The materials arrive. The project manager unpacks them. And something is not right. Not catastrophic — but not what was needed. The colour drifts from the brand guidelines. The banner is printed correctly, but on site the team has to improvise because it is not clear what it should be fixed to or how. The size is 5 cm too small because the brief gave an approximate dimension, without tolerance or fixing method. The materials reach the agency on Friday afternoon, although they are needed for an event on Saturday morning.
The printer made no mistake. They produced exactly the brief they received — complete as a creative brief and incomplete as a production brief. The difference between these two documents is not a matter of detail. It is a matter of entirely different questions that each one answers.
A print brief is not a creative brief
A creative brief answers: what are we communicating, to whom, in what tone, what aesthetic, what must the message contain, what are the brand constraints. It is a document for the designer and strategist. It is absolutely necessary — but the print producer cannot extract from it what they need to produce the job.
A production brief answers: what dimensions with tolerances, on what substrate, with what finishing, how many units, when the material must be ready for further dispatch, installation or first use, where it should be delivered and how packed. It is a document for the production and logistics team. And it is this document that determines whether the project comes out right.
Most problems with print production come from one thing: the agency or brand manager sends the producer the first type of brief when the producer needs the second.
8 parameters every production brief must include
The list below works for any order — from a single roll-up to a campaign covering dozens of retail locations. Each parameter is shown with an example of a brief that is too vague, and one that is precise enough.
1. Format with dimensions and tolerances
The producer plans cutting, eyelet placement and sewn sleeves to the millimetre. “Large banner” is information for a creative, not a producer. “Banner 6 metres” — better, but still not enough.
| ✗ Not enough“Horizontal banner, large, for the entrance to the event area.” | ✓ What the printer needs“6,000 mm × 1,500 mm, tolerance ±5 mm. Horizontal orientation.” |
2. Substrate — or, if unknown, exposure conditions
If you know the substrate, state it directly. If not — describe the conditions: indoor or outdoor, how long, exposed to wind, rain, direct sun, single use or repeated. A good producer will select the right substrate from this. Without the information, they will choose a default.
| ✗ Not enough“Printed banner.” | ✓ What the printer needs“Outdoor installation on a steel fence, minimum 3 months, open site — exposed to wind. Single mounting.” |
3. Finishing — fixing method and installation
Finishing is a production decision with a direct impact on installation. Eyelets at what spacing, top pocket, bottom pocket or both, matte or gloss laminate, straight cut or die-cut — each of these answers must be in the brief, not only when the material is being prepared for use.
| ✗ Not enough“For hanging.” | ✓ What the printer needs“Eyelets every 50 cm along the top edge, bottom pocket 3 cm for aluminium profile.” |
4. Quantity and any repeat runs
Information about planned repeat runs affects substrate selection and production planning. A campaign refreshed every quarter should be planned differently from a one-off campaign — even if the first run is identical.
| ✗ Not enough“100 units.” | ✓ What the printer needs“100 units in the first run. A reprint of 50 units with the same artwork is expected in 3 months, with a possible logo update.” |
5. Critical deadline — when the material really needs to be ready
It is worth describing the deadline more precisely than just the delivery date. Labo Print often delivers materials to an agency, printer, intermediary, warehouse or the client’s indicated location. For the ordering party, that delivery may only be the next stage: the materials still need to be checked, repacked, passed on, installed or prepared for first use. That is why the brief should include the date that really decides the project.
| ✗ Not enough“Delivery by Friday 5 September.” | ✓ What the printer needs“Materials needed for first use: Saturday 6 September, 8:00 am. Delivery no later than: Thursday 4 September. Delivery address: [agency / warehouse / client location]. Contact person for receipt: [name, phone].” |
6. Number of locations and logistics (for network campaigns)
A campaign covering multiple retail locations is a separate logistical challenge. Different addresses, different formats per location, different receiving contacts — all of this must be in the brief so the producer can plan packing and delivery.
| ✗ Not enough“Delivery to 18 shops, address list attached.” | ✓ What the printer needs“18 locations — table: address, format per shop, name and phone of receiving contact, delivery time window. Shops in 3 cities: Warsaw (10), Kraków (5), Wrocław (3).” |
7. Colour requirements
At every repeat production run, colour must be matched from scratch — order history does not replace a colour swatch. If the brand colour is critical, the brief must include Pantone or CMYK values from the brand guidelines. If full accuracy is required, a physical proof must be ordered.
| ✗ Not enough“Colour as always, navy blue from the logo.” | ✓ What the printer needs“Pantone 281 C. For this run a physical proof is required before production start, approval by the client.” |
8. What I am providing — file, concept sketch or description only
The producer must know what they are receiving. Three entirely different scenarios: a print-ready production file to specification, a concept file for adaptation, or no file — a request for artwork production. Each has a different lead time and cost.
| ✗ Not enough“File attached.” | ✓ What the printer needs“Delivering print-ready PDF to LP specification + PREV.jpg preview. Fonts as outlines, CMYK, no embedded profile. File ready for production.” |
Delivery, further logistics and first use — why it is worth giving the full context
When working with an agency, printer or intermediary, delivery does not always mean the end of the process. After delivery, there may still be material checking, repacking, set completion, further dispatch, handover to the client’s team or installation. If the producer knows only the delivery date and not the critical deadline, it is harder to assess the real timing risk.
