The essentials for print
- Final leaflet size (A5, A6, DL, etc.) and whether it’s single or double-sided
- Bleed and safe zone requirements — anything meant to run to the edge needs 3mm bleed, and text needs to sit clear of the trim line
- Paper/finish if they already know (gloss, matt, silk) — affects colour choice
- Whether it folds (single sheet vs. tri-fold/gate-fold) — folds change the layout grid completely
Brand assets
- Logo — vector file (AI, EPS, or SVG) if possible, not a low-res JPG pulled off their website
- Brand colours as exact hex/CMYK/Pantone codes, not “our blue”
- Fonts they use elsewhere, or permission to pick something suitable if they don’t have a house font
Content
- Final copy — headline, body text, offer/pricing, terms and conditions if there’s a promotion
- Any images they want used (own photos vs. stock) and in what resolution — screenshots or web images are usually too low-res for print
- Contact details exactly as they want them shown: phone, website, address, socials
- Any legal/compliance text (e.g. “offer ends”, registered company number) that has to appear
Purpose and audience — this is the one people skip and then aren’t happy with the result
- What’s the goal: brand awareness, a specific offer, event promotion, appointment bookings?
- Who’s receiving it — since you’re doing the distribution, you already know the area/demographic, but worth confirming what tone fits (family homes vs. business district, etc.)
- Any call to action they want front and centre (call now, visit website, scan QR code, bring this leaflet in for X% off)
Style direction
- 2-3 examples of leaflets or ads they like the look of
- Anything to avoid (a competitor’s look, a colour they hate, “too busy/too plain”)
Practical
- Deadline and print quantity, since that can affect paper stock/turnaround
- Who signs off — one contact for approval avoids five people giving conflicting feedback at proof stage
