Brochures & Booklets

You can choose any quantity you like from 1.

These are the standard size documents that you can choose from:

• CD - 120 x 120mm
• DVD - 180 x 120mm
• A6 - 105 x 148mm
• A5 - 210 x 148mm
• A4 - 210 x 297mm
• 210 x 210mm

Please note that not all sizes are available in Landscape orientation, though most are.

We can also do custom sizes where technically possible, but these will cost more. Please have a chat with the helpdesk on 01452 751900 to discuss.

Portrait means that the width is less than the height, landscape means that the width is greater than the height. Think of paintings on a wall, landscape paintings tend to be wider than they are tall, portraits tend to be narrower than they are tall.

With booklets and brochures, the number of of pages is sometimes referred to as "PP" or Printed Pages. Due to the way that booklets are printed and bound, the pagination (number of pages) is in multiples of 4, i.e. 8PP, 12PP, 16PP, etc.

Please remember that this does not refer to the number of SHEETS of paper in the booklet, it refers to the number of PAGES. For example, an 8PP A5 is eight printed PAGES of size A5 (p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8), which is physically 2 SHEETS of size A4. These are printed both sides, stitched (very similar to metal staples) in the middle, folded and trimmed.

If you need something that's not offered here, please call the helpdesk on 01452 751900 to discuss.

Please remember that the thicker the booklet, the more difficult it is to lay perfectly flat.

PDF (online soft proof). This is a technical process to check that your artwork is printable and to prepare it for printing as far as possible. We aim to provide your soft proof within 4 working hours and you will get an email notification when it is ready.

The PDF that you send us (your artwork) has a pre-flight check carried out and a number of automatic corrections may also be made if necessary. The resulting soft proof is a PDF that is viewable through your admin area of the web site. It is very important that you carefully review your soft proof and the pre-flight report that we send to you.

If your artwork fails our preflight checks you will not get a proof, but you will get a report letting you know what is wrong with your file. You can then fix the problem and resubmit your artwork.

We may warn you about potential problems with your artwork. In this case, your artwork CAN be printed and you will get a proof to check. You should carefully check the warnings in your report before deciding whether to proceed or submit new artwork.

Your first soft proof is included in the price of your order. If you find that you need to make alterations to your artwork and ask us to create another proof, we may make a small charge for each additional soft proof. Please contact the helpdesk to arrange payment if you need additional proofs.

Remember, this is a technical file check, we don't proof read your work or critique your design!

Hard copy proof.

This is a single physical copy of your booklet. When you select this option, your artwork will go through exactly the same steps as a soft copy proof and in fact you will also get a soft proof available to view through the web site. Do not approve this before you have examined your hard copy!

Please remember that you will have to pay for your order before we can manufacture your hard copy proof. You can cancel your order after recieving your hardcopy proof, but you will be charged at the rate for one booklet and the remainder of your payment will be refunded.

We will try to get your hardcopy proof out to you as soon as possible, but it can take up to 5 working days for us to despatch, depending on the options that you have selected. If you wish to expedite your hard copy proof, please call the helpdesk to discuss. They may be able to suggest ways to speed up this process, for instance you may wish to see only the printed sheets and not wait to see the cover laminated.

Important note: if you order traditional hot foiling and a hard copy proof, we are quoting for ONE die set. If you decide to change your hot foil artwork after reviewing your hard copy proof, you will need to pay for another die set.

To read more about proofs, read the help section:

HELP > ARTWORK > PROOFS   (opens in a new window)

Imagine you have taken the staples out of the booklet; you can see that the cover is one sheet of paper or card, folded in the middle. One side of the sheet is the outside of the front and rear cover - this can be printed full colour, or B&W (Black & White). The other side side of the sheet is the inside of the front and rear cover - this can be printed full colour, or B&W, or left blank (if blank, select B&W for a slightly cheaper price). For the purposes of this calculator, the cover counts as 4PP ("Printed Pages")- whether or not the inside is left blank. See the help for "Pages" for details about what "PP" exactly means.

We always encourage new customers to get some samples before placing their order. Please call the helpdesk on 01452 751900 to arrange this.

Please note: for technical reasons, not all paper types are available for A4 landscape orientation booklets. When you select A4 Landscape booklets only the paper options that are available for the cover and text (inner pages) will be displayed.

Paper types:

• Gloss paper. Triple coated gloss paper. This is a gloss paper similar to the ones that you see in magazines and illustrated "coffee table" books. This is a commercial printing paper with a semi gloss finish. It is not the same as the high gloss paper you may use for photographs in your inkjet printer.
• Silk paper.Triple coated silk paper. This is a silk paper similar to the ones that you see in magazines and illustrated "coffee" table books. It is quite matt with a slight sheen.
• White matt. A smooth white uncoated paper with good opacity.
• Off white recycled. This is NAUTILUS® Classic, a 100% recycled Blue Angel uncoated paper. NAUTILUS® Classic is made from 100% PCW (Post Consumer Waste) and is an authentic recycled shade.
• Cream book wove. This is genuine Munken Print Cream 15 from Arctic Paper in Sweden. It is a very high quality cream shaded paper developed specifically for book printing.

