The difference between a catalog and a magazine is that a catalog is designed to highlight product or service offerings and a magazine is more so for editorial purposes containing lengthy articles. Though with the amount of advertising in some magazines, you’d be forgiven for having a blurry definition.
While both seek to provide quality content to the reader because catalogs are such a vital tool for marketing and sales, there is a greater emphasis on image fidelity and printing quality. Things like color correction, product photography, image retouching and printing quality are more important because poor images either misrepresent the products and disappoint consumers or make the products look unappealing altogether.
What is the purpose of a catalog?
Whether you spell it catalog vs. catalogue (both being acceptable, catalog being the more common American English word), they visually showcase a collection of products for sale (typically from one company) targeting a specific audience. The booklets will also include minimal marketing copy, pricing, and ordering processes. Most companies have strategically designed their catalogs to push the audience to complete their purchases either online or in-store. In today’s digital age, catalog printing is still relevant, here’s why.
Prana Catalog Quality Examples
Prana produces one of the highest quality catalogs possible and is a great example of a catalog that is doing everything right with their photography and printing. Here are some of the critical things that Prana focuses on to deliver a top-notch catalog.
Photo Studio Quality Images
There is an importance for your business to invest in working with a professional photo studio when creating your catalog. As mentioned, enticing visuals of the products (such as clothing, jewelry, home decor, etc.) will fill the majority of the pages. These photos will essentially be the backbone of your catalog and will need to grab the readers attention right away.
Catalog Color Matching And Correction For Products
Prana is well known for their ability to take stunning, engaging photos that highlight the product in an accurate manner and gives consumers what they want.
If a customer orders a black shirt and it ends up being a deep purple shirt that wasn’t color corrected, you’re costing your business time and money dealing with those issues. The color of any product matters to consumers. If your catalog printer doesn’t have the industry-leading RGB color management services, then you are at a disadvantage.
Quality Printing Demonstrates Quality Of Product
A catalog acts as a representative of your products to your audience, and if that catalog looks or feels cheap, chances are you will be perceived as such. Using inferior paper, an incorrect ink, or missing the mark on color matching hurts your brand, and ultimately your sales. Prana’s catalog is a quality print piece that entices customers to explore more.
Are you new to the catalog printing industry? One of our Artisan catalog experts has put together a thorough step by step article on “How To Make A Catalog in 10 Steps.” to make the ‘getting started’ process more simple!
What is the purpose of a magazine?
Magazines, however, contain a plethora of information surrounding one certain area of interest. Example: Fashion, Home Design, etc. The pages are also often supported by advertisements which have been purchased individually by various organizations. The goal is usually to sell something to your readers, which can be bought from each of those organizations independently. However, the editorial content generally heavily outweighs the advertisement space.
The Rise Of The “Catalog Magazine”
As brands recognize the importance and value of being a good source of information on a given product or service, more and more companies are choosing to do a hybrid approach to catalog printing by including more long-form editorial content, more like a traditional magazine. This style of direct mail provides the benefits of both the traditional product catalog and a magazine, and serves a few different purposes:
- Allows readers to learn more vital information about a product that will push them closer to a sale
- Positions the brand as an industry expert to trust, and therefore a better option than the competition
- Creates brand loyalty by arming readers with the information they crave
All this with the nominal cost of adding a few pages of brand content to a catalog that consumers already enjoy.
Artisan Catalog Printing and More!
Ready to increase your company sales and overall product exposure? Start the process of creating your own Artisan catalog by contacting us today! Phone:(480) 948-0009 Email: Info@ArtisanColour.com
Other print services include custom Signage, Wall & Window Graphics, Sales & Marketing Collateral, and so much more!
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