My Old Friend, 8 1/2 x 11

Have you thought about 8 1/2 x 11″ lately? I’ve recently worked on a few client projects sporting the standard “letter” size, and I thought I would share a glimpse today. Admittedly, the 93 1/2 square inches of marketing space available in a regular piece of paper is a little over-used–so much so that I sometimes recommend against it to help clients break out of the “standard” box. However, this tried and true format can also offer a lot of well-designed punch within a manageable budget. The fact is; it’s easily mailed, easily stuffed and easily hand-held. Not to mention the fact that it can be produced without much fanfare with your own desktop printer or with any quick-print company in your small pond. And, as the designer in the room, I kind of enjoy squeezing my creative juices to make this common format sparkle! Although the format is the same, these three clients each used the 8 1/2 x 11″ format in a slightly different way. Take a look…

Starkville Academy Annual Fund: This piece served as a folded self-mailer giving it a little more presence than the typical #10 envelope provides, but concentrating the information in a simple and inexpensive one-pager.

Greater Starkville Development Partnership Blue Ribbon Business Resources Flyer: This flyer was included in a packet of other information mailed to Chamber of Commerce members. Keeping it in a format that could be combined in a standard presentation folder or a standard envelope offered just the right amount of flexibility.

The Rogue Christmas Wish List: This mini “catalog” of favorite gift items (produced in collaboration with Halo Business Advisors) was hand-delivered to area offices and restaurants around the store’s location. Keeping the format simple made it inexpensive to print, easy to distribute and quick to grab attention.