Some notes about the paper

There are a lot of options here so that you can get exactly what you want. It can be a little confusing if you are new to printing, so here are a few suggestions:

• If you want a cover that is heavier than the inner pages then we recommend that you select a minimum of 200gsm.
• A self cover booklet or brochure is one where the cover is on the same paper stock as the inner pages. These are very popular for newsletters, comics, and brochures or catalogs that are designed for short term use, i.e. for an event or promotion.
• We recommend that you don't specify covers of a lighter weight than the inners, but you can if you need to.
• 130gsm is a good standard weight for self-cover booklets or brochures, 170gsm and higher is a "heavy paper" weight and is often specified for the inner pages of items that are designed to be kept and re-used, for example books or guides that are to be sold or kept as souvenirs.
• Lighter weight papers are still very good quality and are useful where you want to keep the weight down, or where higher pagination (thicker books) is required.
• As well giving you a higher quality appearance, having heavyweight covers gives a booklet or brochure greater durability. You should also consider lamination as this enhances the appearance and adds a great deal of durability.

All paper is high quality and manufactured from responsibly managed and sustainable sources.

We pre-crease all covers of 170gsm or heavier to ensure a perfect finish.

All papers can be written on with a ball point pen. Coated papers are not recommended for writing on with a fountain pen, select uncoated paper if this is an issue.

We hope these suggestions help, but please remember that you can order free samples that will show you the quality of the printing as well as the different paper types and weights. Just call the helpdesk on 01452 751900 to request samples.

You can choose from either a gloss, matt or soft touch protective laminate. Soft touch laminate is a matt laminate, but with a tactile soft finish. This is a very fashionable and doesn't mark as easily as matt laminate.

If you want to digitally hot foil your booklet cover, you must select a laminate type first as this type of foiling is only possible on a cover that's been laminated.

We can hot foil print onto your booklet's cover. It is REALLY important that you read the artwork preparation guide to understand how this works, how to send us your artwork and where you can print. If you are new to printing with Inky, it's always worth discussing your foiling options with one of our Helpdesk staff. We cannot offer foiling on our express (2 day) print service due to the extra set up required. If you are working to a very tight deadline, have a chat with the helpdesk to discuss.

We offer two different types of hot foiling.

• Digital hot foiling is a relatively new process and is ideal for small quantities. In other words, it's pretty cheap to set up, but more expensive per copy compared to traditional foiling. It is more limited in what you can achieve and the colours of foil that you can choose. Due to the way that this type of foiling is done, it makes no difference to the price what size area you wish to foil.
• Traditional hot foiling is done using our Kluge EHD press. This is a 2.5 tonne beast that requires skilful setup and uses engraved copper or brass dies. It is more expensive to initially set up, but produces superb results that can be deeply impressed into the booklet cover in a way that just cannot be matched any other way. There are more colours available, including clear and translucent foils. Bigger dies cost more than smaller dies, so we allow you to order the right size die for your project. We also allow you to specify 2 separate dies. Why is this? Imagine that you are ordering an A4 brochure. The cover is made from an A3 size sheet, folded down the middle. Now picture a small foiled logo on the top right of the A3 sheet and a small foiled logo on the bottom left of the sheet. To achieve this with one die, it would need to be huge and cover the whole sheet. You can save a significant amount of money by using two separate small dies instead.

You are welcome to phone the helpdesk and ask for some foiled samples.

Digital foiling is currently available in (shiny) Gold colour and (shiny) Silver. If you need a different colour, check out the traditional foiling option.

These are all of the foil colours that we currently stock.

It is possible for us to special order in different colour foils. This is not a cheap option, but may be worth while if you want a specific colour.

We need to talk about dies. I'm not going to mollycoddle you, this is a difficult bit to get your head around! If you haven't already, click on the "i"nformation icon next to the "Hot Foil Cover" question for some general information that will help you understand this topic.

Traditional foiling uses metal dies, precision engraved sheets of thick copper or brass. The bigger the die, the more it costs, hence you can choose the size of the die that you need.

We recommend that if you haven't done this before, you have a chat with the helpdesk and they will calculate the size of your die with you.

If you'd like to calculate the size of your die yourself, read on. Here are a few additional items to remember before starting.

• Dies are calculated in square inches. That's just the way it is.
• Under all circumstances, we will recalculate your die size and adjust the price accordingly if necessary.
• A die is a physical object, a rectangular engraved slab of metal. If you have two small areas to foil, the size of the die must cover both areas and all of the area in between.
• If you plan to reprint your book, We MAY be able to keep your die for you and re-use it. We do not guarantee this and you will need to ask us to keep the die! If you reprint a book using the same die, there will be a modest cost saving. The bigger the die, the more expensive it is and the more incentive to try and re-use it. We cannot send you your die and we cannot accept a die made elsewhere.

