Types Of Paper In Catalog Printing

There are many things that are important to catalog design. Your images must be sharp and appealing. Your text and even the font you use for the text is important. The cover page design and the design of your catalog’s product pages all play important roles in designing a catalog that will bring in new customers and sales.

However none of the things mentioned above are more important than the type of paper you will choose to print your catalog on. The “feel” of your catalog is important to your potential customers. The longer they have your catalog in their hands, the more products they will buy. In this article I will go over some of the many paper choices you have to print your catalog on.

First you need to decide if the cover will be the same paper as the rest of your catalog. In most cases the cover will be of heavier weight then the interior pages.

Second you will need to choose coated or uncoated paper for printing your catalog. Coated paper is for the glossier layouts and uncoated is more economical, but can still display your products well.

So you have two things to consider first, “Will it be glossy paper or not?”, “Will my cover be the same weight as the interior pages of my catalog?”

Once you have answered those two questions the next decision is what the weight of the paper will be. Most catalogs go with 60, 70, or 80 lb. weights. So it would be 60lb uncoated or coated, 70 lb. Coated or uncoated. 80 lb. Paper usually is only chosen for 80 lb. Weight and above. Also, not all paper is measured by weight. Some is measured by thickness or “points”.

Now the above is really over-simplified. There are other types of special paper you can choose from. There is textured paper, photographic paper, and other more expensive paper to choose from if you are selling a high-end or expensive product.

There are also other considerations when choosing the paper your catalog will be printed on. Such as the method of printing you are going to choose.

If you are going to have your catalog printed on a hot-set web press, then you can choose uncoated or coated paper. The heat will dry the ink as it prints your catalog. If your printer uses a cold-set web press then the ink air-dries and is absorbed into the paper. A cold-set web press cannot print on coated paper.

If your printer uses a sheet-fed press then you can choose from any of the high quality papers they have available. The same goes for printers that do digital printing.

It will depend a lot on the printer you choose. You need to find out what type of paper is available and you will want to see samples of the paper to get a better idea of which one you want to print your catalog on. Also ask your printer to suggest the different types of paper they think will be the best for your catalog.

Here is a list of some of the types of paper your printer may have available for you to choose from or may be able to order for you.

Dull Coated Paper
Matte Coated Paper
Glossy Coated Paper
Antique Paper
Vellum Paper
Wove Paper
Smooth Paper
Felt Paper
Linen Paper
Fiber-added Paper
Laid Paper
Parchment

Four things determine the quality of the paper, opacity, brightness, finish, and ppi. (Pounds per inch) Brightness affects the contrast and brilliance of the paper. It affects how your text will stand out on the pages of your catalog. Opacity is how much your ink is visible from the back of the page. If a paper is too opaque, your text and images from one page will be seen through onto another page that your customer is trying to read. The finish affects the feel of the pages and also how your images will look. The lower grade finishes produce grainier images while high quality finishes sharpen the look of your images.

Ask your printer to provide you with samples or swatch booklets and a price list for printing your catalog on the various types of paper before you decide. You know what your budget is and paper is only one of the expenses you have to consider.

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Add Value to All You Do

As a person becomes more and more recognized for doing more than he/she is compensated to do, he/she will begin receiving more and more compensation for their services.While reading some very informative material recently, I found myself inspired by a concept that enables a person to soar to higher heights. The concept of adding value to everything you do, when applied to specific areas of a person's life, can bring that person to be highly sought after by those receiving the added value. The material I was reading focused on business and what this concept will do for the success of a business. Another way of looking at this concept is in the idea of doing more than is expected, or doing more than that which you are compensated to do. When doing this a person will be "weighed" against others who do not. In comparison, the person who adds value to all he/she does will be sought after to the degree that there will be keen competition for his/her service. As a person becomes more and more recognized for doing more than he/she is compensated to do, he/she will begin receiving more and more compensation for their services.

There is an additional benefit that comes to the person who exercises this concept in his/her business; the development of that person's strength. In nature, do you suppose the strongest trees are those that are protected from the storms and hidden from the sun? This isn't the case. The one that stands out in the open and bears all of the winds and rain and is shone upon by the blistering sun is the tree that develops the strength to withstand the most violent weather. This also is the case for the person who goes beyond expectation to deliver added value in everything he/she does. This is the person that becomes strong enough to succeed despite the adversities that one is sure to come up against in his/her business. The fact that most people are delivering as little as they can get by with, serves as a great advantage to you when you deliver added value. One who delivers as little as he/she can, may rest assured he/she will receive the same.

I hope this information will add value to all of your experiences.
Joe Clinton.

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4 Steps to Unbeatable Advertising

It's difficult to reach your business goals if you don't have the right materials and/or the information to help your business reach the success it's capable of. These four competitive marketing strategies are needed to produce an extremely successful business.

1. Negotiate
Have you noticed that some people seem to always get the best deals? Yeah, you pay full price and think you did OK until they show up with the same thing, only they paid several hundred dollars less. It really get your goat! How do they do it? They're not afraid to ask for an extra discount.

Yep, don't sell yourself short because you didn't ASK the next time your advertising rep makes an appearance! Even if you're already getting a discount, ask for a bigger one. You have not...because you ask not.

2. Trim
Bigger is always better...or is it? When it comes to advertising, don't be surprised if some of your short ads meet with more success than larger more expensive ads. Trimming down on the size and cost of advertising doesn't mean you'll be trimming the results!

3. Exploit the Freebies
What's the difference between advertising and publicity? ...who's doing the talking. Yeah, when you sell yourself, it's advertising. When someone else is selling you, it's publicity...and it generates credibility and interest that you don't want to miss out on.

Think about the different ways you can get your business in the spotlight. Do you have some news… write a press release? Write some "how to" articles with a short byline at the end and release them to ezines, magazines, newspapers, and other publishers. Why not promote the product of a non-competitor in return for them promoting yours...think of the totally different market they affect!

Yep, there are a lot of ways out there to get free advertisement that will benefit your business. Of course you won't be able to rely solely on the freebies, but hey, you can get a little extra for nothing!

4. Improve Your Offer
Is your deal too good to pass up? If not, you need to improve it. Hey, I'm not talking about cutting prices even more...you've still got to make a profit. You can make the deal sweeter just by increasing the readers knowledge of the value of the product, or adding bonuses that are perceived as valuable, but cost you little.

Motivate buyers with expiration. Yeah, an open ended offer encourages procrastination...which leads ...yep, nowhere. When the customer knows he has until Saturday to purchase an item he'll pay more for on Sunday, he'll make it a priority to head for your shop.

Advertising doesn't have to wipe out your bank account to be effective. When you learn to negotiate, know when smaller ads are as effective as large ads, ask for discounts, and create an irresistible offer, you're on your way to skyrocketing profit margins!

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