Choosing the Right Booklet Size for Your Project

Putting together a booklet but not sure what size to go for?

You might be working on a company brochure, an event programme or a small guide for customers to take away. Whatever you’re printing, the size you choose can make quite a difference to how the finished booklet looks and feels.

An A4 brochure gives you plenty of room for photographs and detailed information, while something smaller, like A5 or A6, can be much easier to carry around.

Of course, there are a few other sizes to consider too.

We’ve put together a look at the most common booklet sizes and dimensions, along with some practical advice to help you decide which will work best for your project.

What Are the Standard Booklet Sizes?

A4, A5 and A6 are familiar sizes, but they’re not your only options when it comes to booklet printing. DL and square formats are also worth considering, particularly if you’ve got a specific layout or design in mind.

Here’s how the different sizes compare.

These are the finished dimensions, measured when the booklet is closed.

For example, an A5 stapled booklet measures 148 × 210mm, even though it’s printed on larger sheets that are folded and stitched together.

The size you choose will also depend on how you want your booklet bound, as not every format is available with every binding option.

Choosing a Size That Works for Your Content

It’s easy to pick a size because you’re familiar with it, but have a think about what you’re actually putting inside your booklet.

A publication full of product photographs and specifications needs a different layout from a short event programme. The amount of information, how it’s arranged and where the booklet will be used can all help you narrow down your options.

A4 Booklets – When You Need More Space

A4 is a familiar choice for company brochures, product catalogues and reports, especially when there’s quite a lot of information to get across.

At 210 × 297mm, there’s room for larger photographs, tables, diagrams and detailed descriptions without making the pages feel overcrowded.

Imagine you’re producing a catalogue with several products on each page. You’ll need space for photographs, product details and prices, and A4 gives you more flexibility when arranging everything.

It’s also a good option for publications people are likely to sit down and read, such as company reports or training materials.

The finished booklet will naturally be larger than an A5 or A6 version, so consider how it will be distributed and whether that extra space is something your content really needs.

A5 Booklets – A Handy All-Rounder

A5 is half the size of A4 and measures 148 × 210mm.

It’s a popular choice for booklets because it gives you a decent amount of space to work with while keeping the finished publication comfortable to hold.

Take an event programme, for example. You might need a running order, a few photographs, information about the venue and some sponsor advertisements. A5 gives you room to arrange those elements without producing something unnecessarily large.

It also works nicely for visitor guides, promotional brochures and publications introducing customers to your products or services.

If you’re weighing up A4 against A5, try laying out a couple of pages at both sizes. You may find the smaller format works perfectly well for the content you’ve got.

A6 Booklets – Small, Practical and Easy to Carry

A6 measures 105 × 148mm, making it one of the smaller booklet formats.

It’s particularly handy for pocket guides, short programmes and information booklets that people might want to keep in their bag.

With less space on each page, the design needs a little more thought.

For example, a 24-page event programme containing short descriptions and a simple timetable could work really well at A6. But if you’re planning to include detailed schedules, several photographs and sponsor adverts, A5 might give you a more comfortable layout.

Text size is another consideration. Something that looks perfectly readable on a computer screen can become quite small once printed.

If you’re working with wider artwork, an A6 landscape booklet is another option. The dimensions stay the same, but the orientation gives you a different way to arrange your content.

DL Booklets – A Slimmer Format

At 99 × 210mm, DL booklets have a tall, narrow shape.

That can work nicely for designs containing short sections of text, individual photographs or information arranged vertically.

They’re a useful option for promotional brochures, visitor information and other publications where you want something a little different from the usual A-series sizes.

The narrower page does mean you need to think about your layout. Long paragraphs and large tables can be awkward to fit into such a slim space.

It’s also worth remembering that a DL booklet isn’t the same as a folded DL leaflet. They might share the same finished dimensions, but a booklet contains multiple bound pages, whereas a folded leaflet is produced from a sheet folded into panels.

Square Booklets – Let the Images Do the Talking

Square booklets can look particularly good when photography or visual design is a big part of the publication.

A 210 × 210mm booklet gives you a generous page area, making it an interesting choice for portfolios, property brochures and product showcases.

Rather than arranging everything around a traditional portrait page, you’ve got a different shape to work with. That can suit larger photographs, image-led layouts and designs where you want to give individual products plenty of attention.

Have a look at the proportions of your images before settling on a square format, though. Wide photographs may need cropping or a different layout to make the most of the available space.

Portrait or Landscape – Which Way Should Your Booklet Open?

Once you’ve chosen a size, there’s still the orientation to think about.

Portrait is what most people associate with a booklet. The page is taller than it is wide, making it a natural choice for written content, product descriptions and photographs arranged down the page.

Landscape gives you more width.

If you’re producing something with panoramic photographs, maps or wide illustrations, a landscape booklet might suit your artwork better.

Think about a brochure showcasing holiday accommodation. If you’ve got some lovely wide-angle photographs of the rooms and surroundings, a landscape design gives you more room to show them off.

For something like a company report, where the main focus is written information, portrait may be the more straightforward choice.

The binding position matters too, especially with landscape booklets. Make sure you know which edge will be bound before finalising the design.

Think About the Finished Booklet, Not Just the Page Size

Something that’s easy to overlook is how your booklet will actually be used once it’s printed.

If you’re producing hundreds of event programmes, for example, people will probably be carrying them around throughout the day. An A5 or A6 booklet could be more convenient than A4.

A company brochure sitting on a reception desk has a different job. You might prefer a larger format that gives your photographs and information more space.

And if you’re posting your booklets, their finished dimensions and weight will affect the packaging and potentially the postage costs.

The number of pages matters as well.

Stapled booklets are normally produced in page counts divisible by four, such as 8, 12, 16 or 24 pages.

As the page count increases, so does the thickness of the booklet. Depending on the paper used, the inner pages can extend slightly further than the outer pages before trimming. This is known as creep.

It’s something printers account for during production, but it also highlights why leaving enough space around important text and images is useful.

If you’re still deciding how your booklet should be bound, our booklet printing guide explains the different options available.

Getting Your Booklet Artwork Ready for Print

Once you’ve settled on a size, make sure your artwork matches the finished dimensions.

For an A5 booklet, that means setting up each page at 148 × 210mm before adding bleed.

We recommend allowing 3mm bleed wherever images or background colours extend to the edge of the page. Important text and logos should also sit safely inside the trim area, with additional space near the binding where needed.

Images should ideally be prepared at 300dpi at their intended printed size, and we’d recommend supplying your finished artwork as a print-ready PDF.

For most standard stapled booklets, the artwork should be supplied as individual pages in reading order rather than arranged into printer’s spreads. Check the requirements for your chosen product before submitting your files.

One tip we’d recommend is printing a sample page at its actual size.

You don’t need anything fancy. Even an ordinary office printer can help you judge whether your text is readable and whether the layout feels too crowded.

It’s especially useful if you’re torn between A5 and A6.

And remember, every StressFreePrint order includes a free artwork check before printing, so our team can help identify any problems with your supplied files.

Ready to Put Your Booklet Together?

Whether you’re printing a company brochure, an event programme or a small information guide, choosing the right size can make a big difference to the finished result.

If you’re still undecided, look at how much content you’ve got and where your booklet will be used. Even printing a couple of sample pages can help you make up your mind.

Once you’re happy with your choice, you can explore our brochures and booklets range and choose your paper, binding and other print options.

And if you’ve got something a little different in mind, including an unusual size or a particular specification, just get in touch. We’re always happy to discuss what’s possible.