Helpful Tip — Before beginning this tutorial, we recommend that you first make a few test publications. Here are the simple steps to do so.

Once you have the basic idea of how Catalog-on-Demand works, you will be ready to start exploring the features explained in this tutorial.

PART I: Configure Your Brochure Cover

A. Display Mode

You have 3 options for the brochure cover. With each option, you have the ability to put a Title and Contact Information on top of the cover image(s).

1. None — Your publication will not have a front cover.
2. Use public gallery image — You can choose a cover image from the Gallery. You may colorize it as you wish.
3. Use private gallery image — Choose an image from your private gallery.

B. Use Public Gallery Image

This is a gallery of front cover designs for your print brochure. Scroll down the list to see the available designs.

If you want a gallery image to be used for your front cover, then go to Covers > Front Outside Covers. Choose "Use Public Gallery Image". Click "View" to select one of the images.

If you would prefer to upload your own design, then choose "Use Private Gallery Image".

C. Use Private Gallery Image

Choose your cover from the dropdown menu.

If you want to add a new cover to this selection, click on Private Gallery > Front Outside Cover.

Click here for specifications on creating a cover image.

D. Title & Contact Information

Title: You may enter up to 100 characters for the title of your publication.

Contact Information: You may enter up to 6 lines of text here. It is intended to be used for your contact information, but you can enter whatever you like. If you are creating this configuration for a multi-user situation, such as for sales reps, please refer to the note about using tokens in the contact information. 

E. Title & Contact Info Coordinates

You can position the Title and the Contact Info by dragging the box to its desired place on the preview page. For exact positioning, you may enter the page coordinates for the upper left corner of each element. 

F. User Logo

This is primarily for use in multi-user situations, where you want the sales rep's logo to appear on the cover along with their contact info.

Check the box labeled "Enable user logo" if you want the logo to appear. You may then choose where on the cover to position the logo. You can also set the maximum box size off the logo (in order to constrain large logo images).

Part II: Configure Your Page Headers

A. Page Header Display Mode (separate for left and right pages)

You have 3 options for the page headers. The left and right page headers are separate. If you wish, the display modes can be different for the left page and right page.

1. None — Your publication will not have a page header.
2. Use public gallery image — You can choose a header image from the Gallery. You may colorize it as you wish.
3. Use private gallery image — Choose an image from your private gallery.

B. Use Public Gallery Image

This is a gallery of page header designs for your print brochure. Scroll down the list to see the available designs.

If you want a public gallery image to be used for your page header (separate for left and right pages), then go to Headers & Footers > Left Page Header (or Right Page Header). Choose "Use Public Gallery Image". Then click on View to select one of the images.

If you would prefer to upload your own design, then choose "Use Private Gallery Image".

C. Use Private Gallery Image

Choose your header image from the dropdown menu.

If you want to add a new header image to this selection, click on Private Gallery > Left Page Header (or Right Page Header).

Click here for specifications on creating a header image.

Part III: Configure Your Page Footers

A. Page Footer Display Mode

You have 4 options for each page footer (separate for left and right page footers). 

You can enable or disable the QR code for any of these footers.

1. Text — Your phone number (up to 20 characters) and web address (up to 40 characters) will appear in the footer.
2. Use public gallery image — You can choose a footer image from the public gallery. You may colorize it as you wish.
3. Use private gallery image — Choose an image from your private gallery.
4. Two images alternating — Choose each image from your private gallery. The images will appear on alternating left (or right) pages.

B. Use Public Gallery Image

This is a gallery of page footer designs for your print brochure. Scroll down the list to see the available designs.

If you want a public gallery image to be used for your page footer (separate for left and right pages), then go to Headers & Footers > Left Page Footer (or Right Page Footer). Choose "Use Public Gallery Image". Then click on View to select one of the images.

If you would prefer to upload your own design, then choose "Use Private Gallery Image".

C. Use Private Gallery Image

Choose your footer image from the dropdown menu.

If you want to add a new footer image to this selection, click on Private Gallery > Left Page Footer (or Right Page Footer).

Click here for specifications on creating a footer image. 

