How to Create the Catalog Print Listing
Learning "Hands On" Using the Demo Catalog
Setting Browser Print Options
Creating a "Dummy" of your Catalog book
Catalog Help Index

This truly takes the work and worry out of catalog printing!
No wonder people call it "Catalog Magic!"

Beginning in May 2004,  CatalogMagic.com added user friendly online tools to create printed horse catalogs in the standard page size and  format to accommodate Seller Notes, Sire Blurbs, and 3 Generation Dams Produce records.  If you prefer to simply use consignor notes in paragraph form,  it will do that beautifully without any special tools.  Just type the notes and you are done.

Each cataloged horse presentation ALSO includes all the normal catalog information such as lot number, horse name, age, registration number, color, gender, breeding status,  seller name, city, state, phone number  --- plus a photo and pedigree chart! 

  Should this matter to you?  Absolutely!!  Because it offers these advantages:

It's so easy and fast.  Just log in and use the CatalogMagic easy print selection tool from your manager menu bar to select 1,  2 or 4 horses to instantly print on standard letter size sheets ( 8.5 x 11 inches.)  These sheets can be printed double sided from your own computer and printer to create finished catalogs!  For the 20-head catalogs that many small breeders love to run year around,  the entire catalog can be printed on 3 sheets of paper with the outside surfaces reserved for front and back cover material. (See how.)  You can print just a few at a time as needed to fill a mail request or when you are planning to attend a horse event. One set of master copies can be printed and used to run photocopy or quick print short runs.  You have great flexibility and less waste, according to your needs at the moment.

If you have your catalogs printed commercially,  you will save time and money.  Since these reports are drawn from the same information you submitted to create your online catalog and companion classified pages, the information is as completely up to date as your online pages. This totally eliminates the additional task of manually typesetting your catalog and the stress of last minute changes or additions to the catalog.  You can wait until a few days before your printer needs the pages,  and even have them pull up the reports themselves using your manager passwords.  Our special format for printed catalogs can be utilized by a wide variety of the most popular commercial printing software,  including the universal PDF format.  Your printer will be able to use press-ready digital files to set up the "guts" of your catalog in a fraction of the time required to actually typeset the pages.  This allows them to give you a much better price on the overall project.  They can also utilize index pages in your online catalog to sort by consignor, lot number, pedigree,  etc.,  to save time creating and typesetting indexes in your printed catalog.

The "lead time" required to prepare your catalog is significantly reduced. This means you can allow a later consignment deadline --- accommodate those important additional entries and still get your catalogs in the mail on time.  If late entries come in after the catalog is printed,  you can pull up matching pages for a last-minute supplement,  even if they are run on a photocopy machine the day before the sale!

You can feature professional looking catalog pages without the hassle and expense of engaging the services of a pedigree research service.
We understand that very well,  having been in the pedigree and catalog business for over 30 years. As the years go on, the cost of data becomes extremely expensive to purchase, compile and compose.  So there is a good reason for the fees charged for that service.  A tremendous amount of work and talent goes into producing custom catalog pages.  The good news:  in recent years some data has become more available, more comprehensive  and less expensive.  That opens new options,  and we have developed unique ways to format the relatively inexpensive Performance Pedigree reports available online from AQHA for use in your catalog presentation,  both online and in your printed catalogs.  These reports offer a significant amount of  data from various "Affiliate" performance Associations, such as cutting, reining, reined cow horse, halter,  pleasure,  etc. (more info on that)

  What dimensions are these finished catalogs?
Finished catalog pages are 5.5 wide by 8.5 inches high after the sheets are folded crosswise.  The book is created by stacking the double-sided sheets, folding the stack in half between the left and right columns,  and placing a couple of staples in the fold.  This binding method is called "saddle stitching,"  and will work quite well for catalogs with 20 sheets (80 numbered pages) plus front and back covers in a heavier paper stock.

How many horses will a 20-sheet catalog hold?
If you print 2 horses per numbered page,  20 sheets would handle 100 sale horses filling 50 of the 80 pages,  leaving you 30 additional  pages for front and back matter, indexes, advertising,  etc.  -----  If you put one horse per page,  probably a practical volume would be 60 head, leaving 20 additional pages for other material.  Knowing your own needs,  you can juggle those figures.

What about larger catalogs?  If you have catalogs with more than 100 head of sale horses,  chances are you will want to have a commercial printer actually print and bind your catalog.  They will be able to use different binding methods to accommodate the thicker catalog size.

  If your printed catalog is a larger size or a different format,  please let us know. We will offer several popular sizes very soon and your feedback will be seriously considered. Now is a good time to speak up.

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About Catalog Magic Instant Catalog Typesetting

How to Create the Catalog Print Listing
Learning "Hands On" Using the Demo Catalog
Setting Browser Print Options
Creating a "Dummy" of your Catalog book
Catalog Help Index