Photography with instant branded print templates

A branded print is a small piece of marketing that guests keep. It might carry a company logo, an event name, a date or a decorative border. Done well, it looks neat and it is remembered. Done carelessly, it prints with a blurred logo or a misspelt name, and hundreds of copies go home.

This guide is part of our look at choosing photography formats and optional event outputs. It covers the preparation that branded instant prints need.

What a branded template is

A template is a layout. It sets the photograph's position, the border and the placement of logos or text. Every print uses the same layout, with the guest's photograph inside it.

A template is a design job as well as a printing job. It should be treated as a deliverable that needs a brief, artwork and approval. Ask us whether branded instant prints can be offered for your date, and what the setup involves. We confirm this in writing.

Why logos cannot just be dropped in

A logo needs to be sharp, correctly coloured and placed within the print area. A few common problems:

• a small or compressed logo that blurs when enlarged;
• colours that look different on a print than on a screen;
• artwork that does not fit the chosen print size;
• text placed too near the edge, where it may be cut off.

Our guide on why photographs can look different on screens and in print explains the colour point. The photograph print size calculator helps you pick a size and check the proportions.

The preparation steps

Work through the steps in order.

1. Choose the print size and shape. Portrait, landscape or square.
2. Gather the artwork. Logos, colours, fonts and text.
3. Brief the layout. Where the logo goes, where the photograph sits.
4. Receive a proof. Check every detail.
5. Approve in writing. Name who has the authority.
6. Test. Run a sample print before guests arrive.

Our guide on what to approve before an album or photo print is produced lists approval checks that also apply here.

Proofs: who signs off

A proof is only useful if someone checks it. Name one approver. Check:

• spelling of event name, company name and date;
• logo version and colours;
• whether the layout leaves space around the edges;
• whether the orientation suits most photographs.

Changes after approval may cost time or may not be possible. If a sponsor must also approve, collect their comments before the proof is final.

Print handling on the day

A branded print is only as good as its handling. Plan:

• where prints are produced and handed out;
• how guests know they are ready;
• how they are protected from spills and bending;
• what happens if supplies run low.

The live-event rolling photo production planner maps these steps. For a view of how printing fits the whole job, read immediate prints or a digital gallery after the event.

Two templates, one event

Some events need more than one layout, such as one for guests and one for sponsors. Prepare both in advance, label them clearly and agree how and when to switch. Do not plan on creating a new one during the event.

A simple example

Imagine a product launch for 300 guests where the company wants branded instant prints. The marketing team sends the logo, the event name and the colour codes two weeks before. A proof arrives, and the manager spots that the date is wrong. It is corrected, and she approves the new proof in writing. On the day, a test print confirms the layout. A hostess hands each print out in a card sleeve so that it stays flat.

Digital copies

Guests may also want the image on their phones. Decide whether the template applies to digital copies too, and whether a plain version is also provided. Our corporate photography deliverables planner helps list each version as a separate item.

What we confirm in writing

We confirm the date, venue, crew, coverage hours and deliverables. For branded prints we also record the print size, the template proof and approval, the expected quantity and who runs the printing. If the template cannot be prepared in time, we say so.

Questions to prepare

• What size and orientation should the prints be?
• Which logo and text will the template carry?
• Who approves the proof, and by when?
• How many prints do you expect to need?
• How will prints be handed out and protected?