Calculate brochure weight and save on expensive mailing costs

Calculate your brochure weight and avoid over spending on postage

If you’re responsible for your company’s direct marketing, it’s important to consider your mailing pack or brochure weight in order to avoid exceeding a weight threshold, incurring additional postage costs.

In the UK most direct mail packages are either in the <100g or 101g – 250g brackets.

If you wait until your brochure design is printed so you can weigh it, that’s too late. The damage has already been done and all you can do is grit your teeth and pay for the postage.

So how do you calculate your brochure weight in advance?

Use this formula to calculate printed brochure weight:

1. Calculate the page area:

page height (m) x page width (m) = area

2. Calulate the number of sheets required:

number of pages / 2 = size

3. Calculate the weight:

area x size x paper weight (in gsm) = weight

4. Include binding:

To be on the safe side, add 2g for binding to give the total weight (applies to both saddle-stitched and perfect-bound brochures)

Example:

You want to print and mail a brochure that consists of 16 A4 pages on 170gsm paper.

Step 1:

Calculate area. Remember this is in metres, not millimetres, so for A4 =

0.297 x 0.21 = 0.06237

Step 2:

Calculate size. Our brochure has 16 pages, which will mean printing 8 sheets double-sided:

16 / 2 = 8

Step 3:

Multiply area x size x paper weight. Our brochure will be printed on 170gsm paper, so:

0.06237 x 8 x 170 = 84.82g (round up to 85g)

Step 4:

Add 2g for binding:

85g + 2g = 87g

They’re you go…easy!

If your brochure has a heavier cover, you’ll need to carry out the calculation above twice – once for the cover and once for the text pages, then add the two figures together.

Stuck? Confused? Email and we’ll do our best to help.

Good luck…