We have another Psd Plus tutorial exclusively available to Plus members today. If you want to take your Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign integration skills to the next level, then we have an exciting promotional mailer for you. It's also focused on making a creative print project come to life on a budget. Learn more at the jump!
Design a Black-and-White Promotional Mailer on a Budget – Psd Plus Tutorial
Oct 14th in News by Mark MayersThis Plus Tutorial is Filled with Creative Tips
Working within a limited budget is a discipline that every designer must master – especially in the current economic climate. Knowing how to squeeze every last drop from a tight budget and still produce something eye catching requires some understanding of different printing techniques.
In this tutorial, we'll forget about expensive four-color printing and limit ourselves to just one spot color – black! Working in black-and-white is more challenging and also imposes limits on the design process – done right, its simplicity and stark contrast will capture and engage the viewer.
As well as rediscovering the beauty of monochrome, you'll also add a clear, gloss spot UV varnish to selective areas; this will have the effect of highlighting and drawing attention to parts of the design when the printed piece is moved under different light conditions. So, as a perfect example to showcase these techniques, I briefed myself to design an A5, double-sided, self-promotional mailer.
As far a techniques go, you'll learn how to use an additional Alpha channel to create the spot varnish artwork; then create your own geometric pattern library with Illustrator. Next we'll show you how to bring everything together with InDesign. Finally, you'll get to grips with preflighting your artwork with InDesign and Acrobat Professional – ensuring it's error-free and printer-friendly.
Plus members can Log in and Download! If you're not a member, you can of course join today! Below is the final image we'll be creating in this tutorial.
Professional and Detailed Instructions Inside
Plus members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are some sample images from this tutorial.




PSD Plus Membership
As you know, we run a premium membership system here called 'Plus' that costs $9 a month (or $22 for 3 months!) which gives members access to the Source files for tutorials as well as periodic extra tutorials, like this one! You'll also get access to Net Plus and Vector Plus, too. If you're a Plus member, you can log in and download the tutorial. If you're not a member, you can of course join today!
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )aMs October 14th
outcome looks ok, no wows, i’m sure the techniques covered inside are worth seeing
( )Has_n October 14th
Sounds gud!!!!
( )Patrick Riley October 14th
Sweet!
hey please check out my tutorial site i need suggestions!
hazystudio.com
( )g3niuz October 14th
looks intresting…
need to try that ;D
( )jaznot October 14th
so is “less is more” an intentionally ironic headline on this cluster F*K collage?
( )ko ko October 14th
I like the vomiting Zebra
( )matthew booth October 14th
Oh hey Jaznot, I really like the tutorials that you have done. It’s also really cool that you are so committed to improving the internet that you created your own Gravatar and you link to your own website so when you flame someone else’s tutorial they can look at your astounding work and see that, clearly, you are an authoritative voice on design. Thanks for all you do.
( )Laneth October 14th
Laugh #1 for the day, thanks Matt – that was awesome
Aevion October 14th
it’s his opinion, what’s with the livid words on your end?
i do agree with you on the no link, no effort approach of this guy though, but still, if someone doesn’t like something you have no right to attack them.
and i know how we have a rough history on this site (hopefully we’re becoming more amicable), but I’ve actually written a tutorial now, so I know how you feel. It’s on photoshoptutorials.ws (twister in the city) if you care to see it.
matthew booth October 14th
Aevion is right, I need to loosen up. It just makes me so angry when people are rude. I’ve offered constructive critiques, but I don’t just post “Crap. Hate it. Artist sucks” haha
Maybe I need to just start ignoring that stuff and focus on contributing to the conversation myself.
I’ll check your tut out Aevion, congrats on being published! It’s a very accomplished feeling (at least it was for me).
sean steezy October 14th
I thought that comment was funny. not sure if offense was meant.
( )Sam October 14th
I too agree the headline is ironic but the overall outcome does have a nice structure. I wouldn’t go as far as cluster-f.
( )ajir October 14th
another that inspiring me!!
( )Phil October 14th
Great Tut. Keep them coming!
( )Jeff October 15th
What is the name of that bold font?
( )Rancer October 17th
I’d like to know that too.
. Someone help?
( )Filip October 19th
I think it’s MOD.
( )http://fontfabric.com/?p=396
Edonyx October 15th
I like the vomiting zebra, too.
Though I do wish that a tut like this was available for free…
( )Symon October 15th
The plus tutorial you say……..doh!
( )Joe October 15th
How is that “Less if more” ? It’s like the complete opposite.
( )Derek Herman October 15th
I believe he is referring to the fact that less color in this case is more and probably not the elements it took to create. However, it really isn’t using a ton of different elements as one might expect in a typical collage. But that’s just my opinion.
( )Cheap Web Design UK October 16th
it is looking to be very interesting
( )i need to try it soon,
e-sushi October 17th
So simple, yet so cool. Inspires me for sure! Thanks for posting this thing (even when I’m a bit late discovering it).
Love to see more of this stuff!
( )Marsee October 18th
I think this is the font, it’s called MOD, you can get it for free from here
( )http://fontfabric.com/?p=396
David Moreen October 19th
This tutorial is looking so great. I really hope that I can squeeze some time in my day, today to do some damage on it.
( )Mark Mayers October 22nd
Thanks for all the comments, although some of the negative ones may have missed the whole point of the tutorial (read the introduction); using a single spot colour is much more involved than using CMYK inks; and how to make a Spot UV Varnish printing plate is a subject not really covered elsewhere as far as I know.
Mark
( )