Catalog and Brochure Sizes: Standard Formats, Paper and Binding
A4, A5, A6, DL and square catalog sizes; brochure folds, paper weight, binding and bleed. What to know before you start designing a catalog or brochure.
Settling the size before you start designing a catalog or brochure means the layout is built correctly from the start and the printing cost stays under control. This guide covers the most common sizes, what they suit and what to watch out for when preparing the file.
Standard paper sizes (A series)
| Size | Dimensions (mm) | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| A3 | 297 × 420 | Poster, fold-out catalog page |
| A4 | 210 × 297 | Product catalog, price list, technical catalog |
| A5 | 148 × 210 | Small catalog, brochure, booklet |
| A6 | 105 × 148 | Flyer, postcard, product card |
| DL | 99 × 210 | A4 folded in three: brochure, invitation |
In North America, Letter (8.5 × 11 in, 216 × 279 mm) is the usual equivalent of A4.
Which size for what?
- A4: the most popular size for furniture, bathroom and machinery catalogs where product photos must look big. It sits on a desk and fits in a folder.
- A5: easy to carry, good for handing out at trade fairs and more economical. It increases the page count for large ranges.
- Square (e.g. 210 × 210 mm): used in fashion, decor and cosmetics to stand out; check paper efficiency with your printer.
- Landscape A4 (297 × 210 mm): suits wide product photos and car brochures.
Brochure folds
- Half fold: A4 to A5; 4 panels.
- Tri-fold (roll or Z-fold): A4 to DL; 6 panels.
- Gate fold: two flaps meet in the middle; effective for product launches.
Bleed and safe area
For images and backgrounds that run to the edge, leave a 3 mm bleed on each side; it is trimmed off. Text and important elements should sit inside the trim line, in a safe area of at least 3–5 mm. Place QR codes inside the safe area too; find the right size with the QR code size calculator.
Paper weight
Catalog inside pages usually use 115–170 gsm coated paper, and covers 250–350 gsm coated paper or board. Matte coated paper reflects less light; if product photos will be scanned with a phone, a matte surface helps.
Binding and page count
- Saddle stitch: page count must be a multiple of 4; economical and common for thin catalogs.
- Perfect binding: glued spine; used for thick catalogs, and the spine can carry text.
- Wire-o / spiral: opens completely flat; practical for technical catalogs and price lists.
Tip: photos placed close to the middle of the spread (the binding margin) end up in the fold when the catalog is open. Put photos that will be scanned on the flat part of the page.
Whatever the size: adding video to the photos
Whatever size you choose, you can add videos to the product photos in your catalog. When a customer points their phone at a photo, the video opens in the browser; no separate QR code per product. See the catalogs page for details and catalog printing cost for budgeting.