It’s taken late nights, countless drafts, and endless edits. But after all the hours you invested, you are finally ready to transform your hard work into a printed booklet. And whether it’s a sales packet, an informational brochure, or a product catalog, our versatile, affordable saddle-stitch binding services deliver only the highest quality for your project—to reflect the same caliber of the work you put into it.
Saddle stitch booklets give you a low-cost, high-impact product that looks and feels very professional.
Build a booklet that will turn heads—and keep your customers turning pages. Saddle stitch binding lets you create professional, customizable pieces without breaking the bank, so your product will always feel on point and on brand.
Have an idea, but need a designer to bring it to life? We can do that! Our on-staff designers have years of experience. Ask for a custom quote if you need design services.
Digital Press Offers High-Quality Catalog Printing Services
Full-color catalog printing online at Digital Press is fast yet affordable. Upload your files, and we will do the rest! Your catalogs can be filled with all the information your customers might need to make a purchase or make a final decision about partnering with your company. New business? Use catalogs to let potential clients know who you are and what you do. You can feature special offers and highlight "best-selling" products to entice sales. Because of our flexible quantity options, you can print a short run to test it out or in bulk if you know you have a winner.
Our online ordering saves you time and money! With a wide variety of options, we will help make your vision come to life.
Save more money when you order catalogs in bulk. Our set-up is the same for one book or one hundred books. There are huge savings per piece in larger quantities.
Paper Quality
Once you have decided to create a catalog, you are faced with many more decisions, one of which is the type of paper you will be using.
Paper comes in many different weights and sizes. The size of your paper is a matter of choice. Your catalog design will determine if you use an 8.5x5.5 or an 8.5x11 size. The weight of your paper is another story. A good quality paper can be 70lb coated, 80lb uncoated, or 100lb coated. These are all good options and will result in a good catalog, but make sure to choose the right one for your image. For instance, a discount supplies catalog doesn't need heavy-weight paper, while a high-end product catalog will need the more expensive weight of paper to seem legitimate.
While there are many components that makeup catalog printing, choosing the right paper is still one of the more important aspects. If you are undecided or having trouble understanding the differences, let us know! Our team of experts will guide you.
We are available to give you advice on the paper that will suit your needs the best. Give us a call and we can talk about the direction you want to take your catalog. Our seasoned veterans’ advice will be invaluable.
Finishes
Uncoated paper, also called white offset, is used for books. This would be a good choice for a basic price list kind of catalog - no-frills, just business. A coated paper adds a level of attractiveness to your catalog. Glossy finishes make product photos look their best, giving the pages a slightly reflective quality and a smooth texture, perfect for a print catalog with many color photos. Matte finishes are elegant without being shiny and causing a glare.
If you're looking to upgrade the quality while keeping costs low, try adding a glossy or matte cardstock cover for an extra boost of professionalism. It will make your catalog come to life. Because unfortunately, many readers still tend to judge a book by its cover. For full-color booklets with a lot of graphics, consider using the 80# or 100# Text Gloss for the inside.
Bleed Printing
Do you need printing to go to the edge, leaving no white border? If so, set up your bleed to extend 1/8” past the finished size of your booklet. For example an 8.5”x11” book with bleed will have an art size of 8.75”x11.25”.
If you have any questions about saddle stitch binding, including setting up your files for stapled booklets, please feel free to call or email.
How Are Saddle Stitch Booklets Bound?
Pages are arranged and printed 2-up on each side of a sheet yielding 4 pages per sheet.
Sheets are folded in half and nested so pages read in the correct sequence.
Booklets are stapled twice on the fold.
Edges are trimmed to eliminate page creep.
The staples go through the fold or saddle, hence the term saddle stitch booklet.
The low cost and simple elegance of stapled booklets make them a great choice for magazines, event programs, team memory books, playbills, business reports, student publications, and more.
Saddle Stitch Binding Page Count
Because each sheet creates 4 pages in your finished booklet, page counts must go in multiples of 4.
Stapled booklets can accommodate up to 68 pages (64 + cover).
Saddle Stitch Book Design Tips
Please set up your files 1-printed-page per page in your file, not as reader spreads (where pages 1 and 2 appear side by side).
We will automatically sequence each page so that booklets read in the right order. Reader spreads will not let us do that and will result in printing booklet pages out of order. If your pages are already arranged correctly in booklet spreads, we can print these but do not recommend setting up your spreads manually.
What is a saddle stitch booklet?
A saddle-stitched booklet is a booklet that is stitched (stapled) on the spine with two staples to hold the books together.
When should I print saddle stitch booklets?
Saddle-stitched books are economical but also yield high-quality products. They are a great alternative to the more costly perfect-bound books. If you are in a time crunch, consider a short, digital run. Quantities up to 1000 can be turned quickly.
Why do page counts go in 4's?
A saddle-stitched book is printed with 4 pages per sheet. The pages are nestled and folded in half then stitched. Files with page count not divisible by 4 will result in blank pages at the end of the book. If you want the backside of the cover blank or blank pages within the book, please add blank pages into your file. The blank pages count in your file page count. Your file should have one of the following page counts: 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68. Books with larger page counts than 68 (64 pages + 4-page cover).
Do you print 4-page booklets?
4-page booklets are brochures. You can find them in the brochure section.
What paper should I use to avoid see-through to the backside?
If you are wanting an uncoated stock, as for an opaque. Several brands offer this. Coated stocks are opaque.
Will I receive digital proof before you print my booklets?
Yes, digital proofs will be available as soon as you upload your file.
Is there a limit for saddle stitch binding page count?
Yes, 68 pages (including cover). Books larger than that need to be either spiral bound or perfect bound.
Can you mail my printed booklets?
Yes! You can provide a mailing list, or we can help you purchase one for your target area.
What is the difference between a catalog and a booklet?
A catalog has a card stock cover, where a booklet uses the same stock for the cover and the inside pages.
What is the difference between a printer spread and a reader spread?
A spread is two pages side-by-side. Printer spreads are set with the first and last page together and continue this pattern until all pages are accounted for (paginated). For example, A 20-page book will have the following spreads: Page 1 and Page 20, Page 2 and Page 19, Page 3 and Page 18, Page 4 and Page 17, Page 5 and Page 16, Page 6 and Page 15, Page 7 and Page 14, Page 8 and Page 13, Page 9 and Page 12, Page 10 and Page 11, with the last two pages being the center of the book.
Reader spreads are for looking at the booklet in reading order. For example, The same 20-page booklet will have the following spreads: Page 1 and Page 2, Page 3 and Page 4, Page 4 and Page 5, etc. A printer cannot utilize reader spreads, the book would not print correctly. Page 2 would be on the front cover, and Page 1 would be on the back cover. All of the pages would be completely out of order.
The low cost and simple elegance of stapled booklets make them a great choice for magazines, event programs, team memory books, playbills, business reports, student publications, and more.
We will automatically sequence each page so that booklets read in the right order. Reader spreads will not let us do that and will result in printing booklet pages out of order. If your pages are already arranged correctly in booklet spreads, we can print these but do not recommend setting up your spreads manually.
Digital Press is here to help you make your vision a reality. If you do not find what you are looking for, give us a call. Our experts are on hand to guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have.