Graphic Overlay Design Guide – Understanding the Concept and Benefits

Branding is an integral and important part of any business. The overall image of a company in

the eyes of customers plays a huge role in its success in the competitive market. It is therefore

imperative that a good branding strategy is implemented by the company to make sure that its

brand stands out from the crowd of similar products. One of the many ways to do this is using

graphic overlays on products. Following is a brief graphic overlay design guide to facilitate

understanding of this important concept.

What is a graphic overlay

Graphic overlays are made of thin, flexible sheets. They are attractively printed with graphical

elements and text. A graphic overlay is one of the most visible parts of overall makeup of the

product. Attractive colors, patterns and text are used to make them a visually attractive. They are

made in different sizes, shapes, styles and designs according to the need. Various types of

overlays include textured designs, overlays with scratch resistant coatings and those with see-

through tinted windows. Some of the equipments where graphic overlays are seen include

computers, keyboards, remote controls, scientific or automobile equipments or spare parts, etc.

Graphic overlay design companies

Companies that offer this service have expert engineers and designers working hand-in-hand in

order to furnish excellent quality overlays that will match any specifications of the product

manufacturers. The size, shape and dimensions of the products are matched with precision to

design the perfect overlays that will add to the appeal, value and meaning of the product. A

graphic overlay makes an otherwise lifeless looking equipment look attractive and make it

meaningful. Different types of materials are used in order to make them durable and long-lasting

such as, embossed resin or reflective membranes.

Printing - digital or traditional?

Digital printing has made its inroads in almost every aspect of design. There are many obvious

advantages of this modern technology and designers and printers make extensive use of these

printing technologies to their advantage. However, the traditional methods like screen printing is

still among the favored methods when it comes to graphic overlays. The quality of the graphics,

the uniformity and vibrancy that can be achieved in colors and the low cost of production are

some of the benefits of the traditional printing.

Basic rules to follow

In order to make the best of the design it is important to follow some basic rules.

It is best to avoid very fine lines, below 0.178 mm thickness.

Keeping the maximum resolution within the 100 lpi makes it possible to add uniform

gradients to the design.

Sans serif typefaces should be used for smaller sized text for readability and better

quality.

The .ai (Adobe Illustrator), .cdr (CorelDraw) or .DXF(with colors definition) are the best

file formats to be handed over to the designing company.

It is important to use this graphic overlay design guide to give the products and equipments the

most appealing appearance with precisely designed overlays. While choosing the company for

graphic overlay design it is important to make sure that it has the expertise and knowledge to

offer the desired outcome. Designing these overlays can be a co-creative process and intelligent

co-operation with the designers will go a long way in obtaining the best results.