Design & Publications

Before reaching out to us, please take some time to think about the purpose of your project and who it’s meant to reach. If you’re requesting a reprint of an existing publication, it’s also helpful to consider whether any updates or changes are needed before it’s reprinted.

As you plan, you may find it useful to think through the following questions:

• Why is this piece needed?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Will it be distributed on its own or alongside other publications?
• What information must be included?
• What additional content would you like to include if space allows?
• What would you like readers to do after reading this piece?
• How many copies will be needed?
• Will new photographs need to be taken or other artwork created?
• Who will be responsible for writing the text?
• Does the publication need to be a specific size or format? (For example, does it need to fit in a business-size envelope, function as a self-mailer, or match the size of other related publications?)
• Does this project need to be mailed?
• When and where should the finished publication be delivered?

Publications often take longer to produce than many people expect. For most projects, we recommend contacting the design team two to three months before your desired delivery date. New, lengthy, or more complex publications typically require four months or more of lead time. Allowing adequate time helps us produce the highest-quality publication possible.

While summer may be a quieter period for many college offices, it’s actually our busiest season—so we encourage you to plan accordingly.

In some cases, a project can be completed in less than two months. If you have a time-sensitive project that requires a rush schedule, please contact us to discuss whether production within your timeline is possible.

When you need a new publication or would like to revise an existing one, please contact us to get started. We may schedule a meeting to talk through your project and will assign a member of the publications staff to serve as your project director.

Your project director will act as a “traffic manager,” guiding the publication through each stage of the production process and serving as the primary liaison between our office and yours. Meeting deadlines is a shared responsibility between you and the project director to ensure the project stays on track.

Our office does not fund publications projects. We will provide design services, but your department will be responsible for printing and mailing costs. We’re happy to help you estimate project costs so you can ensure adequate funds are included in your budget.

We will request bids from appropriate printers and provide cost estimates. We also review vendor charges related to producing your publication and may handle invoice processing on your behalf.

Generally speaking, most projects move through the following major steps:

• A planning meeting is held
• Text is written and copy edited
• You review the manuscript
• The publication design is created and the text is laid out
• Photographs and illustrations are added
• You review a design proof showing how text and images will appear on each page
• The publication is sent to print
• Finished publications are delivered to you

At our first meeting, the project director assigned to your project will work with you to clarify your ideas and determine the content and design that will best support your goals and audience. To make the most of this meeting, please come prepared to discuss the questions outlined above under “Things to Consider.” 

Writing for a project may be handled by our staff or by your office. If we’re doing the writing, we’ll work with you to gather background information. If your office is writing the text, please be sure to fact-check all details for accuracy. All text should follow the Smith Style Guide for punctuation, capitalization, and other style conventions used in college publications.

Once the text is complete, please send us the final version in whatever format is easiest for you. We’re happy to work with Word documents, Google Docs, or text shared directly via email. In most cases, the simplest approach is to upload the text when you submit the design request form.

All copy (text) is reviewed by our staff editor for consistency, accuracy and conformation to college style. Minor rewriting or reorganizing may be done to improve the clarity and readability of the material, but no extensive changes will be made without your knowledge. All publications this office produces must conform to college style guidelines.

At each stage of production, the editor provides quality control by checking proofs for text and design errors. The final responsibility for accuracy, however, rests with your office.

You will have the opportunity to examine and approve your project during production.

The impression given by a publication depends heavily on its design and layout: the size, shape, type of paper, colors, artwork and arrangement of material chosen. Our staff designers will consider your suggestions and preferences along with the publication's practical demands and our general design guidelines (which give a unified appearance to all Smith publications). 

Publications are greatly enhanced by strong visuals. Your ideas are an important part of planning the photographs or illustrations that will work best for your publication. We select many publication images from an extensive archive covering a wide range of campus subjects.

Photography for publications may be handled by our staff photographer or, in some cases, by freelance photographers. Because scheduling photo shoots takes coordination and advance planning, it’s important to discuss any events, locations, or people you’d like photographed with your project director early in the process.

When appropriate, our designers can also create illustrations to enhance your publication. Requests for illustrations—even simple ones—should be made at the beginning of a project so they can be planned appropriately.

Because printers vary widely in capabilities, turnaround time, quality, and cost, our office selects the printer best suited to your project’s design requirements, schedule, and budget. Printers bid competitively on each publication, which helps us manage costs while maintaining high quality.

Timelines can vary depending on the size and complexity of a project. In general, most print projects require at least 10 business days for design and approximately two weeks for printing. Larger or more complex publications—such as annual reports, booklets, or large brochures—may require one to two months of design time, with additional printing time as needed. Smaller projects, such as postcards, business cards, or stationery, typically have a shorter design turnaround.

Projects tied to events, such as posters or notifications, should be submitted at least six weeks before the event date. This allows sufficient time for design, review, printing, delivery, and posting, and ensures attendees have adequate time to request accessibility accommodations.

If your project will be mailed, please plan for additional time to accommodate mailing services and postal delivery. Nonprofit mail, in particular, can take up to three weeks to reach all U.S. destinations.

We will arrange delivery of publications to a campus location of your choice or to a mailing service off campus.

We cannot provide storage for your publications after delivery. You should make arrangements for storage in advance of delivery.

If your publication will be mailed, mailing arrangements will need to be planned as part of the project. Depending on the scope of the project, mailing may be handled by campus partners or directly by an outside vendor. Your project director can help you determine the best approach and coordinate next steps as needed.

When planning your timeline, please be sure to allow additional time for mailing services and postal delivery. Nonprofit mail, in particular, can take up to three weeks to reach all U.S. destinations.