Booklet Artwork Guide
Booklets can require a little more setup than standard print products. Follow the guidance below to prepare your artwork correctly.
1. Choose Your Book Type
Perfect Bound Books
Best for high-page-count documents, premium reports and high page counts.
• Finish: Glued spine.
• Template: Use our custom template generator on the product page. Spine width depends on your chosen paper stock and page count.
• Ordering: Include the cover pages in your total page count. Cover artwork supplied as cover spreads counts as four pages; interior pages count individually.
• Bleed and safety: Add 3mm bleed. Keep important text and images at least 10mm from the binding edge.
• Spine: Your template shows the spine area. It can be printed, but avoid placing text too close to its edges.
Stapled Booklets (Saddle Stitched)
Best for brochures, programmes and catalogues.
• Finish: Folded and stapled along the spine.
• Template: Download a standard template from our website.
• Page Count: Must be a multiple of four. Order the same number of pages as your PDF contains; for example, upload a 16-page PDF for a 16-page booklet.
• Layout: Design using facing pages if needed, especially for images crossing the centre fold. Export the finished file as single pages.
Wiro-Bound Books
Best for notepads, manuals, reports and planners.
• Finish: Metal wire binding with lay-flat pages.
• Template: Download a standard template from our website.
• Ordering: Order the same number of pages as the number of printed sides.
• Bleed and safety: Add 3mm bleed. Keep important content at least 9mm from the binding edge to allow for the wire holes.
2. Set Up Your Artwork
General Requirements:
• Add 3mm bleed on all edges.
• Keep important content at least 3mm inside the trim edge.
• Use 300dpi images for sharp print quality.
• Set up your document as facing pages where appropriate, then export as single pages.
• Check font sizes, line weights and ink coverage against our Print Ready Guide. For perfect-bound books, keep text clear of the spine and binding edge.
Spot UV or Foil
Only follow this step if your perfect-bound or stapled booklet includes Spot UV or foil.
1. Create a separate page or layer for the embellishment artwork.
2. Add only the areas receiving Spot UV or foil.
3. Set these elements in the required spot colour, usually 100% magenta or black.
4. Ensure the embellishment artwork aligns exactly with the main print artwork.
For more help, see our Spot UV and Foil Artwork Guide.
3. Export Your Print-Ready File
1. Export a high-resolution PDF.
2. Export interior pages as single pages, in reading order.
3. For perfect-bound books, only upload cover artwork as a spread where specifically required.
4. Include bleed, but do not add crop marks or colour bars unless requested.
4. Upload and Proof Your Artwork
1. Log in to your account and open your order.
2. Upload your PDF.
3. Our system will generate an on-screen Auto-Proof.
4. Check the proof carefully for spelling, image quality, page order and content close to the trim or binding edge.
5. If Your Proof Is Not Right
Select My proof is wrong at the bottom of the proof page, then choose the option that best matches your issue:
1. White lines or preview-quality issues - Download the PDF proof. These preview artefacts are less likely to appear in the PDF.
2. Expert artwork review - Approve the proof and request a Studio Artworker review before print. We will contact you within two hours if changes are needed. If the artwork is ready to print, you will not receive a message; check your order status in your account.
3. Speak to an agent - Open web chat to speak to the Client Services team.
4. Request a manual proof - Add a detailed note explaining the issue, then select Request Manual Proof. A Studio Team member will email your proof within approximately two hours.