Booklets
Saddle stitch binding is the most popular and cost-effective way to create professional booklets. By nesting folded sheets together and securing them with staples through the center crease (the "spine"), this method creates a clean, lightweight finish that’s perfect for everything from catalogs to event programs.
Saddle Stitch Booklets: Professionalism in Every Page
When you have more to say than a brochure can hold, Saddle Stitch Booklets offer a sleek, organized, and affordable solution. This binding method is ideal for smaller page counts, allowing your booklet to lay relatively flat while providing a professional "magazine-style" feel.
Why Choose Saddle Stitching?
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Cost-Effective: It is one of the most budget-friendly binding options, especially for high-volume print runs like newsletters or programs.
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Low Profile: Because there is no bulky glue or plastic spine, these booklets are lightweight and easy to stack, store, and mail.
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Full-Spread Visuals: Perfect for photography and central maps, as the binding allows for "crossover" images that span across two pages with minimal interruption.
Customizable to Your Vision
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Self-Cover vs. Plus-Cover: Choose a Self-Cover (where the cover is the same paper weight as the inside pages) for a lightweight feel, or a Plus-Cover (a thicker, heavier cardstock cover) for added durability and a premium "high-end" touch.
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Variety of Sizes: We offer standard 8.5" x 11" catalogs, pocket-sized 5.5" x 8.5" manuals, and even custom square formats.
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Professional Trimming: To ensure a clean, flush edge, we recommend a "face trim" on every booklet, removing the staggered edges (creep) that occur when pages are folded together.
Ideal For:
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Product Catalogs & Lookbooks
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Event Programs & Playbills
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Instruction Manuals & Employee Handbooks
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Zines & Comic Books
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Annual Reports & Newsletters
Design Note: Saddle stitch booklets must be created in multiples of 4 pages (e.g., 8, 12, 16, 20 pages). This is because each physical sheet of paper is folded in half to create four distinct numbered pages.
Booklet Setup Guide
Setting up a booklet for print can be a little confusing because of how the paper is folded and bound. This guide will help your customers understand the "Rule of Four" and how to order their pages so their final product looks professional.
The Booklet Page Count Guide: The Rule of Four
When creating a saddle-stitched booklet, it is important to remember that every single sheet of paper folded in half creates four digital pages. Because of this, your total page count must be a multiple of 4 (e.g., 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, etc.).
If your content only fills 10 pages, you will need to add 2 blank pages (usually at the very end or inside the covers) to reach the required 12-page count.
How to Count Your Pages
Front Cover = Page 1
Inside Front Cover = Page 2
First Interior Page = Page 3
...and so on, ending with the Inside Back Cover and Outside Back Cover.
Designing for "Reader Spreads" vs. "Printer Spreads"
This is the most common area of confusion between designers and printers. Here is the difference:
Reader Spreads (How you should design)
You should design and send your file as single pages in sequential order (Page 1, then Page 2, then Page 3...). This allows you to see the document as a reader would see it.
Printer Spreads (How we print)
Our specialized software takes your single pages and reorders them into "Printer Spreads." For example, in an 8-page booklet, the printer must place Page 8 (back cover) and Page 1 (front cover) on the same sheet of paper so that they appear in the correct spot once folded.
Pro Tip: Do not send your files as pre-arranged printer spreads. Send us a single PDF with individual pages in order, and our "imposition" software will handle the rest!
A Note on Margins and "Creep"
As your page count increases, the thickness of the paper causes the innermost pages to "creep" or push out further than the outer pages.
The Fix: Keep all important text, page numbers, and logos at least 0.5" away from the outer edges (the "Safe Zone").
The Result: This ensures that when we perform the final "face trim" to make the edges of your booklet flush, no critical information is cut off.