Booklet Printing costs Explained

Booklet Printing Cost factors Explained

When it comes to booklet printing cost factors, there are multiple variables to be considered. For example:

The Paper type and quality 

You may not have considered this, but the type of paper used not only affects the performance of the booklet, but can also heavily influence the cost of your print order. Most companies will have a type of paper that they will recommend for your booklet to ensure that quality is maintained and that the booklet is fit for purpose. It’s usually important that the paper for the booklet is durable and sturdy – not thin and flimsy. This is because a booklet is often reused multiple times and so needs to have some durability.

You’ll find that booklet pages require a special aqueous coating to maximise the durability of the booklet. When it comes to paper, the cost will also depend on the size, weight and thickness. 

The Ink used 

You’ve probably heard the saying that “ink costs more than blood” because the ink is known for being so expensive. Whilst this is very much an exaggeration, the Ink used will play a major factor when considering booklet printing costs. 4 colour process (CMYK) tends to be the most economic approach. Due to the nature and use of a booklet, you’ll likely need to include colour images, so 4 colour process is ideal for best economy. You’ll also want to think about brand consistency such as incorporating your brand colours into the booklet to help portray a consistent identity. Some companies specify a particular special mix of ink to be used. As such it maybe that your booklet is printed in 4 colour process + a special making it a 5 colour booklet. 

The binding used

There are several types of binding to ensure the structural integrity of your booklet. Each type of binding will have an effect on the final costs. 

For example, you may want the booklet to be bound like a traditional book, or you may want to use a metal or plastic wire. You may even want some of the pages to be removable via a ring-binder type mechanism. 

Some of the more common bindings can include:

• Perfect binding
• Wiro Coil or Spiral binding
• Traditional saddle stitched

The type of binding you require greatly contributes to the appearance, quality and usability of your booklet so do consider how the booklet will be used and select a binding option that will work best. 

The Number of brochures required 

This is a fairly obvious statement – but the higher the quantity required, the more you will pay. Paradoxically, the first booklet run is likely to have a high cost per booklet (as design costs etc are fixed), however, the price per booklet (unit cost) is likely to be reduced when purchasing higher quantities. For example, in terms of unit price, it would be cheaper to order 1,000 copies rather than 20. This is a classic economies of scale scenario. 

The Number of pages

Likewise, the number of pages within the booklet will impact the cost. The page count will ultimately influence how much paper, ink and press time your project needs. Sometimes the page count can actually have a larger impact than the quantity of booklet required. Of course, booklets that have 50 pages are going to cost more than a booklet with 10 pages!

The Size of the booklet 

Just like the page count, the size of the booklet is also going to impact the cost. Bigger sizes tend to be more expensive as you may have guessed. Sticking with small sizes is an economical choice if you’re looking to save some money on this – but of course – this may not be viable depending on how the booklet will be used. Another important factor is the type and size of press used to print your booklet. For example, double the size of press and you will halve the printing time. 

Are you mailing the booklet?

Some printing services will also offer booklet mailing to recipients. This can either be through an independent contractor or via the national mail services. It may be cost-efficient to group your printing with the mailing as you can manage the campaign with one provider as opposed to separate providers. Of course, mailing is an additional charge, so speak to your printer to find out mailing options. 

How long does it take to turnaround a booklet printing project?

 Also known as the production time, this is the time (whether it be days or hours) that it can take for the printing company to create and deliver your booklets. This includes the time from start to finish – designing, printing, cutting, and applying the finishing touches of the printing job before it’ll be ready to pick up or ship. 

The turnaround time can vary per project, oftentimes more expensive orders will get priority such as if the total cost of the order is £10,000 or more. The turnaround time can be as quick as three to seven days, but it can even take up to two to three weeks as well.

 The turnaround time will also affect the pricing of your order too as you can have the option to pay extra to have it done in ‘Express’ time. 

There are usually various prices associated with different turnaround times. Usually, if the brand is more patient with their order, the price will be less as this allows the printing company to have the chance to work on other projects alongside yours. This allows the brand to save money, and it also allows the printing company to save themselves on time, paper, and other resources. In short, if you’re wanting to save money, consider being flexible with the turnaround time.

What are the different types of booklet finishes

There are a number of special finishes that can contribute to the cost of your booklet order. Foiling for example is a very popular method, as it can grab the attention of the user while also considered to be aesthetically pleasing, but it is considered to be one of the more expensive booklet finishes. There are a variety of booklet finishes and each one will vary in cost.

