Cliffe Enterprise provides independent brochure printing and print management for businesses, marketing teams, agencies, charities, visitor attractions, public-sector organisations and other organisations throughout the UK.
A brochure may be relatively straightforward to print, but its specification can have a significant effect on cost, appearance and performance.
Finished size, pagination, paper, binding, finishing, quantity and production method all interact.
Rather than requiring your brochure to fit the equipment of a particular printing plant, we start with the brochure itself: what it needs to achieve, how many copies are required, how it should look and feel, when it is needed, how it will be distributed and what budget is available.
We can then determine an appropriate production route and select manufacturing capability suited to the specification.
Whether your brochure specification is already complete or you are still deciding on size, paper, binding or finishing, involving us before everything is fixed gives us the greatest opportunity to improve production efficiency and control cost.
Already have a brochure specification? Ask us to price it.
Still planning your brochure? Talk to us before you finalise the specification.
Brochure Printing Built Around the Requirement
There is no single correct way to print a brochure.
A short-run corporate brochure, high-volume product brochure, visitor guide and premium sales brochure can all require different approaches.
The appropriate production route depends on the interaction between:
- quantity;
- finished size;
- pagination;
- paper;
- colour requirements;
- binding;
- finishing;
- schedule;
- distribution; and
- budget.
We consider those elements together rather than treating them as separate decisions.
This is particularly useful before artwork is finalised because relatively small changes to size, pagination or paper can sometimes make a substantial difference to manufacturing efficiency.
Corporate Brochure Printing
Corporate brochures often need to communicate quality and credibility while remaining practical and commercially sensible to produce.
They may be used for sales presentations, exhibitions, customer meetings, investor or stakeholder communications and general business development.
Paper and finishing can contribute significantly to the impression the publication creates, but heavier papers and elaborate finishing do not automatically produce a better brochure.
The specification should reflect the organisation, audience and intended use.
For some projects that may mean a substantial uncoated paper and understated finish. For others, coated paper, strong photographic reproduction and a laminated or specialist-finished cover may be more appropriate.
Our role is to help determine a specification that achieves the intended result without adding production cost that contributes little to the finished brochure.
Product and Sales Brochures
Product brochures need to balance visual impact with practical communication.
Photography, product information, technical data and pricing may all need to work together within the same publication.
Where products or prices change regularly, quantity becomes particularly important.
A lower unit print price is of little value if large quantities subsequently become obsolete.
For repeat or frequently updated brochures, we can consider the relationship between run length, unit cost, stock holding and likely usage rather than automatically producing the largest possible quantity.
Marketing Brochures
Brochures remain useful where a physical publication supports a wider marketing campaign.
They may be handed out at exhibitions, mailed to prospects, supplied to sales teams, distributed through branches or venues, inserted into other publications or requested after an online enquiry.
How the brochure will be used should influence how it is produced.
A brochure intended primarily for direct mail may need particular attention to finished weight.
A brochure designed for repeated handling may benefit from greater durability.
A publication intended for a premium sales presentation may justify a different paper or finishing specification.
Understanding the intended use helps us determine where production expenditure adds genuine value.
Visitor, Tourism and Attraction Brochures
Cliffe has extensive experience managing printed material where brochures, guides and supporting literature need to be produced, stored and distributed throughout the year.
Visitor attractions and tourism organisations can have particularly varied requirements.
Brochures may be supplied to visitors directly, distributed through tourist information points, mailed following enquiries, used at events or held as part of a wider stock of marketing material.
In these circumstances, the print requirement cannot always be considered separately from stock management and distribution.
Quantity, storage, replenishment and obsolescence all become part of the commercial decision.
How Should Your Brochure Be Printed?
Brochures can be produced using digital printing, sheetfed lithography, web offset and specialist production methods.
The appropriate process depends on the complete specification rather than quantity alone.
Digital Brochure Printing
Digital production can be particularly useful for shorter quantities, multiple versions and brochures that change frequently.
It can also allow organisations to produce smaller quantities more often rather than holding large stocks of material that may become outdated.
Sheetfed Lithographic Brochure Printing
Sheetfed lithography can be highly effective for medium and longer brochure runs and provides considerable flexibility in paper, format and finishing.
