From luxury brochures and high-impact direct mail to retail POS, packaging, catalogues and campaign collateral, print is a trusted medium and a critical part of the communication funnel in every successful campaign.
Delivering consistent messages with authenticity across multiple brand touch points can be challenging for brands and marketing agencies. To build consumer trust in a world where attention is fractured across an increasing array of digital platforms, share of voice and search is becoming harder to achieve every day.
Marketers need to consider the best media mix to use for optimum visibility and impact, and there is compelling evidence that print should form a consistent part of any multi-channel strategy. It’s not about just digital or just print – it’s about combining the different media in campaigns to land the best connection and action from the audience you are targeting.
Bringing print into your communications planning gives an added dimension; connecting beyond the reach of digital communications with tangible materials your customers and clients can really trust.
Increased commitment: the effort and resources required to create and distribute print materials signal credibility, reinforcing trust in your brand, product or service.
Deeper connections: the physical nature of print fosters a stronger emotional connection with consumers compared to digital media, which can be easily missed or dismissed.
Younger audiences embrace print: a surprising 82% of Millennials in the IPIA research expressed higher trust in print marketing over digital advertising.
Information retention and recall: consumers engage more deeply with print, leading to better recall and long-term loyalty.
The difference between a print job that merely “looks okay” and one that delivers genuine impact, connection and recall often comes down to one thing: the quality of the brief.
For those in marketing, communications and any form of advertising, writing a strong print brief is essential to ensuring clients get exactly what they imagined — creatively, technically and commercially.
Not everyone buys print regularly and when you do, it's likely you rely on a previous project to guide you. So much is possible and the best campaigns which include print, integrate print into communications plans to deliver connected customer journeys.
It's why we created The Ultimate Print Procurement & Briefing Toolkit. This toolkit explains how to write a better print specification or tender brief if you're searching for a print partner, what information printers actually need, common mistakes to avoid and how the right print partner can elevate creative ideas from concept to reality. We've even provided a production timeline so you can plan around your deadlines!
Print production is highly sophisticated. It is digital, streamlined and anything is possible! Whether you need a short run of work with personalisation and variable data, to complex finishes and embellishments, working closely with your print partner is the best way to brief what you need and discover where your project can go.
Need different applications for retail and experiential? Big deadlines to meet? From whether you need to hit Pantone matched branding, multi-location distribution and a schedule to meet, the more information your print partner has, the better.
Working with the right business means you can also pin point the right sustainable materials and measurement, critical for corporate reporting.
The fall out from briefing that doesn’t clarify the important areas means you risk incorrect specifications, colour inconsistencies, budget overrun, delays and misaligned expectations. The worst case is compromised creative outcomes.
A great brief ensures everyone - agency, client and printer - are aligned from the start. If you’re lucky enough to have an in house print buyer or experienced studio manager, you’re likely to have a great briefing template but no one expects you to be the expert – it’s what you
It also allows your print partner to do what they do best: collaborate, advise and enhance the idea.
The best print projects are collaborative. The earlier your printer is involved, the better the outcome usually becomes.
At Healeys, collaboration at the ideas stage is often where the biggest creative and commercial wins happen. Whether it’s recommending a more effective stock, engineering a premium finish within budget or finding a smarter production route, involving print expertise early can significantly improve the final result.
That’s why agencies increasingly see Healeys not simply as a supplier — but as an extension of their creative and production team.
Start with the fundamentals. Clearly explain what the project actually is. For example, you can simply give a name or description to help pin point what you’re looking to produce.
Intended use: what’s it to be used for? A mailing piece, an exhibition or simply something to hand to a client or customer? Understanding the environment it will be used for will help guide the next steps.
Audience: who is the recipient? Paint a picture of who is receiving the item and if there is anything more to know e.g. high end clients or customers or mass market.
Campaign objectives: what is the overall aim of the campaign – does the printed item need to spark a reaction or action?
Whether it’s premium, tactical, short-term or long-term is also helpful to know so the right type of paper and finishing can be recommended. Any visuals, scamps, examples or references of something you have done before or has inspired you are also great for printers to help visualise what you want to achieve.
The more context your printer has, the more intelligently they can advise.
A brochure for a luxury automotive brand requires a very different production approach to a high-volume retail flyer.
Volumes significantly influence production methods, pricing and turnaround times.
Always include:
For example:
This allows your print partner to recommend the most efficient production route — whether digital, lithographic or hybrid production
Where you can specify the finished size, the flat size (when it's opened up) and whether it's portrait or landscape (orientation). Other useful information like the order of the pages (pagination), whether the finished item needs to be folded, creased, perforated should be included plus any binding that might be required.
Don't worry if you need guidance; your printer can help translate everything for you!
Use these pointers for your brief:
Helpful examples of how to describe your finished item:
If you’re unsure, ask for guidance early in the process.
Experienced printers like Healeys can often recommend alternative formats that improve usability, reduce postage costs or create greater shelf impact.
