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Booklets and leaflets

Advice and guidance on supplying artwork for some popular formats.

Perfect binding and booklets

Spine

The spine width varies depending on how many pages are in the book, so we need to advise you of the spine width before it is designed. We recommend that you do not put text on a spine that is less than 5mm wide. We also recommend a minimum of 2mm between the edge of the text and the edge of the spine. It is best that the background colour of the front cover follows over onto the spine.

Covers and first/last sheet

The front cover and the first sheet are glued together. The back cover and the last sheet are also glued together. The glued area is normally 7mm for an A5 book. It is best to treat this as the edge of the page. Don't put any important information in this area. If images go across both pages they should join at this point. Images that go across both pages should be chosen carefully so that they look OK across the join. Text should not go across both pages because it will be difficult to read. There should also be 3mm bleed on all edges.

Inner pages

It is not easy to lay the book flat, unlike an ordinary stapled book. This means that an area near the spine is di cult or impossible to see. This area is normally about 3mm for an A5 book, so it is best to treat this as the edge of the page. Don't put any important information in this area. If images go across both pages they should join at this point. Images that go across both pages should be chosen carefully so that they look OK across the join. Text should not go across both pages because it will be di cult to read. There should also be 3mm bleed on all edges.

 

Roll fold leaflets

The front cover page must be slightly wider than the rest so that the pages below are not visible.
The page that folds inside must be narrower than the rest otherwise it will not lay flat. You can see below how the inside page buckles when it is not thinner than the rest.

It is not easy to lay the book flat, unlike an ordinary stapled book. This means that an area near the spine is difficult or impossible to see. This area is normally about 3mm for an A5 book, so it is best to treat this as the edge of the page. Don't put any important information in this area. If images go across both pages they should join at this point. Images that go across both pages should be chosen carefully so that they look OK across the join. Text should not go across both pages because it will be difficult to read.

There should also be 3mm bleed on all edges.

Concertina fold leaflets

Concertina fold leaflets are straightforward, the pages are all the same size. Ideally care should be taken to ensure that a fold does not go through any type, as it can be unsightly and creases in the paper may reduce legibility.