If you are utilizing an email to connect with the shops, the line sheet is a vital doc. In fact, it is frequently gonna be the only representation of the products that a shop owner can ever see before deciding whether to place the order. The PDF brand line sheet can be an extremely effective method of sharing the products with shops because you can easily control each aspect of the layout, structure, story, and visual language.
It allows you to craft a narrative about the products that’s just for the shop owners. Traditionally, creators grew wholesale uniquely or primarily by going to the trade shows. In such a context, the line sheet had the single reason it was the reminder/rundown of the products that the shop owners would take with them after going to the booth so that they can review the line in greater detail and place the order.
Such line sheets were not anything fancy, but they’re compulsory to have, a products’ list, costs, unit numbers, and terms, at times with the small photographs of every item. If you are reaching out to shops directly using email, however, the line sheet (or whatever you utilize for presenting the products) is the only chance you will have to share the products and brand; it is not like the shop owner has already liked at the trade show booth.
What’s The Line Sheet?
The line sheet is the technical doc that provides business and wholesale clients a preview of the products. It also has a lot of data about the products like materials, prices, the sales terms, maximum/minimum quantities of your order, and the contact info. Since the main objective of this doc is to offer all the essential info to the clientele so that they can place an order for the products, you should not set the focus on the images of the products.
You do not desire to distract the consumers with incredible images of models wearing or utilizing the products, so keep it straightforward and clean, but they still have to look consistent and professional. The advice for you is to make use of the same background for all the photographs. A simple and plain white background is the best choice since it eliminates all kinds of distractions. Always remember that info is the key to the line sheet. Here’s the necessary info that you ought to make accessible on the line sheet for every product:
- Title
- SKU
- Wholesale price
- Description
- Variations accessible and the corresponding cost
- MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price).
Relying on the kind of products you’re selling, you might need to append additional info, particularly for the variants. Let’s say that you’re making a t-shirt line sheet. You’ll probably have to append the diverse, accessible sizes (M, S, and L) and materials utilized for making the shirt. But if you’re selling bags, for instance, you’d have to show the diverse dimensions of your bag and its weight.
As mentioned before, info is the most significant part of the line sheet, so you should not set your focus on pictures, but they still have to appear clean, professional, and, most significantly, they have to be consistent. The advice is to take photographs of the products on a white background, so they look the same. You ought to also put a lot of products on every page (nine max.) of the line sheet.
Why Do I Require A Line Sheet?
At some point in the business, you’ll have to make a catalog for promoting the products even if you’re selling exclusively online. As the business begins to grow, you’ll have to have catalogs prepared for diverse situations like:
- Selling to the wholesale consumers
- Attending the trade shows
- Showcase your new collections
It is really significant to have a catalog that looks professional and can really reflect the brand. A wholesale catalog is organized into three diverse parts:
- The line sheet of the products
- The wholesale contract
- Numerous order forms
You may already know in detail about how to make the helpful order forms templates and wholesale contract templates that you can use again for all of the consumers. Now it is time to concentrate on the most significant part of the catalog: your product line sheet. But making a line sheet that is both exhaustive and beautiful can take a lot of time or be extremely pricey if you choose to employ a marketing agency or a professional designer. It’s the cause why utilizing the line sheet template is the best choice.
Forget investing twenty hours making the line sheet template or investing two thousand dollars on the design contract. Such templates are good-looking, simple to make use of, and they’re free! You can make any flavor and assortment of catalogs with these free product line sheet templates. Making use of these line sheet templates can be simple or fun by appending the personal flare. You can simply download these templates in Photoshop and Word formats (DOCX and PSD) and adapt them to the business by appending the logo, setting your colors, or making use of your own font. So let’s start.
Grouping Options For The Product Pages:
You can make use of the diverse groupings for the product pages, relying on the unique character and particulars of the line. We have seen creators make use of the myriad approaches, so make use of the gut to locate the best structure for you. The following are just three options, but you might come up with something diverse altogether.
Ungrouped:
If you have a single product collection, it is totally fine (and at times the best choice) to not group such pieces at all. Simply layout the products four to six per page for as many pages as it can really take. You can also mix together context/glamour/model shots on partial or full pages a couple of times all the way through for showing construction, quality, and overall aesthetic.
Grouped By The Individual Products:
If you have the smaller line of the main pieces, or simply a few pieces but a lot of options for material/color/pattern, you may desire to group by the individual products. You can also introduce your product with a context/glamour/model shot, and then on the next page, go deep with the description and extra photographs. If you have a lot of options for material/color/pattern, you can show all the swatches for them on the next page.
