps, HTML, blogs, PDF, etc. However, a client concern exploring this avenue is how do you effectively broadcast the quality content of an A4 magazine containing more than 80, 100, 120 pages or more through the small window of a digital device, and why is reader behaviour so critical.

Although making any A4 publication available digitally is relatively straightforward, it does make navigation a tiresome and notorious task for any reader trying to read it on small-screen devices. It is one factor that can register very low read times. Another hurdle is to overcome naturally short time attention spans for any viewer reading content online. So how can we increase engagement?

Invest in 'doing it right'

Appreciating you've invested a lot of time, effort and money, the first point to note is that reader behaviour needs to be considered. Once understood, we can think about how best to deliver the type of content you have on offer through product optimisation so readers can engage more than they would otherwise.

Focusing on the more popular flip-style digital magazine, they are read on desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Our research suggests that the attention span is far less than reading the same content in a print magazine.

The question this raises is how do we maximise the number of pages to entertain the shorter attention time spent yet, balancing your content, encourage the readers to read more issues?

Clues are found where clients have asked us to upload print issues to simply entertain digital exposure. These statistics show a reader drop-off rate generally sits around 15 pages A4 magazines and 30 for smaller page-sized titles. This difference is because smaller pages attract less page navigation, yet both carry similar overall space. It appears then that a smaller 30-page online magazine seems to be the sweet spot; however, another ten pages could encourage readers to the end. With a more digestible feel, interactive turning of the pages, tied in with less facing-page navigation, it all combines to help increase reader engagement.

Have your cake and eat it

While we're not suggesting to lessen the size and pagination of your current magazine, especially if it's in print, it is worth exploring what opportunities are available. For example, why not consider publishing an additional lesser-page variant as well as your print title?

It is expected for any magazine to have a start, a middle and an end, so if you have a wealth of unique content you wish to position online, maybe it could be published to support your social media activity. It could also act as a signpost to your printed premium publication. You could align topical themes throughout the year, republish existing content, seek exclusive issue sponsorship, or use it as a platform to showcase new products as a way to attract new advertisers — just a few ideas that could help explore new avenues and reach a broader, untapped audience.

As an example of a dedicated digital title, we produce an airline maintenance magazine but, with a lot of content to broadcast, it is split; MRO and Operations. Primarily, with readers being airline professionals on the move across the globe, it was essential to marry the publication with expected reader behaviours. As a result, the average read time typically exceeds ten minutes, even with extended pagination to accommodate the abundance of advertising. With extended marketing opportunities, some advertisers appear in both titles.

Do create a digital title

To broadcast a compact digital version not only adds value for your readers to explore your digital offerings but could cast your net further to attract potential subscribers to your print magazine containing in-depth features. For a deeper reading experience, you can also apply pages with links to websites and more, provide access to podcasts, and embed videos directly on pages. This can open up new advertising opportunities too.

Print Vs Digital

The 'Print versus Digital' debate has been put to bed simply because digital will never replace print or vice versa. Both operate in entirely different environments, each possessing its own merits and benefits. Digital complements your publishing armoury and increases brand awareness and reputation and even harness the power of print.

We can look at options and assess which would be the most efficient route for you, your magazine, your advertisers and, more importantly, your readers. Just contact us to arrange a time to chat.

Can we create your artwork?

Thu, 07 May 2020 09:24:00 GMT

Professional-looking artwork to showcase your business in print shouldn’t cost the earth. Although we produce magazines, we create a lot of artwork adverts for advertisers. We can extend our services directly to you.

Whether you are a publisher looking for advert support, or an advertiser looking for artwork creation, we can help. We can support all your company’s design for social media, business stationery, point of sale and more, and we can supply printing at very competitive rates too.

When companies supply us with their advertising artwork, we check it to ensure it is free of technical issues, so we’re confident it will print as the client expects. Unfortunately, on many occasions, we see it is technically incorrect and/or poor in its presentation.

Our aim is to showcase every advertiser in the best possible light. If supplied with finalised copy and high-resolution images, there is a lot we can achieve in an hour’s worth of time. If you’re stuck for an idea or two, then we can help here too. Just call us on 01273 911730, or contact us via our contact form , and we’ll take it from there.

#artwork #design #magazineadvert #advertartwork #designforprint #designforsocialmedia #artworkforprint #artworkforsocialmedia

Using heavy blacks in artwork for printing

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 17:54:00 GMT

Working with black in print isn’t as black or white as you may think. As a print designer, there are three variants of blacks. Dean Cook peers into the depths of the black to explain when and where each should be applied.