It is frequently appropriate for corporate, marketing and product brochures where photographic reproduction and paper choice are important.
Web-Offset Brochure Printing
For suitable higher-volume requirements, web-offset production can offer substantial manufacturing efficiencies.
Whether it is appropriate depends on quantity, pagination, format, paper, finishing and the characteristics of the individual project.
There is therefore no universal quantity at which a brochure automatically moves from one printing process to another.
We assess the complete requirement and select the production route accordingly.
Brochure Sizes and Print Efficiency
A4, A5 and DL are familiar brochure formats, but brochures can be produced in almost any practical finished size.
Bespoke formats can be highly effective creatively.
However, finished dimensions also determine how efficiently pages fit the sheet or web used during manufacture.
A relatively small adjustment to finished size can sometimes improve paper utilisation significantly without materially changing the appearance of the brochure.
Conversely, an apparently minor increase in size can create substantial paper waste across a large production run.
That does not mean every brochure should be forced into a standard format.
It means the manufacturing consequences of the chosen dimensions should ideally be understood before artwork is finalised.
Brochure Pagination
Pagination influences both design and production efficiency.
Most conventionally printed and bound brochures work in page counts divisible by four, but not every multiple of four is equally efficient to manufacture.
Printing presses produce imposed sections containing multiple pages.
Press format, paper, finished size and binding therefore influence which paginations are most efficient for a particular production route.
This becomes increasingly important as quantity rises.
If the content is still flexible, we can review likely pagination before the artwork is completed.
Choosing Paper for a Brochure
Paper affects colour reproduction, readability, opacity, bulk, weight, binding, postage and the physical character of the finished brochure.
The most expensive or heaviest stock is not automatically the best choice.
Coated Paper
Coated papers are frequently used where photography, illustration and strong colour reproduction are important.
Gloss, silk and other coated surfaces create different visual and tactile results.
Uncoated Paper
Uncoated papers can create a softer, more natural appearance and are particularly effective where typography, illustration or a tactile quality forms an important part of the design.
They can also support a very different brand presentation from a conventional coated sheet.
Paper Weight and Bulk
Paper grammage is measured in gsm, but grammage alone does not determine how substantial a paper feels.
Bulk, stiffness, opacity and surface all matter.
Two papers of the same grammage can behave and feel quite differently.
The correct paper therefore needs to be considered in relation to the complete brochure rather than selected solely from a gsm figure.
Brochure Covers
A brochure can be produced as a self-cover publication, where the cover uses the same paper as the internal pages, or with a separate cover.
Separate covers allow different paper weights, materials and finishes to be combined with the text pages.
This can add durability and visual distinction without requiring every page in the brochure to use a heavy stock.
For thicker brochures, the interaction between cover, text paper, pagination and binding becomes increasingly important.
Brochure Binding
The appropriate binding method depends principally on pagination, paper bulk, intended use and desired appearance.
Saddle Stitching
Saddle stitching uses wire stitches through the folded spine.
It is widely used for brochures and can provide an economical, clean and durable result.
The practical maximum pagination depends on the thickness and bulk of the selected paper rather than on a single fixed page count.
Perfect and PUR Binding
Thicker brochures can be adhesive bound to create a square spine.
Perfect or PUR binding can give a brochure the appearance and handling characteristics of a small book or substantial publication.
The spine width is determined by the selected text paper and pagination and should therefore be established before the cover artwork is finalised.
Specialist Binding
Thread sewing and other specialist binding or construction methods can also be considered where the design and budget justify them.
Binding should follow the brochure specification rather than dictate it unnecessarily.
Brochure Finishing
Finishing can add protection, texture, contrast and visual impact.
Options can include:
- matt or gloss lamination;
- specialist laminates;
- varnishes;
- foil blocking;
- embossing and debossing;
- die-cutting;
- spot effects;
- folding; and
- specialist cover treatments.
The purpose of the finish matters.
Lamination may provide useful protection to a brochure that will be handled repeatedly.
Foiling or embossing can create an effective premium detail on a corporate publication.
A die-cut may form a genuine part of the design.
But finishing should earn its place in the specification.
Adding processes simply because they are available increases cost and production complexity without necessarily improving the brochure.
