Automatically Create Catalogs, Price Lists, and Product Sheets from Pimcore

Online isn't everything: Printed catalogs, price lists, and product sheets remain an effective sales channel—as long as the data is accurate and production doesn't take weeks. Pimcore connects Web-to-Print and the Adobe InDesign extension EasyCatalog directly to your PIM data: one data source, multiple output formats, no manual duplication of data.

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11+

Years as a certified

Pimcore Partner

105+

Pimcore

Pimcore projects

Since Pimcore 4.1.0

Native Web-to-Print

EasyCatalog:

Thousands of users

in 60+ countries

Definition

Web-to-Print vs. EasyCatalog: Two Approaches to Automated Catalog Creation

Web-to-Print refers to the automated creation of print-ready documents directly from a web-based system—a feature native to Pimcore since version 4.1.0 via the PrintPages and PrintContainer document types. Layouts are created using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript and rendered on the server side using wkhtmltopdf or PDFreactor to produce print-ready PDFs—directly from the Pimcore backend, without the need for separate layout software. EasyCatalog, on the other hand, is a database publishing extension for Adobe InDesign (manufacturer: 65bit Software). It connects InDesign bidirectionally to a data source—in Pimcore via the Blackbit Data Director and the XML Data Provider module.

EasyCatalog is a good fit when layouts are more complex than HTML/CSS templates can handle, and a graphic design team is already working in InDesign. Both approaches solve the same fundamental problem—catalog creation without the need for manual duplicate maintenance of text and price data—for different team and layout requirements. Many Pimcore customers use both approaches in parallel, depending on the situation: Web-to-Print for simple, frequently updated documents such as price lists, and EasyCatalog for visually sophisticated catalogs and brochures.

Core Functions

Web-to-Print in Pimcore:

The Workflow

Create a template: using HTML5, CSS3, or JavaScript—choose any technology you like.
Compile print documents: using the familiar Pimcore CMS functions, with access to all data and assets stored in Pimcore.
Convert to PDF: HTML/CSS is rendered directly in Pimcore to PDF using a third-party rendering tool (wkhtmltopdf or PDFreactor).

PrintPages & PrintContainer: Structure for extensive print products

PrintPages are flexible Pimcore documents that can be edited just as intuitively as regular Pimcore pages—including drag-and-drop of assets and objects. PrintContainers bundle multiple PrintPages into a single PDF and can be nested: A parent container can contain multiple chapter containers, which in turn contain the actual print pages—this allows even extensive catalogs, price lists, or books to be created in a structured manner.

EasyCatalog: Key Features

Data import from any source

Excel, CSV, text, XML, ODBC databases, or URL feeds—via Pimcore integration using the XML Data Provider module and Blackbit Data Director.

Two-Way Link

Changes to text or image data in the InDesign document can be automatically synchronized with the source database—and vice versa.

Dynamic Libraries & Templates

Placeholders in InDesign templates are automatically populated with the latest live data—even for complex, design-intensive pages—in seconds.

Error Checking

EasyCatalog highlights fields in the document and in the data palette whose content no longer matches the source data—red highlights indicate outdated data, while green highlights indicate current data.

Modular Design

Additional modules such as Pagination (automatic page numbering), Relational (combination of multiple data sources), or the Scripting module (JavaScript/AppleScript/Visual Basic) extend the functionality as needed.

2026 New Features

In 2026, EasyCatalog was enhanced with features including CSS/HTML interpretation in text fields, alt text for accessibility, alpha channel masking for image cropping, and automatic color generation, among others.

Market Position

A proven solution for Adobe InDesign.

Web-to-Print has been an integral part of the Pimcore platform since version 4.1.0 and is therefore available to all 118,000+ Pimcore companies without the need for an additional license. According to the manufacturer, EasyCatalog by 65bit Software is used by thousands of users in over 60 countries across six continents and is one of the most established database publishing solutions for Adobe InDesign.

Blackbit's Own Pimcore Bundle

Blackbit Data Director: The Bridge Between Pimcore and EasyCatalog

The XML Data Provider module is required for EasyCatalog to use Pimcore data. Blackbit handles its configuration via its own Data Director: Product data, prices, and image references are provided as an XML feed, linked bidirectionally with InDesign, and updated automatically—including pipeline automation when categories, products, and assets need to be incorporated into a catalog production in the correct order.

FAQ

Answers for Decision-Makers

What is the difference between Pimcore Web-to-Print and EasyCatalog?

Web-to-Print is a native Pimcore feature that renders HTML/CSS templates directly in the backend into print-ready PDFs. EasyCatalog is an Adobe InDesign extension from 65bit Software that connects to Pimcore via the Blackbit Data Director for more complex layouts.

Starting with which version of Pimcore is Web-to-Print available?

Web-to-Print has been integrated since Pimcore version 4.1.0 and is therefore part of every current Pimcore installation, without requiring an additional license.

Which rendering tool is required to create a PDF?

Pimcore currently supports wkhtmltopdf and PDFreactor as third-party rendering tools for HTML-to-PDF conversion.

Do I need programming skills to use EasyCatalog?

No, the basic functions are entirely GUI-based. For complex automation tasks, a scripting module for JavaScript, AppleScript, or Visual Basic is also available.

How does Blackbit connect Pimcore to EasyCatalog?

About the Blackbit Data Director and the EasyCatalog XML Data Provider module: Product data is provided as an XML feed from Pimcore and synchronized bidirectionally with the InDesign document.