5. Booklets.—The make-up of booklets varies with the purposes for which they are used. Thus, a new com pany which seeks subscriptions to its stock, needs to place a great deal of information in the hands of those to whom the appeal is, made. What is commonly taken for granted in connection with a successful com pany—financial soundness, reputation, general qiial ity of goods or service offered—must be clearly dem onstrated to the prospective customer.
The established company which has long marketed an extensive line of products is confronted by a dif ferent problem. A booklet of this sort may devote its subject matter concretely to a "trip thru the fac tory," as does the Enterprise Manufacturing Com pany's booklet, "Who Paid the Freight on Perfec tion?" It may take up a phase of a subject only remotely related to the product, as in the Waltham booklet, "Mental Nuts," a book of NO tricks and problems. The tricks appear on the right-hand page while the watch ads appear on the left.
Booklets similar to catalogs are often issued on the unit plan. A nationally known manufacturer may wish to feature an improvement in watches. His reg ular catalogs are already in the hands of his dealers. Quick action is necessary to get the new article on the market. Since he markets thru the dealer, is a na tional advertiser and has many direct inquiries, his booklet must inform both the customer-inquirer and the dealer. In the next issue of the catalog, pages already used in the booklet may be incorporated.
To send a full catalog is often a waste of costly printed material and of postage. It may serve to confuse the customer, instead of focusing his atten tion upon the item in which he has expressed an in terest. A booklet made up of pages from the cat alog is usually better. If the direct plan of selling is employed, prices are always quoted; if the product is sold thru dealers, prices may or may not be quoted, but the reader is directed to call upon the local dealer.
6. Catalogs.—A booklet may be planned and laid out by one who has only an elementary knowledge of the preparation of copy and layouts. The prepara tion of a catalog, however, requires definite knowledge not only of the goods, but also of book-making. If the business is a new one or the catalog is the first to be issued, even a simple matter like the determination of the size of the catalog page is of importance. Shall the finished book be built large so as to afford an opportunity for display or shall the page be small enough to let the book fit the pocket? Shall the page be a "golden oblong," or shall it be a "tall page"? If a standard size is adopted, considerable skill may be required to use this size to the best advantage.
Since illustration is employed in nearly every catalog, the problem of making the text fit both the illustration and the page calls for careful preparation and meas urement of copy. Consequently, catalog-building has become a skilled trade—in some respects even an art—based upon a knowledge of both advertising and printing requirements and limitations. The first step in catalog-building is the preparation of a typical or "style" page. The copy is prepared, laid out, the type set and proofs drawn. Details are studied and costs are figured. If satisfactory, the prepared size may be taken as a standard; if unsatisfactory, other pages may be prepared until one is found that meets the various requirements.
7. illustration on the next page shows one of the modern methods of laying out a catalog. Figure 2, page 231, shows the final form. Owing to the great amount of detail, it is impossible to make the copy the same size as the page it is to occupy. The position that the printed matter and illustrations are to occupy on the page is important, and must be indicated as early in the preparation as possible. .To aid in the planning of the catalog and particularly to indicate where various sections of copy are to appear on the printed page,- a key or master page is used to indicate layout. For example, when four pages of copy make up the catalog page, these are numbered from 1 to 4. Corresponding numbers are placed on the key or master page, indicating the exact place the copy is to occupy. This makes it possible for the pages to be made up as fast as the type composition is finished.
When a catalog is built on the unit plan, special care is taken to make each page complete, i.e., a "unit," so that it is possible to shift the pages at will, merely changing their folios. In this manner, a special catalog may be made up on short notice from selected pages and with no extra expense for layout or composition. It is even possible, in technical cat alogs, to make the pages loose leaf, so that old pages may be discarded and new ones added, thus keeping the catalog up to date at comparatively small expense.