DL Booklet Printing

Stapled DL Booklets for Menus, Guides and Mailers

DL is the slim format. At 99 x 210mm it's the same footprint as a DL flyer, which means it fits a standard DL envelope without folding and sits neatly in a display rack where only the top of the item is visible. That makes it the natural choice for takeaway menus, service guides, price lists, direct mail pieces and anything going into a leaflet stand.

The narrow shape also reads differently to an A5. Content stacks vertically rather than spreading across the page, which suits lists, menus and step-by-step guides better than dense paragraphs.

Our DL 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. Cover weight is worth thinking about at DL — a tall, narrow booklet on a light cover flops forward in a display rack, so 250gsm or heavier helps it stand. 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. Worth considering for menus and anything handled repeatedly. Laminated surfaces can't be written on with a standard pen.

Choose long edge binding for a standard portrait booklet, with the spine down the 210mm side, or short edge for landscape.

Supplying Your Artwork

Supply single pages, not spreads. Every page should be a separate page in your PDF at finished DL 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: 99 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

The narrow page width means margins eat into your usable area faster than on an A-size booklet. Keep text at least 5mm from the trim edge, and allow a little extra on the inside edge for thicker booklets.

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 DL booklet orders, whatever the page count or quantity. Collection from our Burnley facility is also available.

Need a different shape? Our A5 booklets and A6 booklets offer the same options in standard A sizes.

FAQs

What size is a DL booklet?
99 x 210mm finished, the same footprint as a DL flyer. It fits a standard DL envelope without folding.

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.

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

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

Will it fit in a display rack?
Yes. DL is the standard size for leaflet stands and display racks. A heavier cover stock is worth choosing if the booklet needs to stand upright without flopping.

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