How to Create a 4-Page Catalog
A four-page catalog is a standard selling tool in many different industries and fields. Its page length and breadth allow it to make a comprehensive visual presentation of the products or services being featured. A four-page catalog can be as small as 5 X 7 inches (or even smaller), or as large as 11 X 17 inches (or even bigger). Car makers, for example, use large, dramatic formats that showcase their new models. But the bigger the sheet required to print the catalog, the more expensive it is. To create a winning four-page catalog, follow a few simple guidelines.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Determine the exact purpose of the catalog. That will help you decide how it should be created. For example, if the catalog will announce your new flagship products or services to an upscale audience, it should probably be designed by a professional graphic designer. An experienced designer will cost you between $25 and $75 an hour, or more. He will deliver the finished catalog in an industry-standard program, such as Quark or InDesign. If, on the other hand, the catalog is a simple, black-and-white list of the "commodity" products you sell, you can probably get away with doing it yourself in a program such as Microsoft Publisher.
-
2
Decide what will be on the front cover. If your catalog doesn't immediately attract the interest of a potential customer, it has failed in its purpose. The headline and any other text, plus photos or other artwork, should focus clearly and simply on the key benefit or benefits that will accrue to the brochure's reader if they buy your product or service. The "benefit statement" should be credible as well as clear. Headlines should be short and crisp. Text should be precise and minimal, clearly identifying this as your "2015 Product Catalog." Your logo and marketing tag line, if you have one, should also appear on the front cover.
-
-
3
Decide how the inside panel will be allocated. Pages two and three of the catalog constitute a two-page "spread" that offers vast visual possibilities. For example, if you sell luxury homes or gourmet food items, you'll want to be very visual, with a number of photos that sell your product with little explanation necessary. If, on the other hand, you sell nuts and bolts for industrial plants, you'll simply want to list your products and their specifications clearly, alongside small photos that show the types of nuts and bolts you're selling. In either case, communication of what you sell, as well as your pricing and terms and conditions, should be clear to even the most casual reader.
-
4
Use the back panel to demonstrate your "infrastructure." List your address, phone number and website address under a small logo. In addition, list your dealers or distributors by geographic location, or the types of products or services you provide. The point of this presentation is to make your company look like a serious enterprise with a well-established presence in your industry or field. State a call to action, such as, "For more information, contact VP of Sales John Smith at (phone number) and (e-mail address)."
-
5
Prepare final artwork. Whether you're doing it yourself in Publisher or hiring a pro, your catalog must be assembled into a form that is ready to be produced. If you're using a professional designer, ask her to present a "comp," or comprehensive art, before doing the final layout. A comp will give you a rough idea of what the finished catalog will look like. You can ask for revisions, such as larger photos or smaller text. The designer will then present a revised comp for your approval before proceeding to final artwork. Making those changes now will cost you less than making them later.
-
6
Find a printer and get a price quote. For the best price, get quotes from three printers, based on identical specifications. Then use the lowest-priced printer. To get bids, specify the size of the sheet the catalog must be printed on. For example, a four-page catalog that measures 8½ X 11 inches will be printed on a sheet of paper that is 11 X 17 inches, then folded down. Specify the quantity to be printed and the required paper quality. For example, if the catalog will showcase your most important products, invest in high-quality paper that is 80- to 100-pound stock. For a less important catalog, you can get away with 40- to 60-pound stock, which is less expensive. Your printer can show you paper samples by price and quality category.
-
7
Approve a press proof before the catalog is printed. Ask the printer to show you exactly what the printed catalog will look like. Do this immediately, before actual printing begins. That means you'll have to know the printer's schedule and be available to go there when the proof is ready and the print job is about to begin.
-
1
