Book vs Booklet: Differences, Similarities, Sizes & More
Do you have an important project you need printed but aren’t really sure what the difference is between book vs booklet? We’ve got you covered. There are varied views on what constitutes a book versus a booklet. Though the words are very similar, in the printing world, these items are very different. The difference between them boils down to number of pages, binding, and function of the product.
We’re going to break down what a booklet and a book actually are so that you can understand the differences between them and get started on ordering the one that fits your needs and stays within your budget.
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Book vs Booklet Overview
| Book | Booklet |
| According to Cambridge Dictionary, a book is “a set of pages that have been fastened together inside a cover to be read or written in.” | According to Cambridge Dictionary, a booklet is “a very thin book with a small number of pages and a paper cover, giving information about something.” |
| Cover |
| Book covers can be either a hard cover (like an encyclopedia) or a thick cardstock paper cover. | Booklets are always made with a paper cover. This paper cover can be a thinner text weight (self cover) or a thicker cover weight (soft cover). |
| Page Count |
| Books have a substantial number of pages (usually 36 or more). | Booklets have a small page count (usually 8-36) |
| Size |
| The standard book size is 8.5 in x 11 in. | The standard Booklet size is 5.5 in x 8.5 in or 6 in x 9 in. |
| Examples |
| Photo Books, Cookbooks, Memoirs, Yearbooks, etc. | Programs, marketing/promotional booklet, brochure, etc. |
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What Is A Booklet?
Generally, a booklet is accepted to be a “little book” (usually 5.5 in x 8.5 in) with a lower page count (usually up to 36 pages) and is most commonly saddle stitched. So, you can define a booklet primarily by its physical attributes. Since booklets are smaller, they tend to make excellent candidates for mailing.
Saddle stitching is the most popular binding method for booklets, but perfect bound, spiral bound, and wire-o bound multi-page projects can also be considered a booklet. Each style of binding has its own perks and advantages that you will want to explore before deciding on your final print project. Binding styles like saddle stitch, wire-o, and spiral will all have the advantage of lying flat for presentation purposes. While perfect bound books and booklets cannot lay flat, they stand out to our customers as one of the more professional binding styles.
They can be either self-cover, where the inside paper and the cover paper are the same weight, or soft-cover, where the cover is printed on a thicker cover cardstock than the inside text-weight pages. So, really, booklets are open for interpretation!
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Booklet Printing Basics: Learn More
Types of Booklets
Booklets can be magazines, catalogs, multi-page brochure booklets, and more. If you want an economical option to print your information that also looks great, then our saddle stitched booklets are the way to go.
While booklets come in all shapes, sizes, and binding types, the following are examples of common types of booklets that we print.
Marketing / Promotional Booklet
Marketing and promotional booklets are commonly used by businesses to announce a new product line, new service, or promote sale items. You can mail these booklets out directly to your clients if you can provide a mailing list and you design your booklet with mailing guidelines.
Event Booklet
Event booklets are an effective way of spreading the word about an event such as a kid’s summer camp, workshop, festival, or fundraiser. The most common event booklet size is a portrait 5.5 in x 8.5 in. You can use these to recruit event attendees, or you can use them as a hand-out at the event with more helpful information.
Popular Booklet Sizes
The most common booklet sizes are portrait 5.5 in x 8.5 in., landscape 8.5 in x 5.5 in, and portrait 6 in x 9 in. We do see a lot of customers ordering 8.5 in x 11 in booklets, but those are more commonly book sizes.
What Is a Book?
A book, on the other hand, is usually a full-sized 8.5 in x 11 in perfect bound book, spiral bound book, or wire-o bound book with a considerable number of pages. Saddle stitching is still available and works extremely well for projects such as coloring books.
The page counts of a book are usually higher than a booklet, ranging from 28 pages up to 2” thick. PrintingCenterUSA’s most common book binding type is a soft-cover perfect bound book, which is like a paperback novel. The cover is made with a cover cardstock, usually 100# cover, that is thicker than the inside pages.
Popular Book Sizes
Books are usually a much higher page count than booklets. Perfect binding requires a 28 page minimum. The most common book size is portrait 8.5 in x 11 in. Square books are also becoming more popular, and we offer standard square sizes of 6 in x 6 in and 8 in x 8 in.
Booklet vs. Book Printing: Similarities
Size: We offer the same sizes for booklet and book printing as well as custom sizes. See the image below for all available sizes.
Ink: Both books and booklets can be printed in full vibrant color or solid black ink.
Binding: We offer all four binding types for both books and booklets. Perfect Binding, Saddle Stitch Binding, Spiral Binding, and Wire-O Binding.
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Though the differences are subtle between book vs booklet, each one serves a different and unique purpose. Typically, a book is more formal and professional, while businesses use booklets as vital marketing materials to help boost their business and increase sales.
Hopefully you have a better understanding of the differences between the two and have a better idea for your next printing project. We hope we’ve been able to define the benefits of each so that you can choose your product wisely. Let us know if you have any questions about ordering either your book or your booklet, we’d love to help you get your project up and running and stay within your budget.
