Quick Guide: Preparing Saddle-Stitched Booklets
1. Select Your Specifications
- Orientation: A4 Portrait or A4 Landscape
- Page count: Must be divisible by four, with a maximum of 64 pages
- Internal paper: Silk, Gloss or Uncoated
- Cover: Select a cover stock suited to your requirements
2. Prepare Your Artwork
Download the available artwork templates and add your content.
- Add 3 mm of bleed to every side.
- Keep important content at least 5 mm away from the edges.
- A 10 mm quiet border is preferred for a better finish.
- Prepare all images and artwork at 300 dpi.
- Use CMYK colour mode.
- Leave sufficient space near the spine to reduce the effect of spine creep, particularly in thicker booklets.
- Outline or embed all fonts.
Visit our BookHub for additional artwork support.
3. Export the Finished File
- File format: CMYK PDF
- Page layout: Individual pages rather than spreads
- Page order: Arrange all pages in the correct reading sequence
- Bleed: Ensure the required bleed is included
4. Upload and Place Your Order
Choose the required specifications, upload your PDF, review and approve the proof, then complete your order.
If File Check is selected as the artwork service and errors are identified during upload, you can upgrade to free File Assist.
For further assistance with creating your booklet, explore our BookHub resources.
Artwork Guides
Artwork Templates
A4 Saddle Stitched Booklet
Payment Methods:
Stapled Booklet Printing
Saddle-stitched booklets provide a practical and affordable way to promote your business. Their compact, professional format is particularly suitable for:
- Short product booklets
- Newsletters
- Event programmes
- Schedules
- Introductory publications
- Price lists
Pair them with A4 presentation folders to create a more substantial and organised package for meetings or conferences.
Flexible and Cost-Effective
Saddle stitching is an excellent option when you need a professional publication on a limited budget. Alongside standard A sizes, custom booklet dimensions are available to suit different projects.
Choose from:
- A broad selection of internal and cover paper stocks
- Multiple cover-lamination options
- Page counts from 8 to 68 pages
- A minimum order of just one brochure
How Saddle Stitching Works
The printed sheets are folded, nested together and secured through the spine using wire staples. This creates a straightforward and reliable binding for publications with lower page counts.
For longer magazines or brochures, consider perfect binding. This method uses adhesive to create a paperback-style spine similar to publications commonly found on magazine racks.
Paper and Lamination Options
For additional durability, add Soft Touch cover lamination to help protect the booklet. Choose a Silk finish for a smooth and refined appearance.
Orders of up to 500 copies are generally produced using advanced digital-printing equipment. Larger quantities are manufactured using modern lithographic presses.
Explore Other A4 Binding Options
- A4 perfect-bound books
- A4 Spot UV books
- A4 wiro-bound books
- A4 hardback books
UK shipping is free, although exceptions apply.
A4 Booklet and Brochure Technical Specifications
Preparing Artwork for A4 Saddle-Stitched Booklets
Download the artwork templates provided near the product images at the top of the page before setting up your design.
Submit the complete booklet artwork as one PDF, with every page arranged in consecutive reading order.
For example, a 40-page brochure should be supplied as a single 40-page PDF.
Artwork Requirements
- The total page count must be divisible by four.
- Keep text, page numbers and images safely away from every edge.
- Maintain a minimum safe zone of 5 mm around all sides.
- A 10 mm safe zone is preferred for a better finished result.
- Add 3 mm of bleed to every side.
- Supply the artwork as a CMYK PDF.
- Outline or embed all fonts.
- Prepare the file at 300 dpi.
View our Booklets and Brochures Help Pages for additional guidance on preparing and submitting your artwork.
High-Quality Printing with Sustainability in Focus
We are actively working to minimise our environmental impact through an emissions-reduction programme that addresses both direct and indirect emissions. These efforts support our goal of achieving Net Zero by 2040.
Our product range is also being expanded to include more environmentally credible options, and we encourage customers to consider selecting these products wherever appropriate.
Tradeprint supports Two Sides, the print and paper advocacy group that challenges greenwashing misconceptions and promotes paper as a genuinely sustainable product.
Reducing waste remains a key priority, particularly the elimination of problematic plastics from our printing and fulfilment operations.
View our complete environmental policy for further information.
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