Believe it or not, there are three main types of black available to us in commercial printing. You have the standard black, a heavy black and a registration black. On your screen, each looks identical, but the results are very different in print.

Standard blacks

100% Black (K) is mainly used for black text. Technically this standard black is set in InDesign (and other programs) to overprint backgrounds to avoid ink misregistration when the document is printed. However, applying a standard black to large areas, such as a solid background in an advert, it becomes apparent that just 100% black is weak. So what can you do to deepen the black further?

Heavy blacks

Increasing other colour values of cyan, yellow and magenta aids density making the black a deeper, richer black. However, we often see the same mistake when designers ramp up these three colour values to 100% to match the black (K). Increasing all colour values to 100% causes problems once the artwork is on the printing press and often when it’s too late to rectify.

Firstly, using 100% of all four colours uses an awful lot of ink; therefore, the print-minder would need to slow the press down to ensure the ink is evenly applied and avoid any ink misregistration. The job will also take longer to dry before the job can be finished, resulting in delayed delivery.

Over-use of ink can also increase the risk of scuff marks when the document is finished. In addition, it can ripple the paper making it more challenging to complete the document at the binding stage. Another common issue is that thin white/reversed out type used within the artwork will ‘fill in’ as the ink spreads once it is applied to the paper making the text difficult to read. The simple rule is never to use 100% of all colours to solid backgrounds.

So what is the correct colour values to gain a nice heavy black without disrupting the print and finishing process?

I’ve always used the colour values of 30% cyan, 30% magenta, 30% yellow, and 100% black. This particular colour value will avoid white text and thin white lines filling in, even if there is slight misregistration while on the press. Printing can still be run at the usual speed allowing ink to dry quickly and sufficiently before finishing, so the job remains on schedule. More importantly, you won’t be disappointed with the results.

In the image above, you can see the artwork on the left side shows the text has filled in caused by the overuse of colours. The artwork on the right uses 30% of CMY and 100% K; it is dense, but more importantly, the text has far better clarity.

Registration Blacks

Finally, there is registration black which does carry 100% of all colour values. So, if designers shouldn’t use 100% CMYK in print artwork, why is it there?

This colour value specifically applies to printers marks (crop, fold, trim, etc.) that sit outside the trim edge. Because 100% of each colour is used, the print minder uses this to align the plates and gain density readings. Printers’ marks also act as marks for the finishing team so they can precisely trim the paper. Designers can also add additional finishing features, such as fold marks.

As a rule of thumb: Standard 100% K is for text only; Heavy Black (30% C, 30% M, 30% Y, 100% K) to get nice solids; and 100% of all CMYK colours is a registration black and should only apply to printer’s marks.

How to sell magazine advertising: top ten tips

Sat, 04 Apr 2020 12:57:00 GMT

Magazine advertising sales has always been a critical area for any publication. Often, with the smaller paginated titles, it is the remit of the multi-tasking publisher to initiate and generate sales revenue and create those valuable relationships with advertisers. Here, Dean Cook offers ten top tips to help you gain advertising for your publication.

Identify the market: Look at businesses that would want to appeal to your readership.
Identify your unique selling points (USPs): Why someone should advertise in your magazine?
It’s a numbers game: The more phone calls, the more people you speak to, creates a greater chance of filling the publication.
Prepare yourself for rejection: Don’t take it personally — some companies have stringent advertising budgets. You might have just called at the wrong time of year.
Make a point to call again: Remember, to make another call is one step closer to someone who will say yes.
Don’t sell immediately: Listen and establish what the potential customer wants to achieve with their marketing budget, then tailor the conversation to meet their needs and wants.
Invest time to build relationships: Although they may not be ready to advertise now, you will likely be top of the list to call if you have a friendly business relationship.
Reputation is everything: don’t make promises you can’t keep. It might get you the deal today, but not fulfilling what they are expecting will lead to the customer not using you again and likely to spread the word, among others.
Do not undervalue your product: If a client asks for a discount, always ask for something in return, for example, customer referrals, block/series bookings, prompt payment.
Offer annual marketing packages: Niche businesses often don’t have a marketing department. As such, you could help broadcast their products/services with a mix of adverts and editorial in your magazine and actively involve their business in your social media activity. It could secure ongoing business and attract other advertisers wishing to receive similar services. It can be made affordable by breaking down the cost over 12-monthly direct debits.

