As excited as you may be about your product or service--so much so that you sometimes want to shout it from the rooftops--the largest ad with the boldest type doesn't necessarily receive the attention you might suspect. In fact, sometimes the big and the bold just end up looking like the big, the bad and the ugly.

For instance, in newspapers where advertisements are surrounded by small type set in a column format, the most effective ads are those with an appropriate use of white space and type. Prove it to yourself. Glance at your morning paper. Where is your eye drawn? More than likely, you are drawn to those ads that strike a balance between type, white space and graphics. (By the way, placement on the paper will also affect the attention you receive. Your eyes are drawn first to the upper 1/3 of the page and then downward.)

So does this mean you should never use big, bold type or graphics in your ads? Of course not. Just keep in mind that a little goes a long way. Whatever you're preparing--ads, press releases, data sheets and the like--remember that your main purpose is to inform. Obviously, there's no harm in giving it a little pizzazz with well-placed, meaningful type and graphics. Just don't go overboard.