Folded Brochures and Leaflets
Not every brochure needs to be bound.
Single-sheet and folded formats can provide highly efficient solutions for shorter marketing pieces, product information, visitor literature and promotional material.
Options can include simple folds, roll folds, concertina folds and other constructions depending on the design.
Folded formats can be particularly efficient where the amount of content does not justify a conventionally bound publication.
As with bound brochures, finished size and panel dimensions should ideally be checked before artwork is completed.
Supplying Brochure Artwork
Print-ready brochure artwork should normally be supplied as a suitable PDF with the correct finished size and bleed.
Files should contain:
- the correct page dimensions;
- appropriate bleed;
- suitable image resolution;
- correctly prepared colour;
- embedded fonts;
- consistent page orientation; and
- pages supplied in reading order rather than imposed printer’s spreads.
For conventional four-colour production, photographic and process-colour content will normally be prepared in CMYK.
As a general starting point, images intended for conventional commercial print should normally be supplied at an appropriate effective resolution for their reproduced size.
Any spot colours, brand-critical colour requirements, die-cutting, foiling or other specialist production elements should be identified clearly.
For perfect- or PUR-bound brochures, the cover spine should not be finalised until text stock and pagination are confirmed.
If you are unsure how the artwork should be prepared, involve us before the files are completed.
Brochure Proofing and Colour Control
The appropriate proofing process depends on what needs to be approved.
A proof used to confirm content, pagination and positioning performs a different role from a calibrated or contract colour proof intended to predict printed colour.
For colour-critical corporate brochures, photography or brand work, that distinction can be important.
We establish the appropriate approval route before manufacture so that content, specification and any critical production requirements are agreed before the brochure goes to press.
Sustainable Brochure Printing
Sustainable brochure production involves more than adding an environmental logo to the finished publication.
Paper source is important, and FSC-certified and recycled paper options can be specified where appropriate.
But efficient use of material matters too.
Finished size, pagination, paper weight and production method can all influence the amount of material consumed.
Run length also matters.
Producing thousands of brochures that subsequently become obsolete is not an efficient use of paper simply because the stock itself carries an environmental certification.
We therefore consider paper source, material efficiency, production quantity, durability and distribution together.
What Determines Brochure Printing Cost?
Brochure printing cost is determined by the interaction of several variables, principally:
- quantity;
- finished size;
- pagination;
- paper;
- printing process;
- binding;
- finishing;
- proofing;
- schedule;
- packing; and
- distribution.
Changing one element can affect several others.
Reducing finished size slightly might improve paper utilisation.
Changing paper can affect cost, bulk, binding and postage.
Changing quantity can alter the most economical production process.
Removing four pages might improve efficiency considerably — or make almost no difference — depending on how the job is imposed.
This is why comparing several prices for exactly the same specification does not always reveal the greatest potential saving.
Sometimes the specification itself is the opportunity.
Brochure Mailing, Fulfilment and Distribution
If brochures need to be mailed, stored, packed or delivered to multiple locations, those requirements should ideally be considered during specification.
Cliffe can coordinate brochure production with:
- direct mail;
- packing;
- fulfilment;
- stock holding;
- pick and pack;
- multi-address delivery;
- UK distribution; and
- international distribution.
Weight and format can materially affect postage and logistics.
For large campaigns, the cost difference created during distribution can exceed a relatively small saving achieved at the printing stage.
Looking at production and distribution together allows us to consider the total delivered cost.
Managing Repeat Brochure Requirements
Many organisations produce brochures and marketing materials throughout the year rather than as isolated print jobs.
Where requirements repeat, we can consider production quantities, stock levels, call-off requirements, specification consistency and distribution as part of the wider print-management process.
This can help avoid two common problems: repeatedly producing small quantities inefficiently, or producing excessive quantities simply to obtain a lower unit price.
The lowest unit manufacturing price is not necessarily the lowest overall cost if a substantial proportion of the stock is never used.
Independent Brochure Print Management
Cliffe Enterprise is an independent print-management company rather than a manufacturer tied to a single printing plant.
We therefore start with the requirement rather than the equipment.
We establish the quantity, size, pagination, paper, binding, finishing, quality requirements, schedule, distribution and budget.
