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  • Booklets & Brochures: What’s the Difference?

    Booklets & Brochures: What’s the Difference?

    As a business owner, getting your business in front of the right people is crucial. And even though we live in a digital world, sometimes the best way to do that is on paper. Brochures have been around for a long time, and are a common way for businesses to share what they do, often being used as a leave behind with prospective clients. But when you want to do something more in-depth, expansive, and useful, a booklet might be the right answer. So, what’s the difference?

    In my line of work, the terms “booklet” and “brochure” are often thrown around interchangeably. But the fact is, while they have similarities, the big, key differences come down to two things: page count and folding options. 

    Brochure mockup for a non-profit organization

    Brochures

    In its most traditional and recognized form, a brochure is a trifolded single sheet of paper. It’s the kind of thing you would likely see if you’re staying in a touristy area and the hotel has a rack full of attractions in the area. 

    For example, I live near Kartchner Caverns. A brochure for Kartchner would likely include pictures of their most stunning formations, the national parks logo, opening hours, prices, and a brief history of the park, as well as a brief overview of why you should visit. 

    For a more traditional B2C or B2B business, a brochure might cover things like a value or mission statement, a bio for their founder, their services, and links to their online presence. 

    The beauty of a brochure is that you have the opportunity to guide the reader through an experience. For a trifold, here’s how that might go:

    The Brochure Experience

    Looking at the first panel of the trifold, the cover, it will typically have an eye-catching, interesting design, a powerful headline, and clear branding.

    Once they open the brochure, they’re presented with two panels. Since people typically read from left to right, you’ll want to plan on them seeing the left panel first. That’s where you can put things like stats about the business, mission and vision statement, or maybe a bio. Then, on the right panel, maybe you have services, or maybe a continuation of more of that ‘high level’ information from the left panel.

    Then, they can open the brochure one more time, and they’re presented with two more panels. A lot of times, those panels can be even melded together a little creatively, because they’re going to be the core offering that you’re excited about sharing. This is a good place to really sell the reader on your offer. However, you have to balance what you’re putting here with everything else in the brochure, because there is a chance your reader may not make it all the way into the brochure. They may open the cover, not find something they’re excited about, and move on. So decide on your non-negotiables, the things you absolutely want them to see, and put those earlier in the experience. 

    Finally, because humans are curious by nature, most people will close up the brochure and flip it over to see what’s on the back. That’s where you should have all of your contact information, website link, social media, maybe a QR code, and even a testimonial. The other benefit of having this information on the back is that if someone never even cracks open the brochure, they can still flip it over and find out how to contact you. 

    Brochures also differ from booklets in how they’re finished, by being folded. There are 10 common ways that a brochure can be folded, and since it’s a single sheet of paper, there’s no additional finishing needed. (Check out my blog, The Business Owner’s Crash Course to Printed Materials, for more on this)

    Booklet design for financial planning practice

    Booklets

    The biggest difference between a brochure and a booklet is that a booklet is often going to be 4+ pages.

    A 4-page piece, which is typically a single sheet of paper folded in half, is a weird gray area. Sometimes it’s considered a half-fold brochure, and sometimes it’s considered a booklet because it tends to be bigger. But it’s not stapled in the middle, so a brochure is the better candidate.

    More often than not, booklets also tend to be ‘full size’ – meaning they have a finished size of 8.5×11, which is a standard piece of paper (like what gets loaded in your printer). That’s not always the case, like in the case of event programs. Those tend to be a little smaller, but they’re still little books with lots of information included about the event you’re attending. 

    A booklet can still guide someone through an experience of information, but the difference being that someone could flip to any page to jump ahead in the story. It’s like a “choose your own adventure” book. 

    Finally, let’s look at how booklets are finished. Booklets are stitched in the middle – often using a couple of staples, but sometimes even with actual needle and thread. Since brochures are a single page, there’s no need for them to be finished in this way. 

    How Do You Decide Which One to Use?

    There are three things to consider when you’re deciding between a booklet and a brochure for your next project.

