Brochure Sizes Explained: A5, A4, Landscape and Bespoke

Quick answer: We produce brochures as standard in A5 portrait (148 x 210mm) and A4 portrait (210 x 297mm). A5 is the more popular of the two — cheaper to print, cheaper to post, and comfortable to hold and hand over. A4 gives you the room for detailed layouts, specification tables and full-bleed photography. Landscape, square and bespoke trim sizes are all available.

Standard Brochure Sizes

Remember that a brochure's flat sheet is double its finished size — an A5 brochure is printed on A4 sheets folded in half. That matters when you are setting up artwork, and it is covered properly in our artwork and design guide.

A5: The Default for Good Reason

A5 is the size most of our brochure work is produced at. At 148 x 210mm it is substantial enough to feel like a real document but small enough to slip into a bag, a jacket pocket or a standard C5 envelope without folding.

Choose A5 if: you are posting the brochure, handing it out at events, leaving it on a counter or reception desk, or working to a defined budget. It costs less to print and less to post than A4, and for most content it is entirely sufficient.

Watch for: dense specification tables and small type. If your content needs 8pt text to fit on A5, it needs A4 — or fewer words.

A4: When You Need the Room

At 210 x 297mm, A4 gives roughly twice the page area of A5. That extra space is not just about fitting more in — it changes what layouts are possible. Multi-column grids, full-bleed photography, side-by-side product comparisons and readable technical tables all need A4 to work properly.

Choose A4 if: your brochure is image-led, contains detailed specifications, will be presented in a meeting, or represents a high-value product or service where physical presence matters.

Watch for: postage. A4 brochures generally need a C4 envelope and move up a Royal Mail price band. If you are mailing thousands, that difference is worth calculating before you commit to the size.

Portrait or Landscape?

Portrait is the convention, and conventions in print usually exist because they work — portrait reads naturally, stacks neatly and posts easily.

Landscape earns its place when the content is genuinely horizontal: wide photography, timelines, floor plans, comparison tables, or anything designed to echo a presentation slide. A landscape A4 brochure on a boardroom table has real impact, and it is a format we produce regularly.

Our A5 saddle stitched brochures can be ordered landscape (210 x 148mm) at the listed price — just tell us when you place the order. For every other size and binding, landscape is quoted directly, because the imposition and finishing differ. Email sales@printstudioscotland.com with your size, page count and quantity and we will come straight back.

Square and Bespoke Formats

A square brochure — typically 148mm or 210mm square — signals design confidence immediately, because it is a deliberate choice rather than a default. It suits creative studios, architecture practices, photographers, hospitality and premium retail.

Bespoke trim sizes are worth considering when the brochure has to fit something specific: a presentation folder, a display stand, a shelf, a mailing pack, or an existing suite of materials. We can trim to any size within our press sheet, and we would rather you asked than assumed the answer was no.

One practical note: bespoke sizes can waste sheet area, which affects cost. Sometimes shifting a bespoke size by a few millimetres brings it onto a more efficient sheet layout and saves meaningful money. That is exactly the kind of thing we will flag when we quote — we would rather tell you than quietly charge you for it.

How Size Affects Cost

Broadly, an A4 brochure costs around 30-50% more than the same A5 brochure at the same page count and quantity — A5 saddle stitched starts at £65 against A4 at £85, for example. The gap comes from material and press area rather than labour, which is why it narrows on longer runs.

If cost is tight and your content will take it, dropping from A4 to A5 saves more than dropping page count usually does — and a well-designed A5 brochure reads better than a cramped A4 one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size is an A5 brochure?

148mm wide by 210mm high in portrait, or 210mm wide by 148mm high in landscape. It is printed on A4 sheets folded in half.

What size is an A4 brochure?

210mm wide by 297mm high in portrait, or 297mm wide by 210mm high in landscape. It is printed on A3 sheets folded in half.

Which brochure size is most popular?

A5. It is economical to print and post, comfortable to hold, and fits a standard C5 envelope without folding — which makes it the practical choice for most company brochures and direct mail.

Do you print landscape brochures?

Yes, in every binding we offer. A5 saddle stitched is available landscape at the listed price; other sizes and bindings are quoted directly — email sales@printstudioscotland.com with your size, page count and quantity.

Can you print square or custom-size brochures?

Yes. Square formats (148mm and 210mm square are the common ones) and fully bespoke trim sizes are both available. Contact us with your dimensions and we will quote, and flag if a small size adjustment would make the job more economical.

Will an A4 brochure cost more to post?

Usually, yes — A4 typically needs a C4 envelope and moves into a higher Royal Mail price band than an A5 in a C5. On large mailings that difference can outweigh the print saving, so it is worth checking before you settle on a size.

Next Steps

See the full brochure range, read our binding comparison, or check the artwork guide before you start designing. For landscape, square or bespoke sizes, get in touch.