Custom Catalogue Printing We design, print and bind in-house, in the UK
A well-made catalogue puts your full range in a buyer’s hands, in page order, with the colour and detail your products deserve.
We print product catalogues, look books, product guides and wholesale and retail catalogues for retailers, brands and manufacturers. Tell us the page count and quantity and we will advise on format, paper and binding before anything goes to press.
We are a family-run commercial printer in Exeter, Devon and we have been in business for over 40 years. Our catalogue printing runs entirely in-house, from proofing to binding, on our own eco-friendly presses.
Catalogues tailored to your range
Most of the catalogues we print fall into a few categories: product catalogues built for ordering, with clear grids, product codes and specifications; wholesale and trade catalogues produced in larger quantities and reprinted as ranges change; look books that are quality and image-led, where reproduction matters most; and product guides for sales teams and buyers.
Each one is custom made. If you are not sure what type your catalogue needs to be, send us the brief, or the last edition, and we will recommend a format that suits the range and the budget.
Catalogue sizes
Standard sizes keep the cost down: A5, A4 or 210mm x 210mm square. A4 remains the most popular for product catalogues, because grids, photography and specifications sit comfortably on the page.
For bespoke work we print any custom sizes too; choose the format early, so the design and the print work together.
Catalogue formats and binding
Catalogues carry longer page counts than most print, so the format and the binding do more of the work.
Catalogues are made up in multiples of four pages (each printed sheet folds to four), and most pair a heavier cover stock with a lighter text stock; a self-cover catalogue runs the same weight throughout.
Binding types we run:
Perfect bound (PUR)
The standard for catalogues: a squared, glued spine that sits flat on a shelf and takes a printed spine. We run perfect binding from 2mm to 50mm thick, which covers everything from a slim seasonal lookbook to a full trade catalogue.
Stapled (saddle stitched)
Two spine staples, clean and economical for lighter catalogues and seasonal supplements, up to around 80 pages depending on paper weight.
Wiro bound
A wire spine so pages lie flat and turn easily, useful for price lists and parts catalogues that live on a counter.
Artwork and catalogue design
If you have a print-ready PDF (crop marks, bleed, 300 dpi, CMYK), we will print it as supplied. If not, our in-house team can take on the catalogue design for you, from a cover concept to the full page grid, and see it through to press.
We are a printer first, with a skilled graphic design department when you need it, so design and production stay in step and nothing is lost in the handover.
Paper for product photography
Most catalogues are image-led, and the stock decides how your photography reproduces. Coated, silk or gloss is the traditional choice for image-led work: it holds colour and fine detail across product shots. Uncoated stock has a natural, tactile feel that suits brand-led look books, and it is a capable and popular choice, not a compromise.
All the paper we use is FSC® certified and responsibly sourced, and we offer recycled stocks in both finishes. If you are choosing between the two, send us a sample spread and we will advise which will serve the photography best.
Premium finishes
For brand and luxury catalogues we finish in-house with spot UV varnish, foiling, embossing and soft touch lamination.
Finishes are applied before binding, so the result is clean and consistent. See the full range on our print techniques and finishes page.
Brand colour consistency
A catalogue is rarely a one-off. Ranges change, editions follow, and the brand has to look the same every time. Because the whole process is under one roof, from proofing to finishing, we keep tight control of quality and consistency, and can hold a brand’s colour across repeat print runs, year on year.
Litho or digital, matched to your quantity
We print catalogues in two ways; the right one depends mainly on quantity.
- Digital is the economical choice up to around 500 copies. We run it on an HP Indigo 7900, a digital offset press (liquid inks, not a laser), which holds sharp detail and consistent colour on short runs.
- Lithographic printing makes sense above that. We run litho on Heidelberg Speedmaster presses, which give the best value and colour consistency on longer runs. All our printing is sheet-fed.
We print from a single copy, so you can see a finished catalogue in your hands, before committing to the full quantity. Tell us your quantity and page count and we will recommend the method that gives the best result for your budget. More on each: digital printing and lithographic printing.
Sustainable printing
We print catalogues that do not cost the Earth, and we can show it. We are a certified Carbon Balanced Printer through the World Land Trust, FSC® certified and ISO 14001 accredited, and a Sedex member. We run on 100% green energy with a zero landfill policy and plastic-free packaging.
Our catalogues are printed on responsibly sourced, FSC® certified paper with vegetable-based inks and chemistry-free plates. Carbon balanced paper has been our standard since 2014, at no extra cost to you. More on how we do it is on our eco-friendly printing page.
FSC® Certified Paper
Vegetable-Based Inks
Recyclable Finishes
Carbon Balanced Printer
Zero-Waste Practices
What a catalogue costs to print
Every catalogue is bespoke, so there is no single price. The biggest lever is quantity: the more you print, the lower the cost per copy. After that, cost turns on page count, format, paper, binding and finishing. You can keep the cost down without cutting quality:
- Print a larger quantity if you can, to bring the unit cost down.
- Design to a page count in multiples of four, so you are not paying for blank pages.
- Choose a standard format and paper where the range allows.
- Supply print-ready files (PDF with crop marks, bleed, 300 dpi, CMYK).
- Allow a standard turnaround rather than a rush.
Catalogues for retail, wholesale and brands
We print catalogues for retail, wholesale, manufacturing, interiors and hospitality: furniture and homeware catalogues, fabric and material catalogues, trade price lists and brand look books. Each sector has different requirements, so we match the format, paper and finish to the way your catalogue will be used.
For folded marketing print, see our brochure printing service; for shorter promotional work, our flyers and leaflets. If you are not sure where to start, call us on 01392 202320 and we will be happy to advise.
Why print your catalogue with Ashley House?
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Over 40 years’ experience
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Short-run and bulk printing, starting from just 1 copy.
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Eco-friendly: Carbon Balanced Printing.
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In-house bindery and finishing
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High-quality: vibrant and precise printing.
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Excellent customer service
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Perfect bound (PUR) is the standard for catalogues: it looks sharp, takes a printed spine and copes with heavy use. We run it from 2mm to 50mm thick. Stapled (saddle stitched) suits lighter catalogues up to around 80 pages, and wiro binding lies flat for price lists and reference work. Send us the page count and we will recommend the right one.
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Every catalogue is bespoke and quoted on the specification required. Quantity is the biggest lever, then page count (designed in multiples of four), format, paper, binding and finishing. Send us the specification and we will quote for your project.
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From a single copy upwards. Digital printing on the HP Indigo 7900 is the economical choice up to around 500 copies; litho on our Heidelberg presses gives the best value beyond that.
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Coated silk or gloss stock holds colour and fine detail, which is why it is the traditional choice for image-led catalogues. Uncoated has a natural, tactile feel that suits brand-led look books. We offer recycled options in both, and all our paper is FSC® certified.
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Yes. You can supply print-ready artwork, or our in-house graphic design studio can design the catalogue and see it through to press.
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Turnaround depends on the quantity, binding and proofing. Because our binding and finishing are in-house, we keep control of timings and can work to tight deadlines. Tell us your deadline when you enquire and we will confirm what is achievable.
Our delivery is fast and tracked nationwide via DPD or pallet services for larger projects.
Some of the clients we work with
We’re here to help.
Have a question about catalogues?
Our team are based here, in-house, in our Exeter studio Mon-Fri 8am to 5:30pm.
