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Saddle-stitch booklet

A saddle-stitch booklet is folded sheets nested together and stapled along the spine — think brochures, programmes and thin catalogues. This guide takes you from a finished PDF to an imposed, press-ready file.

What you'll make

Printer spreads laid out so that, once printed double-sided, folded and stapled, the pages read in the correct order.

Before you start

  • Page count: saddle-stitch works in multiples of 4. If your document isn't a multiple of 4, add blank pages so it is.
  • Bleed: if artwork runs to the edge, make sure your PDF has bleed (usually 3 mm).
  • Sheet size: know the paper size your press runs and how many booklet pages fit on it.

Step by step

  1. Open the PDF (Home → Open, or drag it in). Pages appear in the Pages panel.
  2. Open the Imposition tab on the ribbon.
  3. Choose the Saddle-stitch booklet layout. Imposio arranges the pages into printer spreads automatically.
  4. Set the sheet size and orientation.
  5. Set bleed and the binding/gutter values for your job.
  6. Enable crop marks and registration marks (see Printer's marks).
  7. Review the result on the canvas.
  8. Export — PDF for a press-ready file, or image export (e.g. multi-page TIFF) for a RIP.

Options explained

Creep (shingling)

When many sheets nest inside each other, inner pages push outward — this is creep. For thick booklets, enable creep compensation so margins stay even after trimming.

Bleed

Bleed is the extra artwork beyond the trim edge so no white slivers appear after cutting. Match the bleed your artwork was built with (commonly 3 mm).

Gutter / binding edge

The gutter is the space at the spine. Saddle-stitch usually needs little or no gutter, but heavier stock may benefit from a small allowance.

Printer's marks

  • Crop marks show where to trim.
  • Registration marks let the press align each colour (and are used in finishing).

Tips

  • Always proof a folding dummy from the exported file before running the full job.
  • Keep important content away from the trim and the spine.

Troubleshooting

  • Pages out of order after folding? Check that the page count is a multiple of 4 and that the binding edge is set correctly.
  • White edges after trimming? Your source PDF is likely missing bleed.

Got a tricky job? Ask in the Imposio Community.