Saddle Stitch Booklets: How to Plan Pages and Pick a Size

A saddle stitch booklet is made by printing sheets on both sides, nesting them inside each other, folding them in half and stapling through the fold at the spine. It is the standard binding for programmes, newsletters, orders of service and small catalogues. Because each folded sheet makes four pages, a saddle-stitched booklet's page count is always a multiple of 4. We print saddle-stitched booklets in A5 and A4 with 8 to 24 pages, from 50 copies.

How a saddle-stitched booklet is made

1. Pages are arranged on sheets. Each sheet carries four pages, two on each side, placed so they read in order once folded. This step is called imposition, and we do it for you.
2. The sheets are printed on both sides.
3. The sheets are nested one inside another, with the sheet holding the covers on the outside.
4. The stack is folded in half along the spine. In a stitching machine the open sheets sit over a pointed support shaped like a saddle, which is where the name comes from.
5. Staples go through the fold. Despite the word stitch, there is no thread. Our booklets get two staples along the spine.
6. The open edges are trimmed flat, so every page lines up.

The glossary entry on saddle stitching gives a short definition.

Why the page count is a multiple of 4

One sheet folded in half gives four pages. Two sheets give eight, three give twelve, and so on. The covers are part of the count, because with a self cover they are printed on the outer sheet.

A 10-page or 14-page saddle-stitched booklet is not possible, because two extra pages would be a loose half sheet with nothing for the staples to hold. Use spare pages for a contents page, a photo, notes or contact details rather than leaving blanks mid-booklet. Our booklet page count guide shows how pages sit on each sheet and how to set up a file in Word.

When saddle stitching is the right choice

Saddle stitching suits booklets that are read cover to cover and handed out in quantity:

• event, concert and theatre programmes;
• funeral and wedding orders of service (see our order of service guide);
• club, parish and school newsletters;
• small catalogues, price guides and menus;
• welcome packs, handbooks and annual reviews.

What it does well:

• It opens at the centre. The middle spread lies open across both pages, so a picture or table can run across the fold.
• It is light. With a self cover, the booklet stays slim and flexible, easy to post or put in a bag.
• Nothing to glue. There is no glued spine, so the booklet does not crack when opened.

When it is not the right choice

• Very few pages. For four or six panels, an A4 sheet folded to A5 or DL is simpler. See folded leaflets and our guide to half, roll and Z folds.
• More than 24 pages. Our saddle-stitched booklets go up to 24 pages. Thick books such as novels and manuals are usually bound with a glued square spine (perfect binding), which we do not offer.
• A title printed on the spine. A saddle-stitched booklet has a folded spine, not a flat one, so there is no room to print on it.

Creep: what happens in the middle pages

When sheets are nested and folded, the inner sheets push out a little further than the outer ones at the open edge. After trimming, the centre pages lose slightly more at the outside edge than the cover does. This is creep, and it grows with the page count.

The fix is a safe margin: keep text, page numbers and logos at least 8mm inside the trim on every page, and a little more near the spine, so nothing is cut off or lost in the fold.

Our saddle-stitched booklets

Prices are read from our live price list; booklets are zero-rated for VAT where they qualify, and delivery to UK mainland addresses is free. The A5 booklet page and A4 booklet page show the price for every page count, and our A5 booklet and A4 booklet guides compare them in more detail.

Supplying a file for saddle stitching

Send one PDF of single pages in reading order, front cover first and back cover last, each at the page size plus 3mm of bleed. Do not send printer spreads or use a booklet print setting: we impose the pages ourselves, and doing it twice puts them in the wrong order. Our free booklet templates number every page and mark the spine edge, and the artwork guidelines list the other checks. Printed booklets are normally zero-rated for VAT; see VAT on printing.

Questions

What is a saddle stitch booklet? A booklet made from sheets printed on both sides, nested inside each other, folded in half and stapled through the fold at the spine. Each sheet gives four pages, so the page count is always a multiple of 4.

Why is it called saddle stitching? In the stitching machine, the opened sheets are draped over a pointed support shaped like a saddle while staples are driven through the fold. The staples are called stitches in this sense; there is no thread.

How many pages can a saddle stitch booklet have? Any multiple of 4. We print saddle-stitched booklets with 8, 12, 16, 20 or 24 pages, covers included, in A5 and A4.

Is saddle stitching the same as stapled? Yes. A saddle-stitched booklet is stapled through the fold at the spine. A stack of sheets stapled in one corner is not saddle stitching, because the sheets are not folded.

Do the covers count as pages? Yes. The front cover, inside front cover, inside back cover and back cover are four of the pages. An 8-page saddle-stitched booklet has those four cover pages and four inside pages.

What is the alternative to saddle stitching for thicker books? Thick books are usually perfect bound, with the pages glued into a square spine. We do not offer perfect binding; our saddle-stitched booklets go up to 24 pages.

Do I need to arrange the pages for saddle stitching? No. Send single pages in reading order. We arrange them on the sheets, and the on-screen proof shows every page in order so you can check it before you pay.