When onboarding with Alto, you will be provided with a Marketing Pack containing a selection of pre-designed brochure, window card and browse sheet templates, adopting different sizes and orientations to suit your business.
Within the My Account program and on the Design page, you'll be asked to select your preferred Marketing Pack. Additionally, you'll be required to specify your font, define your brands primary and secondary colours, upload your logos and artwork, and your letterhead.
We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions to assist along the way.
What are 'pre-designed' templates?
During your initial Onboarding to Alto, you'll have been asked to confirm the Marketing Pack you would like set up in your new account.
A 'pre-designed' template is one which is based on an existing pre-designed layout and design, as opposed to something fully bespoke.
Your logo and colours are applied to the template, but overall design remains the same.
How many Marketing Packs can I have?
You're able to choose 1x Marketing Pack from our collection as part of your subscription, which contains a selection of brochures, window cards and a browse sheet.
A letterhead template is included by default, using your supplied letterhead artwork.
Please think carefully about the style of Marketing Pack you choose alongside your business needs and property portfolio, as it cannot be changed later.
If you offer both a sales and lettings service, we will duplicate the original Marketing Pack for a lettings output instead, however the overall design and styling will be exactly the same.
If you require templates set up for multiple branches/brands, please speak with our Design team who will be able to provide you with a quotation for additional requirements.
How will you style the templates?
The layout and design of the templates will appear as per the Marketing Pack you chose within My Account.
Using your company logo and primary and secondary branding colours that you provide within My Account, we will restyle the templates to match your company colour scheme. Any sample 'Alto' artwork contained within the demo templates will not be used and will be replaced with a solid colour associated with your brand.
The templates will be styled for a single company brand. If you have multiple brands and you require additional sets of templates to accommodate this, an additional charge will apply. Please speak with our Design team post production, who will be able to provide you with a quotation for additional requirements.
How long do they take to create?
Once all required files and information has been supplied via My Account, your project will be reviewed by your Onboarding Coordinator. If they spot any problems they will contact you to resolve them.
The project will be escalated to the Design team for creation before your scheduled go-live date, which we will always aim to work towards. When the new templates are created, they will be available to use in your account when you go live.
However, it is important to supply all required files and information promptly to ensure the templates are available in your account when you go live. It may not be possible to complete setup of the templates where information has not been supplied in good time.
What do I need to supply?
Logo
- Logo’s should be supplied as a ‘Vector’ file in either .eps or .ai format
- Or as a 300dpi uncompressed .pdf file
- Or as a 300dpi (print quality) .jpeg or .png file (with transparency)
*If you do not have these formats available, please speak to your branding designers who will be able to supply this to you.
Font
- A 'True-Type' font file
*This is only required if you wish for us to use a non-standard font file. Otherwise a selection of fonts is available to choose from within My Account.
Letterhead
- A4 300dpi uncompressed .pdf file
- Or as a 300dpi (print quality) .jpeg or .png file (with transparency)
- Confirmation of a single or multi-page setup
- *If multiple letterheads are required, please provide artwork for all
It is important to supply all required files and information promptly to avoid disruption to your go-live and to avoid you being without templates once live.
Note
- A 300dpi image is a high resolution file for print output. If you have branding designers, they should supply your artwork prepared in this quality for print and will understand this requirement
- Artwork will not be accepted if supplied within a scanned document
- Images must be embedded within the .pdf file as opposed to 'linked' to any external files or documents
- Artwork must be supplied in a final state and not be subject to change. A change to artwork/logo/branding after the initial creation of your brochures will be subject to an additional charge to update throughout
- Failure to provide artwork or files in the correct format will cause delay to the completion of your project. Template creation will not commence until all required files have been correctly received
- We do not provide ad-hoc branding design services as part of template creation. We expect the logo and company branding to be in place and finalised at the start of the project
Can I have extra Marketing Packs and/or templates?
Additional Marketing Packs and/or individual templates can be ordered on top of your initial selection, but will incur an additional charge to accommodate, and we cannot guarantee delivery of any extra items by your go live date.
Therefore, you may choose to factor in additional complete packs or templates after you are live in the system, so as not to disrupt the onboarding process.
