What order should my booklet pages be in?
For a booklet, send single pages in the order a reader turns them. The cover can be in the same PDF as the inside pages or in a separate file. Do not arrange the pages yourself into printer’s pairs.
How to count pages
Every side counts as a page, including the covers and any blank sides. With the cover in the same PDF, the order is:
| Page | What it is |
|---|---|
| 1 | Front cover |
| 2 | Inside front cover |
| 3 onwards | Inside pages |
| Second to last | Inside back cover |
| Last | Back cover |
Why stapled booklets go up in fours
A stapled booklet, also called saddle stitched, is made from sheets folded in half. Each sheet makes four pages. So the total has to divide by four: 8, 12, 16, 20 and so on. If your content comes to 10 pages, add two more or cut two.
Single pages, not spreads
A spread is two facing pages side by side. Design in spreads if it helps you see the layout, but export as single pages. If a picture runs across two facing pages, it will still line up.
Each page needs its own bleed and safe zone. Our standard is 3mm bleed on all sides and a 5mm safe zone, with crop marks on the PDF. Some products differ, so check the product page. Keep text a little further in on the spine side, where the pages meet.
Checklist
- Page count divides by four (stapled booklets).
- Single pages, in reading order. Cover in the same PDF or a separate file.
- Blank pages included as blank pages, not left out.
- 3mm bleed, 5mm safe zone and crop marks on every page, unless the product page says otherwise.
Folded leaflets are different
A folded leaflet is one sheet, not a booklet, so its panels are arranged in fold order instead of reading order. As an example, for an A4 sheet folded to A5, page 1 of the PDF carries leaflet pages 4 and 1, and page 2 carries pages 2 and 3. The Folded Leaflets product page is the authority on how to set this up, because ranges change. If you are not sure, contact us before you order.