Economy brochures

Practical brochures where speed and price matter

Manuals and economy brochures let you pass on a large amount of information in the convenient form of a stitched booklet. They are intended above all for publications where function and a sensible cost matter, but where thick covers, coated papers or additional finishing are not needed. In this form we most often print instruction manuals, terms and conditions, training material, information booklets, package inserts and multi-page documents of various kinds for customers.

Double-sided printing in full colour on offset paper. Straight after printing the sheets are folded and saddle stitched, forming a brochure that is convenient to use. A practical solution for manufacturers, service companies, education, institutions, training organisers and anyone who needs a larger number of copies at a good price.

A5 and A4 formats

Two formats of economy brochure are available, so it is easy to match the size and volume to the amount of content. In the economy version we do not print to bleed - if you need that, choose standard brochures printed on coated papers; they cost more but have no such limitation. In the economy variant, aimed at a low price and quick turnaround, the print area is always about 1 cm smaller than the actual page size. When designing the pages: for A4 (210x297) the print area is 190x277 mm; for A5 (148x210) the area for text and graphics is 128x190. When preparing artwork it is safest to set margins of about 1 cm in your program.

You can use photographs, technical drawings and backgrounds in the design, but none of these elements should run to the edge of the paper. Graphics should end about 1 cm from the edge of the page. Because printing is on offset paper, bear in mind too that a dark background may show through on the reverse of the sheet. To highlight a piece of text, for example, it is better to place a light blue or yellow rectangle behind it.

• A5 format - a handy, economical format for shorter manuals, terms and conditions, information booklets and user cards. It works well for material handed out, bundled with a product or kept together with documentation.
• A4 format - a larger format for manuals with more text, tables, diagrams, technical drawings and documentation. Often chosen for furniture assembly instructions and training material. The larger surface gives more room and makes extensive material easier to read.

Page count - from 8 to 32

You can order a brochure of 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 or 32 pages. That number covers the whole publication, cover and inner pages together. The volume grows in fours, which follows from the saddle stitching and the folding of sheets in half.

• 8-12 pages - short manuals, simple terms and conditions and basic information booklets. A good solution when the key information can be presented compactly.
• 16-20 pages - a versatile option for technical manuals, educational material and course notes divided into clear chapters.
• 24-32 pages - a variant for fuller manuals, user documentation and information booklets that have to fit more content without packing the pages too tightly.

Not sure how many pages you will need? Count up the material you have prepared and round the result up to the nearest available multiple of four. In the calculator you can check the price of each variant and quickly compare the options.

Offset paper - cover and inside

In economy brochures we print both the cover and the inner pages on the same offset paper. It is classic, matt office paper, practical and inexpensive. It works well with a lot of text, tables, forms and information graphics.

The absence of gloss matters here. Text reads comfortably, and you can write freely on the surface of the paper, highlight important passages or make notes. That is why offset paper suits manuals, course notes and working documents that the user actually works with.

Saddle stitching - a finished booklet

We finish the brochures with saddle stitching. The printed sheets are folded in half and then stapled at the spine. It is a simple, light and neat form that works well with a small or medium page count. The brochure is easy to browse, and the finished material looks like a proper booklet rather than a pile of loose sheets.

Simplicity that pays off

In the economy version we do not use film, varnish or additional finishing. Simpler production means a lower cost per copy, which on a larger run clearly brings the cost of the order down. You get legible, functional material without paying extra for elements that are often not needed in this kind of publication.

If you want a more presentable version with coated paper and a thicker cover, look at standard brochures. That variant suits image and sales material better.

What you can use economy brochures for

• operating, assembly and user manuals
• technical documentation and brochures
• terms and conditions, procedures and safety rules
• training material, course notes and lesson plans
• company information booklets and material for customers
• documents for course participants
• information for patients before complex procedures
• inserts and material supplied with packaging

Preparing the file - with or without checking

When placing an order you can choose how the file is handled.

• No checking - the file goes straight to print. An option for agencies, designers and people confident that the artwork was correctly prepared for printing and saddle stitching. It is not recommended for people with no experience in preparing material for multi-page publications.
• Checking by a graphic designer (+ a preview sent by email for approval) - a good choice if you are not sure about the file. The designer will check the format, bleed, margins, safe distances from the edge, the order and layout of pages, the quality of graphics and the colour, among other things. You receive a preview for approval before printing. The check does not cover the content, typos, the correctness of manuals and terms, data, tables or other substantive matters.

This kind of check is particularly useful for artwork prepared in Canva, Word, OpenOffice, other office programs or with AI tools. With brochures it is easy to overlook page order, margins, fonts or the quality of graphics.

How to prepare the print file

It is best to send a multi-page PDF prepared in line with our specification. We also accept other files, and in selected cases good quality JPG or PNG at 1:1 scale, but with brochures a correct PDF is the safest solution. Prepare photographs and graphics at 300 dpi at 1:1 scale, and the artwork in CMYK, the printing standard.

Save the pages individually and set them in reading order. That makes correct assembly of the brochure easier and avoids mistakes in numbering. In the economy version, backgrounds, photographs and graphics cannot run to the edge or be extended into bleed. If the artwork was prepared that way, choose standard brochures.

Leave a suitable inner margin at the spine, so that text and tables do not sit too close to the stitching. Take care too over clear headings, a logical division of content, text at a suitable size and good quality diagrams. Embed fonts in the file or convert them to outlines. If you are not sure, choose checking by a graphic designer, and check the price of your order in the calculator.