A catalogue or magazine is bound one of two ways at most page counts: saddle stitched in multiples of four pages, from 8 to about 64, or perfect bound from about 40 pages with a square, printable spine. Text pages run 128–157 gsm and covers are a heavier laminated card. The binding decides the page count, the margins and the schedule.
A catalogue is a bound book of products or services laid out for browsing, with a laminated cover. A magazine is a periodical issue on coated text stock, stitched for slim issues and glued once the spine is thick. They are the same kind of printed object, and this guide covers the choices that decide how they are built.
Which binding suits a catalogue or magazine?
Saddle stitching takes page counts in multiples of four, from 8 pages to about 64, and it is the binding that opens nearly flat. Perfect binding starts at about 40 pages and gives a printable square spine. Wire-O opens completely flat and takes any page count.
Slim issues are stitched, and thicker ones are glued. Between 40 and 64 pages either binding can be specified, so the decision is about how the book is used: a book that must be found on a shelf wants a spine you can print on, and one that must lie open wants saddle stitch or wire-O.
| Binding | Page counts | Opens flat? | Printable spine? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saddle stitch | Multiples of four, 8 to about 64 | Nearly flat | No |
| Perfect binding | From about 40 pages | No | Yes, a square spine |
| Wire-O | Any page count | Completely flat | No |
Why does a saddle-stitched book need a page count divisible by four?
A saddle-stitched booklet is made from folded sheets, and one folded sheet is four pages. The page count must therefore be divisible by four. There is no way around it, only ways to fill it. A 22-page document becomes a 24-page book with two blanks.
Plan the extra pages rather than discover them at imposition: a contents list, a notes page or a second image page fills a gap better than a blank. Say plainly which pages are blank in the file you supply. On a thick saddle-stitched book the inner pages also creep outward as the sheets nest, so the outer margin of the centre spread trims narrower than the cover. That is compensated in the imposition, not in your file.
What paper should a catalogue use?
A catalogue is two specifications in one job. Text pages run 128–157 gsm, usually gloss art paper, and the cover is a heavier art card, 310–350 gsm matt or gloss, laminated on the outside face. The text stock decides weight in the hand; the cover stock decides whether the book survives a shelf.
A 128 gsm text page is the standard for image-led catalogues and product ranges: light enough that a 48-page book still closes properly and coated enough that photographs stay sharp. Heavier text stock means fewer pages before a stitched book stops closing; a 12-page book on 350 gsm text stock will not close, and the staple tears through the fold. Where a book is mainly read and written in, such as a manual or workbook, an uncoated text paper is used instead, and its weight is settled on the quote.
How should catalogue artwork and margins be set up?
Supply single pages in reading order, page one being the front cover, each at trim size plus 3 mm bleed on all four sides. Keep a 12 mm margin from the spine on saddle stitch and 15 mm on perfect binding. Never supply printer spreads.
The imposition depends on the binding, the page count and the creep, so a file that has already been paired up has to be taken apart first. A few more rules matter in a catalogue:
- Keep page numbers outside the spine margin. A page number 8 mm from the spine disappears into a perfect-bound gutter.
- Do not run an image across the gutter on a perfect-bound book. On saddle stitch, allow 5 mm of overlap at the gutter.
- Small text is K100 black, with 8 pt as the minimum on text stock.
- Where the cover is a different stock, supply it as a separate file, front and back as single pages.
Send the page count and the text stock before you draw the cover, and the spine width comes back as a figure to build to. It is calculated from the page count and the caliper of the text stock.
How does a glued spine affect the schedule?
Standard turnaround is 7–14 working days for every binding. A perfect-bound spine spends part of that window curing before the book can be trimmed, and trimming early is how a spine splits on the second opening. The cure is planned into the window. Express is quoted per job.
Laminate the cover on the outside only for a perfect-bound book. Glue does not key to film, so lamination on both faces can let the text block pull away from the spine. The cover is laminated before it is bound, never after. Send the page count, size, binding and cover stock together when requesting a quote, so the schedule is confirmed against the whole specification.
Worked example: a 64-page product catalogue
A planning example shows how the choices combine. This one is a 64-page A4 product catalogue, specified the way a quote request would be written, with the binding, the text and cover stocks, the margins, the file format and the timing all stated up front.
Hypothetical planning example. Actual production timing, paper availability, and logistics are confirmed individually upon artwork and specification review.
A trading company wants a catalogue it can shelve, with the title on the spine. The marketing manager sends this specification:
- Size: A4, 210 × 297 mm.
- Extent: 64 pages, perfect bound, so the spine can carry the title.
- Text: 128 gsm gloss art paper, for photographs that stay sharp.
- Cover: 350 gsm matt art card, laminated on the outside face only.
- File: PDF/X-4, single pages in reading order, 3 mm bleed, page numbers kept outside a 15 mm spine margin.
- Timing: standard 7–14 working days, including the glue cure. The request gives the launch date and asks for an express quotation if it is tighter.
Related printing solutions
See booklet, catalogue and profile printing, brochure printing and our guides to choosing booklet binding and proofing a catalogue. When the specification is ready, request a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Why must a saddle-stitched catalogue have a page count divisible by four?
Because a saddle-stitched book is made from folded sheets, and one folded sheet is four pages. A 22-page document becomes a 24-page book with two blanks, so it is better to plan the extra pages than to find them at imposition.
At what page count should a catalogue move to perfect binding?
Saddle stitching takes 8 to about 64 pages. Perfect binding starts at about 40 pages and gives a square, printable spine. Between 40 and 64 pages either binding can work, and the choice depends on how the book will be used.
Should a perfect-bound cover be laminated on both faces?
No. Laminate the outside only. Glue does not key to film, so a cover laminated on both faces can let the text block pull away from the spine.
How should catalogue artwork be supplied?
As a PDF/X-4 of single pages in reading order, page one being the front cover, each page at trim size plus 3 mm bleed. Do not supply printer spreads.
Same-day and urgent printing available. Subject to artwork approval, payment, print type and production availability. Timing confirmed per job.