Brochure Design Brochure Facts 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nonprofit needs 250 brochures by tomorrow with variable donor names printed on each. Which printing method fits best?
- Digital printing (Correct answer)
- Offset lithography
- Screen printing
- Letterpress
Correct answer: Digital printing
Digital printing handles short runs, fast turnaround, and variable data without printing plates.
Question 2: At roughly what quantity does offset printing usually become more cost-effective than digital for brochures?
- Around 500-1,000 copies or more (Correct answer)
- At exactly 50 copies
- Only above 100,000 copies
- Offset is always cheaper at any quantity
Correct answer: Around 500-1,000 copies or more
Offset setup costs are spread across large runs, typically beating digital pricing past 500-1,000 copies.
Question 3: Which design principle is violated when a brochure crams every panel edge-to-edge with text and images?
- Effective use of white space (Correct answer)
- Color theory
- Font embedding
- Bleed setup
Correct answer: Effective use of white space
White space gives content room to breathe; filling every area overwhelms readers.
Question 4: A brochure's call to action is buried in small text on the back panel. What is the recommended fix?
- Make the call to action prominent and repeat it where readers naturally finish reading (Correct answer)
- Delete the call to action entirely
- Move all contact details to the cover
- Print the brochure on glossier paper
Correct answer: Make the call to action prominent and repeat it where readers naturally finish reading
A call to action should stand out visually and appear where the reader's journey ends.
Question 5: Which fold wraps panels inward one over another, requiring each inner panel to be progressively narrower?
- Roll fold (Correct answer)
- Half fold
- Gate fold
- French fold
Correct answer: Roll fold
A roll fold wraps panels around each other, so each inner panel must shrink slightly to nest.
Question 6: What is a key accessibility consideration when choosing brochure text and background colors?
- Ensuring strong contrast between text and background (Correct answer)
- Using only pastel colors
- Matching the text color to the logo exactly
- Avoiding black ink entirely
Correct answer: Ensuring strong contrast between text and background
High contrast between text and background keeps copy legible for readers with low vision.
Question 7: A printed brochure's colors look duller than the vibrant on-screen design. What best explains this?
- The RGB screen gamut includes bright colors that CMYK inks cannot reproduce (Correct answer)
- The printer used too much ink
- The paper was cut incorrectly
- The fonts were not embedded
Correct answer: The RGB screen gamut includes bright colors that CMYK inks cannot reproduce
RGB displays can show colors outside the CMYK gamut, so some vibrancy is lost in print.
A nonprofit needs 250 brochures by tomorrow with variable donor names printed on each.
Which printing method fits best?