Catalog Production centralizes all data needs for building catalogs. The data can be placed into an Adobe InDesign file or exported for page layout in any page production tool, such as Quark or Adobe InDesign.
Data Storage
All product data is stored together and can be easily found through a variety of search tools. Typical data includes copy blocks, charts, digital assets, and specific catalog assignment. A history of all changes made to the data is stored with the data for easy reference.
Copy
Copy blocks can be set to different types and contain any number of fields. A Pricing Copy may contain the Cost and Header, where a Descriptive Copy could have Header, Subheader, and Bulleted text.
Charts
Charts can contain any data in a table format and the type of columns can be predefined. Editing charts is similar to using Microsoft Excel. Chart data can be imported in and exported out to Microsoft Excel, and a text file.
Digital Assets
All logos and images for a product are assigned to a Product as digital assets. These digital assets are stored in Widen’s Digital Asset Management application for easy management.
Catalog Organization
Figure 1: Product Entry Details Page
The data needed for each catalog can be assigned into Entries and Sections that only pertain to the appropriate catalog.
Entries (See Figure 1)
Once all product data is entered, it is organized into Entries. Entries are assigned to specific catalogs. Product data can be assigned to multiple Entries within one catalog. Not all product data is assigned to the Entry, only the specific Copy, Charts, and Assets that are needed for that catalog.
Sections
As the Entries are created, the order that they should appear in the catalog can be setup into Sections. The number of pages as well as the position, whether it is towards the front or the back of the catalog, can be set for each Section. As new Entries are created and assigned to Sections, the previous Sections are dynamically shifted to maintain the correct order. Each Section can calculate the actual Catalog Page number if needed.
Exporting Data
The data is exported out for Catalogs that have complex page layouts. The designers can then manipulate the data to fit on each page.
All the data for each catalog can be exported out to a specific server location. All text is exported in text file format with preset tags and assets exported as low resolution images. The text files can be placed into Adobe InDesign or Quark templates and all the styles will be applied correctly. The low resolution assets can be placed into Adobe InDesign or Quark for page layout and then swapped with the high resolution images at a later date.
This form of data export is setup specifically for each client. Widen will work closely with the client to get the export to match the final styles needed.
Adobe InDesign Page Layout
For catalogs with more standard page layouts, Catalog Production can be used to deliver 80% complete catalog pages. Some text and image resizing may still be needed.
Adobe InDesign templates with the appropriate headers, footers, and styles can be uploaded into the application. After all the data is in place, the user can choose which page layout and template to use for the Entry. All the Entry data will then be automatically placed onto the InDesign Template and users can view a PDF preview of how the data will look. An InDesign file can then be downloaded directly from the site with the data completed.
Find Catalog Data
All data entered into Catalog Production can be found through a variety of search tools. The data can be found by product data, entry details, section details or catalog name. The search results display by Product, Entry or Sections. All searches can be saved for later use and easy access.
The Catalog Production account page displays the most recently accessed data. The most recently access Products, Entries, and Sections are displayed so users can easily reference them.