Great campaigns take planning – and so does print. One of the most valuable things agencies can do is be upfront about timelines from the start. This will help everyone manage expectations and deadlines – and tell you if a project already planned is possible.
Make sure to include:
Printers schedule work well in advance for all their clients so if there is a tight deadline, printers can often flex production schedules or suggest alternative approaches - but only if they understand the pressures in advance.
Paper transforms how a brand is presented – the look, touch, feel all influences the perception. You would never imagine a premium brand sending out a direct mail piece on flimsy, poor quality paper!
Perceived quality, brand colours faithfully reproduced, finishing will all help build the right association with your brand. If areas such as sustainability are important, using FSC papers are a good example of upholding brand values.
You aren’t expected to be a paper expert so whilst references like “silk” or “uncoated” are a good start, there are many possibilities.
Tell your printer more about:
Don’t forget you can also ask to see some paper samples if trying to describe what you need requires more inspiration.
Here are some examples of how you might choose paper stocks to suit the job in hand:
Your print partner will guide you through options and provide dummy samples wherever possible.
At Healeys, expertise in working with agencies and marketers means helping creatives match paper choice to campaign objectives - not simply quoting from a specification.
This is often where campaigns move from good to unforgettable. Healeys are able to provide all finishing in house and also have bindery specialists on site for hand finishing for special projects.
Include in your briefings any desired finishes such as:
There are many special finishes and if you’re unsure, you can ask for more guidance or describe what type of effect you want to produce. Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly what’s achievable – there is plenty of print expertise at hand!
Many agencies approach Healeys with a creative ambition rather than a fixed technical specification. This allows the print and production team to help create the most effective and commercially viable solution.
Once print projects are agreed, quotes are in, the printer needs your final artwork. One of the biggest causes of delays at this stage is incomplete or incorrect artwork setup.
Your brief should confirm:
If time allows, you can ask for a pre-flight artwork check to ensure everything is set up correctly – even better, check with the printer first on exactly how the artwork file should be set up for print if your artworkers are unsure. This is especially important for complex jobs.
It’s also important to flag:
For anyone managing communications, colour consistency is everything. Never assume “close enough” is acceptable.
A professional print brief should outline:
Healeys provides dedicated specialist account management alongside expert proofing and colour matching support — helping agencies maintain brand consistency across every campaign touchpoint.
Wet proofs (where you receive a physical proof as if it was already printed) is for precise colour matching. Proofing on screen always comes with a caveat: not all screens are the same so colours will look different! Digital proofs are for content, not colour.
One additional area frequently seen at proofing stage – a last minute copy change. Once a project is ready to print, it should be ready to go with no other changes. If big changes need to be made at this stage, you are likely to start endangering deadlines.
For luxury, retail and FMCG brands in particular, this level of control can make a significant difference to final campaign quality.
Not sure what to say about budget? Worried that by sharing budgets your print will simply be priced to the budget? Having an accurate view on what budget is available will quickly tell a printer if what you want to achieve is realistic or if there is a more cost effective way to produce that may even save money.
Where possible, providing a realistic budget helps your print partner:
Great printers want to maximise value, not simply increase cost. At Healeys, collaborative consultation means helping agencies achieve the best possible outcome within commercial realities.
Clients increasingly expect sustainable production as standard. You may often find there is a reporting requirement, particularly for larger corporates.
Your brief should include:
Healeys experienced printer will also proactively suggest more sustainable alternatives throughout the process. As one of the UK’s first carbon neutral printers, this is an area where the right information and support can be provided.
Involve Your Printer Early: The best ideas often emerge through collaboration.
Ask for Samples: Physical references help avoid misunderstandings.
Don’t Over-Specify Too Soon: Leave room for technical expertise and innovation.
Prioritise What Matters Most: If budget is tight, identify the elements that create the greatest impact.
Build Time for Proofing: Rushed approvals often lead to costly errors.
Think About User Experience: How does the piece feel, open, fold, display or interact physically?
Treat Print as Part of the Brand Experience: Print is not just production — it’s storytelling.
Sometimes teams need more than a printer. They need a production partner who understands marketing communications, protects creative intent and helps deliver exceptional client outcomes.
That’s why Healeys has built long-standing relationships with agencies, marketers and global brands alike.
Healeys combines:
Across sectors including retail, luxury, education, hospitality, healthcare and corporate communications, Healeys supports agencies with everything from high-end brand collateral to large-scale integrated campaigns.
Their approach is built around partnership — helping agencies bring ambitious ideas to life with precision, creativity and technical excellence.
A great print brief is not just a specification document. It is the foundation for exceptional creative execution.
When agencies provide clear objectives, honest parameters and early collaboration opportunities, printers can become strategic partners rather than transactional suppliers.
The result is better quality, smoother production, stronger campaign outcomes and happier clients. In an increasingly digital world, expertly produced print continues to prove its value as one of the most trusted, tactile and impactful communication channels available.
With the right brief — and the right print partner — every team can turn great ideas into unforgettable brand experiences.