Product catalogues: size, paper and binding
A catalogue used daily by a distributor may need a different construction from a brand introduction. Start with where and how it will be read, then specify size, paper and binding together. Choosing by paper weight or cover appearance alone leaves opening behaviour, usability and total cost unresolved.
Start with content and use
Define what readers need to find: a product code, model comparison, technical drawing or selection of completed projects. Print representative spreads at actual size to check tables and drawings. For a take-away exhibition catalogue, consider how visitors will carry it with other materials. If prices change frequently, discuss a separate price list or a link to current information. Reprinting the whole catalogue for one changing field may be inconvenient. Choose the finished size after laying out representative pages.
Compare more than paper weight
Ask for available stock samples and compare surface, shade, thickness and show-through. Sappi specification tables list grammage, opacity and thickness separately: the same gsm value does not describe every property of a sheet. This illustrates how to read a specification; it does not imply that a particular brand is in stock. Examine a sample with photographs, small text and dark areas similar to your artwork. Record the selected stock and whether substitutions are acceptable before the print run is quoted.
Check paper and binding together
State the inner page count and specify the cover separately. Saddle stitching or adhesive binding must suit the actual page block, so have production confirm the proposed materials and thickness. Handle a comparable sample: is it easy to turn pages, read captions near the spine and show a spread to another person? Agree inner margins before finalising tables or images that cross a spread. If the spine needs lettering, obtain its final width after the specification is approved.
Give finishing a clear purpose
Discuss finishing in terms of use: a counter reference, a catalogue carried by sales staff or a presentation copy for meetings. Ask what lamination, varnish or foil would achieve on the selected cover and inspect a relevant sample. Do not assume a finish on another stock will produce the same result. Agree decorative areas, folds and the approval process. For a limited budget, compare an unembellished version with one priority finish while keeping the rest of the specification identical.
Agree artwork and approval checks
Before handoff, check photographs, product codes, contact details and links. Adobe recommends checking document resources and preflight errors before PDF export; agree the colour profile and file settings with the printer. Digital page approval and physical stock selection answer different questions. Name the people approving copy, layout, colour and material, and retain the final file version. If a bound sample is needed, agree what it will include and what it is intended to verify.
What to send for a catalogue quotation
Send the catalogue purpose, trimmed size, quantity, inner page count, cover specification, preferred stock, colour requirements, binding and finishing. Attach artwork or representative spreads and identify undecided items. Include the required receipt date and address in Moscow, Moscow Oblast or Saint Petersburg, unloading conditions and any split deliveries. Ask for artwork preparation, packing and delivery to be described explicitly. Compare quotations using one specification table that makes every material change visible.