Folding Table
Every setting in one place. The address updates as you change them, so you can bookmark or send a link to a layout.
Fold diagram
Sheet 1
Front
Back
Sheet 2
Front
Back
Sheet 3
Front
Back
Sheet 4
Front
Back
Dashed lines are folds. A triangle marks a page printed upside down on the sheet, which is correct.
Page order
16 pages on 4 sheets
| Sheet | Front | Back |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet 1 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| Sheet 2 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
| Sheet 3 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Sheet 4 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Creep
Estimate Inner spread shifts about 0.31 mm.
4 sheets at 80 gsm, each about 0.100 mm thick, so every sheet you go in adds that much.
Shift each sheet's artwork towards the spine by (mm, outer to inner): 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3. The outside margin then grows towards the middle of the booklet, which is what makes the trimmed edge come out straight.
Thickness figures are typical for the paper weight and vary by brand. Fold a test copy to confirm.
Print file
It fits A4, but with less than 6 mm to spare for bleed and printer margins. Check with your printer.
| Trim size | 148 × 210 mm |
|---|---|
| File size with bleed | 154 × 216 mm (bleed 3 mm each side) |
| Keep text inside | 138 × 200 mm (5 mm from every trim edge) |
| Gutter margin | at least 8 mm on the spine side |
| Flat sheet to request | 302 × 216 mm, or A4 |
| Spine thickness | about 0.8 mm (estimate) |
Printing at home
- Export your pages as one PDF in reading order, 16 pages including blanks.
- Use the printer's booklet setting, or print the imposed sheets from the proof as a guide to see what it should do.
- Print the imposed sheets double-sided, short edge flip. Print sheet 1 first and check which way round the back comes out before printing the rest.
- Fold each of the 4 sheets in half, then nest them inside each other with sheet 1 outermost.
- Staple twice through the fold, then trim the open edges if you have a guillotine.
Tell the shop
Please print and bind 16 pages as a saddle stitch, one nest. Finished page size: A5 (148 × 210 mm), reading left to right. Sheet size: A4 (210 × 297 mm), printed double-sided on 80 gsm paper. The PDF is 16 single pages in reading order, each 154 × 216 mm with 3 mm bleed. Please impose for 4 sheets, nested and stapled twice through the fold, and allow for creep. Duplex flip on the short edge. Please send a proof before the full run.
How it works
You give a page count, a finished page size and a binding. The table pads the count to a multiple of four with blank pages at the back, groups the pages into sheets, and places each number on the front or back of its sheet in the order that reads correctly after folding.
Saddle stitch nests all sheets inside one another and staples through the fold. The other bindings (perfect, side stitch, Japanese and a single-fold mini) sort the pages into signatures or single folds. The cover option takes the outer four pages onto their own sheet so you can print them on heavier stock.
Creep is an estimate. It multiplies the nested sheets by a typical paper thickness for the weight you pick. Bleed is 3 mm and the safe zone 5 mm, which are common print-shop defaults. Check your printer’s template, because theirs overrides ours.
Nothing is uploaded. The page works offline once loaded. Read why the pages are in the wrong order if the numbers look odd the first time.