Adapt the layout of your booklet to its use

The layout of a booklet obviously depends on its intended use and must be adapted to it. Indeed, an activity report does not have the same objectives and does not meet the same constraints as a training book or a photographic book. Therefore, the organization of the different elements must correspond to their stakes.

In this article, we present the main characteristics of booklets, the customization options according to the desired uses before developing two examples of possible layouts.

What is a booklet?

The term "booklet" is an English term meaning "little book".

This English term has been used for some years in France in various professional circles to designate a certain type of written document.

The booklet is the term used to designate the training booklet in the vocational training sector. The booklet is then a publication that gathers information intended to be distributed to the learners. It is designed by the trainer according to the objectives and duration of the training.

The term booklet is also used in other sectors of activity, as an anglicism to designate a "brochure" with a relatively high number of pages, such as a business report or a photographic book.

Which binding method for your booklet?

A booklet is usually bound with a spiral binding because of its three main advantages:

• the spiral binding allows to bind the large number of pages,
• the spiral binding allows the booklet to beopened flat, making it easier to read and take notes,
• The strength of the spiral binding ensures a long life for the booklet.

At Copymage, we offer to bind your booklet with a plastic or metal spiral binding.

• The advantage of the plastic spiral binding is that the booklet can be opened, even after assembly, to remove or add pages if the content changes. The plastic spiral binding is available in black, white, blue or red. It is a good idea to match the color of the spiral to the illustration chosen for the cover of your booklet.
• The metal binding has the advantage of solidity. It is a good choice for booklets that will be consulted many times. The metal binding is also available in different colors: black, white, silver, blue and red.

How to design your booklet cover?

When designing your booklet, we will invite you to choose a heavier weight paper for the cover (170 g/m2) than for the inside pages (80 or 90 g/m2). This will give your booklet a professional look.

If your booklet is intended to showcase photographic work, we advise you to choose a paper of at least 135 g/m2 for the inside pages in order to really highlight the photographs contained in your booklet.

At Copymage, several customization options are available for your booklet cover:

• A matte lamination will give your booklet cover a stylish and modern look, especially if you choose dark tones.
• a glossy lamination will enhance the colors of the photographs or illustrations placed on the cover of your booklet.
• a soft touch lamination will allow a soft grip to your booklet with a peach skin coating
• A selective varnish as well as a 3D selective varnish will bring out some selected elements of the cover of your booklet (title, logo, etc.).

What uses for a booklet?

The booklet or spiral file has many uses. Here are some examples:

• the training booklet: this document distributed to the learners at the beginning of a training course contains all the information that allows them to follow the course and learn easily.
• The seminar booklet: this professional document for internal use is intended to provide seminar participants with all the factual, numerical data they will need to discuss during the seminar.
• The directory booklet: as its name indicates, the booklet is used to gather the contact information, sometimes with photos of the members of a group.
• The photographic book: it is a collection of professional artistic photographs that allows clients and customers to get an idea of the work of a photographer.

How to make a success of your booklet layout?

The layout of a booklet depends on its use, its future readers and its content. Below, we will take two examples of booklets and describe the layout steps.

The activity report

The activity report is a booklet whose objective is to presentthe assessment of the activities of a company or an association, in an annual, semi-annual or quarterly way, depending on the case.

This booklet will therefore bring together a wide variety of information (figures, objectives, strategic elements, results) which must be sorted, prioritized, thematized and organized so as to present your organization's activity as clearly as possible.

To do this, we suggest that you opt for a 5-point structured page layout:

1. On the first page inside, your report should contain a summary of the report's contents. This will give readers an immediate (favorable) first impression of your organization's activity.
2. The bound file should then include an introduction. This introduction should put your organization's activity in the context of the year: What were the major challenges? What was the economic situation during the past year? Then, the introduction ends with the report outline.
3. Be sure to include a summary in your bound file. The executive summary should reflect the general outline of your report. It should allow readers to see the contents of the activity report at a glance and make them want to read it in its entirety.
4. The content of your report should be structured in chapters and sub-chapters (all included in the executive summary). Prefer a clear and airy layout in order to highlight the numerical results of your activity, the main events of the year and the major projects to come. Punctuate your report with photographs, graphs, and illustrations that will give the reader additional elements of understanding.
5. In conclusion of your linked file, you must summarize the main elements developed in your activity report and open up to future perspectives.

In general, use simple and concise terms to make your related file accessible to everyone, including people who are not familiar with your industry.

The training book

When designing the layout of a training book, it is imperative to take into consideration the client's request, the presumed knowledge of the target audience with regard to the subject matter and the time available to deliver the training.

Keep in mind that a training book is not meant to contain all the information that you, as a trainer, will develop during the training. This book should allow the learners to:

• to follow what you say during the training and possibly take additional personal notes,
• identify the essentialinformation, concepts and figures on the subject,
• to remember what they learned months or years later.

With this in mind, the layout of a training book should :

• follow the chronological course of the training,
• dedicate a page to each essential point of the subject,
• leave room for visuals, numbers, illustrations
• include boxes for important concepts (definitions, legal reminders, etc.)
• include bold or italicized passages that immediately identify whether it is a legal definition, a quote, or professional advice
• include pictograms, lists and bullets to help with reading and understanding the content
• include wide margins and plenty of white space, both for ease of reading and to allow learners to take notes directly on the course book.

Whatever the intended use of your booklet, at Copymage, we will be able to assist you by providing you with a specialized consultant dedicated to your project. He or she will guide you in choosing the most suitable finishes and will follow your order from start to finish.