Department of Student Life

Marketing - Print Materials

In a very digital it can feel like physical promotion isn't as important. However, students still report that posters, bulletin boards, and other print materials are amongst the top ways they learn about upcoming events and opportunities. Whether you're submitting a marketing request so we can help you develop some great posters, or your working in-house on your own designs, knowing how to turn your thoughts into physical objects takes some knowledge and planning.

Print Terms You Should Know:

Bleed - Indicates that you want your poster designs to 'bleed' off the edge of the page. Because printers can't print off the edge the page, files with a bleed are set-up with extra space on all sides and trim lines that indicate where your vendor should cut them for the final product. If you are printing yourself (on an office or home printer) you would not want a file with a bleed. Watch this video o print bleeds.
No Bleed - Indicates that your poster artwork will not be edge-to-edge when printed. Because printers can't print off the edge of the page, print jobs without a bleed will have a small white border around the artwork they are printed. To complicate things, your digital file likely will not have a white border; while your final printed product will. This is the type of poster project you would want to print yourself on an office or home printer - or for display on campus flatscreens.
Trim / Crop Marks - This is an indicator on your poster where a vendor should cut your final product. This could be simple trim marks on the corner of posters; or a full line around a shape (like a sticker) that indicates the shape to be cut out. Watch this video on crop marks.
Spread - When developing brochures or booklets, a 'spread' indicates a layout showcases the pages side-by-side. For example, when you open a book and see page 1 and 2 side by side - both pages together would be page 1 of a spread. Check out this video explaination of spreads.
PMC - This is an abbreviation for 'Print and Mail Code'. Most student organizations have a PMC code, which easily indicates what budget Print and Mail should charge when they complete print projects.

Posters

Tabloid-sized (11x17'') posters are among the most common (and easily translatable) print materials you can produce to advertise your organization and/or event. Basic posters are still the number one way folks on our campus community report learning about an event, application, or opportunity.

While you can always print your projects yourself on an office or home printer - we recommend putting a small amount of money towards printing your materials through a print shop. The campus Print & Mail Center can help you produce quality printed posters (amongst other projects) quickly and cheaply.

3 Steps to Printing Your Poster

Start an e-mail to Terri Nolin (Terri.Nolin@uvm.edu)
Include in your email: Your attached poster (or link to it from a google drive or dropbox folder), a title for the project, the quantity you would like to order, if your poster is full color or black and white, if your poster has a bleed or not, the size of your file (likely 11x17 for posters), and your PMC code (or chartstring).
Pick up your posters in-person at Print & Mail's Waterman location. Printing typically takes 2-3 days.

Best Practices

Your poster should as simply as possible, convey what your event is, when and where it is, and how folks can attend. Any visuals should support the 'what' as sustinctly as possible.
Try to keep text to a minimum. Very few people stop to read an entire poster. Consider what folks will learn from 3 seconds of looking at your poster - many won't give it much more time.
Do not put long, messy, URLS on posters - nobody is going to remember them or put them in correctly. Use bit.ly or UVM's own link-shortener go.uvm.edu to shorten long URLs.
Think about how your poster can stand out against a crowded and busy bulletin-board. If possible, simple, bold designs will stand out more than those with lots of text and images.
If your event is open to the public - don't forget the downtown community when postering. Consider asking local businesses if you can put your poster in their window.
Don't forget about the ecological impact of postering. Make sure you think about how many posters you want to print in advance as not to waste paper, materials, or money. Recycle or reuse old posters. Posters collected in the Davis Center are turned into notepads!
If you're having Marketing Assistants make a poster for you - consider adding social media assets too. It's easy for the team to turn poster designs into files for use on instagram, facebook, etc.

Beyond Posters

Posters might be common - but there might be times when it doesn't satisfy your need for conveying information. Here are some additional popular print projects that you can explore to market and/or host your event.

Banners

Banners or displays of varying sizes can be hung between the Davis Center atrium pillars and along the atrium railings on a case-by-case basis. Where you would like to hang your banner will dictate the size of the banner you will want to get printed. Learn more on the Davis Center Marketing Page.

Dimensions: Flexible; Recommended 144 x 48'' (Between pillars); 48 x 60'' or 60 x 48'' (Railings)
Where to Print: Print & Mail (Paper, Vinyl, Foam core, PVC, Window Clings, Wall stickers, etc); Sticky Brand or Signarama (Vinyl)

Brochures + Booklets

Brochures, booklets, and similar folded materials give you the opportunity to share information across multiple pages or panels. This is especially helpful for programs that contain lots of information that needs to be organized and presented in clear manner. Some examples of this include the Outing Club's fall and spring brochures, the UVM Week of Welcome folded brochures, and the Davis Center hiring tri-folds. Pro-tip: Connect with the Davis Center Operations office to see if you can leave a stack at the first and/or third floor infodesks.

Dimensions: Varied
Where to Print: Print + Mail; Queen City Printers (For special paper and/or advanced folding)

Bus Signs

Every UVM CAT Shuttle has space for signage and advertising. This space is free for student orgs, and available on a first-come first-served basis. For more information (including rates for non-student orgs) contact Parking & Transportation services.

Dimensions: 11x14''
Where to Print: Print & Mail Center

Davis Center Bathroom Signs

Poster sign holders are located at some hand-drying stations in each of the Davis Center's bathrooms (Floors 1-3). Space is available first-come, first-served - and can be coordinated by contacting dcmrktng@uvm.edu.

Dimensions: 8.5 x 11''
Where to Print: Office or home printer or Print & Mail Center

Davis Center Display Cases

The Davis Center has a limited number of display cases available each month along the DC tunnel. Display cases are open to any UVM Department, Club, or Organization. They are not available to outside organizations or businesses. Learn more on the Davis Center Marketing site.

Dimensions: 44 x 37''
Where to Print: Print & Mail Center

Davis Center Standing Signs

Standing signs are tall sign holders - often used for directions and wayfinding - that you can use to further brand your event. You can discuss using standing signs with Davis Center Operations + Events while working with them on your event reservation.

Dimensions: 11 x 17''
Where to Print: Print & Mail Center

Postcards + Handbills

These are perfect for quick, small, handouts while tabling. Often great for providing supplemental information to your audience that they can view at a later date - or for sending a branded postcard to a friend or family member. Pro-tip: Connect with the Davis Center Operations office to see if you can leave a stack at the first and/or third floor infodesks.

Dimensions: 4 x 6'' (standard postcard); 5.5 x 8.5''
Where to Print: Print & Mail Center

Sandwich Boards + A-Frames

These are large scale, double-sided, weather-proof, outdoor sign holders available to promote programs and events taking place at the Davis Center. They are typically placed in front of each of the building's three entrances, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact dcmrktng@uvm.edu for more information.

Dimensions: 24 x 36''
Where to Print: Print & Mail Center

Stickers

Frequently used as a promotional giveaway item for laptops and water bottles. Promotional stickers can be ordered in basic shapes (circles, squares, etc) or custom shapes cut in the shape of your artwork. Larger floor stickers can occasionally be used as an advertising tool in the Davis Center - but require approval and coordination with the building staff well in advance.

Dimensions: 2'' Sticker (Standard); 17 x 17'' (Davis Center Floor Stickers)
Where to Print: Print & Mail Center, The Sticky Brand (Custom Shape Stickers)