While 2020 has been one of the worst years, 2021 so far has been quite unpredictable. Such an uncertainty is caused by the COVID-19 and its many variants, forcing people and businesses to take immediate safety precautions. And where industries around the world witnessed slump and deadlocks, the digital world seemed to thrive significantly as almost everything (production process & services) moved online.
Now that many businesses are operating online, there’s a dire need to spread the information and create customer awareness on a massive scale. This is when digital printing companies step in to offer creative, innovative and handy solutions.
Looking at the potential, we can definitely say that the print design trends and technology which emerged during the peak pandemic are likely to take things further even in 2022.
In fact, the online or digital world is all about communicating through visuals and appealing design so we’ll have a detailed look into some of the latest print design trends you’ll definitely find helpful.
In a world riddled with ultramodern technology and unpredictability, everything simple and minimal is more than welcome. Same goes for the print industry where sophisticated editorial design templates and social media images are creatively tweaked and stripped into communicable infographics and illustrations that solves even the most complicated statement. In-case you’re a designer or communication expert, the print design should have fewer overwhelming data and be more comprehensive in terms of design.
The same rule is applicable for online platforms with the only difference of using sliders or ‘slide decks’ that can be scrolled at any time based on user’s convenience. Let’s say your business is targeting multiple products for a single parent category, these different products are likely to appear as sliders on all online platforms whereas a separate page is dedicated to print design.
Although geometric or symmetrical shapes have always been the best in taking design to a whole new level, you don’t have to overdo it just to make a difference. The same shapes can be achieved while using them in a more regular, organised and clean way. Another trick is to merge the simple geometrical design with more complex and psychedelic elements which is surely to result in something unique. Doing so would give consistency, clean and more structured visuals along with an inspiring depth to print design.
Pandemic aside, the world is also facing a climate crisis which forces industries and businesses to achieve carbon-free, sustainable and eco-friendly approaches to their services. Same goes for graphic design in both digital and print domain, welcoming organic, softer and more nature-based design trends which seemed to have emerged significantly over the last few years.
Impersonating nature in the design as well as physical setup such as natural lights, earthly tones, softer colours and gradients and so on has stepped in to redefine the way we used to design for both digital and print industry. It all fits in perfectly to the muted and minimalistic colour palette, pleasing illustrations and natural ambiance.
Incorporating cartoon-like illustrations in the design is quite a trend that seemed to have been accepted worldwide however, not fit for all industries or business types. For your prints and even websites to stand out from competitors, cartoon illustrations; if applied cleverly, can make things more interesting, appealing and multi-functional without giving up on the clean and minimalism.
Custom cartoon characters are another rising trend which simply refers to animate an actual individual’s face in a more creative manner. Refer to those online cartoon profile pictures of yourself with a few even animated! This is one of those formats that always take imagination to a new level, allowing you to add playfulness and make everyone smile.
Even in the digital print industry, such an approach has become an instant favourite; dazzled with quality, variety and a creative mixture that’s simply irresistible.
There’s an emoji for everyone and everything nowadays. Perhaps one of the best ways to react, share how you feel without saying anything is via relevant emoji that are universal pictograms and used widely in both digital, print as well as normal communication. A simple wink, curve of a lip, red-head and even crying; a creative designer can definitely say it all with a simple emoji without actually saying a word.
Although emojis are widely used on social media platforms and communication apps, including these in the print is a trend gaining momentum gradually if not fast. A survey of the design industry revealed that the emoji trend is sure to speed up in the next few years unless something more ground-breaking shows up.
Metallic effects in design emerged a few years back however became a trend during the start of 2021 especially among consumer electronics industry such as smartphones, televisions, computers, laptops etc. This particular style falls somewhere between minimal and intense but has it all to develop interest in the user. Over the years, creative designers have been playing along with various metallic fonts and designs but the best outcome so far is achieved with gold. It’s shiny, matte, emboss, scratched and sure to stand above all.
Use of limited palette has long been in the design industry but the trend kept on achieving the awesome with a few creative strokes. It’s influenced mostly by cool looks with a feel of uniqueness, simple colour themes and graphics.
Designers can logically create an amazing ambiance using both duotone and monochrome creatively with filters and experiment to achieve the awesome. Yet another pro fact is achieving a balance using this ular design style in an effortless manner. The end result is a more complete, emphasised, unified and emotive colour effect that’s sure to please the viewers.
When compared with design, typography is often considered as unwanted but it’s actually the opposite. Even if you’ve managed to have a breakthrough design, it’ll be nothing without creative typography that completes the picture. From the many fonts available nowadays, designers need to play creatively and pick that which is in-trend and complements perfectly to overall design. This is more important in the printing press companies as a typical user is likely to focus more on words than visuals.
The digital printing industry has experienced a gradual boost in recent years with the trends that keep emerging every now and then. If yours is a creative digital printing industry, be sure to stay updated with the latest trends and ahead of the game.