Here is how to calculate the size of your die:

Measure the size of your artwork in the X-axis in inches. Add 0.5 inch to this dimension. Round UP to the nearest half inch.

Measure the size of your artwork in the Y-axis in inches. Add 0.5 inch to this dimension. Round UP to the nearest half inch.

Multiply the two dimensions together, this is your die size.

Example:

• The area to be foiled is 3.8 inches by 7.3 inches
• 3.8 + 0.5 = 4.3
• Round up to 4.5
• 7.3 + 0.5 = 7.8
• Round up to 8.0
• Your die is 4.5 x 8.0 = 36 square inches

There are two options available:

• Colour. Full colour printed on the latest generation high quality colour digital presses.
• Black & White. This is a lower cost option and printed on the latest generation high quality black & white digital presses.

We always encourage new customers to get some samples before placing their order. Please call the helpdesk on 01452 751900 to arrange this.

Number of black & white pages.

Please note that this is pages, not sheets. For example: a book with 100 sheets of paper inside (leaves) is a 200 page book.

If you have any blank pages, for example before the start of a chapter, you must count the blank page as a black & white page.

Number of colour pages.

Please note that this is pages, not sheets. For example: a book with 100 sheets of paper inside (leaves) is a 200 page book.

If you have any blank pages, for example before the start of a chapter, you must count the blank page as a black & white page.

This is the paper that your book block (the pages of your book) will be printed on.

We are happy to send out paper samples for you see before you order. Please call the helpdesk to discuss your requirements.

All of our paper options are high quality and suitable for both colour and black & white printing.

The standard options are:

• White matt. A smooth white sheet with good opacity.
• Cream book wove. This is genuine Munken Print Cream 15 from Arctic Paper in Sweden. It is a very high quality cream shaded paper developed specifically for book printing.
• Off white recycled. A recycled sheet with good opacity. This is genuine Nautilus paper from Mondi, a 100% recycled Blue Angel paper. We stock two grades of Nautilus, the Classic (which we refer to as "off white recycled") and the SuperWhite. Classic is an authentic recycled shade. It doesn't try to hide the fact that it's recycled paper and carries a warmth and organic texture because of this that many of our customers love. Of course, everyone's tastes are different and different projects call for different papers, so we also stock Nautilus SuperWhite. This is also a 100% recycled paper but indistinguishable from a good quality bright white paper made from virgin pulp. This option is not currently available through our on line calculator, so please call the helpdesk if you'd like to specify this option. We recommend you take your time with your book project and get samples when specifying this stock. Although we get excellent results with both black & white and colour printing, you need to understand what the off white colour will do to the reproduction of your images. We have many customers who have printed and reprinted full colour graphic novels on this paper,so excellent results are achievable.
• Gloss paper. Triple coated gloss paper. This is a gloss paper similar to the ones that you see in magazines and illustrated "coffee table" books. This is a commercial printing paper, it is not the same as the high gloss paper you may use for photographs in your inkjet printer.
• Silk paper. Triple coated silk paper. This is a silk paper similar to the ones that you see in magazines and illustrated "coffee" table books. It is quite matt with a slight sheen.

If you need an alternative paper, please call the helpdesk for a chat to discuss options.

NOTES:

• All non-recycled paper is good quality branded paper that uses ECF pulp from sustainable and well managed farmed timber.
• We're sometimes asked about whether you can write easily on these papers. You can write easily on all types with a standard ball point pen. If you want to be able to write with a fountain pen, then we recommend sticking to the matt uncoated paper.

These are working days to print. Our standard print service for booklets is 4 working days to print. You can pay a premium if you want your order on the faster 2 day to print service.

Whilst the vast majority of all orders leave on time, Print Service time is an estimate, not a guarantee. If your order has a hard deadline, for example you are ordering for an event and there is no contingency built in to your schedule for delays, you must let the helpdesk know!

It is exceptionally rare for an express (2 day) service order not to leave on time, but sometimes events (for example flooding or power cuts) are outside of our control.

Please remember to add transit (delivery) time to this and remember that these are working days to print and do not include weekends or bank holidays.

Unless you approve your order by 10am, the day that you approve your proof does not count in the time to print.

We cannot schedule your job to print until you have approved your proof. If you do not have a credit account with us, you will also need to pay for your job before we can schedule your job to print

Delivery is normally the next working day AFTER the job is printed. If you want a Saturday delivery, call the helpdesk to get that cost added to your order. We classify Monday-Friday as working days, Bank Holidays are not working days.

Fill in the full postcode of where this is being sent to so that we can work out a price and check whether we deliver to this area. You'll fill in the full delivery address later once you've placed your order. Remember, this is only for the UK Mainland, if you would like us to send your printing elsewhere, please call the Helpdesk for a price. We do not ship to the USA.

You must upload your files as PDFs.

Please make sure that you read the artwork preparation guide before sending us your artwork.

If you need help with your artwork, we have experienced artworkers and very reasonable rates. Please call the helpdesk on 01452 751900 for a chat to discuss this.