E. Use Public or Private Gallery > Page Number

...in progress

F. Use Public or Private Gallery > QR Code Position

A QR code will appear in the footer if you have selected the "Single QR code per page" option on Layout Options > QR code.

• The QR code will appear on top of the footer background image.
• You can set the horizontal position of the QR code by moving the slider bar.

G. Two Images Alternating

Choose each image from your the dropdown menu.

If you are working on the left page footer, the images will appear on alternating left pages. If you are working on the right page footer, the images will appear on alternating right pages.

If you want to add a new footer image to this selection, click on Private Gallery > Left Page Footer (or Right Page Footer).

Click here for specifications on creating a footer image.

Part IV: Configure Your Layout — QR Code

A. QR Code Display Mode

You have 3 options regarding QR codes in your publication:

• Single QR code per page — This option causes only one QR code to appear per page. Upon scanning (or clicking) that code, the user is taken to a mobile-friendly web page, branded with your logo. 
  • That mobile web page will present a list of the products from the printed page. It will display only the image and the product name. If the user taps on one of those products, they will be taken to your e-commerce page for that product — exactly the same as the "QR code for every product".
  • Your QR code will appear in the Page Footer. You can control its position in the Page Footer configuration.

Tip: If you would like to use a smaller QR code, enable the Plug-In labeled "Small QR code (per page)"

• QR code for every product — This option will cause one QR code to appear with every product. Upon scanning (or clicking) that code, the user is taken to your e-commerce page for that product.
  • QR code size — Most businesses choose the small QR code. The larger QR code is necessary only if you expect your customers to be using old mobile phones (<2009). 
  • Link options — Applies to QR code & product image —
    - Select "Use PDF-e-Link" if you want to be able to track scans and receive analytic reports.
    - Select "Use direct link" if you prefer that scans take users directly to your site (also known as "white label links" because they do not contain any reference to Catalog-on-Demand).

Tip: If you would like to use a smaller QR code, enable the Plug-In labeled "Small QR code (per product)"

• No QR code — This option will result in no QR codes at all.
  • Link options — Applies to product image only — 
    - Select "Use PDF-e-Link" if you want to be able to track scans and receive analytic reports. 
    - Select "Use direct link" if you prefer that scans take users directly to your site (also known as "white label links" because they do not contain any reference to Catalog-on-Demand).

Part V: Configure Your Layout — Product Family

A. Product Family > Show/Hide Product Family Attributes

This component gives you a way to specify which family-level attributes you want to appear in your product presentation. Click on "Show" to list the attribute names you want to show; or click on "Hide" to list the attribute names you want to hide. Most users leave this set on "Hide".

Each attribute name should go in its own field. Click the Add button for each attribute name.

B. Product Family > Product Page Width

This controls how your products will be laid out on the page.

• If you prefer that all of your products are presented in a one-column (full page) format, then select "All products get full page width"
• If you prefer that all of your products are presented in a two-column (half page) format, then select "All products get half page width"
• If you would like Catalog-on-Demand to automatically determine which layouts to use, then choose "Auto width". This choice will usually give you the lowest page count, especially when used in combination with the Sorting option "Optimized for best fit within each category"

C. Product Family > SKU Table Split

This option is relevant only if some of your product families have numerous SKUs (product variants).

• If you select "split", long tables will be split into two or four sub-groups, depending on the number of columns (attributes) in the table.
• If you select "do not split", long tables will not be divided into sub-groups.

The option appears if you have  selected Page Width of full or auto. It does not appear if you have selected Page Width of half.

D. Product Family > Max. Image Height

All product images are automatically resized to the maximum height that you specify. The default height is 2.0 inches.

• You may adjust the maximum height to any value between 0.75 and 3.0 inches.
• The width is automatically adjusted to maintain the aspect ratio. Product images are aligned to the right edge.
• Sometimes the image is so wide that there is not room for the text to wrap around the image. In these cases, the image is automatically positioned below the product name and above the description.
• In order to preserve image quality, images are only shrunk to fit the maximum height. They are never enlarged. If an image is smaller than the maximum height, it is aligned to the top outside corner.
• Product images are published at 150dpi, which is important for understanding how large a product image can be published.
• Example #1: An image that is 150px tall has a maximum publishing height of 1 inch, even if your max height is greater than 1 inch.
• Example #2: An image that is 450px tall has a maximum publishing height of 3 inches. But if your max height is 2 inches, then it will publish at 2 inches tall.

