Nobody makes it to the end
The document has no rhythm and no entry points, so whoever opens it flicks through and closes it.
Design
Layout for catalogues, magazines and brochures: plenty of pages, one single grid
Long documents organised to be read to the end, ready for print or for reading on screen.
Who layout is for
Layout is the work of organising a long document so that whoever opens it always knows where they are and finds what they're looking for. It applies to product catalogues, service brochures, magazines, annual reports, manuals, books and sales presentations, on paper or as a file to read on screen.
It's a service for anyone with a lot of information that needs to be consulted, not just sent out. A catalogue with two hundred products, a price list that changes every year, or an annual report are all documents where the difference between good and bad layout is measured in sales and in time lost on the phone explaining what was already written down.
For short, campaign-driven pieces, the service you want is graphic design. For catalogues that move online, see the online shop.
Problems this service solves
The typical symptoms of a badly laid-out document.
The right product can't be found
There's no index, no separation by category, and no consistent reference system.
Updating means starting all over again
Changing prices or adding products means rebuilding the document, because it wasn't built with styles and a grid.
The printed and digital versions don't line up
The file made for print is heavy and unreadable on a phone, and the one made for the web isn't fit to print.
The printer sends the file back
Bleed, high-resolution images or colour profiles are missing, and production grinds to a halt.
A long document gets read to the end, or it doesn't get read at all.
How we work
In a long document, the structure matters more than any single page.
Content inventory
We look at what exists: text, tables, photography, spec sheets. We identify what's missing and what's due for an update, because that shapes the schedule more than the design does.
Structure and reading path
We define chapters, categories, indexes and the order information appears in, thinking about how the document will actually be used: cover to cover, or dipped into as needed.
Grid and styles
We build the grid, the typographic hierarchy and the page templates. It's this work, invisible in the final result, that lets you lay out pages quickly and update without rebuilding.
Layout and review
We flow in the content, treat the images and deliver proofs for review. Corrections happen in rounds, with version control so no change gets lost.
Finalising for print and for screen
We finalise two outputs from the same document: one for print, with bleed and colour profiles, and a lighter one, with a navigable index, for sending and reading on screen.
What you get
The document ready for production, and the structure that lets you reuse it.
Print-ready file
Locked, with bleed, registration marks and colour profiles agreed with the supplier.
File for screen
Lightweight, with a navigable index and live links, ready to send by email or publish on your website.
Page templates
Grid and styles already built, so you can add pages in future without starting from zero.
Treated images
Cut-outs, colour correction and resolution matched to each output.
Working files
The originals, with the typefaces identified, so any team can carry the work on.
Support during printing
Liaison with the printer and proof-checking before the print run.
Common questions about layout
The questions that reach us most often before starting a long document.
Do you write the text as well?
We can write or edit through the copywriting service, but the technical information has to come from your company. In a catalogue, the accuracy of references, measurements and specifications is the responsibility of whoever knows the product.
How does the catalogue get updated the following year?
If the layout is built with a grid and styles, updating it is a job of substitution, not of starting again. We're available to do it, and the working files mean another team could just as well do it too.
Do you handle printing?
We prepare the files and follow production through the printers we work with, checking proofs along the way. Commissioning the print run can stay on your side or come through us, with the cost always identified separately.
Is the digital file the same as the printed one?
It starts from the same design, but it isn't the same file. The screen version is lightened, with a navigable index and live links, and the print version carries bleed and colour profiles. We deliver both.
How many rounds of revisions are included?
The number of rounds is set out in the quote, because in a long document every round carries weight. It's worth gathering all your corrections together before sending them over, rather than sending them one at a time.
Tell us about the document you're working on
Tell us roughly how many pages or products you have, whether the text is already written, and whether it's going to print. We'll put together the quote from there.
Other services in Design