Print & direct mail · Chicago since 1927

5 Types of Print Collateral That Still Work in the Business World

By Bella Ortloff · United GMG — print & direct mail, Chicago

Planning the materials for an event or a campaign and not sure which printed pieces you actually need? This guide sorts the common ones into four simple groups by the job they do, so you can pack exactly the set that fits — and nothing you don't.

Below, each piece is drawn roughly to scale with its standard dimensions and a one-line use. The five workhorses are here — postcards, brochures, flyers, booklets, and business cards — grouped alongside the banners, letters, and stationery that round out a full set.

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A printed collateral set on a work table: flyers, brochures, booklets, postcards, business cards, and a presentation folder

Ordering several pieces? One bundle quote.

Postcards, brochures, flyers, cards — send the list and we price it as one job, with volume pricing on the bundle.

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What Is Print Collateral?

Print collateral is any printed material used to promote a company or organization’s products, services, offers, or events. These marketing materials can be used and disseminated in numerous scenarios, such as conferences, sales meetings, consultations, fundraisers, and mailings—just to name a few.

In plain terms, it's the printed pieces a team hands out, mails, or puts on display: postcards and letters that travel by post, brochures and flyers you pass across a table, banners that stand at an event, and the business cards and letterhead that carry your name day to day. Different jobs call for different pieces — so the rest of this page groups the common ones by where they do their work, with each piece's standard size and typical use, so you can pack exactly the set your campaign needs.

Why Is Print Collateral Important?

A printed piece is tangible in a way a scrolling ad is not: it sits on a desk, rides home in a bag, and gets handed person to person. Used alongside your digital campaigns, the right printed materials give a prospect something to hold — and something to remember you by after the screen is closed.

Which printed pieces do you actually need?

Print Collateral Examples: Must-Have Types of Print Collateral

First, the five pieces that still work hardest — up close, in print. Then the full kit below: four groups sorted by the job each piece does, and as you read down, the crate fills in.

Custom printed postcards, front and back, fanned on a blue background

1. Direct Mail & Postcards

Consumers still prefer direct mail in many ways compared to online marketing—and with top-quality direct mail pieces, you can appeal to customers and stay ahead of the competition.

Custom postcards, for example, are a great way to make a memorable impression. They create an opportunity to encourage recipients to stay connected with your company or to become a lifelong customer. You can even include a small digital element like relevant social media handles or online-specific discount codes for your services to increase your ROI and develop your brand.

Most-run size · 6 × 9 in
A custom tri-fold brochure standing open beside its printed cover panel

2. Brochures & Pamphlets

With custom brochures and pamphlets, the options are endless! Whether you’re a travel agency, retailer, ad agency, nonprofit, restaurant, or something in between, brochures are great for high-value purchases as well as informing your customers on a particular product or service you offer.

Most-run size · 8.5 × 11 in folded
A custom full-color flyer with a smaller handout version beside it

3. Flyers

Whether you’re a brand-new business, already established, or want to promote something specific such as an offer or event, a flyer can do that for you—and it can do it effectively and affordably! You can post them in public areas, ask local businesses if you can hang a business flyer in their window, or leave a stack of flyers at places your prospects frequent.

Most-run size · 8.5 × 11 in
A custom saddle-stitched booklet with a circular badge design on its cover

4. Booklets & Catalogs

Booklets and catalogs are a great way to disseminate product and company information as well as display product images, pricing, promotions, sales, and ordering procedures. And since so many people prefer visuals over text, catalogs and booklets are the perfect way to attract customers and increase revenue.

Most-run size · 8.5 × 11 in
Custom business cards showing a front design and a colorful patterned back

5. Business Cards

Every employee at every company needs business cards. Give them away at events, slip them into goodie bags, and add them to folders whether you’re networking, making first impressions, attending a conference, or giving satisfied clients your information for the future.

Most-run size · 3.5 × 2 in
GROUP 1 · MAIL

Pieces you send by post

To reach people at home or work

  • PostcardsA quick offer or announcement in the mail

    6 × 9 in

  • Self-mailersA folded piece that mails with no envelope

    8.5 × 11 in folded

  • LettersPersonal appeals, notices, and statements

    8.5 × 11 in

  • #10 envelopesCarries the letter and sets the first look

    4.125 × 9.5 in

Want these mailed for you? We print and mail from one plant — see how direct mail campaigns work, our list cleaning, postage, and mailing services, and print-and-mail under one roof.

GROUP 2 · EVENT

Pieces for the room

At a booth, show, or gathering

  • Retractable bannersStands tall behind the booth or table

    33 × 80 in

  • Step & repeat backdropsThe branded wall for photos and press

    8 × 8 ft

  • Booklets & CatalogsPrograms and product line-ups in hand

    8.5 × 11 in

  • Table tentsSits on the table, readable both sides

    4 × 6 in folded

Large-format for the room Banners, retractables, and backdrops run in-house — see custom banner printing.

