When it comes to print, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because you’ve created a piece containing lots of useful information, people should sit down and read all of it.
But that’s not how we always interact with print.
We browse, scan, search for something specific, notice an image, jump to a headline, put something aside for later or act on the one piece of information that matters to us.
So perhaps a better question than “Will people read this?” is:
“What do we actually want people to do with this?”
Because when you start there, you begin designing for attention rather than simply trying to fit everything in.
Of course, some printed materials are designed to be read carefully. Reports, books and detailed guides, for example, need to hold someone’s attention for much longer than a postcard or event invitation.
Others have a completely different job:
Interestingly, research into eye movements when people look at print advertisements has found that the viewer’s goal affects where they direct their attention and how long they spend looking at different elements.
That makes complete sense to me. If I’m looking for a price, I behave differently from someone who’s simply admiring an image.
One of the things experience teaches you is that a piece of print doesn’t have to be read from beginning to end to have done its job. If someone finds what they need, remembers the message or takes the action you intended, that’s a sure-fire sign it’s working.
This is where I think one deceptively simple question can change a print project:
What do you want someone to do?
Not what do you want to tell them – but what do you want them to do?
Perhaps you want them to book an appointment, visit an exhibition, remember a new product, browse a collection, make a donation or keep something nearby for future reference.
Once you know that, you can start deciding what information deserves someone’s attention and what might actually get in the way.
I’ve seen plenty of print marketing projects over the years where the temptation is to include more because there’s space available. But more information doesn’t automatically make print more useful. Sometimes giving people less to process makes it much easier for them to understand what you want them to do next.
This isn’t an argument for making every piece of print minimal – it’s about creating hierarchy.
If someone only looks at your printed piece for five seconds, what’s crucial for them to notice?
If they give you another 20 seconds, what would you like them to discover next?
And if they’re interested enough to keep going, is the information organised in a way that helps them find what matters?
Research into visual attention supports the importance of hierarchy here. Studies of print advertising have found that elements such as large text can attract attention early, while the way people divide their attention between text and imagery varies according to their goal.
That doesn’t mean there’s a formula for where every headline or image should sit. It means hierarchy needs to reflect purpose.
Before deciding what goes on the page, decide what you want someone to do with the page.
This is one of the things I love about print: people don’t only look at it – they handle it.
They turn pages, unfold things, pick them up, put them down, keep them, pass them on and sometimes stick them to the fridge.
That physical interaction creates possibilities:
Even finishing can have a behavioural purpose when it draws attention to something important or gives someone a reason to look twice.
So rather than starting with “We need a brochure”, I’d encourage you to ask:
“What does this print need to achieve, and what format gives it the best chance of doing that?”
Sometimes the answer may still be a brochure. The difference is that now there’s a reason for choosing one.
There’s another behaviour that’s easy to overlook: keeping something.
Not every printed piece needs an immediate response.
Some print earns a place on a desk, in a bag, on a noticeboard or beside someone’s computer because it contains something useful, interesting or relevant. It can be rediscovered later, which means its job may unfold over time rather than during one carefully measured interaction.
This is another reason I wouldn’t judge print purely by how much someone reads in their first encounter with it.
The more useful question is whether the piece behaves in the way the marketing objective needs it to.
Before we talk about paper, size, quantity, finishing or production, I always want to understand one thing:
What job are we asking your print to do?
That’s a question at the heart of our Print Wisdom®.
Sometimes the best print decision isn’t about adding something at all. It’s recognising that a piece needs less information, a clearer route through it, a different format or simply one unmistakable reason for someone to act.
Once we understand the behaviour we’re trying to encourage, the production decisions have a purpose. We’re no longer choosing print specifications in isolation; we’re choosing them because of what we want the finished piece to achieve.
For me, that’s when print starts working harder.
The success of a printed piece isn’t measured by whether somebody obediently reads every word you’ve put in front of them.
It might succeed because they noticed one sentence. Found the information they needed. Remembered the brand. Kept it. Passed it on. Scanned the QR code. Picked up the phone.
So when you’re designing for attention, remember to begin with the person holding the print.
What do you want them to notice, understand or do?
If you’d like some Print Wisdom® around the decisions that will help your next piece of print do its job, get in touch – we’d love to support you.
Enjoyed this blog and want more ideas and inspiration? Visit our Print We Love page where we regularly share more knowledge and expertise on print marketing and production.
Gill Robinson
11th September 2026
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