Choose the paper you use carefully. Print is designed to be held and admired close up, so make the most of the support you choose for your work. Weight, finish, color – all of these things will have an effect on the clients perception of your folio. But bear in mind that handling inexpensive material well is as much a skill as turning out luxury items.
Innovative formats are always effective. Even just an unusual choice of dimension for your book can make it stand out. There’s a multitude of ways to present a print portfolio, including in a box, as a book or even as a folded poster. Just use your imagination to choose which shape, size, colors and graphic elements best suit your work.
There’s nothing wrong with pressing a few buttons and, as far as print goes, a well-judged foil stamp, screen print or special varnish will rarely miss the mark when it comes to making people slobber over your folio. Drafting these elements in to give the cover of your folio a bit of prestige is a good way to show off without overcooking it.
Keeping your folio unbound so you can switch out elements and change their running order is a good idea. This folio should be of a good size, perhaps A3, and can form the basis of your presentations. A bound folio or brochure is a nice reminder to leave with you client. Backing this up with a disc also helps.
It would be wonderful if you had a merchant bank funding your folio, but since you probably don’t it makes sense to turn the financial constraints to your advantage. See sticking to your budget as a challenge rather than a hindrance, by creating something that plays on the lo-fi aesthetic.