Print a personalized bookmark

The history of the bookmark

The bookmark, also called a bookmark, is an object that the reader will place between two pages when he wants to pause his reading, so that he can easily pick up the story where he left off. Nowadays, they are mostly made from paper or cardboard, but originally they were more solid and made from wood, bone or even gold or other metals. In medieval times, books were rare and unique, and therefore considered precious objects.

Bookmarks as we know them today began to appear in the Middle Ages. Made of ribbon, leather and rope, they quickly became a means of communication for publishers or booksellers who took advantage of the opportunity to display the name of their company or the address to which the reader could go to buy his or her next book. Today, they are used by many readers and have even become real collector's items.

The different opportunities to distribute this type of material

Just like a diary or a calendar, the bookmark can be used by a company as a gift for its employees or as a goodie to hand out at a trade fair or street-marketing event. The advantage of the personalised bookmark is that it can be offered by a company that has no connection with publishing: all that is needed is to create an attractive model that makes the person who receives it want to use it thanks to an original or humorous visual.

Similar to flyers, bookmarks can be used to communicate about an event or a product, or simply to advertise a company by displaying its logo or slogan. For booksellers and other shops selling books, it is an excellent way of reminding the reader that when they have finished their book, they can go to the same shop to choose another one.

For authors, printing a custom bookmark can provide a gift to offer to readers at a book signing or a book fair. It is also an opportunity to highlight one's bibliography and thus advertise past or future works to readers.

Finally, you should know that bookmark printing can be very appropriate for private events such as christenings, communions or even weddings. Indeed, this small, practical and useful support allows you to offer each guest a small personalised gift made just for the occasion. It can be kept with the announcement and a few photos, making it an excellent souvenir that your loved ones will undoubtedly cherish. 

The advantages of the bookmark as an advertising medium

These days, originality is essential when developing a marketing and communication strategy in order to stand out from the competition and be more easily noticed by potential customers. Less trivial than a flyer or leaflet, the personalised bookmark is both practical and economical, as it allows a lot of information to be written on it at a relatively low cost.

Unlike a flyer, the bookmark will be used for several months or even years and will accompany the person who receives it as they read it. Depending on the design and the occasion for which it was created, it can even be kept as a souvenir. For this reason, more and more people are choosing to use this format for invitations and announcements. When slipped into a diary, it makes it easy to remember the date of an important event.

As a communication medium in its own right, it can be used by booksellers or publishers to promote other novels or events organised in the bookshop, such as book signing days for example. Its vertical format is ideal as it allows a good amount of information to be displayed while easily prioritising it, thus avoiding overloading the medium.

The formats and finishes we offer

When ordering bookmarks, you can choose to have only the front side printed or tohave both sides printed, depending on your wishes and your budget. You can choose from the following formats:

• Classic format (55 x 20 mm)
• Large format (40 x 148 mm)
• Made-to-measure format, to the dimensions of your choice

These materials can be printed on 350g glossy or matte paper, or on tear-proof and water-resistant PVC. If you choose to print on paper, you can choose to apply one or more of these finishes:

• Matte, glossy or soft-touch lamination: these finishes allow you to change the overall appearance of your bookmark by making it more or less glossy. The soft-touch effect combines a matte finish with a peach-skin effect, which is highly appreciated for products that are intended to be handled regularly, as is the case with bookmarks.
• Simple or 3D selective varnish: applied only to one or more specific areas (logo, text, image, etc.) this varnish highlights certain elements by adding more shine or relief.
• Gilding: Do you want to give your bookmark a luxurious, festive or somewhat fantastic look? Gilding is undoubtedly the finish you need. Applied to certain elements of the bookmark, it will add a touch of originality and enchantment to the whole.

Finally, we suggest that you play the originality card by opting for rounded corners rather than square corners. It should be noted that, in addition to the aesthetic aspect, rounded corners also prevent the corners from corroding.