Outsourcing advertising sales services: a problem for independent publishers?

Spending time selling can divert a lot of energy away from writing quality editorial content, servicing social media, or dealing with the business’s general day-to-day running, which can, in turn, impede financial growth.

This relationship you have built with advertisers is so very important to your business. Time must be allocated to service those who invest money in your publication. However, access to advertising sales professionals remains extremely difficult to source without suitable financial investment.

To find a sales representative who fully understands your business, marketplace, and readership, they would need to initially invest considerable time to find, establish, and build future relationships. It will always be a tough nut to crack for the independent publisher who wishes to remain resourceful and pay for services only on results. However, as every magazine is different, please do give us a call on 01273 911730 or contact us via our contact page. We can then see where you’re at, identify your goals and hopefully provide you with the answer of how to best get there.

The problem with editing PDF files

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 09:10:00 GMT

So you have a PDF file on the screen and wish to make changes. Easy, yes? Well, not really. Dean Cook offers why applying changes within a PDF file isn’t such a great idea.

We’ve all been there — you have a PDF file on your computer screen, and you need to make a text change or two, its size needs adjusting, or assets need moving/resizing. What should you do? The quickest/obvious option is to try and make a change within the PDF file, or should you contact the originator to make the change for you, which isn’t so instant, but would ensure file integrity?

To understand what can and can’t be done, we need to get under the hood of the Portable Document Format.

The PDF (Portable Document Format) — a very different file format

Firstly, different file types serve different purposes, and it’s valuable to note that Acrobat, the program that views PDF files, does not build artwork or documents from the ground up. Instead, programs such as Adobe’s InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, as well as Microsoft’s Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and even web browsers, can export/save PDF files. A PDF simply allows others to view and print artwork/documents without needing the same software that was used to create it. In other words, the PDF format is the holder of artwork/documents, rather than the editor of artwork/documents.

While specific software enables originators to create the artwork/documents, it also holds all the necessary background data (such as filters, font formatting, style sheets, parent elements, tagged information, external links, profiles, etc.). However, all of these associated features and tools are stripped away when a PDF is exported/saved, only encapsulating essential data, key elements used, optimising the resolution and applying features, such as adding printers’ marks and bleed. This process also minimises the file size and reduces the risk of inherent artwork/document problems that could occur in print later, for example.

Although possible to make changes to PDF files, it is limited. We refer to it as ‘patching’, but it should only be pursued as a last resort if the original artwork file cannot be sourced to be amended.

Although you can see the text on the screen in a PDF file, the tools and features of how the text was composed now do not exist — they were detached when the PDF was exported. To offer one typical example, if you add/remove a word or two, paragraph copy will not reflow as you would expect, and it’s another story if you need to tweak kerning/tracking.

Also, while the font itself was embedded into the PDF file, you would need the actual font to be installed on your system in the hope of applying copy changes successfully while maintaining the font style. If the font isn’t available on your system, the text could be substituted with another, which could be very different in appearance.

The correct way is the only way.

No matter how minor the change, any professional designer would encourage changes are always made to the original artwork/document for another PDF file to be exported/saved. It would also ensure the error you originally wished to change never reappears if further PDF files are required because the change being applied is being made at the correct point of the artwork/workflow process.

To summarise, while it is possible to edit PDF files, it is not the correct way to edit PDF files.

Magazine designers can get it wrong

Fri, 15 Mar 2019 14:28:00 GMT

Never should anyone take for granted that what you see on screen will determine how the colours appear in print.

A simple fact is that monitors base colour on RGB, while the process is CMYK in print which carries a smaller gamut. Therefore, the correct use of colour mode and file format is critical, or you could encounter unexpected shifts with specific colours. The usual examples we see are that blues can turn purple, oranges become a muddy brown, or even vibrant greens dull.

On BBC Radio 2, we heard one typical example on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show’s Pause for Thought with Sarah Joseph, an editor of a Muslim lifestyle magazine. She encountered a colour problem but only after all the magazine had been printed and distributed to readers.

We suspect the designer may never have had the necessary commercial print experience to understand the intricacies of the process. Instead, they relied on computers to deliver the final result – unfortunately, it was not a result neither publisher nor the designer expected.

To hear what went wrong, click here: The Chris Evans Breakfast Show .