Preparing a Catalog for Print

Print catalogs continue to be mailed by the thousands every day. Some companies send catalogs to introduce a new product line, such as clothing retailers for a seasonal change. Catalog businesses rely solely on mail-order catalog sales for income. Even though many catalogs are available online, many more are still sent through the mail because many customers prefer the ease of flipping through a printed catalog.

Preparing a catalog for print can be a tedious project, which is why following a strict step-by-step process can be helpful. An organized course of action will prevent muddled steps and the pain of needing to redo any part of the design.

Plan thoroughly. Gather everyone involved in the catalog printing design to discuss the plan. First decide on the style. Without a clear company image, the font, pictures, and entire format will be disconnected. Next discuss the responsibilities of the editor, writer, photographers, and designers. Everyone should be absolutely clear about individual tasks before leaving the table.

Choose the products. Make a list of all the items to be included in the catalog. Gather prices and decide which products will have discounts and which are the bestsellers.

Choose photographs. Using individual photographs for each product ups the catalog sales. Use high resolution to avoid pixilated pictures. Clear photos make items more desirable. Play around with different angles for the best presentation.

Write the text. Use only a couple of different fonts. Emphasize important information using bolding or highlights. Customers do not have time to read long paragraphs of information, so keep sentences short and simple.

Group the products. Before beginning the layout, gather like items together. Each item on a spread should be connected; otherwise, your catalog will mirror a rummage sale. Not many people have the patience to wade through unorganized piles of merchandise.

Design the page layouts. Use the same format for pages with a few unique layouts thrown in to break up any repetitiveness. Place the most attractive item in the upper right corner of the spread with next most desirable products in the other corners. This method catches the skimmer’s attention and will hopefully give a reason to pause long enough to see the entire page. Remember that a “spread” is two pages when the catalog is lying open.

Design the cover. Items that can be included on the cover are photographs of bestselling items, possibly with page numbers, a headline or issue name, issue number, logo, and company name. Choose four colors to use on the cover and throughout the catalog magazine.

The above-mentioned steps are only the most common guidelines. Your design team might decide to add a few more in between or to further break them down into smaller, more detailed steps. The important thing to remember is to stick with a plan for a smooth design process for your printed catalogs.


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