210mm Square Booklet Printing

Stapled Square Booklets for Portfolios and Lookbooks

Square breaks the pattern, and at 210 x 210mm it does so with room to spare. It's the larger of the two square formats — roughly the same page area as an A5 but arranged differently — which makes it the choice when the design needs space rather than just a distinctive shape.

Photography is the obvious use. A square page takes a square crop without compromise, and full-bleed images across a spread read as one wide panorama rather than a portrait page cut in half. Portfolios, lookbooks, exhibition catalogues, property brochures, product ranges and annual reviews all work well in this format.

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. Stock choice matters more at this size — a large square booklet on light inners feels flimsy when held open, and photography benefits from the extra body of 150gsm or 170gsm. A heavier cover is worth it too, since a 210mm page flops forward on anything lighter. 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 suits this format particularly well — square booklets are usually 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 210 x 210mm 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: 210 x 210mm
• 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 design runs images across a spread, remember the two halves are separate pages in your file and will be separated by the fold in the finished booklet — allow for that where a subject sits near the centre.

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.

Need something more compact? Our 148mm square booklets use the same format at a smaller size, and our A5 booklets cover the standard A format.

FAQs

What size is the finished booklet?
210 x 210mm — the same as the short edge of an A4, 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 choose 210mm or 148mm square?
210mm gives roughly twice the page area, which suits photography, portfolios and anything image-led. 148mm is more compact and cheaper to post, better for handouts and smaller print runs.

Should I supply spreads or single pages?
Single pages, in running order, at finished 210 x 210mm 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 210mm square booklet orders, with no minimum spend.