The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-07
ADVERTISING CUTS.
When to Use and when Not to Use
Illustrations.

Ninety per cent. Of the advertisers use
cuts a part of the time.
Fifty per cent. of advertisers use cuts all
of the time
Ten per cent. of advertisers never use
cuts.
With nine tenths of the advertisers in IA
Vor of an occasional use of cuts, and with
half of the advertisers in favor of q con-
tinuous use OF cuts. the advertiser must be
foolish indeed who claims that cuts have
no use in the economy and effectiveness of
publicity
Half of the advertisers who use cuts use
the wrong one part of the time.
1t is obvious that cut is used for two
definite purposes.
First, to illustrate the article.
Second, to attract attention to the adver-
tisement.
a cut may attract attention to an adver-
tisement, and fully fulfill it's mission in that
direction, and yet 1t may injure the goods
for sale, and, therefore. be of direct damage
to the advertiser.
A cut may we'll illustrate the goods and
injure the appearance of the advertisement
but the damage it can do in this direction is
never near as great as the damage wrought
by a cut which improperly advertises the
goods.
Outline cuts are intended for newspapers
and no other cut should be used, except in
those publications using a good grade of
paper and careful press work.
1t is better to use an outline cut every
where in preference to using finer cut
everywhere, unless there is good paper and
press work everywhere.
Primarily, the cut should illustrate the
goods, and if it doesn't it had better not be
used, unless it is of a most striking and
original character and can be considered
in decorative sense.
Better use no cuts at all t. an harmful
cuts.
In these days of artistic and yet thor
oughly distinct and striking type. it is
sometimes better when in doubt to use type
instead of cuts.
A man has something to sell, and, there
fore, he adyertses it, and it is the business
of his advertisement to present that some
thing for sale in the best possible light, and
if large type will do it better than an illus
tration 1t is better to use large type, but if
an Illustration will help the type and fair
ly we'll illustrate the goods and assist in
bringing the eye to the advertise the
Illustration is worth all 1T costs.
In making Illustrations great care must
be taken to have them properly represent
the goods, and not to give a false impress
sion.
The customer will judge the goods by the
picture OF them, and If the picture is not
attractive, or the goods cannot be properly
illustrated by the picture, then an illustra-
ton had better not be used.
Technical Illustrations are of little use
for general advertising, for technically all
similar goods and articles look alike, and
the illustration which means something to
the dealer or maker, may carry no meaning
to the buyer or consumer.
1t is obvious that all furnaces appear to
I Tn xKyhO Ir.
not make and sell furnaces, and therefore,
an illustration of them, if such an ilIustra-
ton Is intended for the user. does nothing
more or less than to attract attention to the
advertisement for it does not properly illus
trate the goods from the buyers stand
point.
To the buyer, what the furnace will do
more than what it looks like, il important.
Every Illustration must be adapted to the
paper and press work of the publication it
Is TO appear in, and every advertiser should
give definite instructions to his engraVer
not telling the engrayer how to make the
cut, but telling him where the cut will be
used and the engraver then will make his
work adaptable to the publication it is to
appear in.
Using manager of the newspaper are all
friends of the advertiser, Notwithstanding
that they make money out of him. and they
are always willing to give advice and make
suggestions, which, biased or unbiased
though they may be, are along the line of
success, and the advertiser is safer in their
hands than he is in his own so far as tech
meal matters are concerned
In making illustrations remember that
the illustration should show the goods in
action. ri .~.se "
A picture of a half-dressed woman in cor
set dlshablle does not attract he attention
of women as would well-dressed woman
showing how wei! the corset makes her
look.
There is nothing beautiful about corset
It's value consists entirely of what n will
do for the wearer.
therefore, selling sense says, illustrate
what the corset will do more than what
the corset looks like, and this principle an
plies to everything which does not have in
trinsic value in its appearance.
NATH'L c. FOWLER. JR,
Copyright 1897, by Nathl C. Fowler. Jrl