A new way to create online catalogs without a PDF

min.

by Simon E. Pagaard

The standard online catalog workflow: Design a PDF for print, then use the print PDF as the basis for the online catalog. But basing your digital campaigns mainly on print workflows can hold you back: You spend more time and have less flexibility.

Is it time to rethink the online catalog workflow?

For many teams, the workflow for online catalogs, leaflets and brochures hasn’t changed much the last 20 years:

Design a static PDF
Export it
Upload it for digital use
Add interactivity and shop links

It works, but it’s slow, manual and built around print-first thinking.

If online catalog workflow is tied to the print workflow - and print requires time, a lot of work across departments and a large campaign push - it can limit the number of shorter, specific and targeted campaigns.

Digital-first catalog creation

With automated catalog creation, you can flip the classic online catalog workflow on its head.

Instead of designing a PDF manually and then adapting it for digital, you create a digital-first catalogs based on existing product data:

Connect your product feed
Create a digital catalog using rules and automations
Optional: Create a PDF for digital distribution in a few clicks

This workflow allows companies to create more catalogs, faster, and is not reliant on the print workflow.

And, if you still need a PDF, you can simply export your catalog as a PDF.

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1. Connect your product feed

Simply connect your product feed - which has all product images and information such as price, description, etc. - to an automated catalog solution.

2. Automate online catalog production

Creating a online catalog without a PDF can be fast, easy and simple:

This makes automated catalog solutions ideal for companies that want to run frequent, shorter campaigns, promotions or local- and store-specific catalogs that are not tied to print workflows.

3. Generate a PDF for digital distribution

With a digital-first workflow, digital is the starting point, but PDFs are still available.

You can generate a PDF from your digital catalog whenever needed, for:

Partners or marketplaces that require PDFs
Email distribution
Downloads

The PDFs created are often designed exclusively for digital distribution. They’re optimized for online marketplaces and web platforms, and not necessarily for professional or high-quality print production.

Move from PDF-first to digital-first

Automated digital leaflet creation helps you replace - or supplement - manual, PDF-first processes with automated online catalog creation.

By building online catalogs from product feeds using templates and layouts, you can...

Save time
Reduce manual production
Deliver mobile-friendly experiences

And, by doing that, you can scale your online catalog production, run more campaigns and create better results.

It's online catalog creation done the digital way.

Continue Reading

The Digital Transition Timeline: From print PDFs to digital-first leaflets

Not every retailer is at the same stage of their digital journey. Some are still using print as their main marketing channel. Others have embraced ecommerce and other digital channels. And a few have already adopted digital-first workflows and use automation to create content across multiple channels. And that’s okay.

Use-cases for automated digital leaflets

As Horizon digital leaflets aren’t based on PDFs, why only use it as a way to display the products in your print PDF? In reality, there’s so much more you can create, without spending excessive time.

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Customer care and inbound team - Janne, Rune and Armando