DL booklets for menus, guides and hotel stays

For color booklets and booklet printing, dl booklets are the tall, narrow portrait format that settles how a printed piece is handed over. The page shape fits a standard DL envelope and tucks into a bag insert without folding, which keeps the result polished in counter displays, bar stations, and in-room placements at hotels and short-stay rentals. The format becomes a compact personalized booklet that is easy to hand over, easy to keep tidy, and substantial enough to carry a menu or guide. It reads as a considered printed item rather than a standard sheet, and that is the decision the shape is usually chosen to make.

The cover stock is the decision that determines whether lamination can be added, so custom booklets in this format start with one of six checkout options.

• 170gsm gloss and matt covers, the lighter weight for bag inserts and shorter-run menus.
• 250gsm gloss and matt covers, full cover weight and uncoated for property guides and event programs.
• 250gsm gloss laminated and matt laminated covers, wipe-clean for hospitality menus and hotel compendiums.

Cover lamination is offered as none, gloss 2 side, or matte 2 side, and the laminated finish applies only to the 250gsm cover. For a cover that deserves an additional accent, flat foil in metallic and pigment colors is available as a custom-quote upgrade. Inside pages are offered in 128gsm matt, 170gsm matt, 113gsm gloss, and 150gsm gloss, so the reading feel can match the cover weight and the room where the booklet will sit.

The page extent is chosen in portrait orientation, with printed page counts published from 8pp through to 56pp in four-page steps. That spread leaves room for a short list, a longer guide, and a program with several sections. The minimum order is 10 booklets, which keeps a small opening run or a room-by-room refresh practical. Because the format is ordered in fixed page-count options, the production file can stay consistent from one property or venue to the next.

Start with a print-ready file, review the digital proof, and approve it to move the job into production. The proof approval is the checkpoint that starts the production period, so the file should be complete before that step. The printed page count and portrait orientation are set as part of the order, and the proof shows how they hold together before the saddle staple is applied. When the proof is approved, the 3 to 7 working days production period begins. That sequence means the digital proof is the last look at the job, not a stage to leave for later changes.

The saddle staple keeps the spine flat, so the booklet sits open on a bar station or a bedside table without fighting the hand. The binding holds the page order steady through repeated pickup, and the chosen cover finish meets that handling first. The tall page stays narrow enough to hold in one hand while the other works. A matte interior flattens reflection under cafe or hotel light, while a gloss interior adds sheen; that reading feel is set by the cover and interior choices made in the order.

Bars, cafes, and restaurants use the format as cocktail lists, wine lists, and cafe menus. The portrait page gives the list a structured top-to-bottom reading order, and the saddle staple binding keeps the menu working through a service period. Hotels and short-stay rental operators put the same booklet in rooms as a compendium or in-room guide, where the slim format sits neatly on a bedside table or desk. Property teams use the format for property guides, and event coordinators use it for programs that need more pages than a flyer but still feel light. For these teams, dl booklets can be repeated across rooms or venues without changing the format, because the page counts and cover options stay consistent per order.

Against A4 or A5 booklets, the DL page gives up page area to gain a compact footprint that suits a bedside table, a bar station, or a room guide. The larger formats work when a piece needs maps or full-page photography; the DL format works when the booklet should disappear into a room or a table. Compare A4 Booklets and A5 Booklets for the larger page. Against Flyers and Brochures, the difference is the saddle staple and the fixed page extent of a DL booklet, which makes it the choice for a menu or guide that needs to stay open and hold more steps. Postcards and Diecut Postcards are the compact printed pieces in the range when no booklet format is required.