    1. What and is it for?
    2. Who is it for?
    3. What’s your budget?

    What and who is it for?

    Booklets are great for more robust projects. Things like a welcome guide for new clients, event programs, or even gated content on a website. They’re often something that you want people to hold onto, to reference. Also, if you’re creating something primarily for digital use with the option to print a few copies, booklets display a lot better online than something that’s intended to be folded multiple times.

    Brochures are better for leave-behind pieces. They’re almost like a teaser to your business or to the thing that you’re offering. They’re not nearly big enough to provide all the details, but they can get someone interested enough to look to your website, for example.

    What’s Your Budget?

    Because of the size and the additional cost of finishing, booklets are more expensive. If you’re going to be going meet with a prospective client, do you want to leave them with something that cost you $5-$10+ to complete (when you break down the per-item cost) or something that cost you $1 to complete, knowing you may not ever hear from that person again?

    In conclusion, the difference between a booklet and a brochure really comes down to page count and folding options. If you’re having trouble determining the best path forward for the thing you’re looking to create, let’s chat, and I’ll likely be able to point you in the right direction.

  • A Business Owner’s Crash Course to Printed Materials

    A Business Owner’s Crash Course to Printed Materials

    As a business owner, sometimes you just need to get something printed. To have something physical, tangible, for a specific purpose. 

    A lot of times, this comes up when businesses are launching and you want to have a backstock of things like business cards, letterhead, maybe even folders. Things that make sense for when you’re connecting with new clients. 

    But other times, a more complex need arises, when you’re exploring an asset like a brochure or booklet, or maybe even printed swag items like hats, notepads, pens, or tablecloths. 

    The needs vary for every business, and the choices are practically endless, so where do you even start?

    First: Determine What You Need or Want

    This could be an entire blog topic with all the variables, but really it comes down to what you want the end result to look like. Maybe you’ve seen something that looked really cool that you want to replicate. Or maybe you have an idea for an end result. Either way, you’ve got to figure out the details.

    For paper goods, things to think about include: 

    • How big your paper needs to be
    • How many sheets of paper it will take
    • How they’ll be finished – folded, bound, perforated, glossy, matte, satin, etc.

    If you’re printing swag items, you’ll want to think about:

    • Color
    • Function
    • Material
    • What you want on it (there’s usually size restrictions)

    Regardless, you need to know:

    • How many you need
    • When you need them (be reasonable and plan ahead)
    • What you’re willing to spend

    Holy decisions, Batman! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, chat with an expert that can help you navigate.

    Next: Get an Estimate

    Once you know what you want, you can determine how to get it. This isn’t any different than price and feature shopping between Target and Amazon. You’ll start by looking up (or asking for recommendations for) good printers for the type of thing you want to do, and then look at what they’re offering and for how much.* 

    Most online print shops will have an estimating tool, where you can put in all of the specs and it will spit out a price. This is (typically) the same tool you use to order your project. As you click through it, you’ll find that there are a TON of options, and they change depending on the options you choose. Your choices can also affect your total price – sometimes dramatically.

    The most common things that can affect your end price include:

    • Size
    • Quantity (common are: 100, 250, 500, 1,000, 1,250, etc.)
    • Page Count or Folds
    • Rate of Production and Shipping

    As a note, it used to be that when you were printing paper goods, decisions like one sided or two, full color or black and white, would change the price considerably. Now, the difference is literal pennies with most printers. Where minute details like that come into play is when you’re printing swag, especially things like engraved pens.

    *For super specialty items or finishes – like perforations in a brochure, for example – some printers won’t have the capabilities to do that. If you’re not finding it on their website, they’ll often have a chat feature where you can determine if that’s something they can do, or if it would be a custom order (usually more expensive).

    Order a Sample Pack

    When you’re neck deep in the estimating process, you’ll find that many times, the paper types and weights might as well be written in another language. 

