When setting up your booklet for print, here are some things to keep in mind that will make the process easier for everyone.
Booklet Size
We have three standard sizes for booklets: letter-size, half-letter, and half-legal.
| Full sheet size… | …folded in half: |
| 11 X 17 (tabloid) | 8.5 X 11 (letter) |
| 8.5 X 11 (letter) | 8.5 X 5.5 (half-letter) |
| 8.5 X 14 (legal) | 8.5 X 7 (half-legal) |
If your booklet is a non-standard size, don’t worry! We can print that too. You can email us at info@businessnow.ca for a quote on your custom booklet project.
Booklet Length
Saddle-stitched booklets are folded in half and then stapled in the center, which means that every sheet, after folding, will have four different pages printed on it. Because of this, the number of pages your booklet has must be divisible by 4. If it’s not, there may be a couple of blank pages included to bring your page count to the required number.
 4 pages |
 8 pages |
If you want the insides of the covers to be blank, make sure to include the blank pages in your PDF file.
 Page Layout |
We can saddle-stitch booklets with a maximum of 100 pages. If your booklet is longer than this, then we recommend looking into our spiral binding options.
Page Setup
 Booklet set up as pages |
 Booklet set up as spreads |
When preparing your file for print, please ensure that your booklet is formatted as pages, not spreads, and that they are in the correct reading order. Our system is set up to format your pages the correct way for printing.
Bleeds
Anytime that your booklet requires printing right to the edge of the page, then bleeds are required. Because our printer cannot print to the edge of the sheet, we print your booklet on a slightly larger page and then cut it down to the requested size. A bleed is the extra print that gets cut away, to ensure that no strange white margins end up in your final product.
 A booklet that does not require bleeds |
 A booklet that requires bleeds |
Setting up a Booklet with Bleeds
When your booklet project requires bleeds, please ensure that your images and backgrounds extend an extra 0.1” on all sides past the required booklet size. For instance, for a finished booklet size of 8.5” x 11”, your pages should be 8.7” x 11.2”. Please also make sure that all necessary content is at least 3/8” away from the edge of your final page size.
Setting up a Booklet without Bleeds
If your booklet project does not require bleeds, then please just make sure that all necessary content is at least 3/8” away from the edge of your final page size.
File Format
Finally, please ensure that your file is in PDF format, with no password protection.