- Marketing Pack: Choose from a selection of designs, each containing 11 templates covering brochures, window cards and a browse sheet, £450+vat per pack
- Pre-designed template: Choose from a selection of designs, £90+vat per template
- Custom template: Supply us with your own mock-up, £90+vat per hour (accurate quotation provided following review by the Design team)
Can I have extra letterheads?
Please provide us with a 300dpi .pdf copy of each letterhead design you need converted into a template and we can review this for you.
*Please note, a scanned document will not be accepted, as it will not provide the correct print quality output.
What changes can be applied?
Some minor amendments to templates after first proof are very common.
However, when using our pre-designed templates, the quantity of changes are reduced so they don't sway too far from the original demonstration, so there shouldn't be any hidden surprises.
Amendments to your templates should be communicated directly to the Design team who will be able to assist you quickly.
Typical minor changes we would make to pre-designed templates are;
- Minor adjustments to colours and font. The overall design of the brochures will remain as per the chosen template
- Adjustment to merge codes
- Adjustment to company contact information
Additional charges may be applicable if you require the following after templates have been set-up and proofs provided, such as;
- Rebrand i.e. a change of logo or colour scheme
- Change of template layout
- Change of template and/or Marketing Pack
- Additional template that was not agreed prior to go-live
- Custom templates
Please gather changes from all colleagues and/or branches before sending them to the Design team for review. Please list changes according to the template name as it appears in Alto or on the proof. We can then easily work through the changes with a single point of contact.
Can I change my Marketing Pack selection?
Once the chosen Marketing Pack has been chosen and escalated over to the Design team for creation, it will not be possible to change your selection.
Please think carefully about the style of Marketing Pack you choose alongside your business needs and property portfolio.
When can I use them?
When the new templates are set up and ready for you to proof, they will be available to use in your new account when you go live. However, it is important to supply all required files and information promptly to ensure the templates are available in your account when you go live. It may not be possible to complete the setup of templates where information has not been supplied in good time.
Other
I am live, but have no templates
Please contact your Onboarding Coordinator to understand why you cannot locate the new templates in your live account.
I am live, but need changes
Please contact the Design team here to request adjustments to your newly created templates.
The Design team will honour minor adjustments up to 4 weeks from go-live, after which changes will incur a cost to apply.
I am live, but need new templates
Please contact the Design team here to request additional templates or to discuss your requirements.
Can I create my own templates?
If you have completed Alto Brochure Training, you may feel confident to create your own templates and this is an option available to you using the online help guides.
You are also able to make one-off adjustments to a properties generated template without saving over the master template file.
However, we do strongly advise caution when editing any master templates that the Design team have originally created for you, because any breakages would not be covered without a potential charge to resolve.
If you are unsure and would prefer to avoid any mishaps, it's usually best to contact the Design team here for their advice first.
My templates are broken
We advise caution when editing any master templates that the Design team have originally created for you, because any breakages would not be covered without a potential charge to resolve.
If you are unsure and would prefer to avoid any mishaps, it's usually best to contact the Design team here for their advice first.
If you already have a broken template, please contact the Design team here who will be happy to take a look and advise.
Sold/Let/Under Offer ribbons on brochures or window cards
Ribbons for Sold/Let/Under Offer will not automatically display on brochures or window cards. You will need a separate set of templates to be created to display this graphic, if it is required.
To do this, you can simply duplicate your completed templates in Alto, then overlay a suitable graphic or text in your preferred location.
Alternatively, the Design team can assist and can add up to 5x additional duplicated templates displaying our default ribbon graphic.
Templates must be complete and signed-off before duplications can be made for this purpose.
Additional templates over this quantity will be subject to a charge to add.
Printing brochures or window cards with Ravensworth
If your brochures or window cards have not previously been set up to print to Ravensworth, some adjustments may be required before your templates will be compatible with this method of printing.
Please supply us with your Ravensworth branch ID along with a .pdf copy of the design you wish to print. Or confirmation of the template name, if it already exists in Alto.
Design can then review this for you and provide a quotation to build, if it is a new template. Or, review alongside your existing templates on your account to see if they are compatible.
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Related Help Centre articles that you may find useful.
Completing the Alto 'My Account' program
Design Team - Professional Service