Get your booklet artwork print-ready first time: page counts, bleed, margins, images, colour and exporting a press-ready PDF from InDesign, Canva or Word.
Most booklet printing delays come down to one thing: booklet artwork that isn’t print-ready. Wrong page count, no bleed, low-resolution photos or a PDF exported as spreads can all hold up your job. Follow these eight steps and your booklet will go straight to press.
1. Get your page count right first
If your booklet is saddle stitched (stapled), the total page count must be a multiple of four, including the covers. A booklet with a front cover, inside front cover, 12 content pages, inside back cover and back cover is 16 pages. Work this out before you design, not after. Adding or removing pages at the end is much harder. Not sure which binding you need? Read saddle stitch vs perfect bound vs wire bound.
2. Set your booklet artwork to the finished size
Create your document at the trim size of one page, not a spread. For an A4 booklet that’s 210 × 297 mm; for A5 it’s 148 × 210 mm. Set up facing pages in InDesign so you can see spreads while you design, but your page size stays single.
3. Add 5mm bleed (3mm minimum)
Any colour, image or graphic that runs to the edge of the page needs to extend 5mm beyond the trim (3mm is the minimum we can accept). Booklets are printed on larger sheets and cut down, and bleed stops thin white slivers appearing at the edges. Set this in your document’s bleed settings. In Microsoft Word, make the page 10mm larger in each direction than the trim size instead (5mm per edge).
One exception: don’t add bleed on the spine side of inside pages unless an image or colour block is meant to run across the spread.
4. Keep important content inside the safe area
Keep text, logos and page numbers at least 5mm inside the trim edge. For thicker saddle-stitched booklets, give the outer margins a little more room. The inner pages push out slightly further than the outer ones (called creep), so they lose a touch more when trimmed.
5. Use high-resolution images
Photos should be 300 dpi at the size they appear in the booklet. For example, an image that looks sharp on screen at 72 dpi will print blurry. Avoid screenshots, images saved from websites or social media, and heavily compressed photos. When in doubt, use the original file.
6. Set colours to CMYK
Screens show colour in RGB light, while printers use CMYK ink. Set up your document in CMYK from the start so there are no surprises. Very bright or neon colours may print a little duller because they fall outside the CMYK range. If an exact brand colour matters, mention it when you order.
Printing on recycled paper? Uncoated stock absorbs a little more ink, so colours look softer and more natural than on glossy paper. Silk stock gives a crisper, brighter result for photo-heavy booklets.
7. Embed or outline your fonts
If fonts aren’t embedded, the printer’s system may swap them for a different typeface and your text can reflow. Most PDF export presets embed fonts automatically. In Acrobat, check File → Properties → Fonts to confirm.
8. Export your booklet artwork as a press-ready PDF
Export one PDF containing every page in order, front cover first and back cover last. Make sure they’re single pages, not spreads, because the printer arranges the pages for folding and binding. Also include crop marks and bleed.
- InDesign or Illustrator: use the High Quality Print or Press Quality preset, with crop marks and “use document bleed settings” ticked.
- Canva: download as PDF Print with “crop marks and bleed” switched on.
- Word: save as PDF with the best-for-printing option, from a page set up with bleed (step 3).
Before you send: a booklet artwork checklist
- Page count is a multiple of four (saddle stitch)
- Artwork size matches the finished size
- 5mm bleed on all outer edges (3mm minimum)
- Text at least 5mm inside the trim
- Images are 300 dpi
- Document is in CMYK
- Fonts embedded or outlined
- One PDF, single pages, covers first and last
- Spell-checked and proofread (printers check the file setup, not your words)
Need a hand?
Download our free artwork guide for the full specs. We check every file before printing, and if yours isn’t quite ready, our Fix my artwork service can add bleed, convert colours and get it press-ready for you. When your file is set, you can order your booklets online on 100% recycled paper with free delivery Australia-wide, or read more about our booklet printing.
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- How to set up your booklet artwork for print
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- Eco Printing for Nonprofits: How to Reduce the Environmental Impact of Campaign Materials