Counting your pages

You might think tallying up your pages is pretty straightforward, but a lack of understanding about how interior pages factor into the printing process can lead to errors.

Your book, booklet, catalogue, or magazine will adhere to a specific style of page counting. Page one always begins on the right-hand side, with each side of the paper considered a separate page. Thus, the reverse side of page one becomes page two (now on the left), followed by page three on the right, and page four on the back, on the left, continuing in this manner.

Our instant price calculator tool automatically counts pages in multiples of two or four depending on the product you have chosen. It's important that the file you submit matches this page count to avoid ending up with unintended extra pages.

Should your final project require them, you can include blank pages. Just remember that these blank pages will be included in your total page count.

Why are page counts given in multiples of four?

Some binding styles, including saddle-stitched and staple, require booklets to be printed with interior pages in multiples of four. This requirement arises because the pages are printed on larger sheets known as sections, rather than individually.

Depending on your booklet’s size, these sections can accommodate 4, 8, 16, or 32 pages. If the page count of your document doesn’t align to a multiple of four, blank pages must be added to round it out.

Once printed, the sections are folded in a specific manner and incorporated into your booklet, with three sides trimmed to facilitate easy page turning. You can see this in action in our A4 portrait booklet example.

Cover papers

The method of using sections or multiples of four, as described above, also works when adding a cover to your booklet.

Exceptions

Hardcover books are an exception to the Multiple of Four rule.

When you're printing a case-bound hardback book with YouLovePrint, the additional end papers are provided at no extra cost. These pages are not iuncluded in the total page count and are not routiely printed.

This arrangement means the first page you can print on in a hardback book is page three—the first right-hand inside page. Page two, on the left-hand side, remains blank and is typically made from white or black paper.

Page count limits

For certain types of bindings, the maximum number of pages you can include is restricted.

For instance, staple-bound booklets have a limit on the number of pages or total paper thickness they can accommodate, as a staple can only secure a certain amount of paper at one time.

Should your booklet exceed these limits, you'll need to select perfect binding. In perfect binding, the pages adhere to a sturdy spine, accommodating a greater number of pages.

Your printing project must meet a specific minimum of pages or paper thickness for us to employ perfect binding. If it doesn't, there won’t be enough paper to properly secure the spine.

Our price calculator starts with a minimum of 4 pages and can handle up to 400, but we can exceed this limit upon request. Please contact us for a bespoke quote.