Custom Catalogue Printing.

Because on a mailed catalogue the postage often costs more than the print, and it scales with weight. We model the postal weight bands first, then pick a text stock that keeps the finished piece inside the band you want. That is why lightweight text stock around 115gsm exists in the range, and why the usual working window is 115 to 130gsm.

With colour-managed printing and a contract proof approved against the physical products before the run. Customers order from the photos, so a jumper printed a shade off comes back as a return. We do not approve colour on a screen. The colour targets are recorded so a reprint six months later matches the first edition.

Once it goes perfect bound, which happens past roughly 64 to 80 pages. Up to that point saddle stitching works, in multiples of four pages. Beyond it the block needs a glued spine, and that spine can be printed so the catalogue is findable on a shelf among last season's editions. The binding also has to open flat again and again, which the spine glue is chosen for.

Matt lamination, which takes repeated handling without glare or fingerprints. Gloss lamination gives a product-led cover saturated colour. Uncoated is the lightest choice and reads editorial, which helps when postage weight is tight. Spot UV adds cover detail without adding meaningful weight, and index and section design is part of the finishing brief on a document read by lookup.

A4 at 8.27 × 11.69 inches and A5 at 5.83 × 8.27 inches are the two standard trims, in portrait or a wide horizontal format. The trim size is the finished page, and the postal band is worked out from that size plus the page count and stock. A5 halves the sheet cost and often drops the piece a full weight band.

500 copies. A catalogue is a costly piece per unit, so most runs sit well above that figure, and pricing tiers step down past 1,000 copies. The upper end is 100,000 on a single order, and we will quote the postage alongside the print so the two are decided together.

Plan on 7 to 10 business days from contract proof sign-off, or 5 to 7 business days on a rush. A bound sample takes 5 to 7 business days and we use it to confirm the postal weight on the real stock, not a calculation. The sample cost is set against the production order once it is placed.

Yes, and on a high-volume mailed item that is where recycled paper makes the biggest difference. Recycled silk and lightweight text stocks are both available. Bear in mind that recycled sheets can run slightly heavier at the same feel, so we recheck the weight band before committing to it.