Annual report printing: a planning guide from page count to mail-out

A printed annual report is meant to be kept: it sits on boardroom shelves, travels to investor meetings and ends up in archives. Planning one comes down to a handful of early production decisions, in this order: page count, stocks, binding and finish, a schedule worked back from the AGM, proof rounds, quantity and distribution. Make them early, then protect the schedule.

How many pages should a printed annual report have?

An annual report's page count must suit its binding, because printed books are made from large sheets that are folded into sections.

• Saddle-stitched reports (folded and stapled through the spine) must be a multiple of four pages, because each sheet folded in half gives four pages.
• Perfect-bound reports (pages glued into a square spine) are made from folded sections, usually of eight or sixteen pages. You can bind other counts, but a count that fits whole sections avoids part-sections and wasted sheet space.

Count every page, including the inside front and inside back covers if the cover is printed inside, and blank pages. A 46-page report becomes 48 for saddle stitching; the two extra pages can carry notes, a corporate directory or simply be left blank by design.

If your designer is working in a spread layout, ask them to confirm the final count and the binding before anyone sets body copy. Changing from saddle stitch to perfect binding late in the job changes the spine, the margins near the gutter and the cover artwork.

For a full comparison of binding methods, page limits and spine widths, see our guide to saddle stitch vs perfect binding.

Which cover and text stocks suit a printed annual report?

The cover and text stocks of an annual report shape how it looks, how it feels and what it costs to post, and the main choices are weight and coated or uncoated.

Cover. Most report covers sit around 300 to 350gsm, heavy enough to protect the text and hold a crisp spine on a perfect-bound book. Saddle-stitched covers can be lighter, and some short reports are "self-cover", printed on the same stock as the text.

Text. Text pages commonly run from around 100 to 150gsm. Lighter stock reduces bulk and postage; heavier stock feels more substantial and reduces show-through on image-heavy pages.

Coated or uncoated.

• Coated stocks (gloss, satin, silk, matt coated) have a mineral coating that keeps ink on the surface. Photographs and fine charts print sharply and colours look saturated.
• Uncoated stocks absorb more ink, so images print softer and colours look calmer. They are comfortable to read, take a pen well and suit reports whose tone is understated.

A common approach is a coated or uncoated cover with a laminate or finish, coated stock for an image-led front section, and uncoated stock for the financial statements. If you mix stocks, the designer needs to know early: colours shift between coated and uncoated paper, and brand colours may need separate values for each.

Ask for printed samples of the actual stocks at the actual weights. A sheet in the hand settles most debates in a minute.

Which binding and cover finish suit an annual report?

Binding. Saddle stitching suits shorter reports and is quick to produce. Perfect binding gives a printed spine that is easy to find on a shelf and suits longer documents. PUR binding (a stronger polyurethane adhesive) helps a perfect-bound report open flatter and resist pages loosening, which matters for reports that are read and re-read.

Finishing. Typical cover finishes include matt or soft-touch laminate (protects the cover and stops scuffing in the post), spot gloss on a logo or title, foil, embossing and debossing. Each finish needs its own artwork layer, aligned to the print, and each adds time. If the report is mailed, a laminate is worth considering because covers rub against each other and against envelopes in transit.

How do you schedule annual report printing around the AGM?

Schedule annual report printing backwards from the AGM and the reporting deadline, because those dates drive the job, not the printer.

For many public companies, the Corporations Act requires reports to be given to members by the earlier of 21 days before the AGM or four months after the end of the financial year, and the AGM itself to be held within five months after year end. Listed companies must give at least 28 days' notice of a general meeting. Corporations Act 2001 Charities registered with the ACNC have their own annual reporting timeline. This is general information, not legal advice; your company secretary or adviser should confirm the dates that apply to you.

Working back from the date the report must reach members, a typical sequence is:

1. Mail-out or delivery date. Allow several business days for mailing house processing and postal delivery.
2. Printing, binding and finishing. Usually one to two weeks after final approval, longer for foils, embossing or large runs.
3. Final proof approval. The date everything else hangs on.
4. Proof rounds. Budget for at least two rounds, and a hard-copy proof on the chosen stock if colour matters.
5. Audited financials signed off. Financial pages are often the last to arrive, so design the layout so they can drop in without reflowing the front section.
6. Design and copy. Narrative sections, photography and charts.

Put the dates in a shared calendar and name who approves each step. Most late reports are late because a decision maker was unavailable, not because a press was busy.

What should each annual report proof round check?

Each annual report proof round should check something different, separating content changes from production checks.

• First proof: content, structure, page order and headings. Expect changes.
• Second proof: corrections only, plus the inserted financials.
• Final proof: production checks. Bleed and safe areas, image resolution, fonts, colour values, page order and pagination, the spine width and text, and that the finance numbers match the signed accounts.

At Proof & Print, every job is checked by a person against a written proof checklist before it prints, including folds, page order and binding, and a posted hard-copy proof on the chosen stock is available for $75 (it adds two to three business days).

How many copies of an annual report should you print?

Estimate annual report quantity carefully once, from the readers listed below, rather than reprint, because the unit cost is lowest in the main run.

Build the number from:

• members who have elected to receive a hard copy (your share registry or member database can tell you);
• copies for the AGM itself, including visitors and proxies;
• investor roadshows, lenders, major clients and partners;
• directors, executives and staff;
• archives, libraries and legal deposit if it applies to you;
• a reserve for requests during the year.

If your organisation is unsure whether it needs to print at all, our article on printed annual report requirements covers who still receives hard copies and why.

How should printed annual reports be mailed and delivered?

Decide early whether annual report copies will be mailed to members, delivered in bulk or held for later.

• Mailed to members. Ask the mailing house for the envelope or wrapper size, maximum weight band and data format. A report that tips into a heavier postage band because of a heavier stock or an insert can change the mailing budget noticeably, so check the weight of a dummy before you commit.
• Delivered in bulk. Copies for the AGM, head office and regional offices can be packed and labelled per address.
• Held for later. Keep a carton of reserves somewhere dry and flat.

A cover letter, a notice of meeting or a proxy form can be inserted at the mailing stage. Each insert adds weight and handling time, so confirm them in the same schedule.

Which annual report decisions matter most?

The annual report decisions that matter most are made in the first week: page count, binding, stock and the date the report must reach members. Get those settled and the rest of the job is checking, approving and delivering.

Annual reports and booklets are quoted to suit each run. Your consultant can help you specify stock, binding and finish, arrange samples and work the schedule back from your AGM. See annual reports and booklets to start a brief, or visit our corporate sector page.