Leaflet Printing

At 170gsm and above, we crease leaflets before folding to avoid cracking along the fold and achieve a crisp, professional finish.

This is especially important for heavily inked designs and darker colours, where cracking is more noticeable. Creasing allows the paper fibres to fold cleanly, improving both appearance and durability.

Matt or gloss lamination will help your leaflets stay looking newer for longer. It also provides additional protection against scuffing, moisture and general wear and tear.

Where there is heavy ink coverage, lamination can also help prevent smudging and offsetting, where ink from one sheet rubs onto another during packing and transit. This is particularly beneficial for leaflets that will be mailed, displayed or handled frequently.

The way a leaflet folds affects how people read it.

A simple half fold works well when information needs to be presented in a logical sequence, while roll folds and Z folds are ideal for breaking content into digestible sections. Gate folds can create impact by revealing a central message or image, making them popular for product launches and promotional campaigns.

If you’re unsure which folding style best suits your content, we’re happy to advise.

A folded leaflet isn’t simply a flat sheet folded afterwards.

Consider how panels will be viewed when the leaflet is closed, partially opened and fully opened. Key messages should be positioned where they will have the greatest impact, while important content should never sit directly across a fold.

A little planning at the design stage can make a significant difference to the finished result. Our in-house agency, The Graphic Design House, can support you with your next leaflet design.

Leaflets can be printed in a wide range of finished sizes, with DL, A5 and A4 sizes being among the most popular.

• DL leaflets are popular for direct mail campaigns, and information leaflets.
• A5 leaflets work well for simple promotions, menus and handouts.
• A4 leaflets are ideal for detailed information, maps, folded mini-brochures and newsletters.
• A5 leaflets work well for simple promotions, menus and handouts.

These can also be folded into formats such as DL tri-fold leaflets, which fit neatly into standard leaflet holders and envelopes.

Leaflets can be folded in many different ways depending on the design and how you want readers to interact with the content.

Common folding styles include:

• Half fold – one fold creating four panels
• Tri-fold – two folds creating six panels. These can either be folded inwards in a roll fold, or concertina style to create a Z-fold
• Gate fold – side panels open like doors
• Cross fold – often used for maps

If you’re planning something more unusual, bespoke folded leaflets can also be produced, just ask us!

The best paper choice depends on how the leaflet will be used. 

• 115gsm -150gsm paper is popular for lightweight promotional leaflets. The thinner the paper, the greater the chance of show-through, which can make text difficult to read. 
• Heavier stocks can give a more premium feel or extra durability.

Coated papers like silk or gloss help colours stand out, while uncoated stocks offer a more natural, tactile finish. For leaflets printed on heavier paper (around 170gsm and above), Bishops Printers will crease before folding to prevent cracking along the fold line. 

Yes. Finishing options can improve both the appearance and durability of your leaflets.

Common finishing options include:

• Matt lamination.
• Gloss lamination.
• Spot UV varnish combined with matt lamination.

These finishes can help protect the leaflet from wear, make them more durable in damp conditions and make colours appear more vibrant.

Bishops Printers typically produces leaflets within 3 days, but it can be more or less depending on the quantity, specification and finishing requirements.

Yes. We can produce both short-run digital printed leaflets and high-volume litho printed leaflets.

Our combination of digital and lithographic printing allows us to handle everything from smaller quantities for local campaigns through to large print runs for national promotions, all while maintaining consistent print quality.

Yes. If your leaflets need to be distributed by post, we can arrange a complete print and mailing service.

All mailing is handled by The Mailing People, who specialise in fulfilment, direct mail and bulk mail postage discounts. They can take care of tasks such as data cleansing. personalisation, envelope enclosing, tabbing, gluing, and postage

Working closely together means your leaflets can move smoothly from printing to mailing without the need to manage multiple suppliers – and delivery from Bishops Printers to our mailing house is free.

Yes. If you need help designing your leaflet, we can connect you with The Graphic Design House, our 100% owned creative agency.

They regularly design printed marketing materials such as leaflets, brochures and booklets across a wide range of sectors so they understand how to structure layouts, organise content clearly and prepare artwork correctly for print.

Because the design and print teams work closely together, it helps ensure the artwork is ready for production and the overall process runs smoothly.

Customers choose Bishops Printers because we combine high-quality printing, competitive pricing and dependable service.

With the capacity to produce hundreds of millions of sheets each year, we offer the scale and experience needed to deliver consistent results for both trade customers and direct clients, whether the order is large or small.