The average paperback book is 6.75 x 7.87 inches. Not every book has to be that size, however. Mini books are smaller versions that can range from palm size to even smaller. Printing them can be a practical solution for some situations. Here are the top 11 ways to use these little books.
How Small Are Mini Books?
The standard booklet size is 8.5×11 inches. Small booklets or mini books might be:
- 5.5 x 8.5
- 6×6
- 4×9
- 6×9
Custom sizing is also available when you print your small books.
For collectors of miniature books, a book is only considered a miniature if it is three inches or smaller in width, height, or thickness. Miniature books have been around for a long time. In the past, they were used to print tiny-sized dictionaries, travel guides, almanacs, and children’s stories. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln printed his Proclamation of Emancipation in a miniature edition that was distributed to Union troops.
Miniature books are celebrated in museum collections around the world. Famous collections include the Library of Congress, which has more than 1,500 miniature books, and the University of North Texas in Denton, which has over 3,000 miniature books.
1. Books for Travelers
Travelers love to read, but they don’t like carrying heavy, bulky books. Make the plane ride go by in a flash by offering mini books that are easy to carry. They’re ideal for travel because they don’t need wi-fi or electrical power. They can slide into a pocket or purse and be ready to read. You can also print local guidebooks or hiking guides in miniature format.
2. Gift Books
Mini books cost less to print than full-size books, and their small, cute size makes them a novelty. These little books make excellent giveaways for your practice or business. You can create miniature books that thank your customers for their business or celebrate major events. If you travel to conventions and other get-togethers, pack a box of mini books to hand out as promotional items. They will stand out from the usual free pens or balloons.
3. Training Manuals
Does your company provide training? You may have an extensive manual, classes, online lessons, and more as part of that training. You can ease the learning process by offering mini books with the key information trainees need. These small books are easy for your trainees to carry and keep close to their computers or desks. They’ll appreciate having a handy book with notes and reminders, including things like company passwords, important phone numbers, and padlock combinations.
4. Photo Albums
Mini books make excellent keepsake photo albums. You can customize your miniature books by adding your personal touches, text, and scrapbooking elements. A miniature photo book is a portable way to keep your loved ones close to you. These little scrapbooks also make lovely gifts to share with family members and friends. As a business, you can use these photo books to commemorate a grand opening, holiday party, or another special event.
5. Packaging Booklets
The small size and weight of these books mean they are good as packaging components. Include them with products that require instructions or warranty information. Mini books won’t add to the package weight and ensures that customers get the information they need.
6. Books for Young Learners
Children enjoy reading and using mini books. You can create mini books that reinforce what you’ve been teaching in your kindergarten or preschool class. Print miniature books with some blank pages to allow young learners to write or draw on them. You can create booklets that match all your teaching plans, including miniature books about animals, countries, historical events, or other subjects. Your students will enjoy carrying these tiny creations around and sharing them at home.
7. Guided Research Activity Books
Help students learn to do research by creating special guides. These mini books include questions about a subject and blank spaces for writing answers. To complete the mini book, the student must do some research and answer the questions. Include illustrations, hints, and other helpful tips. These booklets help make learning fun.
8. Pocket Planners
Pocket calendars are extremely handy for busy people, wedding planners, contractors, and people who work irregular schedules every week. Although many people use digital schedulers, a huge number still rely on traditional paper planners. Print these planners as giveaways to staff, or hand them out as promotional items. You can even print planners for every member of the family. With the right cover and layout, they will be warmly welcomed.
9. Food Journals
Everyone wants to eat healthier, and behavioral scientists have found that keeping a food journal is one of the best ways to get control of your eating habits. A pocket-size journal makes it easy to keep track of food, calories, macronutrients, and water intake, even when you’re dining out. Food mini books make great gifts for health-conscious people. Use them as handouts or premiums for your gym, doctor’s office, or weight loss center.
10. Golf Scorecards
Give golfers a welcome surprise by printing personalized scorecard books. These handy booklets are always in high demand, and their small size fits easily into pockets or golf bags. These scorecards should be legible, easy to read, and clearly show the course information, number and names of players, handicaps, strokes, and more. Use them at your next golf tournament to make a statement.
11. Medical Booklets
If your doctor has diagnosed you with a serious or chronic medical condition, it is helpful to have a small, usable guide to treatments and procedures. These mini books work for medical offices, dental offices, urgent care centers, and public health clinics. Their small size means patients can easily carry them out when they leave the office.
Tips for Printing Mini Books
Do you want to print mini books? Follow these steps.
- Get together the information you need to create your small book. Include the text, content, and pictures.
- Design the layout in a layout program. There are many free downloadable templates you can use to create a great-looking book.
- Choose your paper stock.
- Design the cover.
- Create a printer-ready PDF. Be sure to double-check the page size, number of pages, ink, and paper choices.
- Give your PDF and images to your professional printer.
Watch Your Font Size
A miniature book should be easy to read. Don’t think you need a tiny font just because you’re printing a tiny book. The small size means you may have to cut content rather than try to cram too much text into your tiny pages. Use a font that’s a readable size.
Choose the Paper
What’s the best paper stock for your little book? It depends on the size of your book.
In most cases, a thinner paper works best for these little books, but if your booklet has 12 pages or fewer, it may feel flimsy with lightweight paper. In that case, a heavier stock would give your small book a heftier feeling. A thicker booklet, on the other hand, has enough weight to work with a lighter paper.
What about binding? If you want your mini book to look like a full-sized book, choose perfect binding. For most small booklets, a saddle stitch binding works well.
Print Books of Any Size
At Dazzle Printing, we can print miniature books and booklets in any size you need. Contact us for pricing and other information.
