Creating a Product Catalog

Product catalogs are an effective way to promote your company's merchandise, whether you
have a retail store, sell exclusively online or via direct mail. Creating a simple catalog
is possible for many marketers and business owners. Catalogs may be mailed to existing
clients, distributed as in-store advertising or sent to prospective customers at relatively
low cost. When used judiciously, they can be an effective direct marketing tool for many
industries, both business-to-consumer and business-to-business.

Instructions
1 Determine the scope of the catalog. For instance, it may cover all of a company's
products, if there are relatively few (less than a hundred), or it may contain only a
certain group of items, such as clothing. Identify every product to include in the catalog.
2 Photograph each product using the proper lighting. The items can be photographed
against a black or blank background or within an attractive setting. You also may alternate
settings, with a majority of products photographed against a blank background and some
featured products shot on location in an appropriate setting. Make sure to check the
quality of your pictures before you disassemble the background and lighting.
3 Write product descriptions for each item, focusing on features, sizing, colors,
pricing and order options. Include suggestions for use or a call to action of some kind,
such as, "Order two dresses--one in black for formal wear and one in a floral print for
casual occasions."
4 Arrange the catalog products on their pages using one of the may page layout software
programs available, like Adobe InDesign, Corel Ventura or QuarkXPress . Try several
different variations, experimenting with groups of products, amount of text on the page and
the order in which you present them. For a catalog made in-house instead of by a designer,
simple arrangements work best and are most likely to look professional.
5 Obtain quotes for catalog printing. Determine different levels of pricing for varied
paper stocks, sizes and coatings, such as glossy versus matte. Print the catalog on the
highest-quality paper that you can afford. Consider the importance of using sustainable
materials, such as recycled paper and soy-based inks.