Q: Hi, For the first time, we are going to highlight our professional development courses in a corporate brochure and mail to our local businesses (five counties) Does LERN have a recommended size that we should use? We want it to look different from our regular 64 page catalog, but be recognizable. It will probably be about 16 pages. We definitely want a sharp professional piece that promotes us as their training resource for public offerings or customized training.
A: Hi, Karen, You are asking the right questions. The best size for your brochure is either 8 1/2 x 11 or "letter sized" as defined by the US Post Office. For your purposes, although it is slightly more expensive to mail, I would recommend the 8 1/2 x 11 format. You are correct that you want it to be recognizable as part of your total organizational brand, but distinguishable from your regular catalog. The basic principles are that you should work with your graphic designer to create a piece that uses a similar format, your logo, any signature elements that are part of your design to create an overall look that is consistent with your regular catalog. However, you would want to have a different title, graphic and tagline that distinguishes your professional development courses. You also want to avoid any design elements that suggest leisure or enrichment courses. You want a crisper,more professional look. I would suggest that you send us a pdf of your regular brochure and we can make more specific recommendations for your new professional development piece.