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Printing 101: Flyers vs Brochures vs Booklets?!...Let’s talk about the differences...

Posted by Shannon Forrest on Thursday, May 3, 2018

Welcome to another Printing 101 blog entry - Today we're going to talk about Flyers vs Brochures vs Booklets and their differences….

A Flyer is a single sheet of paper (that doesn’t actually fly ;) or will it?), typically sized to 8.5x11 (can vary slightly larger/smaller) and can be printed on one or both sides. Flyers are best for short term use or quick messages like advertising a particular sale, event upcoming etc. They are most often produced on text weights as that helps to keep the budget in check.

Brochures on the other hand are printed on both sides and can be folded in a variety of ways, as shown below. Oh, how I love a good illustration!  Generally, brochures are printed with the intention of being well handled and kept around, so they are best printed on a more durable paper with a protective coating like AQ.  What’s AQ you’re wondering? An abbreviation for aqueous, meaning a water-based coating that helps to prevent finger printing, seal in the ink and speeds up the dry time. AQ ensures your marketing materials get out on time, increases the longevity and look super sharp! 

Some cool folds to target your audiences…

And last but not least what’s a booklet?!…  booklets are bound containing multiple sheets … an easy rule… if your job doesn’t require binding it’s not considered a booklet to us. They are typically a main marketing tool that’s printed with AQ, using a combination of text and cover weights.... a show piece to be appreciated.

Booklets can be bound using a variety of methods, but most commonly by the use of staples (sometimes referred to as saddle stitched or corner stapling), wire-o binding, plastic coil binding, loop binding or using glues ie perfect binding. There’s a lot to say about booklets....and of course more fun illustrations to add in, so this topic needs to be continued, stay tuned …..

To summarize:

Flyers - a flat sheet of paper, printed on one side or two.

Brochures - flat sheet of paper, double sided and folded… there are many folds to consider.

Booklets - multiple sheets bound together, two sided… many binding styles available.

:)

Cheers!~