• Foiling
• Embossing
• Gloss lamination
• Spot UV gloss
• Soft Touch Laminationl
• Matt lamination
• Die-cutting

It’s best to ask the printing company that you plan to use for your project and ask them about the different finish costs.

What are the different types of booklets?

Booklets come in different formats and types depending on the usage needs, making them a very versatile printed document and great for multiple purposes within organisations. 

For example, these small and handy booklets can be packed with information for educational purposes – or they could be used to display imagery. The type of booklet can often have an effect on the cost of a booklet so bear this mind. Here are just a handful of the different types of booklets and how the use case can affect the cost of your booklet. 

Portfolios

Art and design based-businesses would greatly benefit from having portfolios. Portfolios are made to showcase the art and proficiency that a company has whether it be art, graphic design, architecture, or even something such as interior design. Portfolios give a general idea of the quality of work from the company and display past projects. 

Generally, portfolios in booklet format will use high quality imagery and finishes to reflect the quality of the art or work which can affect the cost of these booklets. Careful paper selection and finishes are essential for a high quality portfolio printing. 

Recipe booklets

Recipe booklets are – as the name suggest – used to display recipes and are jammed packed with fun and interesting recipes for customers to try. These are often used by companies that are selling cooking equipment, food such as sauces or spices, but they can even be used by restaurants. These little recipe booklets tend to be designed by chefs and geared towards the brand’s customer base.

Recipe booklets use lots of imagery as you would expect. They are quite often wiro bound too. This allows the infoirmation to diplayed flat onto a surface making them more user friendly. Quite often, a recipe booklet will have laminated paper that can wipe clean so that the recipe can be referred back to time and time again. 

Newsletter

This type of booklet is typically used by businesses to let their customers know a bit more about the company. It can contain various things such as their vision statement, policies, who the staff is, their accomplishments and so much more. Newsletters are also great for keeping customers updated whenever a business reaches a new milestone or plans to implement some changes. This can be a great way to build a relationship with customers.

Newsletters are often a lower cost booklet as they don’t usually contain high specification papers or finishes. .

Instruction Booklets

An instruction manual is commonly known as an “owner’s manual”, which displays information and instructions for an owner of a product. This may contain information such as installation process, warranties, contact information for help, guarantees, safety instructions, how to assemble, and maintenance. 

Most instruction booklets are printed in black on inexpensive papers , so the cost per booklet can be lower. 

Brochure booklets 

A brochure tends to come in different sizes, but they usually will contain the same general information. Often, they can be effective in booklet format – especially when the brochure is designed to be referred back to frequently, or if you’re looking for a high class finish. Brochure booklets will contain descriptions, information, as well as pictures of the product.

 Brochure content can vary depending on the aim of the brochure – which can have an effect on the cost. For example, a property brochure may have a glossy finish designed to wow recipients, whilst a tourist attraction brochure may be more informative and educational. 

Reference Guide

A reference guide is similar to an instruction manual, but it is a document that would be frequently referred to. This will contain essential information such as key features, contact information for assistance, dos, don’ts, and warranty information. A reference guide may use more durable materials as they’re designed to be referred to frequently. 

Booklet printing cost Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a booklet and a brochure?

A booklet is a small book with multiple pages while a brochure tends to be a one or two page document. Even the paper used can differ. Brochures may use lower quality paper due to thier throw away nature, whilst booklets may have a high quality finish for the front and back. 

How much does booklet design cost?

Booklet designs can vary in price. The cost of booklet designs depends on the customers vision for each page (such as the complexity of the design). Also, the price of the design is influenced by the number of pages to be designs.

 How can I save money on a booklet?

There are several ways that you can lower the cost and save money on your booklet order. One of the best ways would be to purchase booklets in bulk – the more you need to purchase, the cheaper the price. But there are other methods to help save you big.

• Type of paper
• Limit of colour (such as no more than four colours)
• Simple bonding 
• Standard sizing 
• Reduced number of pages 

Ultimately, the price of your booklet printing cost is just going to heavily vary based on your specification. It’ll be determined by the quality, ink, turnaround time, size, and other factors as explained in this article. We would recommend speaking to the booklet printing experts here at Avenue Printing to get a more accurate booklet printing cost according to a rough specification. 

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