How to Format, Print, and Mail Newsletters
This article provides explanations and tips to help you or your organization produce the best newsletters for your needs.
We’ll cover the layout of graphics and text, different printing options, and how to mail your newsletters once printed.
While this article is aimed at physical newsletters, the Formatting section will still be relevant to people working on designing digital newsletters.
Scroll down to click these subheadings to read each section:
Despite newsletters being a common piece of media, it can be hard to feel you’ve gotten it right. To make your job easier, consider contacting a local print company like JH French to handle the entire process for you, including mailing.
Newsletters can come in many forms. Choose what’s right for you.
Formatting
People expect newsletters to be clear and professional. Being visual items means you as the creator need to be especially aware of two things: graphic design and text formatting.
Graphic Design
Graphic design should not interfere with the message of your newsletter. It needs to make your message easier to read, not distract from it.
Here are some graphic design tips specific to designing newsletters:
Display your logo clearly - Readers need to know who the newsletter is from. We recommend putting your organization’s logo on the front and back of the newsletter, as well as a short blurb explaining what the newsletter is about.
Don’t distract from the text - The most important part of a newsletter is the text. Therefore, refrain from using distracting, busy imagery, and don’t use backgrounds unless they are a simple colour.
Use a simple colour palette - Choosing colours that reflect your industry or the colours of your logo is a great way to decide on a colour scheme.
Remember that certain colour combinations will make people think of certain things. For example, don’t use red and green together unless you want people to think of Christmas!
Solid colour title pages are easier to read at a glance.
Add images to break up the text - People don’t like reading walls of text. Use tasteful images you have the license for to give the reader’s eyes a break.
Work with a professional - Commission a professional graphic designer to create your newsletter layout. They will already know how to use pro software to get a good result, and that alone saves a great deal of stress.
Iterate - After getting all the graphics, images, and colours in a rough position, double-check your newsletter file to see if any graphics are impacting readability. If necessary, make adjustments.
Use a template - If you don’t have access to a graphic designer, consider using a template. Choose a template based on the style of your newsletter. There are many online sources for report-style templates, brochure-style templates, or standard visually-oriented newsletter templates.
Some print companies also offer graphic design services in addition to their print work. That can be an easy way of lifting some of the work of having to design everything yourself.
This is an example of the type of graphic design large corporations use for their newsletters and reports.
Text
The text is the important meat of the newsletter. It’s what actually conveys the updates and information to the reader. We recommend following these tips when formatting the text for your newsletter:
Use an appropriate font - Fonts can either be serifed, with decorative markings at the ends of letters; or sans-serif (non-serif), meaning they don’t have any extra markings (read more about what font says about your brand here).
Sans serif fonts are easier to read, but an old-school font like Times New Roman comes across more formally and may be more appropriate for something like an academic setting.Use white space - Don’t clog up the pages with text. Use white space to help divide text so it doesn’t all blend together.
Use small paragraphs - Segment your information into thought-sized chunks, separated into small paragraphs. This will help you stay concise while allowing the text to flow better.
Make it “skimmable” - Reading your newsletter shouldn’t feel like work. To prevent that feeling, try bolding or italicizing important phrases, and using lots of bullet-point lists.
Get an editor - It’s easy for words to sound good in your head, but awkward or vague on the page. Get an editor to review the newsletter for spelling and grammar, with a special focus on making sure all information is clear, in simple language, and not too verbose.
If you follow these tips, you’ll have a professional-looking newsletter in no time.
Printing
When it comes to actually printing your newsletters, there are many different options regarding the form and quality you want them to have.
It’s a good idea to establish a budget and a concise set of goals before deciding on how to have them printed, as those two variables will be the most helpful when deciding which option is best for you.
Product Type
What form do you want your newsletter to take? Here are some of the most common options:
Single-Page Flyers - If the newsletter is short and sweet, you may be able to fit everything on a single, double-sided sheet. Simple flyers are cost-effective, lightweight, and easy to pass around.
Cards - Cards are typically too small to contain a helpful amount of information, but they are good at directing people to resources they can refer to if they want to learn more. Cards offer many of the same benefits as flyers.
