Custom Carbonless Books

Designing the Page Layout

Start by listing every piece of information you write on a typical slip. Customer name, address, date, description, quantity, price, VAT and total are common. Trades often add parts used, labour hours and a signature box. Delivery notes usually need a received by line and a condition note.

Give the boxes you fill most often the most space. Description lines need room for handwriting, especially if staff write on a clipboard in the rain. Keep printed labels small and in a lighter colour so the handwriting stays legible on the copies.

Your header goes at the top of every sheet with your business name, logo, address, phone and any registration numbers. Terms and conditions can go at the foot of the top copy, or on the back if there is a lot of text.

If you charge VAT, include boxes for the net amount, the VAT and the gross total, and print your VAT number in the header. If you do not, leave those boxes out altogether so customers are not confused by empty fields. The same header can be printed on carbon copy letterheads for quotes so paperwork matches.

Parts, Colours and Numbering for Custom Carbonless Books

Duplicate books have two parts: a white top copy for the customer and a coloured copy that stays in the book. Triplicate books add a third part, often used for the office or accounts while the second stays in the van. Copy colours are typically yellow, pink and blue, which makes it easy to see which copy is which.

Numbering runs in sequence through the book and is printed on every part of each set. Tell us the starting number for each order, and if you use several books at once, we can number each book in its own range so you know which member of staff wrote which slip.

Each part can also carry a small label such as Customer Copy or Office Copy, which avoids confusion when the slip is handed over. The colours and part names are shown on the free proof, and the print and finish options compared guide explains the paper tints.

Book Sizes and Bindings

A5 is the most popular size because it fits in a glovebox, a till drawer or a back pocket while giving enough room to write. A4 suits detailed invoices and job sheets. A6 and DL books are handy for quick receipts and market stalls where counter space is tight.

Books are usually glued and taped along the top or left edge with a card cover and back board. The top copy tears out along a perforation while the duplicate stays bound. A wrap-around cover protects unused sets and doubles as a writing shield when tucked behind the set you are using.

Think about where the book will be used. A book that lives in a shop drawer can be large and detailed, while one carried in a pocket all day needs a tough cover and a compact size. Covers in a heavier board survive longer in a work van, where books tend to slide about under kit and paperwork. Cover boards are described on the board and finish page.

Writing Tips for Clear Copies

NCR copies respond to pressure, so a ballpoint pen pressed firmly gives the best results. Gel pens and felt tips rarely copy through clearly. Write on a hard surface: the back board of the book works well, or a clipboard in the van.

Always put the cover flap or a writing shield behind the set you are writing on. Otherwise the pressure transfers to the sets underneath and you end up with faint ghost writing several pages deep.

Keep finished books somewhere cool and dry. NCR paper can mark if it is pressed under heavy objects or left in a hot vehicle for long periods, so a box file or drawer at home or in the office is the best place for completed books. Books that live in a van suit the smaller sizes from our pocket folders for job paperwork range to keep them flat.

Decide the Number Sequence Before Anything Else

The detail to settle first on a carbonless book is the numbering, because it cannot be changed after printing. Decide the starting number, whether each book continues from the last or starts again, and how many parts each set needs: two for a receipt, three where a copy goes to the office. Tradespeople who already use a book should send us an old slip, since the number sequence on the new order can carry straight on from it, which keeps the accounts tidy.

Email the logo, your details, the size, the number of parts and how many books you need, and a custom quote arrives within one working day; minimums are quoted per job so a sole trader can order a handful of books. The free proof shows the page layout and the numbering on each part. Books are printed and bound in 4 to 7 working days after you approve it and posted free and tracked to UK mainland addresses in 2 to 3 working days, and any that arrive misprinted or damaged are reprinted or refunded if reported within 10 days. Loose sets without a cover are covered on the carbonless pads for desk use page.