Even with the advent of online shopping, beautiful catalogs are still coveted by any business selling products, goods or services. After all, a beautiful catalog printing can display your wares in an attractive light and provide your customers with a wealth of information.

Here are just a few reasons why catalogs still reign supreme in the world of sales:

• A catalog, regardless of your business, is the most effective way of providing your customers with precise details regarding your goods or services. Best of all, the quality photographs entice them into buying your goods or services. A catalog allows you to print details about your goods or services; details you may otherwise have difficulty getting across to your customers.
• Catalogs are easily distributed to your customers or clients.  Regardless of whether you are selling to retailers, distributors or customers, catalogs are the easiest way to get your information and services into the right hands. Plus, catalogs are a great way to gain valuable exposure.
• Catalogs convey your company sales information better than any other type of medium. Radio and television ads are splashed in front of consumers’ eyes for seconds, and Web quality pales in comparison to the overall quality of a catalog. A catalog can stay in front of a consumer for as long as needed, thereby allowing them to make better, more thoughtful decisions.
• Catalogs, when compared to other forms of marketing or advertising, are incredibly cost effective. In other words, think of the number of catalogs you could print and distribute for the cost of one television commercial! In addition, businesses with small advertising and marketing budgets will often turn to catalogs because they give them the most bang for their buck.
• Catalogs are an investment for your business. Unlike other forms of marketing or advertising, quality, printed catalogs can produce income for your business for an extended period of time. Consider that, simply by producing one catalog design per year, you can reap the benefits for an entire calendar year. Not many other forms of marketing or advertising have the longevity that catalogs have.

Catalog printing can be an essential part of doing business, particularly if your small business has multiple products.  However, failure to take the right amount of time and use the right design elements during catalog printing can cause you to lose business.  Here are some things that you should know before you head to the presses.

Always go full color

While black and white printing is significantly cheaper in some cases, for catalog printing, you should always go with a four-color layout.  Remember that you are trying to capture the audience’s interest, and black and white photos are boring.

Make sure that your layouts and images are saved in the appropriate format so that your catalog printing turns out how you had pictured.

Write great copy

Images are only part of catalog printing, as you also have to include your product descriptions.  Descriptions should be well-written and snappy.  If you have never done catalog printing before, you should consider hiring a professional copywriter to assist you.

Always work with professionals

It can be tempting to try and save money by doing your catalog printing out of your own office, but unless you are a printing company, the results are going to be far inferior compared to what you can receive from a professional printing company.

If you are looking for ways to cut costs, talk to your printer about cost effective paper, ink, and binding methods that will save you money.  If you visit your printer in person, you will be able to see and touch samples of catalog printing to decide which is best for you.

Use an interesting design

Catalog printing is about more than simply creating a list of products that are available.  Catalogs need to whet the interest of the customer and inspire them to open their wallets.  Take a look at catalogs from other companies to see what they do to make their products interesting and fun.

Make your logo visible

An important part of catalog printing is branding your company, so like any other printed product, your catalog should always include your company’s logo in a visible way.

Get creative with the covers

Some companies will make the mistake of thinking that every catalog printing they do should have a very similar cover to help with branding.  However, this can backfire; if the customers think that they have already received a copy of the catalog, they will be less likely to read the new one.  While you should always make sure that certain elements, like your logo, remain the same, the cover art should vary significantly so that the new catalog printing is easily recognized as being new.

Keep the background simple

Lastly, make sure that your products stand out on the page.  Do not go with overly designed backdrops for your images or busy prints for the background of your text.  Keep the overall layouts of your catalog printing clean and simple so that your products are well-highlighted to the reader.

By following these simple tips, you can make sure that your next catalog printing will be an absolute success with your readers.

It’s important to make your catalogs user-friendly so that your customers will have no difficulty finding and ordering your products. This comes down to choosing a user-friendly catalog printing layout that will result in increased sales and exposure. Choose one of the following four tips to ensure your catalog printing layout is customer-friendly.

Symmetrical Columns

Research shows that symmetrical columns of photos with product descriptions below achieve good sales results. The catalog printing layout becomes organized and cohesive, signaling to customers that your business is responsible and your products worth ordering. Symmetrical column printing layouts also make it easier to add in-depth product descriptions and features lists to help sell that product even better.

