Custom Pocket Folders

Card Weights and Paper Choices

Folders need to be stiff enough to protect the paper inside and to stand up to being carried around. A silk or uncoated board between 300 and 400 gsm is the usual range. The lighter end suits folders that are handed out in large numbers, such as at a conference. The heavier end feels more substantial and is better for client proposals or school admissions packs.

Uncoated board has a natural, tactile feel and takes pen and pencil well, which helps if staff add notes before handing it over. Silk board gives brighter colours and a smooth surface. Textured or coloured boards can add character for creative agencies and boutique firms.

If the folders will be posted, the board weight also affects postage. A heavier folder full of papers can tip a large letter into a higher band, so check the finished weight with your usual contents before settling on the thickest board available. Card weights and their feel are compared in the board and card types guide.

Print and Finish

Most custom pocket folders are printed in full colour on the outside and either full colour or a single colour inside. Inside print is easy to overlook but useful: a short welcome, a list of what is in the folder or your contact details on the inside left panel adds value at low cost.

Matt lamination gives a calm, professional feel and resists fingerprints. Soft-touch lamination adds a velvety surface that feels premium in the hand. Gloss lamination makes photography pop. Foil stamping a logo on the front, or embossing a crest for a school or professional firm, gives a finish that people notice when they pick the folder up.

Think about the back cover as well as the front. It is the panel people see when the folder is lying face down on a desk, and it is a natural place for your address, phone number, website and a short line about what you do. Keeping the back simple and readable often works better than repeating the front design. Foil, spot UV and soft-touch lamination are compared in the print and finish options guide.

Who Uses Custom Pocket Folders

Corporate sales teams use them for proposals and tender responses. Schools and colleges use them for prospectuses, admissions packs and parent information. Estate agents use them for valuation packs and property details. Hotels and venues use them for wedding and event packs. Accountants, solicitors and consultancies use them for client onboarding. Event organisers hand them out to delegates with the agenda, map and name badge inside.

Each of these buyers has slightly different needs. A sales team may want a single folder design that works for every client. A school might want a different folder each academic intake. A wedding venue might add the couple's names on a sticker. We can help you plan a design that works for the way you use it. Plain folders for internal paperwork are covered under document folders for office use.

Planning the Contents

Before ordering, gather the documents you plan to put in the folder and check the size and thickness of the full bundle. A standard folder pocket comfortably holds a few sheets of A4 paper. If you include a brochure, a stapled report or a stack of more than ten sheets, choose a capacity folder or a deeper pocket.

Check where the business card slits are placed so they do not cover important information on the front sheet. If you plan to include a USB stick, a booklet or a sample, mention it so we can add a slot or a die-cut holder.

It is also worth thinking about how long the folder will be in use. If your price list or brochure changes often, keep the folder design general and print the changing details on the sheets inside. That way a single order of folders lasts through several updates of the contents, and you only reprint the paper that has actually changed. Loose sheets printed to the same design are covered on the two-colour letterheads for proposals page.

Fill a Sample Folder With Real Contents

Pocket folders are chosen on the cover and judged on the pocket. Before ordering, take any A4 folder you have, load it with the actual bundle you send out, a proposal, a price list and a brochure, and stand it on its spine. If it gapes or the pocket bows, you need a capacity spine or a gusseted pocket; if the business card slides out when tilted, you need a tighter slit. Those two checks decide the dieline, and the free proof then shows the folder flat with the pockets, slits and print areas marked.

Send the folder size, the number of pockets, the card choice and the quantity, and a custom quote is emailed within one working day; minimums are set per job rather than fixed, so a short run for one event is fine. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and folders are delivered flat on free tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses in 2 to 3 working days, with anything misprinted or damaged reprinted or refunded if reported within 10 days. Folders with a printed message on the inside left are covered under promotional folders with inside print.