If you are doing your research on catalog printing and have been browsing through the rates across different online printing companies it is likely you are confused and have several questions in your mind. In this write-up, we shall try and answer some of these questions –
How many ‘pages’ are there on a page?
Our mention of ‘pages’ isn’t a typo but a pun! When it comes to catalog printing most first-time customers are confused about the term page. The interpretation of this term can be different for you and the company you choose for catalog printing services. The problem is that most of us confuse the terms ‘page’ and ‘sheet’ and often use them interchangeably. A page is one side of the sheet of paper that would be used for printing. You can print on either side of the sheet (two pages) or on a single side either at the front or the back. In catalog printing, both sides of the sheet are usually printed.
Will covers be counted as a page?
Yes, and covers are no different from the inner pages of your booklet where the only difference may be in paper quality. So a cover would basically be counted as four pages even if you choose to leave the front and the back inner parts blank!
What is the spread?
If you had done your research on online printing in California and specifically with respect to catalog printing you would have come across the word ‘spread’. Most printers would calculate the cost of your booklet or catalog in terms of spread. A spread is a large sheet of paper that unusually contains anywhere between 4 and 8 sheets that would appear on your booklet. In other words, you are looking at a large piece of paper that can have as many as 16 pages of your catalog. Unlike the computer printer, you have at home most printing service providers print on large-sized sheets and then cut them into smaller sizes that you finally see on your catalog. You don’t have to bother about spreads much as your printing company will handle it.
Why catalogs are always quoted in even numbers?
You will always find printing services quoting costs in terms of even the number of pages. You may have designed 11 beautiful pages but if you want them printed it is likely to become an issue. Though you don’t really have to bother about the spread when it comes to getting your catalogs or booklets printed the number of pages would always be a function of the spread. This is especially true in the case of saddle stitched booklets (stapled ones) and the printing company would always quote you based on the spreads that would be used for printing. And the problem isn’t restricted to odd numbers alone as a 6 or 10-page catalog that isn’t easily divisible by the 4 or 8-sheet spread poses an equal problem. While you can get them printed you may have to bear the same cost as an 8 or 12-page catalog.
What do you do when you need a 10-page booklet?
If you are bent on having a 6 or 10-page catalog there is a way out for you. In such cases, your catalog printing Services Company would ask you to opt for wire binding instead of saddle stitch where you need to have pages in multiples of two and not four. You still can’t have them in odd numbers unless you are willing to keep one of the pages black at the back or the front. That’s the total waste of prime real estate available for marketing.
If you have further doubts about catalog printing you can get in touch with a catalog printing services company and they’d answer all your doubts.
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