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Everybody loves a catalog
If you’re in business and you’re reading this, we’ll assume you’re already aware of the data from several well-known studies and market analyses — like those reported in this Harvard Business Review — which show unequivocally that consumers in the US and around the globe adore printed product catalogs. We all seem to love them and most consumers report keeping them and returning to them as much for leisure and relaxation as with the immediate intent to buy. So, printed product catalogs are a powerful tool for warming up your leads and communicating your marketing messages when the prospect is in a calm, happy, and susceptible state of mind.
The downside is that more businesses — large and small and from every sector, industry, and niche — have cottoned on to this reality, and now everyone and her aunt are printing and distributing product catalogs. Perhaps this phenomenon — the so-called “rebirth of the catalog” — is a positive factor because it means that the buying public is once again familiar with catalogs and ready to interact with them. But it means that we must all work harder and apply extra creativity to make our catalogs distinctive, unique, eye-catching, memorable, and desirable.
Fortunately, achieving a distinctive look and feel for your catalog — making a product catalog that really stands out from the crowd — need not be complex or expensive. All you need is a little specialized knowledge about your printing options. And that’s where QinPrinting comes in and what the rest of this post is about. Let’s dive in.
While everyone else is busy distributing run-of-the-mill catalogs that vanish into the swelling tide of marketing materials as indistinguishable as drops of water in the vast ocean, you can add a little sparkle and pizzazz to yours that will make it glitter in the eye of a prospective consumer like a uniquely appealing seashell on the shore. Now let’s run through your options for doing just that.
Switch up your layout
If you think about it, the first impression that any potential customer has of your product catalog is a bulk of paper. And that bulk is probably shaped to a standard-sized portrait format. But why is it? Must it be? While many printers keep you locked into standard layouts and sizes, at QinPrinting we want you to succeed; and we know that a great way to help you is to give you as vast an array of creative options as we can. So, you’re not limited to standard 8.5 inches by 11 inches portrait if you print your catalog with us. Go for a landscape layout. Go further, and design a custom size. Make your catalog circular, if you like. Whatever you can imagine your catalog layout to be, we can — probably — print it.
Bindings abound!
We’ll bet that almost every catalog you’ve ever seen has been “perfect bound” like a paperback with a glossy cover. Right? But so many interesting binding possibilities exist you may well find one that’s much better suited to your brand image, your product lines, and your customer demographic. For example:
- Hardcover — a hardcover catalog, even with a slip case and silk marker ribbons, could be just the thing to speak to your super-rich clients looking for high-end luxury goods. Or it could appeal to customers who buy art or frequently spend on house makeovers and classy interior decoration, for example.
- Spiral bound — a spiral bound catalog might serve the needs of a business customer or a representative purchasing or selling industrial materials, automotive parts, office supplies, or educational accessories, maybe. The robust qualities of spiral binding, coupled with the ability to turn the pages through 360°, lay the book flat, and prop it up like a miniature display board, could be just the trick.
- Lay-flat paperback — this is a specialized technique which combines the flexible cover of the paperback (or softcover, it’s the same thing) with the utility of the spiral-bound book. We stitch the pages together into “signatures” which are then fixed onto a glued spine, but the pages themselves aren’t glued. So, you can open it up at any page and lay it completely flat without breaking the spine or loosening pages.
A wham-bang finish!
We print most catalogs with a gloss coated cover. It’s the standard, it’s easy, it’s attractive, and… it looks like every other catalog you ever saw! But why not go for a luxury finish, an added touch, or something special that makes your catalog really “pop”? Here are a few of your options:
Soft touch lamination
Soft touch lamination is a technique which applies a thin film of coating material to the cover of your catalog. It’s a substance which has a deep, textured finish; warm on the eyes and velvety to the touch. It’s perfect for high-end goods: jewelry, perfumes, fashion, luxury cars, and more. If that’s your line, soft touch lamination could be the answer to finishing your catalog with extra sex-appeal.
Spot UV
This is a varnishing process which uses ultraviolet light to coat only a small area of your catalog’s cover, highlighting it with a shiny surface. It’s an eye-catching and unusual effect.
Foil stamping
We may use foil stamping for logos, artwork, or lettering. It’s applying metallic foil — silver, copper, bronze, gold, and so on — onto the surface of the catalog’s cover. The effect simply oozes class, luxury, and style. But don’t imagine it always needs to result in a “classic” or “old world” look. It makes a powerful impact with a smart contemporary feel if it’s applied with the right design and lettering. It makes your catalog look a lot more expensive without actually costing much more to produce.
Boss it with embossing
If you’ve ever curled up on the couch of a winter’s evening to read the latest blockbuster romance or thriller novel, chances are that you’ve seen embossing. It’s a technique which makes the lettering stand proud of the rest of the surface, pushing it out into three dimensions. Famous, best-selling authors often have their name embossed on the cover of their books. And there’s no earthly reason you shouldn’t have the name of your company, brand, title, logo, or anything else embossed on the front of your catalog. Again, it doesn’t need to be the gold-colored embossing associated with bestsellers. It could be pure white, gray on a black background, rainbow colors, or anything you prefer. The choice is always yours.
Boss it with… debossing
If embossing is the process which literally raises the profile of an area of the cover, then debossing draws attention to it by sinking the letters — or an image in both cases — into the surface of the paper stock. It’s an interesting, if less common, “take” on the same effect. Certainly, worth considering to make your catalog stand out.
Cut a dash with die-cutting
Imagine an industrial cookie cutter. You’re probably envisioning something close to the machine that we use to apply die-cutting to book and catalog covers. Essentially, the die-cutter punches out a shape from the cover stock to create a kind of “window” — which might reveal an intriguing image beneath or work simply as an artistic effect. We can also die-cut complex patterns into the surface, or letters, or… more-or-less any shape or range of shapes you like. It’s an interesting effect and would certainly lend your catalog an exceptional appearance unmatched by most others.
Let’s make your next printed product catalog something else!
As we hope you’ll see, with a little imagination and the application of one or more unusual but effective specialist printing techniques, you can design, print, and distribute an innovative catalog that will really stand out from the crowd. If you’d like to talk to us about the possibilities — or ask for a no-obligation quote — just get in touch. We’d love to hear from you and one of our expert team will be happy to answer questions you may have. We look forward to helping you create a truly unique and stunning catalog!
