Filling up the calendar can be a daunting task. With a calendar printing project, you have to find twelve beautiful pictures that will speak to your clients about your company’s products or services. And all these do not include the cover page and the 13th month spread.
Nevertheless, they have to have beautiful colors that can catch anyone’s attention and human interest that will tug at their heartstrings.
Filling Your Calendars
1. Photographs are a good starting point. Plan your calendars around them. Take photographs of how your product can benefit your clients throughout the changing season. Get quality images by:
• Hiring a professional photographer. They may be expensive, but they are an investment. High quality output is important to keep your calendars on the customers’ wall.
• If a professional photographer is too much for your budget, settle for the next best thing: an aspiring professional. Go to art schools and look for a photography student, or look for photography clubs, and hire an enthusiast. They should be willing to charge less than the pro photographer, but will give their full attention to the project.
• Download photographs from the internet. If commissioning a photographer is still too expensive, just look for stock photos online. They usually charge royalty fees, but they are cheaper than commissioning a project.
2. Cartoons or illustrations are also interesting to place in your calendars. Create a story. Begin it up every month that will then build up to a bigger story your customers will love to read again and again. Or you can render your character in different and even thematic portraits.
Dress them up like a superhero or someone who just emerged from the 50’s or the 80’s. Through all this, I’m sure you can find a way to incorporate and build up your business in the story.
• Start with an interesting character your clients can relate to. Everyday life can be interesting from an angle. Try “a day in the life of…” story of a fictional person who uses your products or perhaps “a day in the life of…” a dedicated employee.
• Same as the advice on hiring a professional photographer, you may hire a professional illustrator. Or again, you may hire an art student. The concept behind the cartoon should determine the lifestyles of the consumers you want to address.
• There are downloadable clip art galleries in the internet. Some of them are free, while the others may charge a royalty. You can use these illustrations but make sure you are consistent with your style for the rest of the month.
• Remember, the calendar should have a monthly concept that can exist independently, but supports each other when taken as a whole. Consistency should be observed in your calendars.
There are many creative ways to come up with good calendar designs. Just keep your target clients focused in your mind. Think of what is interesting to them. Avoid narcissistic illustrations of your company logo or product shots. Promotional calendars are self-serving, but they shouldn’t be boring. Clients are looking for ways your products can benefit them and this is what you should reflect.
Calendar printing is a good promotional item. Find the perfect illustrations to fill the pages and reap the benefits of advertising the whole year round.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Can i print up (1) month for my 2008 calendar ...
By: Andrea | 07-10-2008
Can i print up (1) month for my 2008 calendar?November ripped off.
The Cedars at Arlington
By: scottej | 02-10-2008
What can you tell me about the art at The Cedars at Arlington?
What day of the week was 1/1/69 and 10/03/47
By: Tina | 30-09-2008
what day of the week was 1/1/69 and 10/03/47
What's the best way to produce Photo Realistic ...
By: artchic2010 | 30-09-2008
What's the best way to produce Photo Realistic Scilk Screen Prints? I have the ability to do large scale photo emulsion screens, but I am unsure of how to transfer a photo to the screen and keep the quality and details of the photo. If you have any suggestions, tips and ideas would I would be most grateful. This is for a school project, but my teacher is a little clueless even though she has a degree in printmaking. Thanks for the help.MKMK
Do childminders need to be licensed?
By: ConcernedMom | 22-09-2008
Does a childminder (minding a child under 2) working out of her apartment in Richland Hills, TX need to have some kind of license?
Looking for a site that teaches children to draw
By: Avi Charkham | 08-09-2008
Do you know any great site that teaches children to draw?
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Printing Articles
Things to Plan Well in Advance for
By: Kate | 18/11/2008
I’ve just come off writing a series of articles talking about how planning ahead might cause you trouble if you aren’t willing to keep an open mind, so now I’m going to focus instead on why you should still plan ahead no matter what.
How You Frame Your Offer
By: Colleen Davis | 18/11/2008
This isn’t really about what exactly it is that you’re offering, but more about the way you present your offer. A lot of marketing is centered on a company’s ability to display their offers in a way that appeals to their customers.
