Digital Innovation and Catalog Design for 30 Years

 Catalogs are a primary form of advertising for many industries who use them to market their products.

In 1989, we were the first in the region to graphically design and produce a catalog digitally ¹.

Catalogs are chosen because they allow ample space to:

• address markets specifically and accurately and enable you to position your company favorably
• generate sales and build customer confidence
• allow the display of product attractively since you control the photography and layout
• communicate product features and benefits and answer questions

Catalogs are large projects take weeks or months to produce instead of hours. We love them because they utilize multiple digital graphic design strengths and project management skills. Starting in September 2020, work begins on RSL’s 2021 catalog. We are thankful for RSL’s trust in us with their core marketing project and are proud to say we have been their exclusive catalog designer since 1995. Special thanks too to RSL’s parent company Novatech for allowing this special relationship to continue. (Novatech, a Canadian door manufacturer, purchased RSL in 2019.) RSL chose to supplement their recently completed 2019 Doorglass catalog and introduced Novatech doors to their customers. 

In early 2020 we designed two catalogs for customers of RSL: Fargo, and WallVern. Working with people we never met, we communicated via email, zoom and phone to design their catalogs for print and pdf distribution. We are grateful to collaborate with them and Conor at RSL in these significant projects.

Fargo, a large supplier of doors and glass in North Dakota provided an Excel spreadsheet of Masonite and Novatech doors along with RSL’s glass designs that they wanted to display in doors. Over 350 Masonite and approximately 500 Novatech doors were created in Photoshop for this project. 

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In 1995 we started designing catalogs for RSL, Inc. in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. We continue with RSL – having created and now manage their website. Posted under ‘Catalogs’ are some catalogs since 2000, (and others in the millwork industry). RSL produces a new catalog every other year with the most recent being 2019. The process is collaborative. We appreciate that RSL refers us to other companies (their customers) to design and produce their marketing materials. Our graphic design services are a service to their customers and a marketing advantage for them.

In addition to design, all product images (photography) is prepared for use and digitally enhanced in PhotoShop. Raw photos are scaled, sharpened and put into frames. All home beauty shots that present their doorglass in entryways are photoshopped and improved for print, pdf distribution ² and web. Communicating Advantage manages their extensive library of images that spans over 20 years.

1. We created a catalog for Westminster Chimney Supply in July 1989 on the first Linotronic imagesetter. We brought the films to PrintArt (local brick & mortar print company now going by the name Omega). At the time Dean Somers was running much of the business and he accepted the films, but warned that they would not be responsible for the result! It was their first experience with digitally created film.

2. The future of catalog distribution is digital. Here is an example of a digital flyer that allows the customer to add and edit prices.

If you plan to print, please call us for a quote or visit our sister company – Printing-Advantage.

Medical Software projects are 12-40 page publications with the emphasis on providing product descriptions, features and benefits. Text is more important than images, but graphic design presents the material attractively.