At its most basic level, the annual report is a company’s yearly report to shareholders. It’s a vehicle for communicating its activities and finances in the previous fiscal year. But for many companies the annual report is anything but basic. Often performing double-duty, the annual report acts not only as a financial report but a key piece of marketing collateral. For non-profits the annual report can also be an effective way of sharing their story with the community, using print to create a more personal connection between the organization and donor.
Incorporating thoughtful choice of materials into the design process allows creatives to punctuate information that can be challenging to communicate. Additionally, involving Millcraft early on in the process and result in a positive impact on maximizing the annual report budget. This was the case with the 2018 annual report for Nationwide Children’s Hospital annual report.
INSPIRING SAMPLES
Millcraft’s Corporate Solutions Group has been working on Nationwide Children’s Hospital annual report projects for the last several years. The process starts the same way every year, with a visit to the Columbus sample department for an exploration of production techniques and materials.
The designer spends half a day combing through print samples for print inspiration. He carefully examines the print samples’ production notes. In doing so, he’s able to identify easily replicable production techniques and examine using them for the current year’s project.
START WITH THE SWATCH BOOK
Consideration is then given to the paper. The first step is consulting the swatch book to see what colors, weights and finishes will fit with the design concept. From there, paper options are whittled down based on availability and budget criteria.
NON-PROFIT PAPER PROGRAM
By working with Terri, Nationwide Children’s Hospital was able to take advantage of Millcraft’s special paper program for nonprofits. Terri guided the designer to specific papers that are part of the program that also fit his production criteria. For the 2018 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Annual Report, they chose Carnival Groove for the exterior cover and Sterling Premium Dull for the interior pages. By taking advantage of the program pricing, they were able to include rainbow foil on the cover – for an extra special touch.
To learn more about Millcraft’s Non-Profit Paper Program, just ask your Millcraft rep.