Exhibition catalogs serve as professional documentation of your show and provide visitors with a keepsake they can take home. Crafted Call's catalog generation feature automatically creates beautifully formatted catalogs from your exhibition data, saving hours of manual layout work and ensuring consistency across all artworks.
What Is an Exhibition Catalog?
An exhibition catalog is a printed or digital document that documents all artworks in your exhibition. It typically includes:
Exhibition title, dates, and location
Artwork images and titles
Artist names and biographical information
Artwork descriptions and specifications
Prices and contact information for inquiries
Exhibition narrative or curatorial statement
Index and acknowledgments
Catalogs serve multiple purposes: they're marketing materials that elevate your exhibition's perceived professionalism, reference documents for collectors and critics, and keepsakes that extend visitor engagement long after the exhibition closes.
Auto-Generating Catalogs from Your Exhibition
Crafted Call streamlines catalog creation by automatically pulling data from your exhibition:
Open your exhibition and go to the Tools tab, then the Publish & Share section
Click Generate Catalog
Choose your page layout and options (see below)
Review the auto-populated content and make any adjustments
Click Generate — the PDF builds in-app, usually within a few seconds (there's no waiting for an email)
Download the finished PDF from the dialog (the download link is valid for about an hour; just regenerate if it expires)
Tip: Before generating your catalog, ensure all artwork records are complete and accurate. Missing descriptions or artist information will be noticeably absent from the final catalog.
Catalog Format and Layout Options
Crafted Call offers three page layouts; pick the one that matches your exhibition's tone and image-to-text balance:
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Single Page: One artwork per page with a large image and full details (title, artist, dimensions, medium, price, and description). The most generous, gallery-standard layout.
Double Page: Two artworks per page with medium-sized images and key details. A good balance of presence and page count for mid-size shows.
Grid Layout: Four artworks per page in a 2×2 grid with minimal text, letting the images carry the catalog. Ideal for large exhibitions.
Alongside the layout, you can fine-tune the catalog:
Quality — Web (smaller file, screen-optimized) or Print (higher resolution, up to 300 DPI, for a print house).
Typeface — Helvetica, Times, or Courier.
What to include — toggle prices, dimensions, medium, artist bios, artist statements, a curatorial statement, and a table of contents.
Choose the layout that best matches your exhibition's tone and your organization's brand guidelines.
Artwork Details Included in Catalogs
Each artwork entry automatically includes:
Essential information:
Artwork title and year created
Artist name and (optionally) artist statement
Medium and dimensions (height × width × depth, as applicable)
Price and sales status
Optional details:
Artwork description or exhibition narrative context
You can customize which details appear for each artwork, allowing flexibility if some pieces have minimal information while others are extensively documented.
Customizing Catalog Content
Before finalizing your catalog, you can:
Add exhibition-level content: Include a curator's statement, exhibition narrative, or acknowledgments page at the beginning.
Reorder artworks: Arrange works by wall layout, artist, theme, or acquisition order rather than the default system order.
Include or exclude pieces: Deselect artworks you don't want printed (e.g., works that didn't arrive in time, pieces with artist restrictions).
Add promotional content: Include your organization's mission statement, upcoming exhibition previews, or membership information.
Adjust formatting: Modify fonts, colors, and spacing to match your institution's visual identity.
Add images: Insert your logo, exhibition poster, or institutional photographs.
Best practice: Create a master template once, then reuse it for all future exhibitions to establish a consistent, professional house style.
Print-Ready Output
Set Quality to Print when generating and the catalog is produced as a high-resolution PDF (up to 300 DPI) suitable for a commercial printer. Choose Web quality for a smaller, screen-optimized file when you only need to share or post it online.
When handing the PDF to a print vendor, confirm the production specifics with them up front:
Paper stock recommendations (80 lb. cover, 100 lb. text, etc.)
Quantity needed
Using Your Generated Catalog
Once created, your catalog becomes a versatile asset:
Print copies: Distribute at your exhibition opening and display on front-desk tables.
Digital distribution: Email the PDF to your mailing list, upload to your website, and share with media contacts.
Archival documentation: Store as permanent record of the exhibition in your institution's archives.
Artist portfolios: Provide PDF pages showing their work to featured artists for their own promotion.
Media materials: Include in press kits sent to journalists and reviewers.
Online gallery: Embed the PDF on your website or Crafted Call virtual exhibition.
Social media: Create teaser images from catalog pages for Instagram and Facebook promotion.
Timing Catalog Generation
During planning: Generate a draft catalog to verify all information is complete before opening.
Pre-opening: Create final version 1-2 weeks before opening so printed copies are ready for day one.
Post-opening: Generate final version after exhibition closes with any sold status updates for archival.
Anniversary: Regenerate your catalog annually or when significant artworks sell, maintaining accurate pricing.
Troubleshooting Catalog Issues
Missing images: Verify all artworks have high-resolution images uploaded. Low-resolution images won't meet print standards.
Incomplete descriptions: Review artworks with missing titles, artist names, or dimensions. Update records before regenerating.
Formatting issues: If layout looks wrong, try a different catalog template. Test PDF on your computer before printing.
File size too large: For digital-only catalogs, choose Web quality to produce a smaller, screen-optimized file.
By generating professional catalogs directly from your exhibition data in Crafted Call, you create polished documentation that enhances your exhibition's professional presentation and provides lasting value to visitors and collectors.
