Let us help you with your next project
Bespoke guide book printing: What you need to know
A bespoke guide book is the perfect way to showcase information in a professional and engaging way, whether you’re operating a tour, museum, landmark or heritage site.
At Swallowtail Print we specialise in high-quality printing services, designed to bring your content to life. Here, we’ll share some essential considerations for custom guide book printing, to help you with your next project.
Why print a bespoke guide book?
In a guide book you share what makes your attraction special, so a fully custom book or souvenir guide enhances that message of uniqueness. For example, in your giftshop you could sell a general ‘Castles of Great Britain’ book, or you could sell a book all about your castle.
A guide book is a great marketing asset to reinforce your branding, as visitors will keep it long after their trip is over. Customise every aspect of your souvenir book, from text and images to maps and interactive elements. Include QR codes to encourage readers to visit your website, leave a review of their trip, or book tickets to return.
When you come to print your guide book, opt for high-quality paper and bear in mind how the print quality will reflect on your brand and influence the impression your book makes on readers.
Key considerations for guide book printing
1. Size and format
How do you imagine people using your guide book? The size of your book will affect usability, so it’s probably the most important consideration to address. Our most popular guide book print sizes include:
- Pocket-sized: A6 or smaller, this size is easy to carry – ideal for travel guides or books that are intended as a ‘companion guide’ to walk around your attraction with.
- Standard size: A5 or similar, this size book will be portable while still allowing plenty of detail to be included.
- Larger formats: A4 or larger, this size offers the luxury of space for detailed content, maps and imagery. More difficult to carry depending on the page count, this might be the kind of book a visitor will buy to take away rather than carry with them on their visit.
Along with standard sizes, we can create something bespoke, to suit your needs. If you’re looking for a slim guide book, square pages, or something even more unusual, we’d love to talk about your plans – please get in touch.
2. Paper quality
Paper choice plays a huge part in achieving the right look and feel of your guide book. Options include:
- Silk paper: With a soft sheen, silk paper is great for printing full-colour images and vibrant designs.
- Uncoated paper: The matte finish of uncoated paper looks modern and unfussy, and is easy to write or sketch on if your guide book includes interactive pages.
- Recycled paper: Recycled paper is a sustainable choice to help you meet your carbon reduction targets. You could include a small statement in your artwork if you’d like to assure visitors that your guide book is printed on 100% recycled paper.
3. Binding options
The binding style will affect durability and will influence how readers use your book. Popular options for guide book binding styles include:
- Saddle stitching: A stapled spine, practical and ideal for shorter booklets.
- Perfect binding: For books of around 32 pages or longer, perfect binding gives a sleek, professional finish. Depending on the page count, we can also print on the spine – our team can offer advice to help you plan your artwork.
- Spiral or wiro binding: These pages will be easy to lay flat, great for instructional guides, maps or routes to follow, etc.
- Hardback binding: If your guide book is designed to be a premium coffee-table-style book to be enjoyed at home, hard covers will give it a superior look and feel.
4. Finishes and extras
- Cover flaps: Cover flaps will make the cover of your paperback stronger, so your guide book will stand up to being put in a pocket or bag.
- Laminates: Adding a laminate or varnish finish to your guide book cover will help to protect it from scuffs. You can choose gloss, matte, or soft-touch lamination, or even a protective antimicrobial coating.
Why work with Swallowtail Print to create your guide book?
As a trusted local printer, we offer a personalised service, fast turnaround times, and expert guidance. Our team understands the nuances of custom guide book printing, and will work with you throughout the process to ensure you get the best quality product, tailored to your needs.
Get started on your custom guide book today
Ready to bring your guide book to life? Whether you need a short run of custom travel guides or a large batch of museum booklets, our professional printing services can help – our minimum quantity is just 25 copies. Contact us today for a quote or to discuss your project!