What a lovely pair…

Hold on! Just to clarify we’re talking about the difference between reader’s pairs and printer’s pairs….

This week we wanted to focus on a major mistake customers frequently make whilst designing their booklets and brochures; designing files in reader’s pairs instead of printer’s.

We understand that unless you’re fairly old hat at this, the way we printers speak or go about things can seem confusing. To put it another way, sometimes our methods seem down right odd. That’s why we like to use this blog to answer any FAQ’s and help ensure your print ends up exactly how you imagined it.

So what exactly is the difference between reader’s pairs and printer’s pairs?

Printer’s Pairs:

With printer’s pairs your booklet or brochure layout will be designed so that when the pages have been printed, folded and bound everything is in the right order. Remember when the binding of your favourite book started loosening? When the pages fell out do you remember being surprised to see the introduction was printed next to the final page? We call this ‘imposition order’. Practically, what this means is that when you design an 8 page booklet, for example, page 1 will not sit next to page 2. Instead you should have 4 sets of printer’s pairs: pages 8-1, 2-7, 6-3 and 4-5. Simple…

Reader’s Pairs:

Alternatively, if you’ve designed a booklet or brochure using reader’s pairs the pages are laid out in the order they’ll be read. That means your PDF double page spread will have page 1 next to page 2.

If you’re planning to let client’s download your booklet or brochure and read on screen, it obviously makes sense to design your pages in this order. However if you’re looking to get your brochure professionally printed and bound then make sure you supply your pages as single pages for us to impose correctly for printing.

If you have any other print related queries please don’t hesitate to get in touch. At Better Printing we’re always here to help make ordering your print easier. So if you need any advice or guidance, just contact our friendly and helpful staff today on 02380 878 037 or email: info@BetterPrinting.co.uk.