Pamphlets or Brochures - These two terms are often used interchangeably, but roughly speaking, pamphlets are documents meant to inform people of something, and brochures are meant to advertise something.
Regardless, they typically take the form of sheets of paper folded in two or three sections. Consider a pamphlet or brochure if you’re handing out your newsletters in person.Booklets - For a more professional, long-form newsletter, perhaps something similar to a business report, you may consider printing them as booklets. Newsletters don’t need to be exceptionally robust, so when choosing a binding, consider a simple stapled saddle stitch binding or a ring binding.
Smaller newsletters handed out in person can take the form of a pamphlet | Image source: Pexels
Cost & Volume
The cost of your order is determined in part by what type of product style you choose for your newsletters, and in part by how many you print.
Flyers, pamphlets, or brochures cost around $1-$2 per copy. Booklets with any sort of binding will cost more, closer to $10 per copy.
These prices are only estimates and will vary significantly based on paper quality, the binding chosen, or special features like foiling or embossing.
Volume also has a major impact on overall price. If you only need 100 copies of your newsletter, expect to pay close to the above prices per copy. But if your order is in the thousands, your price per copy may drop by half.
Other Printing Tips
Collation - “Collation” refers to the order that your pages are printed. Essentially, it determines how pages are grouped together as they get printed (refer here for more information).
This only matters if you’re assembling and distributing your newsletters yourself, in which case it’s worth asking your chosen print shop to collate or not collate your newsletters based on whichever one will be easier for you after you pick the completed items up.Binding - If your newsletter is so long that you want to bind all the pages together in a booklet, saddle stitch binding and ring binding are your best options. Often booklets will have a thicker piece of stationary that’s used as the cover. Most print shops offer these binding options.
Choosing the right product for your newsletter to get maximum bang for your buck | Image source: Unsplash
Distribution
Once you have your newsletters printed, all that’s left to do is get them into the hands of people who need to see them.
Mailing by Hand
The first way to distribute newsletters is by doing it all yourself. Once you pick up your completed order from the printer, you will need envelopes and the addresses of all people who you intend to receive the document.
Once each envelope has been addressed, filled with the newsletter, sealed, and stamped, it can be mailed. This is a laborious process, so we recommend only mailing by hand if you have no more than a couple hundred letters to send out.
You can write the addresses on the envelopes by hand (follow Canada Post’s official guide if you’re unsure of the format), but if you want the letters to look even more professional, you can order address stickers that you simply stick to the outside of the envelope.
Most stationary or printing stores sell both envelopes or custom address stickers.
In-Person Distribution
If you will be seeing the recipients of the newsletters in person, such as at a business meeting, conference, or large event, then you can distribute the newsletters by hand.
At some conferences, the newsletters are simply left out publicly, and people can pick them up as desired.
If specific people need to receive the newsletter, then you locate those people and ensure they are actually handed one in person.
Using a Print Company
The easiest way to get your newsletters where they need to go is to have someone else do it for you. Shipping can be a hassle, so working with an experienced third-party business can bring a lot of peace of mind.
If you’re already getting a print shop to print all your newsletters for you, ask them if they also offer mailing and shipping services. This way you will only need to tell them what to print, and how many, and they’ll be able to handle the rest.
Many businesses ship Canada-wide. If in doubt, call them directly to inquire about what mailing services they offer.
Mailing everything yourself will require careful organization | Image source: Unsplash
Choose JH French for Printing Newsletters
Providing high-quality printed products to clients in downtown Hamilton for over a century.
Known for our diversity of products, quality customer service, and excellent results, JH French prints everything from newsletters, to professional forms, to corporate booklets, and more.
JH French offers Canada-wide shipping services, so no matter where you are in the country, we can pack and ship your order straight to your door.
To learn more about any of our products, or get information on how to begin a large order of newsletters, get in touch with us today!
“I was recently connected with Glen and everyone at JH French and I couldn’t be happier with the reference. Personal, friendly and professional. When I received my prints I couldn’t have been happier with the results. Real pros who know how to get it done.”