Great design does more than look good — it guides the recipient to open, read and act. Small choices on the outer envelope, through to the call-to-action, can dramatically lift open rates and QR/PURL scans. Below are practical, print-friendly design tips you can use in your next direct mail campaign.
1. Envelope teaser copy
The outer envelope is your first (and often only) chance to get noticed. Use short, benefit-led teaser lines that provoke curiosity or signal value: “Important update about your account”, “Exclusive invite inside”, “Claim your welcome offer”. Keep it under 6–8 words, avoid vague claims, and test personalised teasers (e.g. “Katherine — your local event invite”) versus generic offers. A clear teaser combined with brand cues drives opens without feeling spammy.
2. Use colour with intent
Colour grabs attention — but use it strategically. High-contrast combinations (dark text on light background or vice versa) improve legibility and accessibility. Reserve bold colours for CTAs and key panels so the eye is drawn to the action you want. If your brand uses a distinctive colour, use it on the outer envelope or the hero panel to increase recognition. Be cautious with neon or highly saturated inks; they can scan poorly or increase costs.
3. Establish a strong visual hierarchy
Design should guide the eye from the most important message to the least. Hierarchy usually follows: headline → subhead → supporting copy → CTA. Use scale (larger headlines), weight (bold for emphasis), and spacing (whitespace around the CTA) to create clear reading order. A single, dominant CTA — one PURL, one QR code, or one phone number — reduces decision fatigue and improves measurable response.
4. Make QR codes and PURLs irresistible
Place QR codes where the eye naturally rests — near the headline or beside the main offer — and add a short instruction: “Scan to register in 30 seconds” or “Scan for your personalised offer”. Ensure codes are at least 2 × 2 cm (larger for older audiences), sit on a clean background, and never place them across folds or near perforations. Always test on multiple devices before printing.
5. Mind accessibility and readability
Use clear, sans-serif type for body copy at legible sizes (generally 10–12pt for print body, larger for headlines). Maintain at least 3mm bleed in production and keep important elements inside the safe zone. High contrast, short paragraphs and bullets help older readers and those with visual impairments.
6. Balance creativity with production realities
Distinctive formats (square mail, peel-and-reveal, textured stocks) lift engagement but can increase postage and handling costs. If you plan machine-enclosing, stick to standard sizes and avoid bulky add-ons. Where you opt for premium finishes, show a physical sample before approval.
7. Test, measure, repeat
A/B test envelope copy, colour accents and CTA placement on small pilots. Track scans and conversions via unique QR codes, PURLs or promo codes to see what drives behaviour — then scale the winner.
How Herald Chase can help
Good design is purposeful: it removes friction, highlights the next step and makes responding simple. If you’d like help designing a mail piece optimised for opens and scans — including sample proofs and tracking set-up — book a free campaign review with our team at www.heraldchase.com and we’ll map out a practical plan.
