Creating Direct Mail Handouts: Design Tips for Maximum Impact

Designing direct mail handouts and postcards is beneficial to a public relations campaign. Direct mail can be used to spread information about a client or organization to target stakeholders. Furthermore, direct mail should be targeted to each stakeholder so that the handout has more impact.

Image: Wix

Photoshop Tips and Tricks

Adobe Photoshop is a good tool for creating direct mail handouts. It is also good for editing images and creating designs. Photoshop can be tricky to use, so I have some tricks to share. The most important thing to remember is to create new layers. When you add something new or want to try out a tool, you should create a new layer to experiment on. Having your design separated into different layers keeps change on one layer from affecting another. Additionally, you can easily delete a layer and all of its contents to remove it from your design.

Another tool that you can for layers is "Layer Style." Layer Style can be used to add shadow, outlines, glow, etc. to a layer. To change the layer style, click "Layer" on your toolbar and click "Layer Style." There are an array of layer styles to choose from and you can customize each style. Additionally, you can add multiple styles to each layer.

Image: Screenshot from Lexie Oliver

Direct Mail Design Process

The first step of the design process is to identify target stakeholders to develop a draft for the handouts. Here is more information on identifying stakeholders. When creating your draft, remember to relate it to your stakeholders. All direct mail projects should be targeted to your stakeholders to attract a larger audience and make a bigger impact.

When drafting a direct mail handout, remember that it often changes throughout the design process. To the right is my first handout draft. It was not specifically targeted to one of the target stakeholders and does not properly represent the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum's brand. This direct mail draft does not generate much of a response or call for action.

The finished draft to the right is a much more impactful handout. I utilized multiple images to represent the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum and the Centennial Commission. I created an interesting typography for the title and incorporated the company's logo to generate brand recognition. I used a shadow drop layer style to bring the images away from the background.

The finished draft appeals to the tourist stakeholder group by using a postcard style and an aged paper design. On the back, I incorporated the same typography and logo. I included the address of the museum to create a call to action. I designed a space for visitors to take notes on their findings at the museum so that they can personalize the design like a postcard.

Final thoughts...

When designing any material for a project, remember that it will change throughout the drafts. It is okay for your design to evolve or even change completely! Defining your stakeholders is the most important step in a campaign. Take your time researching your target audiences and defining your stakeholders. Remember to cater your work towards them.