Even Rows

Another popular catalog printing layout option is to make your rows evenly spaced with a photo of your product and its accompanying description to the side instead of below. This method creates an organized table and often allows each page to feature more rows, since most catalog paper is taller than it is wide. You can cut costs by using less paper to advertise more products.

Magazine Styled Spread

If you have high-end products to sell or would like to include multiple photos for each product, you might consider a magazine styled catalog printing layout. This method will net you less products per page; instead of using symmetrical columns or a table layout, the product photos will be dispersed at various intervals across the page, similar to a magazine article. Therefore, it’s also best to include product descriptions written by a copywriter, as well as enlist the help of a graphic designer for each product page.

Creating a Combo

The combination method is also best applied with the assistance of a graphic designer skilled in this type of catalog printing layout. The combination form allows you the flexibility to feature various layout formats on the catalog pages. For example, you can combine symmetrical column layouts with table row layouts on the same page, or combine a magazine style layout with a column layout. A professional graphic designer will ensure that the end result is polished and professional.

Don’t rush into choosing your catalog printing layout without first viewing real life examples of the above mentioned layouts so that you can determine which one will best highlight your products and get those orders coming in!

How can you design your catalog printing layout so that customers will most easily see your products and their details?   If you want your products to shine and translate into more sales, here are four important ideas for your catalog printing layout.

1. Column Layout

The most easily read catalog printings are symmetrical and evenly spaced between products.  The column format is very organized and simply places a photo or illustration of your product with a description below it.  Column layout for catalog printing is especially effective for products that require more detailed descriptions, product specifications, and bullet lists of features.

2. Row Layout

The row layout for catalog printing is another popular organized design.  This style uses table rows to display your product and provide a written description beside it.  Catalog printing sizes generally have a longer page height than width, allowing for more rows on each page.  This gives you more space to include more products per page.

3. Magazine Layout

Catalog printing using a magazine layout takes up more space, but is better used when you want to include multiple photos of a product and have more space for text copy.  This style resembles a magazine article where you may find photos aligned left, right, and center in the midst of text.  This catalog printing style may be best used for high end products where you can include a close-up photo and multiple other photos with the product in use.  Magazine style layout may require both a professional writer for great copy, as well as a graphic designer for the best possible layout design.

4. Open Combination Layout

The open combination catalog printing layout allows the use of a variety of layout designs.  You may include both row and column product layouts on the same page.  Or you could include a table grid of products within a magazine page layout overview.  Although there is more freedom with this style, it should definitely be taken on by a professional layout designer.

Your catalog printing layout is an important design element for your promotional marketing document.  Take the time to consider how you want to list and highlight your products so that customers are compelled to buy.

Catalog printing may include a compilation of illustrations, photos, graphics and marketing copy that helps a reader make buying decisions.  However, what can really make your catalog stand out and promote better sales?  Here are three great tips for better catalog printing.

Catalog Printing Tip #1: Colorize!

If you want a stunning presentation for your customers, start by designing a catalog with lots of brilliant color.  Black and white catalogs can be useful for providing a simple price list of products, but catalog printing that includes top quality color product photos, colorful borders, and brilliant graphics can really catch the attention of a potential customer.

Catalog Printing Tip #2: Size Matters

Catalog printing generally comes in two sizes.  The standard catalog printing size is 8-3/8″ x 10-7/8″, and the digest size is 5-3/8″ x 8-3/8″.  Before you design your catalog for printing, take into consideration how you want to display your items, how you distribute your catalog, and total catalog printing cost.  Larger catalogs are great for providing larger photos and more product detail, but can be expensive to print and mail.  Digest size catalogs are great for sending via US Postal Service, but the space is limited.  You can save a lot of money by deciding beforehand which size works best for your business.

Catalog Printing Tip #3: Choose a Professional Designer

Your catalog is an important marketing document.  Poorly designed catalogs that look sloppy, too busy, or are confusing will not help your sales.  Catalog printing should be appealing to the eye and easy to read.  Professional graphic designers can design a catalog cleverly using photos, borders, illustrations, fonts, headings, and that all important “white space.”  Choose a designer who has training in professional design and has quality samples of previous work.  They may cost a little more, but the end result will be a catalog that puts more profit in your business.

Since your catalog printing is an important marketing endeavor, doesn’t it pay to do it right in order to generate the most sales?  Stick with these tips and your catalogs will end up dazzling and help your bottom line.