E. Product Family > Max. Family Description Height

If you want to completely hide the product family description, check the box labeled "Hide Description".

If you want to truncate the description, use the slider bar to set the maximum height. The description will not exceed that height. An elipsis (...) will follow the text to let the user know that a longer description is available on-line.

Part VI: Configure Your Layout — SKU Table

A. SKU Table > Single SKU Appearance

This applies only to product families that do not have multiple skus (such as multiple sizes, colors, etc.) If you want the price to appear in large type, without the sku number, choose retail format. If you want the price to appear with the sku number, in the same way as if there were multiple skus, then choose table format.

B. SKU Table > Show/Hide Columns

This component gives you a way to specify which attributes (columns) you want to appear in your SKU tables. Click on "Show" to list the column lables (attribute names) you want to show; or click on "Hide" to list the column labels (attribute names) you want to hide. Most users leave this set on "Hide".

Each column label should go in its own field. Click the Add button for each column name.

C. SKU Table > Column Setup

This is where you can control the order of appearance of the attributes (columns) in your SKU table. Just enter the name of the attribute in the field labeled "Column", then click Add. From there you can use drag/drop to position the column lower or higher in the list.

You can also enter substitutes for attribute names (column labels). For example, suppose the attribute name is "Material" but you would prefer that the column label be "Fabric". You would enter Material in the field labeled "Column", and Fabric in the field labeled "Substitution".

If you want, you may also use this component to specify the width of some or all of your columns. If you leave all of your column widths set to "Auto", then Catalog-on-Demand will automatically determine the optimum width for each column.

Part VII: Configure Your Layout — Page Background

A. Background Display Mode

You can have an image appear in the background of every product page. All other page elements, including product information, header images, and footer images, will appear in front of the background image.

You have 3 options:

1. None — Your publication will not have a background image for every product page.
2. Use public gallery image — You can choose a background image from the public gallery. You may colorize it as you wish.
3. Use private gallery image — Choose a background image from your private gallery.

B. Background > Use Public Gallery Image

This is a gallery of page background designs. Scroll down the list to see the available designs.

If you want a public gallery image to be used for your page background, then go to Layout > Page. For Background Display Mode, choose "Use Public Gallery Image". Click "View" to select one of the images.

If you would prefer to upload your own design, then choose "Use Private Gallery Image".

C. Background > Use Private Gallery Image

Choose your background image from the dropdown menu.

If you want to add a new background image to this selection, click on Private Gallery > Page Background.

Click here for specifications on creating a page background image.

Part VIII: Configure Your Layout — Colors

Part IX: Configure Your Layout — Ads

A. Filler Ads

You can choose which filler ads will be used in your brochure. 

1. Click on the dropdown and choose a filler ad.
2. Enter a name for the filler ad.
3. If you want your customers to be able to click on the ad, then enter a link URL.
4. Click Create. This filler ad will be used in future publications if there is a good fit for it.

If you want to add a new filler ad to this selection, click on Private Gallery > Filler Ads.

Click here for specifications on creating a filler ad.

B. Insert Ads

Part X: Configure Your Layout — Miscellaneous

A. Page Size

B. Units

C. Continued Text

D. Product Sort Options

You have two product sort options:

• Exactly as in database — The order of the products exactly follows the Catalog-on-Demand database.
  • Advantage: You know exactly what order in which the products will appear.
  • Disadvantage: Products will not be arranged to minimize page count.
• Optimized for best fit within each category — The product order is rearranged to minimize the page count, but only within categories. 
  
  • Advantage: Products are arranged to minimize page count.
  • Disadvantage: You do not know exactly what order in which the products will appear. However, you can be sure that products from different categories will not be jumbled together.

E. Select Currency

Choose your currency symbol here. Please contact us if your symbol is not in the list.

F. Plug-Ins

G. Publication Name Prefix

This prefix will appear in the file name, before the job number. Typically this would be the name of your business. Use hyphens in place of spaces.

H. Custom Code 

This field will be retired soon. It's purpose has been replaced by Plug-Ins.