When to Break Creative Rules by: Maricon Williams

Before we go unusual or unconventional and take the creative approach to break the rules, it is vital to know what the rules are. There are eight generally accepted rules that generate decent if not impressive results. Nonetheless, no matter how stable the rules are, we can always experiment. Here are the rules and the evasions to the rules:

1. Always place a best seller in the upper right corner of each spread.

Readers glance at a catalog from front to back. Upper right corner is where the reader’s eyes

first fall thus, it makes sense to put a striking product there. On the other hand, not all best sellers are visually compelling or stunning. If this is the case, you can put the best seller in another high up position in order to encourage viewing the whole catalog spread.

2. Keep the typography simple and limit the number of typefaces.

The copy has to be legible and concise. Do not reduce the type to 6 to condense all the text. Still, some of the elements have to be presented in a bolder or larger typeface to emphasize a special benefit or feature.

3. Always have an order form.

To have a systematic fill out and mail it is essential to have an order form. However, the birth of Web together with the existence of telephone and fax continue to replace ordering by mail.

4. Consistent layouts are a mark of excellence.

Recognizable spreads, icons and typographical elements are vital in creating a brand image or character. However, if every spread looks the same, it may develop boredom and the readers may choose not to peruse the entire catalog. To encourage readers to spend more time, try to create stoppers using a series of planned layout template changes. You can also use different colors, layout formats and backgrounds to make a compelling change.

5. Standard catalog formats are more lucrative.

You can increase many economies by working with your printer and the Postal Service to determine an proficient trim size, but sometimes a distinctive format will magnetize more attention or better augment your brand than a standard full-size, slim-jim, or digest-size catalog, which in turn can increase sales and even the bottom line.

6. Grouped products don't sell.

Usually, grouping complementary products either in dissimilar photos put together in the layout or in a single shot doesn't sell the goods. For one thing, some of the products grouped together in a photo or layout are not related. For another, in a grouped layout or photo, no product is the hero that draws the reader in. If you're selling books, greeting cards, advertising specialties or products that tend to be similar to one another - grouping products makes a good deal of sense.

7. Magalogs don't sell.

Magalogs are half-magazine and half-catalog. In most cases, as the amount of nonselling editorial space takes away from sales-oriented real estate, the viability of the catalog as a revenue producer decreases. Nonetheless, many conventional catalog marketers have increased the use of editorial material in their books, and quite a few have improved sales with this technique.

8. A four-color catalog performs better than one- or two-color book.

Generally, the answer will be yes, four-color presentation looks more attractive and grabs more attention thus, generates more sales than a one-color book. In fact, some product lines such as apparel and cosmetics require precise color representation. But in some select cases the sales do not justify the cost of four-color printing and color separations. You might even find out that a two-color presentation sets your book apart from competition.

Catalog design rules and principles are already tested and true. They work – that’s a proven fact! However, it can occasionally be bent or broken as long as you know what you are doing and is concern of doing it right. A number of useful principles are discovered by experimentation and innovation. Who knows if it can result to rewarding proceeds or an established principle? No way to know it if you’ll not going to try.

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Author:
Maricon Williams

About the Author:
Maricon WilliamsI love reading. Give me a book and I'll finish it in one sitting. Reading is the chance to be transported to a different world and so is writing. I'm more enthusiastic about writing however, since you can relay your ideas to someone else. I can only imagine that feeling when I hear a complete stranger talking about my ideas which read on an article somewhere. To relay my message to as many people is the same as touching people with music. Only mine's less harmonic. I try to make up for it with the color I bring with words. And most of the time, it’s more than enough.jona(at)catalogprintingexperts.com