Print Plan: Getting Creative with Custom Calendars

Planning for the year ahead is essential for any business owner or marketing professional. And the tool to help accomplish this? Custom calendars. No matter how many devices we have at our disposal, those digital days can’t compare to the real thing. Whether you need to manage fiscal milestones or remember family birthdays, promote personal artistry or boost brand awareness, calendar printing puts time on your side. We’ve compiled some design tips to consider as you create your own custom calendar.

When you think calendars, you think Saddle Stitch. The ones where the pages are stapled through the fold line? That’s them. These classic wall calendars hang flat so your design is uninterrupted, bleeding from one page to the next.

That seamless composition was an important feature for photographer Chris Murray and his Language of Trees calendars that feature tranquil scenic landscapes.

“I like the idea that a photograph is displayed for an entire month, which gives the viewer plenty of time to absorb and contemplate the photograph,” Murray said. “I think everyone finds beauty and solace in nature [and] a good landscape photograph can transport someone to that place – an escape from the rigors of daily life.”

Branding was a major marketing aspect for Sarah Julson, Layout Designer for Travail Kitchen in Robbinsdale, MN. With its adventurous humor and pop culture references, her annual Sexy Chef Calendar shines a light on the eatery’s personality.

“The project has always been a way to let loose, to strengthen the brand and connect with our audiences beyond their time spent in our physical spaces,” Julson said. “[It] usually pushes some boundaries, so people get a good laugh [and] can talk about [it] with our employees as a sort of shared experience.”

Design Tip: Online printing with Smartpress means you have calendar templates to get you started or the freedom to customize an unexpected grid for each. You can even forgo lines altogether and make the date grid part of your overall brand and presentation.

At the corner of practical marketing tool and personal time manager, you’ll find Spiral Coil and Wire Coil Calendars. While spiral bound calendars feature a sturdy plastic coil that allows the pages to fully rotate, wire bound (or wire-o) calendars let the pages turn around a refined metal wire, resulting in a sophisticated look.

For artist Julia Mason, a polished and professional look was exactly what she needed for her 2021 calendar featuring parks, landmarks and neighborhoods of Omaha, NE. “Every year I create a calendar that includes my most recent compositions,” Mason said. “I like to give [them] as gifts to family members and colleagues and also sell them at makers markets and on my website.”

Exploring all Smartpress’ online printing services have to offer, Mason gravitated especially toward our premium paper stock options, taking full advantage of our free Paper Sample Book.

If you really want to become part of your customers’ (or potential customers’) everyday lives, print custom Magnet Calendars. Whether stuck to home refrigerators or office filing cabinets, calendar magnets let you feature a central logo or your contact information, along with months of your choosing.

However you design yours, keep it simple. You want the calendar to be easily scannable since the whole year’s offered on one side. You can create more space with a magnet that spans just the school year, seasonal sports, important milestones or company events.

Design Tip: As you dive into fonts, choose one that’s clearly legible. And for layouts, build one that avoids clutter. Simplicity is key for this type of calendar.