How to Create Short But Powerful Ad Copies Through Custom Printing
By: Maureen Pelayo | 17/11/2008
There may be nothing wrong with what you are doing. But certainly you are lacking on some things. If you are utilizing the print medium for your ads, you can try custom printing for a change. This is to cut yourself out from everybody else, to give your image a boost and so that people can finally notice you.
Design Postcards – Designing Your Marketing Attitude
By: Maureen Pelayo | 17/11/2008
You must dwell enough time and thoughts in any advents with regards to this. This includes how to design postcards, how to make effective ad copies and other things that you have to decide on as you utilize different tools.
The Endless Possibilities With Digital Poster Printing
By: Maureen Pelayo | 17/11/2008
Do you own a small shop? Do not think that because your place is small, you cannot opt for bigger adverting means like digital poster printing. This can serve you in many ways than you may have originally planned.
Wholesale Printing – Leading Your Business to the Right Opportunities
By: Maureen Pelayo | 17/11/2008
Wholesale printing gives you an opportunity to take your chance in advertising to a larger crowd. This is mainly because this is affordable, so you will not think twice about taking the plunge.
The Larger Your Audience the More Unfocused Your Message
By: Kaitlyn Miller | 17/11/2008
As size increases so does diversity. Every state is going to have something unique about it. Every major city is going to have those specific traits unique only to them. Every section of that very city is going to have more and more variations
Place Your Product Into a Person’s Life
By: Kaitlyn Miller | 17/11/2008
When I look at a product I’m not immediately thinking to myself about how I might make use out of it. Typically I just see the product, see what it does, and that’s it. Yes, I’m sure that product could change my life
More from Carla San Gaspar
Commercial Color Printing – Helping Artists Spread Their Talents
By: Carla San Gaspar | 13/11/2008 | Printing
You must not get intimidated at the thought. Commercial color printing can be affordable and yet give you a big boost in marketing your work and your profession.
Targeting Your Customers’ Emotions Through Brochure Printing
By: Carla San Gaspar | 13/11/2008 | Printing
There are lots of ways that you can try to make it appear like you are ready to face the challenges that bigger companies pose as threats. So these bigger companies use brochure printing for their promotions and information drive.
Understanding, Preventing and Treating Diseases of the Sinus Cavities
By: Carla San Gaspar | 11/11/2008 | Medicine
The sinuses exhibit a close connection with the nose, demonstrated by their similar mucosal lining and by small openings found within the complex. Therefore, the problem of the nose becomes the problem of the sinus cavities and vice versa.
The 3 Essential Elements of Real Estate Postcards
By: Carla San Gaspar | 11/11/2008 | Printing
In any business and profession, you will encounter lots of tips and different advices as to how you are going to nail luck and succeed with your marketing ventures. This also holds true in the real estate biz. You may have already heard about real estate postcards and what these can do to help you iron out the slump with your earnings.
Know the Symptoms of a Sinus Infection in an Instant
By: Carla San Gaspar | 04/11/2008 | Medicine
Knowing the symptoms of a sinus infection may spell the difference between suffering from sinusitis and living a healthy and normal life. Nobody wants to have sinusitis as it brings about pain and discomfort in our daily lives.
Imperative Causes Why You Must Avail Business Cards Printing
By: Carla San Gaspar | 04/11/2008 | Printing
People in the business and professionals alike must never ignore the value of business cards printing to their venture. Your business card says a lot about who you are and how are you going to be perceived by the buying public
Custom Printing – Advertising for Professionals Made Easier
By: Carla San Gaspar | 04/11/2008 | Printing
You will be able to expand your clients’ base by gathering more and more people who will try your services based on how they view your ads. So be sure to hire the services of the right printing company for your custom printing jobs. This way, you will have more chances to be liked by those who will see the materials.
Color Offset Printing – Helping Businesses Survive the Hard Times
By: Carla San Gaspar | 28/10/2008 | Printing
Color offset printing helps you disguise your financial trouble to the people whom you are targeting to get you out of the situation. So make sure that you do everything right in order to succeed without having anyone notice what you have been through.
Advertising 
