Design resources

How to write a creative brief that gets results

Learn how to write a creative brief that saves time, reduces revisions and delivers stronger design work. Includes a practical template you can use today.

The craft of editorial design in 2026.

Editorial design continues to change, but the core principles still hold true. Clear hierarchy, readable typography, flexible grids and accessible layouts remain essential for creating publications that are easy to use and worth reading.

The ethics of design and marketing.

Ethical design and marketing help brands communicate clearly, respect users, and build trust. Here we look at honest claims, fair persuasion, privacy, accessibility, greenwashing, and the responsibility behind every creative decision.

Five design clichés we wish would die.

Some design clichés refuse to disappear, from oversized logos to generic stock photos and homepage sliders. Here are five tired design ideas that can weaken your brand, confuse users and reduce the impact of your marketing.

Design subscription services: hype vs reality

Design subscriptions save time and money by eliminating the need to redo the groundwork.

Because design is not just output. It is clarity. And no subscription model creates that on its own.

Design Costs: Don’t Pay Too Much

Are you paying too much for design services?

How to choose a graphic design agency that is right for your needs

Finding the right design agency can be guaranteed by asking just five questions. Answer these before you even start looking at design agencies.

How to hire a Graphic Design Agency

Chances are, if you are reading this you googled about hiring designers: whether that was how to hire a graphic designer or what questions to ask when hiring a graphic designer or even how you engage a graphic design agency.

How to mark up a PDF

We’re a helpful bunch at Toast, so here’s our handy guide on how to mark up a PDF.

‘Digital’ and ‘print ready’ PDFs – what are the differences?

You have had your brochure designed and then the designer supplies you with a digital and ‘print ready’ PDFs, so why have they done this and what is the difference?

File Formats – Whats What?

RGB and CMYK colour formats – does it matter what I use?

RGB and CMYK colour formats – does it matter what I use?    

White space is your friend

Sometimes when we’re working on a brochure for instance, the client notices some white space on the page and feel they need to fill it with something.

Specifying colours – from screen to print and how these differ

Whether you’re just about to start your design project or in the finalising stages, specifying colours you want can get complicated as there are many systems involved that display the colour you want differently.

How do I supply amends to my designer?

You’ve received the first draft of your new brochure from the designer and want to make a few changes. How do you go about giving them amends?

What is the difference between a pixel and vector based graphic

If you’ve ever briefed a designer to create a promotional brochure for your company they may have asked you for your logo as vector-based graphics, but what is this?

What is the difference between a logo and a brand?

Our clients come to us at Toast asking us to design their logo or brand but what is the difference?

High resolution and low-resolution images – what to use and when

When dealing with brochure designers you might get asked to supply your images as ‘hi-res’.

How can I edit my brochure?

You brief a design agency to create your company brochure for you. You’re really happy with the results, however, later down the line you need to update some of the information and make edits. How do I edit my brochure?

Purchasing images and licensing implications

So you’ve instructed a designer to create an engaging brochure for your company but don’t have any images you can provide them because you simply don’t have any or the ones you have are not suitable for print (hi-res).

What are crops marks and bleed, do I need them?

When sending artwork to a printer you might get a response from them that they need the artwork to include crop marks and bleed. So what do they mean and why do you need to add them?

Large and multiple files, how do I send these to my designer?

When working with a designer on your latest brochure, you will probably need to send them multiple and or large image files. How can you do this without clogging up yours and their email accounts with Large Multiple Files?

The benefits of sketching

Sketching is a vital part of the design process with lots of benefits.

13 Tips to Help Choose Between Graphic Design Agencies

Choosing the right graphic design agency is an important first step in creating an ongoing and profitable relationship.

Ten things Marketers should look for from a full-service design agency

There are loads of marketers that buy designs from various design agencies, big or small. But, how can a marketer know that they’re getting the best service possible?