Grouped By Collection Or Type Of Product:
You might desire to have chapters within your line sheet for grouping the products by type, for example, Necklaces; Rings; Bracelets. Or, you may desire to group by the collection, for example, Everyday Jewelry; Fine Jewelry; Best Sellers. Every section (whether by collection or by type) can have the introductory page within context or the glamour shot or model shot of the representative piece, along with its description.
The Process:
Not certain where to begin? Contemplate making use of the following step-by-step procedure as you make the new line sheet.
Set The Deadline:
It’s the type of project that can really expand to fit whatever space amount you provide it. Somewhere between two and seven days is perhaps about right; we do not suggest allowing it to slip to longer than this, as it can really turn into a line sheet that never really ends.
Create The Map Or List Of the Products:
Think about which of the products you are going to wholesale and make certain you have costs for all. Contemplate how you would want to group them as well.
Select The Line Sheet Layout Program:
After that, you need to choose the layout program for your line sheet. Go through the different available options and then choose the one that suits you best.
Review The Photographs:
The line sheet will just be as good as the product photographs. If you are missing photographs or a few are sub-par, plan the half-day photoshoot for replacing or getting the photographs.
Draw Out The Line Sheet On The Actual Paper:
It’s known as the wire-framing, as you almost certainly acquaint. It permits you to create the main decisions first, rather than being anxious too much about the things like its details.
Compose The Rough Structure In Your Line Sheet Layout Program:
It, more often than not, can really work best to get the overall structure (sections, pages, and headlines) laid out, so you do not get wedged on finer points.
Go Back Through & Add In The Product Details:
Now, append in the individual photographs, descriptions, SKU numbers, pricing, and the text/content throughout.
Refine The Visual Language:
Check for fonts, colors, font sizes, and make certain that all of the visual languages are working together and is really associated with the brand.
Compress:
You desire the line sheet to be two to five MB if you are attaching it to your emails. If you are hosting the line online, it can be larger. But if you are attaching and it is very big, contemplate utilizing smallpdf.com for reducing.
Commonly Asked Questions:
Consider Good Design Practices:
- Do not make use of too many colors or fonts so that your products are the star.
- The visual hierarchy: the larger and darker you create things, the more attention they’ll get from their observer. So try to keep the most significant things the most interesting.
- Eradicate anything that is not on-brand.
- You might desire to employ a designer for creating it all look professional, cohesive, and brand-aligned. On the other hand, you might have to employ yourself as the designer, coming in after you have gotten a little distance from the doc and really giving it the review.
Do Not Be Too Much Anxious About The Length:
The majority of creators will finish up with a five to fifteen-page doc. If yours is longer, but it is readable and beautiful, you are all good to go, within reason! If the line sheet is fifty a hundred pages, you may desire to think about how you can make it manageable.
What To Really Put In The Section Of Wholesale Terms:
- Ordering & Payment. How will you accept different orders? Through email is totally fine; just say it. What payment forms do you really accept? When do you require payment (on shipping, on order, or some combination)?
- Insurance & Shipping. Who really pays for delivery, who pays for the insurance if any, and how everything is delivered, etc.
- Minimums. The minimum for the first order and for the following orders. Not certain what the minimum ought to be?
- Sizing. What should individuals expect about sizing, and what should they really order in terms of size, etc.
- Turnaround Time. Set the expectations for when their orders are delivered (within two, four, or six weeks of ordering).
- Anything else. If you’ve other things they ought to acquaint before they order, now’s the time.
Whether It Ought To Be Publicly Available?
We find that it is significant for the shop owners to have all they require for making a decision on the line, as soon as you make contact with them. For that cause, I do not suggest forcing them to make a wholesale account or sign in before seeing your line sheet. If you have the online line sheet, you can generate an easy password that you share in the first outreach email. Or, it can be publicly accessible technically as long as it is not in the obvious retail consumers’ path.
Where To Really Host It And Whether To Attach To The Email?
Diverse creators select diverse approaches. It can be simple for both you and the shop owner to just attach your line sheet to the email. Simply make certain it is less than two to five MB in total size so as not to get removed by clogging the inboxes unintentionally. Or else, you can host on the service such as Google Docs, Issu, or on the site. Just be certain not to make time-consuming or confusing access or sign in structure.