GROUP 3 · MARKETING

Pieces you hand out

To explain and to sell

  • Brochures & PamphletsExplains a product, service, or place

    8.5 × 11 in folded

  • FlyersOne offer, posted or handed across

    8.5 × 11 in

  • Rack cardsFits a counter rack or display stand

    4 × 9 in

  • PostersAnnounces an offer from a wall

    18 × 24 in

Printing the whole set? Digital for small jobs, offset presses for big ones — all printed in-house — see our commercial printing services in Chicago.

GROUP 4 · STATIONERY

Pieces that carry your name

Your everyday business identity

  • Business CardsCarries your name and contact details

    3.5 × 2 in

  • LetterheadOfficial letters, quotes, and invoices

    8.5 × 11 in

  • Presentation foldersHolds a proposal or a sales kit

    9 × 12 in

Print it as a set Cards, letterhead, and folders share one paper and one brand, so a team's everyday pieces match.

Before you print

Print Collateral Design: Things to Consider

A printed piece only works if it's built to be printed. Four quick checks before your files go to press:

  • Start with strong design. A clean, on-brand layout does the heavy lifting; a careless one shows on paper. Push past the first draft.
  • Proofread twice, then once more. Read every word, then have someone else read it — a typo is permanent once a batch is printed.
  • Use high-resolution images. Photos need to be crisp at full size; what looks fine on a screen can turn fuzzy in print.
  • Pair it with digital. The strongest printed pieces point somewhere online — a QR code, a short link, a scan-to-save — so one channel feeds the other.

How do you get a quote for your printed materials?

Once you know which pieces you need, the next step is a printer that can produce the whole set — and, when it's a mail job, address, sort, and send it too. United GMG runs printing and mailing under one roof from one plant, so a campaign doesn't get handed between vendors.

Pricing depends on the piece, the size, the paper, the finish, and how many you need, so it's quoted per job rather than posted as a flat figure. Send your specs and you'll get a range you can plan around.

Send three things for a quote
  1. The pieces and roughly how many of each.
  2. The size and paper, if you know them — or ask and we'll suggest the standard.
  3. Whether it's print-and-mail (we handle the list, postage, and send-out) or print only.

No file ready yet? Bring the idea and the deadline — we'll help you shape the set.

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Quick answers

Common questions about choosing printed pieces

Which printed pieces do I need for a trade show?

For a booth, most teams pack from three of the four groups: something for the room (a retractable banner, maybe a step & repeat backdrop), something to hand out (brochures or flyers), and something to leave behind (business cards, and a folder if you're carrying a proposal). If you're inviting people ahead of the show, add a mail piece — a postcard or letter — from the first group.

What size should a postcard be?

6 × 9 inches is a common marketing size — big enough to be noticed in the mailbox and still efficient to mail. Smaller 4 × 6 and 5 × 7 cards run too. The right size depends on how much you're saying and how you're mailing it, so it's worth confirming before the artwork is finalized.

What's the standard business card size?

3.5 × 2 inches — the size that fits card cases, wallets, and holders, which is why it's the default across the United States. Custom shapes run too, but standard is the safe call when the cards need to sit alongside existing holders or presentation folders.

Do I need different paper for different pieces?

Usually, yes. Business cards want a heavier cover stock so they hold up in a pocket; letters and letterhead run on lighter text stock so they fold and mail cleanly; postcards land in between. When you send your specs, you can name the paper or ask for the standard that fits the piece.

Can one company print all of these?

Yes — that's the point of a full-service printer. United GMG produces commercial print, direct mail, mailing, packaging, and large-format signage from one plant in Mount Prospect, so a mixed set — say cards, a brochure, and a mailed postcard campaign — can come from a single quote instead of three vendors.

How many should I order?

It depends on the piece and the plan: business cards run per person, event pieces run to the size of the room, and mail pieces run to the size of your list. Because quantity drives the price, it's the first thing to pin down — tell us the plan and we'll suggest a count and a range.

Know your set? Let's price it.

Four groups, recapped
  • Mail — postcards, self-mailers, letters, envelopes
  • Event — banners, backdrops, booklets, table tents
  • Marketing — brochures, flyers, rack cards, posters
  • Stationery — business cards, letterhead, folders

Pack the set. Print it once. Send it from one plant.

United GMG
1864 S Elmhurst Rd, Mount Prospect, IL 60056
847.588.7600

Tell us your set — get a quote

Send the pieces you need, rough quantities, and whether it's print-only or print-and-mail. The estimate comes back as a range by piece.

Or schedule a meeting

Get a quote Call 847.588.7600