We can then determine an appropriate production route and select manufacturing capability suited to that specification.
That means a short-run brochure does not have to be produced on equipment intended for long runs, while a high-volume requirement does not have to be forced through a manufacturing route better suited to short-run work.
The manufacturing solution follows the brochure.
Brochure Print Management Since 1991
Cliffe Enterprise has provided independent print management since 1991.
Our brochure experience includes long-term relationships with organisations producing significant quantities of marketing and visitor material.
Leeds Castle Enterprises Limited has documented using Cliffe’s print-management service since October 1999, including support with material specification, cost control, stock management and distribution.
Their requirement has included tight production deadlines and the management of significant volumes of printed material.
This illustrates an important part of our approach.
For organisations buying significant quantities of print, producing the brochure is often only one element of the requirement.
Specification, procurement, stock, fulfilment and distribution can all contribute to the actual cost and effectiveness of the project.
Why Use Cliffe for Brochure Printing?
There are many excellent brochure printers in the UK.
If you have a straightforward requirement and already know that a particular printer’s equipment is ideally suited to it, buying directly can be entirely sensible.
Cliffe provides a different service.
We are useful when there are decisions to make about specification, production method, supplier selection, paper, binding, finishing, quantity, schedule or distribution.
Because we are independent, we can select manufacturing capability around the requirement rather than needing to fill a particular printing press.
Our role can extend from initial specification and procurement through proofing and production to storage, fulfilment and distribution.
The principle is simple:
Understand the brochure first. Then determine how and where it should be produced.
Brochure Printing FAQs
What information do you need to quote a brochure?
If you have a complete specification, send us the quantity, finished size, pagination, paper, colour requirements, binding, finishing, delivery requirement and required date.
If you do not yet know all of those details, we can help develop the specification first.
What is the best paper for a brochure?
There is no single best brochure paper.
The appropriate choice depends on photography, design, intended feel, pagination, binding, durability, distribution and budget.
We can advise on coated, uncoated, recycled and other suitable papers according to the project.
Should my brochure be printed digitally or lithographically?
That depends on the complete requirement.
Digital printing can work particularly well for shorter quantities and frequently changing material.
Sheetfed lithography is often appropriate for medium and longer runs, while suitable high-volume work may benefit from web-offset production.
Quantity alone does not determine the answer.
What size should a brochure be?
A4, A5 and DL are common, but bespoke sizes are entirely possible.
The important consideration is how efficiently the selected dimensions fit the intended production method and paper format.
If the size is still flexible, we can review it before artwork is finalised.
How many pages should a brochure have?
The content should determine the publication, but pagination can affect manufacturing efficiency.
Conventionally bound brochures will usually work in multiples of four pages, although some page counts may be more efficient than others depending on press configuration and binding.
What is the difference between a brochure and a leaflet?
There is no absolute industry definition.
A leaflet is commonly a single printed sheet, either flat or folded, whereas a brochure often consists of multiple pages that are stitched, bound or otherwise assembled.
The correct construction depends on the amount of content and intended use.
Can you produce premium brochures with specialist finishes?
Yes.
Depending on the project, options can include specialist papers, laminates, varnishes, foiling, embossing, debossing, die-cutting and specialist binding.
We can advise which processes are appropriate to the design and budget.
Can you help reduce the cost of an existing brochure?
Yes.
We can review finished size, pagination, paper, quantity, production method, binding, finishing and distribution.
Sometimes a relatively small specification change can improve manufacturing efficiency without materially changing the finished brochure.
Can you store and distribute our brochures?
Yes.
Brochure production can be coordinated with stock holding, fulfilment, pick and pack, direct mail and multi-address distribution.
When should we involve Cliffe?
Ideally before the specification and artwork are completely fixed.
That gives us the greatest opportunity to examine format, pagination, paper, binding and production method.
If the brochure is already completely specified, we can still price and manage the production requirement.
Talk to Us About Your Brochure
If your brochure specification is already complete, send it to us and we can assess the requirement and provide a quotation.
If you’re still deciding on size, pagination, paper, binding, finishing, quantity or production method, talk to us before the specification and artwork are completely fixed.
That is often when we have the greatest opportunity to improve manufacturing efficiency and control the total cost.
