Catalogue and brochure design: how is an industrial catalogue prepared?
Catalogue and brochure design means preparing the document that carries your products to the buyer’s desk; printing makes that document last in the field. In an industrial catalogue looking good is not enough; the buyer has to find the right size of the right product in a few seconds.
Product data first, then pages
The first step of a good catalogue is not design but the product list: product groups, codes, dimensions, materials and photos. Once this information is gathered and organised, the catalogue is laid out quickly, and the same data can be used on other channels too. Missing or scattered product data is the most common cause of delays.
Legible technical tables
Technical tables are the most-read part of an industrial catalogue. Row spacing, column headings, how units are written and where the product code sits directly affect whether the buyer picks the right product. When tables follow the same layout in every product group, the catalogue becomes a reference.
Product photography and visual language
Product photos shot in the same light, from the same angle and on the same background give a catalogue unity. Images from different sources are matched for colour and background before print. Colours, typefaces and logo use follow the rules of your corporate identity.
Corporate identityMaking a catalogue last longer
Putting prices in a separate price list rather than inside the catalogue keeps a printed catalogue valid for years. For product groups that change often, insert pages or updatable sections are planned, so a small change does not mean reprinting the whole catalogue.
Print and digital together
Today a catalogue does not live only on paper; the sales team sends it by email and buyers download it from the website. Preparing a light web PDF or a page-turning e-catalogue next to the print file means the same work is used on every channel.