    How do you overcome that? Order a sample pack! Most reputable print shops will offer these for free, and you can usually find the link to order in the footer of their websites. They do this because they can 1) collect your contact info and market to you later, and 2) they know that you’re more likely to be thrilled with the end result. 

    Smartpress Sample Pack
    Sample Pack from SmartPress

    Some sample packs will come with a variety of items (business cards, notecards, letterhead, and brochures), while others will come like a paint swatch book. Regardless of the format, look for the fine print that details the paper weight on each item, and use how the paper feels to figure out what you like. 

    Folding & Finishing

    If you’re working on a brochure or booklet project, it’s important to consider how you want it to be folded and finished. Did you know that there are 10 ways that a brochure can be folded? Most folks are familiar with the bifold, trifold, and maybe even the roll fold, but there are other less common and more complex options out there too. 

    brochure folding guide from PrimoPrint
    Brochure folding guide from PrimoPrint

    When working with a client on a brochure project, I like to think about how something opens, and what the experience will be as someone navigates the brochure. (Check out this reel for a demo)

    When working on a booklet project, the most important thing to remember is that your page count has to be divisible by four! Sometimes, that means adding in some blank or decorative pages to get where you need to be.

    As far as finishes go, do you want your piece to be ultra glossy? Would you like it to feel satiny-smooth? Or maybe you want to avoid fingerprints. All of these factors come into play with the finishes. 

    Good Printing Isn’t Cheap

    There is a well-known budget printer out there that I usually won’t ever use or recommend.* When asked why, it comes down to two things: the quality doesn’t usually result in what I expect, and the customer service is atrocious. In the printing world, the adage “you get what you pay for” is very true. 

    Common items – like a standard business card – are going to be reasonably priced, generally, wherever you go. When it comes to more complex items, prices can differ greatly, and available options can too. If you know this going in, you can make an informed decision as to what fits your budget and where the best place is to get it. 

    Some things you should look for in a printing company include:

    • Do they make it easy for you to leverage their service? Look for things like templates, layout recommendations, clear descriptions, and good pictures. Also, if their website feels outdated or clunky, it’s a good chance their equipment will be as well – they’re likely not investing in the best.
    • Do they offer sample packs for free? While this isn’t a must, it’s a good indicator that they’ve thought through their process and prices and figured out how they can make the experience better for the customer.
    • Do they have an easy customer support opportunity, like a chat feature?
    • What are their reviews like OFF of their website? Consider websites like the BBB, TrustPilot, and even Yelp, Google, or social media.
    • Are they considering or leveraging things that are important to you – like carbon neutrality, green printing options, a give-back program, etc.?

    *My experience may not be the experience of others, and I’m intentionally not naming names. Get in touch if you’re looking for a specific recommendation.

    Finally: Place the Order

    When you’re ready to place your order, it’s about as serious as signing a contract. You want to make sure that you’ve got everything just so, because there’s no take-backsies. If something is wrong (like a typo, watermarked picture, or paper choice) it’s on your dime to reprint. Most print shops will make this abundantly clear as you navigate the checkout process. 

    My favorite print shops also have a real human who is checking your files before sending them to print, and some even offer soft or hard proofing options. These pros will be quick to call out concerns like image quality, lack of bleed, or missing fonts so that you know you’re getting exactly what you want.

    Why Can’t I Just Print at My Office?

    The short answer is that you can, but it might not be your best choice. There are two big things to think about depending on what you’re printing: 

    The first: in-office printers typically can’t print off the edge of a paper, because they have to be able to grab the sheet to feed it through the machine. So if you’ve got something where the color or image runs all the way up to the edge, it’s going to have a white border instead.

    The second: if you have something that is supposed to be a specific size or folded a specific way… that’s on you to do. Whereas a professional printer has big fancy machines that trim projects down to size and that can fold them up in a specific, calibrated, always-the-same kind of way. 

    There is so much to consider when you’re having something printed that it can be in your best interest to at least chat with someone with experience. They may even be able to introduce you to something you’ve never considered that takes your project to the next level.