148mm Square Booklet Printing

Stapled Square Booklets That Stand Out on the Table

Square breaks the pattern. In a stack of A4 and A5 literature, a square booklet is the one that gets picked up — and at 148 x 148mm it's compact enough to hand out, post or slip into a bag without becoming awkward.

The format suits work where the design is doing the talking. Photography sits naturally in a square frame without being cropped to fit a portrait page, which makes it a common choice for portfolios, lookbooks, exhibition catalogues, menus, product ranges and anything image-led.

Our square booklets are saddle stitched, with pages folded and stapled through the spine so the booklet opens flat. Available from 8 to 72 pages, in runs from just 25 copies.

Page Counts: Why Multiples of Four

Booklet page counts must be a multiple of four. This isn't a rule we've invented — it's how saddle stitching works. Each sheet of paper is folded in half and produces four printed pages, two on each side, so there's no way to add pages in smaller increments without leaving a loose sheet.

Choose from 8pp, 12pp, 16pp and upwards in fours, to a maximum of 72pp. "pp" means printed pages, not sheets — a 16pp booklet is four folded sheets giving sixteen sides. If your content lands on an awkward number, add a contents page, a notes page, or leave an inside cover blank to round up.

Paper Stocks

Covers and inner pages are specified separately, so you can pair a heavier cover with lighter inners.

Inner pages: 90gsm uncoated, 115gsm silk, 120gsm uncoated, 130gsm gloss, 150gsm silk, 170gsm silk.

Covers: all of the above, plus 170gsm uncoated, 250gsm silk, 250gsm uncoated and 350gsm silk.

Uncoated takes pen cleanly and suits text-heavy work. Silk holds colour with a low sheen. Gloss gives the most saturation. Square booklets are usually chosen for design reasons, so it's worth matching the stock to that — silk or gloss inners hold photography far better than uncoated, and a heavier cover gives the finished piece the substance the format implies. Specifying the same stock throughout gives a self-cover booklet, the most economical option.

Lamination and Binding

Cover lamination is available in gloss, matt or soft touch, single or double sided. Single sided protects the outside of the cover; double sided laminates both faces. Soft touch is worth considering here — square formats are often chosen to feel considered, and the tactile finish reinforces that. Laminated surfaces can't be written on with a standard pen.

Because the page is square, there's no binding edge to choose. All four sides are the same length, so the booklet is bound down one edge as standard and there's no portrait or landscape decision to make.

Supplying Your Artwork

Supply single pages, not spreads. Every page should be a separate page in your PDF at finished 148 x 148mm size. Don't supply facing pages side by side as a double-width spread — we impose the pages for printing, and a reader spread has to be taken apart first.

Supply pages in running order. Page 1 is the front cover, page 2 the inside front cover, through to the back cover. Don't arrange them in printing order.

• Finished size: 148 x 148mm
• Bleed: 3mm all round
• Safe zone: 5mm minimum
• Page count: multiple of 4, 8pp to 72pp
• Resolution: 300 dpi minimum
• Format: PDF, CMYK, no printer marks
• Fonts: outlined or embedded

Keep text at least 5mm from the trim edge, and allow a little extra on the inside edge for thicker booklets. If your artwork uses full-bleed photography across a spread, check it still works when the two pages are separated by the fold.

Every file is checked by a real person before printing, so obvious problems get flagged. We don't make changes or fixes to artwork — files should be supplied print-ready.

Turnaround & Delivery

Choose a 1 working day turnaround for urgent jobs, or 3–4 working days for standard production. The first working day begins the day after your order is placed. Turnaround is production time only and doesn't include delivery.

Standard UK delivery is free on all square booklet orders, whatever the page count or quantity. Collection from our Burnley facility is also available.

Prefer a standard format? Our A5 booklets and A6 booklets offer the same options in A sizes.

FAQs

What size is the finished booklet?
148 x 148mm — the same as the short edge of an A5, squared off.

What's the minimum order?
25 booklets.

How many pages can I have?
From 8 to 72 printed pages, in multiples of four.

Why does it have to be a multiple of four?
Each folded sheet produces four printed pages, two on each side. Anything else would leave a loose sheet.

My content is 14 pages. What do I do?
Round up to 16pp by adding a contents page, a notes page, or leaving an inside cover blank.

Do I need to choose a binding edge?
No. Square pages are the same on every side, so there's no portrait or landscape option to select.

Should I supply spreads or single pages?
Single pages, in running order, at finished 148 x 148mm size.

Can the cover be a different stock from the inside pages?
Yes, with heavier options available on the cover up to 350gsm silk.

Is delivery really free?
Yes, on all 148mm square booklet orders, with no minimum spend.