Custom Printed Booklets
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Full-colour printed booklets for brochures, catalogues, programmes, manuals and reports. Available in A6 up to A3, portrait or landscape, with three binding styles — each suited to a different job.
Key Features
- Sizes: A6, A5, A4, A3, DL, 148mm & 210mm square, plus custom sizes — see our UK print sizes guide
- Silk, gloss or uncoated FSC-certified stocks — explained in our paper stock & GSM guide
- Matt, gloss or velvet soft-touch laminated covers
- Spot UV and foil embellishment on laminated covers
- Different cover and inner stocks available
- Page counts in multiples of four
Choosing Your Binding: Quick Decision Guide
| Pages | Best binding | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 8–64 | Stapled (saddle-stitch) | Cheapest, fast, lies fairly flat — programmes, newsletters, short brochures |
| ~40–64 | Either | Overlap zone — decide on look, printable spine and budget |
| 64+ | Perfect-bound | Square printable spine, bookshop finish; handles up to ~450 pages |
| Any (used flat) | Wiro-bound | Opens 360° and lies dead flat — manuals, training guides, notebooks (min 16pp) |
Why Stapled Booklets Have a Page Limit (Creep Explained)
When folded sheets nest inside one another, the inner sheets push out slightly further than the outer ones — printers call this creep. After trimming, the innermost pages end up with a narrower outer margin; on thick booklets the shift can reach 3–4mm. That's why around 64 pages is the practical ceiling for clean saddle-stitching on typical stock — beyond it the spine bulges and staples can't compress the stack evenly. Our imposition compensates for creep automatically, but keep page numbers and important content well clear of the outer and spine edges on inner pages.
Artwork Requirements
Supply a print-ready PDF in CMYK at 300 DPI with 3mm bleed, exported as single pages in reading order — not spreads. Page counts must be multiples of four (each folded sheet creates four pages). For wiro and perfect binding, keep text well clear of the inner margin so nothing disappears into the binding.
FAQs
How many pages can be saddle stitched? As a rule, 8 to about 64 pages on typical text stock — fewer on heavier paper, which nests less cleanly. Beyond that, perfect binding gives a better result.
What's the minimum for perfect binding? Enough pages to form a glueable spine — it starts to look right from around 40 pages and is the standard choice above 64. Spine width depends on page count and paper thickness; we calculate it for your job before producing the cover.
Why multiples of four pages? Booklets are printed on folded sheets, and each sheet creates four pages.
Which binding lies flattest? Wiro — it opens a full 360°.
Can I have a printed spine? Yes with perfect binding; stapled booklets don't have one.
Can the cover be a different stock to the inside? Yes — a heavier laminated cover with lighter inner pages is the most popular setup.
Litho or digital? Depends on your run length — see our guide to litho vs digital printing, or just ask us to quote both ways.
Get a Quote
Message us on WhatsApp: +44 7950 243399 or email hello@fabricforge.co.uk with your size, page count, binding and quantity — we'll price it up and check your artwork for free. Need something shorter? See our folded leaflets.