Most product catalogues today exist twice: as a printed book handed over at a meeting or exhibition, and as a PDF sent by email or downloaded from the website. They share content, but they are read in different ways — and a file built for one rarely works well as the other.
Same content, two different reading situations
A printed catalogue is read in spreads, flipped through, marked up and kept on a desk. A PDF is read on a laptop or a phone, usually one page at a time, often by someone searching for one product code. Planning both outputs at the start lets you design one layout and then prepare two files, instead of forcing a print file onto screens or a screen file onto paper.
Navigation
- Print: contents page, section tabs or colour bands, running heads and page numbers, and an index by product code
- PDF: clickable contents, bookmarks for every section, links from the index to product pages, and a "back to contents" link on each spread
- Both: the same section order and page numbering, so a buyer on the phone and a colleague with the printed copy can refer to the same page
Images and colour
Print files are prepared in CMYK for the paper and press being used, with images at full resolution at their printed size. A screen PDF uses RGB, which shows brighter colours, and compressed images sized for the screen. Ask your printer for their colour profile and resolution requirements before artwork starts, and let the designer prepare the screen export separately rather than compressing the print file.
Page setup
- Print needs bleed (commonly 3 mm), safe margins and crop marks; the PDF should be exported without them
- Spreads matter in print — check that no product falls across the spine
- A PDF is often viewed single-page — check that each page makes sense on its own
- Fonts must be embedded in both files
- Keep body text and tables readable on a phone screen in the PDF
File size and delivery
A print file can be large because it goes straight to the printer. A digital catalogue has to arrive in an inbox and open on mobile data. Keep it light enough to email; if the range is large, split it into one PDF per product family rather than lowering image quality until products become hard to recognise. Name files clearly with the company, range and edition date so buyers know which version they have.
Interactivity in the PDF
A digital catalogue can do things paper cannot: link product pages to the right enquiry form or datasheet, open email and phone numbers in one tap, and link to videos or downloadable drawings. Test every link before release. Avoid features that only work in one PDF reader, because many buyers will open the file in a browser or a phone's built-in viewer.
Keeping both editions in step
The two outputs drift apart quickly if they are edited separately. Keep one master layout, update the content there, and export both files from it each time. Put the edition date on the cover and in the file name, and replace the PDF on your website whenever the print edition changes. Good product images make both versions stronger — see our catalogue photography shot list.
Frequently asked questions
Not well. A print file needs CMYK colour, high-resolution images, bleed and crop marks; a screen PDF needs RGB, compressed images and working links. Design once, then export two versions.
For offset print, images are normally prepared at about 300 ppi at their final printed size. For a screen PDF, around 150 ppi at display size is usually enough and keeps the file light.
Small enough to email and open on a phone. Many B2B teams aim for under about 10 MB; large catalogues can be split by product range instead of compressing images until they look poor.
Printed catalogues remain useful for exhibitions, sales visits and buyers who mark up pages. Many companies print a shorter edition and keep the full range in the PDF.
We design catalogues for print and screen.
Corpfolio designs one master catalogue and delivers press-ready print files and a light, linked PDF. See our product catalogue design service and print production support.