It’s practically child’s play to make a great impression using print. Just take enough time to write some decent copy for your ad, brochure or mailer. That simple practice has become so rare that even a perfunctory effort at story telling gets attention.

It’s really quite daring to step out and tell a story with drama. Much simpler to advertise with leaden bullet points, as if your reader where looking at a powerpoint presentation.

The art of advertising in print certainly goes back thousands of years, and will likely be around even when the internet is a distant, faded memory. That’s because there {hidden treasure} are always stories to tell, for those perceptive enough to find them, and bold enough to write them.

Ever since Photoshop became a verb, a tacit expectation rose that (regardless of your background, training, interests, job title or schedule) you should have a working knowledge of most all current graphics software. Still using Corel Draw? Good heavens, you’re a relic! Not sure if you own Adobe Acrobat or Adobe InDesign? What, were you born in a barn?

Now Hiring: We’re looking for a few good clients who don’t Photoshop and are proud of it! The ideal candidates don’t have a mind cluttered by the minutia of application menus, operating systems and process color separation. Instead, they can clearly articulate project goals and objectives in a comprehensive yet concise manner. They haven’t spent the last two weeks trying to strangle an electronic document into submission, and hence there’s plenty of time for someone else to produce the project in question from scratch if necessary.

If you’re great at creating electronic documents and images, our prepress department is most thankful for that. Still, all too often I feel the pain of my customer who is under tremendous pressure to produce work that is far outside of his/her skill set on a schedule that an expert graphic artist would be hard pressed to match.

If I’m wandering here, perhaps I should get to the point: spend your valuable time doing the brainwork. Have a clear marketing plan in place. Succinctly define your objectives in writing and then rent the best graphic design specialist you can afford for a few hours. It just might be the best investment you’ve made all year!

Over a decade ago typographer and graphic designer Kathleen Tinkel wrote:

Armed with our Macs, we presumed to compete with our creative partners (typographers, illustrators, airbrush artists, retouchers and more), helping to put some trades out of business. But the computer isn’t as capable as a talented artist or skilled artisan, so we traded quality for glitzy tricks and techniques, and turned ourselves into high-tech production artists in the process… Our clients…believed the ads that said they could dispense with expensive designers, and instead began to buy their own Macs and WYSIWYG software… Is graphic design dead?

Personally, I’m prone to agree with Monty Python and wheel out the discipline of graphic design on a cart. This opinion is based on countless experiences over the last decade, as well as the dearth of thoughtful, well designed print in all but a small minority of examples currently in circulation.

One such experience was the recent phone inquiry from a new customer excited at the prospect of fancy color business cards now within her $50 budget. When advised that she’d need to supply a ready to print PDF or application file, there was a moment’s hesitation. “It’s just a logo, a line and a little bit of text. Isn’t there any way I can get around paying someone to set that up?”

All too typical.

After some thought, it occurred to me that today many a person would easily shell out $75 to get his/her car washed and waxed but never even consider a similar amount paid to a graphic designer to create a vibrant design which could and should last for years to come. Design is dead, because today all too few marketers see its inherent value.

Yes, creating your own home-brew design on a PC or Mac can be an immersive experience. Hours fly by, and we become increasingly attached to our creation with each passing minute. Regardless of its merit.

Herein lies your opportunity: Invest in good design. With so many routine layouts in circulation these days, your own professionally designed presentation will likely jump off the page and grab your customers’ attention.

And, also you’ll have time to use your computer for something that’s fun.