ECommerce - Store Management - PDF Catalog Feature

The new PDF Catalog System gives you the tools to create a dynamic and content-rich PDF catalog based on your current product inventory. The catalog is configured to display your latest product information and can be downloaded from your website.

It comes with a dynamic Table of Contents section that lets you navigate through the entire PDF document just by clicking on the category you want to view.

The PDF catalog also combines content and product pages. Both page types can be edited to display the information and images you want your customers to see.

Content pages that can be created in Web Admin include your PDF Catalog’s cover page, header and footer. You also have the ability to create other content pages depending on your needs. All these can be arranged (except for the header and footer) based on the sequence you’ve set.

Breaking down Your Catalog’s Content Pages

Your PDF Catalog’s content pages are located in your Web Admin’s Content Explorer. You can put in numerous content pages but for reference, the basic content pages you should have are the following:

  • FrontPage
  • Header
  • Footer

To ensure that these three pages are displayed properly, make sure that they carry the file names above.

Other content pages that you plan to add can have their own filenames and can be arranged in the Catalog window based on the order you want.

Note: Both Header and Footer pages contain a code to make your PDF Catalog’s page numbering dynamic. To keep the numbering dynamic, please make sure to use the following codes (as seen above):

&p; of &P;

Product Catalog CSS

All CSS codes used for designing and formatting your PDF Product Catalog can be saved in the ProductCatalogPdfCustom section.

The section also displays the default CSS codes used for the basic layout of your PDF Product Catalog. If you wish to retain its standard format, avoid making any changes to the default CSS codes.

Adding Content to the Product Category and Product List Pages

Your Product List pages have a section which allows you to put in content and images. The section appears on top of the product list. Content put into this section will automatically be displayed on your PDF Catalog.

Just like your content pages, the content for both the Product Category and Product List pages can be designed using a combination of HTML and CSS codes.

To add content to your Product Category and Product List sections, open your Web Admin’s Category Broswer.

Select the category or sub-category you want to add content to. On the lower left portion of your Web Admin window, click the Open button to open that category’s Profile page.

The Category Profile page gives you access to the content section of the Product Category and Product List pages. It uses the IBOS Content Editor making it easy for you to format and lay out your content.

Creating Your PDF Product Catalog

Once you’ve created your content pages and added the necessary product information to your product pages, you can start building your PDF catalog.

In Web Admin, select the ECommerce tab and click the Catalogs link to open the Catalogs window:

Click the Add (+) button on the top-right section of your screen to add a new catalog.

In the Catalog Edit page, type in the Name and Description of your Product Catalog.

Be sure to select the “Auto Generate PDF” checkbox so that the system will generate your PDF automatically one day after it has been updated. Leave the Specific to Customers and Enabled check boxes unchecked.

After you’ve created your Product Catalog, double click it to open its Profile page and select the Pages tab. This is where you can add your catalog’s content and product pages.

To add your page templates, click the Add (+) button found at the bottom of your screen to open the Catalog Page Edit section. This section will let you set the Template and content pages of your catalog (displayed in the Items box window).

In the Template drop-down, select ProductCatalog. This will automatically populate the Items box with your current product categories as well as the content pages found in the Product Catalog folder.

Setting Up Your Store Product Section

Both main and sub product categories can be viewed but they cannot be removed from the Items box. Should you wish to access a sub-category, just right-click the arrow beside the main category to open it.

As seen above, when you select a category, the Delete, Move Up and Move Down buttons are deactivated and cannot be used.

Setting Up Your Content Pages

Aside from your product categories, all content pages available in your Product Catalog folder will also be placed in the Items box.

Here, you’ll be able to organize them by using either the Move Up or Move Down buttons. You also have the option to delete them from the Items box if you feel you don’t need to use them.

If you want to add a content page between your product categories (main or sub), right click the Items table to open its menu.

The menu will provide you with the following options:

  • Insert Content Page Above - Lets you place a content page above a main category or sub-category.
  • Insert Content Page Below - Lets you place a content page below a main category or sub-category.
  • Expand All - Expands all main category cells to show their respective sub-categories.
  • Collapse All - Hides the sub-categories of each main category cell.

Once you’ve added your content and store pages, click the disk icon found on the top right section of the screen to save the changes you’ve made to the PDF catalog.

All updates made to your PDF Catalog will be displayed the following day.

 

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