Booklet artwork specifications & Setup
Please ensure that you upload print ready PDFs.
A print ready PDF needs to be:
• High resolution (300dpi images)
• CMYK colours,
• 3mm of bleed on all sides,
• Trim marks supplied
• For saddle stapled binding, Booklets need to be in sets of 4 pages (8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32 and so on).
If you are unable to supply as print ready PDF, we may be able to use other files and fix any that are not print ready.
Please Contact Us or send your file to us to verify if you are unsure.
Need help to order your booklets?
If you need help or more information about what this means or how to setup your file, please see our Print Specifications page in the How it Works section on our website. You can also Contact Us for more information.
Image & colours on booklet spine
For quantities under 500x where a laminate is not used on the outer cover, we recommend not having any image or colour over the spines. Digital print runs which are used for quantities under 500x can sometimes have ink cracking and rubbing off the spine once they are scored and folded when there is ink coverage in that area.
This is especially important for uncoated cover booklets where a lamination is not able to be applied. For more information on this or to find out other options, please contact us and we can work out the best option to get the best result for your booklets.
Sizes
Our standard sizes are:
A4 (210 x 297mm)
A5 (148 x 210mm)
DL (99 x 210mm).
This is the final size once folded and bound.
Custom sizes are possible but they require a custom quote, please Contact Us for other sizes
Pages
Select how many pages your booklet has. The number is the total including the cover.
Booklets must be in page sets of 4 pages. If you can imagine an A4 sheet of paper folded in half, you now have 4 pages (front, inside 2 pages and back). So each extra sheet added is 4 pages. So booklets must be prepared keeping this in mind, for example started at 8 pages, 12 pages, 16 pages, 20 pages, 24 pages etc.
Orientation
Orientation means if the booklet is taller or wider.
A portrait book will be bound on the left side which will be the longer side.
A landscape book will be bound on the left which will the the short side.
Other options including square books or bound at the top are available on request.
Cover Choice
Booklets can either be a 'self cover' which mean that the cover and the inside pages are all the same paper type and thickness, or they can have a thicker cover. For example the inside pages would be on a paper of 150gsm and the cover will be on a card stock of 300gsm. Harder covers make for a more rigid booklet and can be also laminated to help protect the books.
Stock Types & GSM (thickness)
The Following Stock/paper options available online, more are available by request.
• Gloss - Gloss paper
Available thickness online - 150gsm and 170gsm (interior), 300gsm and 350gsm (cover)
• Silk - Satin silk paper
Available thickness online - 150gsm and 170gsm (interior), 300gsm and 350gsm (cover)
• Uncoated - Standard uncoated paper
Available thickness online - 100gsm (interior), 300gsm (cover)
• Uncoated 100% Recycled - Made from 100% recycled materials
Available thickness online - 140gsm (interior), 350gsm (cover)
GSM stand for Grams per Square Metre. So the higher the number, the thicker and more rigid the paper/card stock.
Binding Method
Saddle staple is our standard for booklets.
This type of finishing is most popular and has 2 staples in the spine of the booklet.
Other binding options are available by request including perfect binding, wire and spiral binding and more.
Lamination
Lamination is a thin clear plastic coating on top of the print. This helps to both protect the print, as well as enhance the finish. Gloss or Matt lamination is available with Gloss being a high gloss finish and the Matt being a silky matte finish.
Lamination is only available on stock thicknesses above 200gsm.
Quantity
A variety of standard quantity options are available online, but if you need a quantity not listed, please get in touch for a custom quote.