Catalog printing is a timeless marketing tool that helps companies sell their products. They provide a physical connection to your brand and can be useful in trade shows, direct mail campaigns, and more.
Printed catalogs are convenient and durable, offering a level of trustworthiness that digital marketing cannot match. Read on to learn everything you need to know about the process of catalog printing and how it can help your business grow.
What is a Catalog?
A Catalog is a document that contains detailed information about a product or service. Its main purpose is to provide critical details about a product that helps consumers make purchase decisions. These details include features, dimensions, estimated weight, price, color, customer reviews, and other important information about a product.
Sales reps, inside sales teams, decision-makers, and buyers use these documents to convey accurate information about a product or service to their customers. Often, these documents are printed and distributed in the form of a physical product. They also come with an order form and return envelopes with prepaid postage.
Besides conveying vital information about a product or service, a Catalog also helps sales reps to improve their conversion rates. This is because they can share relevant and contextual information with their customers without having to spend time collecting data from different sources inside the business.
In addition to the benefits of a Catalog, it also provides an easy way for businesses to promote their brand and products. Using distinct colors, images, caricatures, cartoons, logos, font families, and a call to action can help a company to stand out among its competitors.
The definition of a Catalog is any compilation of items organized in a systematic way. It can be a list of books, music albums, movies, or any other type of item. It can be recorded in a digital database, written, or printed.
It can also be a collection of works of art, like a painting or sculpture. It may contain a description and explanation of the work and a picture or two of the items in question.
Another type of Catalog is an e-Catalog, an electronic version of a printed or digital catalog. Retailers can use it to update their prices and promotions faster or by manufacturers for direct marketing.
A digital or virtual Catalog is a tool that can save everyone in the supply chain time and money. It allows users to share and access product data in a secure environment, making it easier for users to find what they need and streamline the business cycle.
Designing a Catalog
A catalog is necessary for businesses looking to sell their products to consumers. A well-designed catalog can help you stand out from the competition and sell more products, whether online or in print.
Good catalog design includes smart layouts, appealing images, and organization. It also reflects the brand’s identity and tone to make it memorable in the mind of a potential buyer.
Creating a catalog requires planning and research. This can be time-consuming and expensive if you want to hire an in-house designer.
However, you can save money and time using a cloud publishing service to create your catalog. These tools can automate the process of inserting the information you need into your catalog and provide you with support throughout the project.
The first step is to pick a catalog template that fits your business and style needs. Then, add your product photos and content to the document.
Once the template is ready, add your company name and effective date to the cover. You can also put your logo, contact information, and web address on the back cover.
Next, add product descriptions to each page and place them next to a picture of each item. To do this, select “Insert,” followed by “Text Box.” Drag a corner of the text box to adjust its size and move it next to a picture.
In addition to adding the description of each product, including any technical details or features. This information helps consumers learn more about your product and decide if they’re going to purchase it.
Finally, don’t forget to put your most profitable products on the outside top corners of each page spread. This is a great way to maximize your profit per square inch of selling space.
A well-designed catalog is necessary for your business, but the design doesn’t have to be complicated. By preparing the right materials and investing in an easy-to-use catalog maker, you can save time and money while creating a high-quality catalog to help your business grow.
Printing a Catalog
Catalogs are a great way to get your brand name and products out into the world and help you drive sales. But they require a lot of work and attention to detail. This is why you should consider working with a professional printing company to ensure your catalog looks and feels just how you want it.
Before printing your catalog, ensure you have the right images for your product and that all text is correct. You should also ensure that your images are of high quality, as the low resolution can look unprofessional and affect the reader’s experience.
Once you have all the product information, the next step is to design your catalog. This can either be done manually or through an online catalog layout tool. You will need to fill in the text and the pictures, and you may want to add a table of contents to help keep your pages organized.
You will also need to decide what size your catalog will be and whether or not you want to use glossy or matte paper. This can have an impact on how long the document will be and how easy it is to read.
For example, opting for a half-size catalog can be a good choice if you’re looking to target a smaller audience. However, if you want to sell a large number of items, a full-sized catalog can be more effective.
Another thing to consider is your print budget. The cost of printing your catalog can vary greatly depending on how many pages and how much paper you want to use.
As a result, it’s important to shop around to find a printing company that can offer you the best prices possible and help you plan your project in advance. For example, if you plan on ordering more than a few thousand prints, you can ask your printer for an estimate to get an idea of what it will cost you and how long the process will take.
Binding a Catalog
Depending on your catalog’s content, it may be bound with wire or plastic to secure the pages together and create a cohesive look. Binding also makes a catalog easier to read, improves durability, and helps it stand out from other printed materials. Printing for Less offers a wide range of binding options to meet all your needs, so let us help you make the right choice for your next catalog printing project.
Saddle stitching, also known as stapled binding, is the most common type of catalog binding and works well for up to 64 pages of books and booklets. Cover and pages are stacked (one on each front and back), hole punched, and then bound with a plastic coil or a metal looped wire.
Perfect or edge binding is an excellent option for larger catalogs and directories requiring a thick spine. It’s also great for annual reports and other publications with larger page counts.
Another popular method for binding catalogs, handbooks, manuals, and other large-size projects is comb binding. Unlike spiral or wire-o binding, which uses a circular coil to hold the pages, comb binding uses a plastic tube with a comb-like finger that is opened and spread to allow punched sheets to fit over the comb.
Comb binding is an affordable and effective way to bind catalogs, handbooks, or other documents of any size. It can be used with various paper types, including laminated or heavy cardstock, and lays flat when opened.
It is not recommended for heavy, thick documents like catalogs because the wire stitches may wear out and tear pages faster than a more durable binding option.
When binding with saddle stitching, be sure to account for “creep.” This refers to the protrusion of the outer pages when the catalog is stacked and folded. It happens when the bulk of the paper along the folded edge takes up space and pushes out the inner pages.
It’s especially important to be aware of this problem when a designer tries to ensure the catalog’s pages are evenly spaced and positioned for tight registering borders. Then, when a bindery goes to trim the catalog to its final size, all the pages should end up flush with each other and the cover.
