The Rate Card Introduction Basic calculations Frequency discounts Volume discounts Combination discounts Modular rates Contracts Ad agencies Market info Readership and Circ. Promotional messages Co-op information Color charges Electronic ads Deadlines Special sections Column widths Line screens Odd sizes Legal disclaimers Ad acceptance guidelines Billing and Credit The fastest way to increase sales! Participate in this award-winning, newspaper-specific ad sales course on-site or in a Webinar.  • Get past upfront stalls and objections without any pushing  • Make the account believe he really needs you  • Get better information from your prospect  • Develop quick ad strategies that work the very first time  • Eliminate size, frequency, content, cost and most other objections before they ever arise  • Get dramatic responses for all kinds of advertisers  • Never have to push an advertiser to run again click here

If your newspaper can print color, then most likely your rate card will include color charges. There are two types of color, spot color and process color. On my ad design Web site, you can find an in-depth article about color.

An ad with spot color would contain one or more solid colors. Perhaps an important piece of type, a price, or logo would appear in a certain spot color. Process color is usually used when you want a photograph in color. Since a color photograph is made up of a mix of the primary colors cyan (a shade of blue), magenta (a shade of red), and yellow, your printing presses will need to use these three colors in addition to black to make all the colors in a photograph. That's why process color is also called four color and is often more expensive than spot.

The prices for color, as well as any charges to prepare the ad and the presses for color, will appear in the rate card. In most cases, color is worth it. I've seen studies that have found that color increases response anywhere between 40% and 60%. This means that if the cost of color is less than 40%-60% additional to the cost of the ad, then it's a bargain. Make sure the ad size is big enough, though.

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