Magazine Printing

Paper Choices for Magazine Printing

Paper changes how your magazine feels in the hand far more than most people expect. Here are the usual options and where each fits best. Our board guide has paper and cover weights explained for self-cover and separate covers.

• Gloss coated: bright, punchy colour for photo-heavy club magazines and product catalogues.
• Silk coated: a smooth, low-glare surface that shows photos well and is easier to read under lights.
• Uncoated: a natural, slightly rough paper that suits fanzines, literary journals and text-led titles.
• Heavier cover board: adds stiffness and weight, ideal for keepsake school magazines.
• Laminated covers: matt or gloss lamination protects the cover from scuffs and fingerprints.

Preparing Your Files

Most problems with printed magazines start with the files, so a little preparation saves time. Set your document to the finished page size, add a bleed of a few millimetres around each edge for images and colour that run off the page, and keep text and logos a safe distance inside the trim so nothing is cut off.

Supply a high-resolution PDF with fonts embedded and images at print quality. Photos taken from websites or social media are often too small and will print blurry, so use originals where you can. Supply pages as single pages in reading order, not as printer's spreads, and we will impose them correctly for stapling.

If you are not sure your files are ready, send them anyway. We check every job and will tell you about anything that looks likely to cause a problem, such as low-resolution photos or text running into the fold, before your proof is made. Every job gets a free proof with bleed checked before printing.

Planning Content That People Read

A magazine works best when it has a rhythm. Open with something visual and easy, such as a big photo or a short welcome, put your strongest feature in the middle where the magazine falls open naturally at the staples, and close with something people flick to on purpose, like fixtures, events or a back-page interview. Readers rarely start at page one and read through, so every spread should make sense on its own.

Plan your pages on a simple grid before anyone starts designing. Sketch each spread as a box on paper and note what goes where, including adverts and sponsor pages. This shows straight away if you have too much content for the page count or a gap to fill, and it stops the common problem of discovering at proof stage that one article runs over by half a page.

Finally, leave enough white space. A crowded page full of small text feels like hard work, while a confident photo, a clear headline and a few well-spaced paragraphs invite people in. Volunteers and busy staff often try to fit everything in; a slightly thinner magazine that people actually read will always do more for your club, school or brand. Event details that change after printing can go on A6 flyers tucked inside the magazine.

A4 or A5: Choosing the Format

A4 is the classic magazine size. It gives room for large photos, multi-column layouts and full-page adverts, which suits club magazines with sponsors and school publications packed with pictures. It also posts well in a C4 envelope.

A5 is half the size and feels more personal. It is easy to carry, fits a pocket or bag and works beautifully for zines, small journals and brand booklets. Printing costs per copy are lower, and postage is cheaper because A5 fits large letter sizes more easily.

Square formats and custom sizes are also possible if you want something less expected, though they may cost a little more to trim and post. Copies sent to members by post need printed envelopes for posting copies in the matching size.

Build a Page Plan in Multiples of Four Before the Content Is Final

Magazine jobs run smoothly when the page plan comes first. Draw a box for every page, in multiples of four, and write in what goes where, including the cover, adverts, sponsor pages and the contents list. That shows straight away if you have too much copy or a gap to fill, and it stops a last-minute page count change that moves every spread. Decide on A4 or A5, a self-cover or a heavier separate cover, and coated or uncoated paper according to how many photographs you run. Then supply a single print-ready PDF with bleed and embedded fonts. Clubs and schools that post copies usually order C5 envelopes sized for an A5 issue in the same job.

Send the size, page count, paper and quantity, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day. We check the file and send a free proof, flagging low-resolution images or missing bleed. Printing takes 4 to 7 working days after approval, copies arrive by tracked courier to UK mainland addresses, and misprinted or damaged copies reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded.