Frequently Asked Questions: Print Design

A print signature is 1 large sheet folded into 4 pages. When printed on both sides, folded twice and trimmed, it becomes 4 pages of a printed piece, which is a standard print method, especially for multi-page reports.

That means your page counts must be set up in multiples of 4. Asking to add just 1 more page to a document sometimes means reconfiguring the design flow for the whole document, or needing to add another signature, or 4 more pages, which may add to your design and printing costs.

We often plan out documents by creating what we call a “flat plan,” which helps us outline the document flow and sections and avoid page count issues.

These acronyms refer to colours. The way colours are set up for a deliverable depends on whether it will be viewed on screen, or printed.

• RGB = Red, Green, Blue (mixing light to create colours for screens).
• CMYK = Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black (mixing ink to create colours for print).

Colours viewed on screen in RGB may not look the same in CMYK. We ask early about whether a piece will be digital only or printed so we can set up the file to meet your expectations around colour and ensure they’ll print properly.

This refers to how a print piece is held together, or what’s known as binding for multi-page printed documents and booklets. Think of it as staples versus glue.

• Saddle stitch: Folded sheets are stapled at the spine. Great for slim booklets and programs. This budget-friendly option usually works up to 64 pages.
• Perfect bound: Pages are glued into a flat spine (like a paperback book). This option looks polished and is ideal for bigger page counts, but it costs more.

If you want quick and tidy binding, we usually recommend saddle stitch. If you want sleek and elegant binding, go with a perfect bound.

How a brochure is designed depends partly on the amount of content and how you want it to be folded and experienced by readers.

• Trifold: The classic brochure fold. One sheet is divided into 3 equal panels and folded into a neat package. This is an affordable, familiar, and practical option. The folded size is usually 3.6″ x 8.5”
• Gate fold: A fancier option. The sides fold inward, like doors, to reveal a big spread inside. It’s more dramatic and great for visuals, but usually costs more to print. The size can be fully customized.

If you want a handy and straightforward brochure, or a piece that fits into standard brochure racks, we recommend a trifold. If you want a “ta-da!” moment, consider a gatefold. Many more custom possibilities are available, but they usually cost more to print. Ask your design team and printer to recommend options that align with your goals and budget.

High resolution refers to how much detail an image holds and relates directly to the quality of an image.

• For print, we need images at 300 dpi (dots per inch), which are crisp enough for fine lines and text to look sharp. If a file is too low-res, it’ll look fuzzy or pixelated in print, no matter how good it looks on screen.
• For web or screen, 72–144 dpi is enough because most screens can’t show image resolution higher than that. Smaller file sizes also load more quickly and keep the need for data storage minimal.

Alternative (alt) text and image descriptions make visual content accessible to everyone, especially people with low vision or using screen readers. We ask clients to provide these along with their images, or we can write them.

• Alt text is a short, clear summary of an image’s main idea.
• Image descriptions give more specific details when visuals are essential to understanding the story or concept.

Many documents we design are created for both print and digital use. Including alt text and image descriptions in your digital documents isn’t just good practice. It’s an act of inclusion which helps your materials communicate clearly to all audiences and shows your commitment to accessibility and equity in design.