Example: a brief with “delivery on Thursday, first use on Friday morning” leaves a buffer for checking and passing the materials on. A brief with “delivery on Friday at the end of the day”, when the materials are needed on Friday morning, is simply late.
Substrate and exposure conditions — why “banner” is not enough
A banner is not a single product — it is a category covering dozens of different substrates that behave differently in print, look different at distance and respond differently to outdoor conditions. Three common variants, the same design, three different end results:
- Frontlit. A banner material for large-format printing. Heavy, opaque, with good colour intensity. Good for facades, fences and walls. In strong wind it needs fixings every 50 cm or a reinforced edge.
- Mesh. Wind-permeable — essential for large outdoor surfaces where a solid banner would act as a sail. Colours less saturated than frontlit. Visible mesh effect when viewed up close.
- Sublimation textile. Premium colour quality, soft to touch, no mesh effect. Used with aluminium exhibition frame systems — like the ZEN system with SEG graphics. Not suitable for outdoor use without water protection.
If the brief says only “banner” — the producer will choose a default. If the brief says “outdoor on a facade for 4 months, urban location, mounted on an aluminium profile” — the producer will choose correctly.
A preliminary brief before the final artwork — what you gain
The most common reason a brief reaches the producer too late is this: “I don’t have the finished artwork yet, so I can’t place the order.” This belief regularly costs a deadline. The print producer needs a production-ready file to start printing — but not to do several things that are critically important.
On the basis of a preliminary brief — a list of items with approximate dimensions, exposure conditions and the critical deadline — the producer can: confirm feasibility (especially for non-standard projects), assess the realistic lead time, prepare a quote before the final artwork exists, advise on substrates and finishes before the designer begins work.
A quote before the artwork is especially valuable for agencies — it allows budget expectations to be managed with the client before the design takes a shape that is hard to change without cost.
Summary
A production brief is not a creative brief supplemented with dimensions. It is a separate document that answers a separate set of questions — questions that the producer asks when planning the schedule, selecting the substrate and organising delivery. A complete production brief includes: dimensions with tolerances, substrate or exposure conditions, finishing and installation method, quantity with information about repeat runs, critical deadline, logistics for network campaigns, colour requirements, and file status — ready, in preparation, or not yet created.
A producer who receives a complete brief delivers the ordered product. A producer who receives an incomplete brief delivers their best guess at what the client had in mind. The difference is subtle in the brief — and completely unsubtle on delivery.
FAQ
Does a print brief need to include a finished print-ready file?
No — a preliminary brief with a list of items, finishing, dimensions and the critical deadline is enough to begin quoting and checking the realistic lead time. A print-ready production file is only needed to start the actual print run. For non-standard projects, it is worth discussing feasibility before the final artwork is created.
How should I state the deadline in a brief so production fits within the timeframe?
Give the expected delivery date and the critical deadline: when the material will be used, passed on, installed or delivered to the end client. Add the delivery address and contact person for receipt. The producer will calculate when the material must leave the production floor to arrive on time.
What if I do not know the exact dimensions at the brief stage?
Give approximate dimensions and note that they are to be confirmed. Far more important at the quoting stage are the exposure conditions, product type and deadline. Exact dimensions can be confirmed before production starts. The producer will let you know the cut-off point.
Can the producer help select the substrate if I don’t know which to choose?
Yes — that is exactly what the exposure conditions are for in the brief. A description such as “outdoor on a south-facing facade for 3 months, urban location” is enough for the producer to recommend the right substrate, finishing and mounting method. You do not need to know the substrate name to get the right product.
How do I specify colour requirements if I don’t have a Pantone number?
Give the CMYK values from the brand guidelines — C, M, Y, K as percentages. If you do not have guidelines, send a visual reference: a previous print, a photograph of the material, a screenshot. Remember that colours on screen and in print differ — for critical brand colours, the only reliable verification method is a physical proof.
How many items can one brief cover?
There is no limit. A brief to one printer covering several different types of materials for one campaign is the one-stop-shop model — one brief, one schedule, one point of responsibility for colour consistency across all elements. The more campaign elements planned simultaneously, the more you gain from central coordination.
Send us your brief — even without finished artwork. We’ll answer questions about substrate, finishing and deadline, check feasibility and prepare a quote.
The earlier the brief — the more comfortable the production schedule.