I recently designed and printed a two-sided barrel-folded mailer for an upcoming fundraiser. I ran into an issue that I had to resolve quickly, as I was printing the job on a client’s printer, from their computer, using limited software (read: MS Word).
I know, blasphemy – but we needed a quick fix and I got the job done.
Problem
Barrel-folded mailers generally require the two outer end-panels to be printed 180° to the angle of the main body copy. The top panel is where the return & mailing address go (the first flap you open), and other is inside the flap (the second flap you open). Thus, some text needed to be upside-down.
Solution
After fumbling through Word (I cringe as I capitalize it) I decided against flipping the text in the program, opting instead to flip the paper and slide the text to the bottom of the page. This achieved the desired result in much less time than searching through help or online. While this technique isn’t revolutionary, it is a good reminder to think beyond software and into the actual material you are printing on. A simple flip or fold could lead to a creative solution for a complex problem.