NCR Books From Your Own Artwork: The File Setup Guide
NCR books own artwork file setup comes down to four numbers: a print-ready PDF at 300dpi, 3 mm bleed, 20 mm clear on the binding edge, and a file under 50 MB. Personalised Invoice Book prints NCR books printed to your own design in black ink on carbonless paper, from 5 books, and emails a proof before anything is printed.
A job sheet built in Word three years ago is the artwork that arrives more than any other, followed by a proper InDesign file from a designer and a photo of the book about to run out. This guide tells you what state that file needs to be in, and what to do if it isn't there yet.
What is the right file setup for NCR books from your own artwork?
The right file setup is one flat, print-ready PDF per book design, at the finished page size plus bleed, with fonts embedded and the binding edge left clear. Personalised Invoice Book publishes its spec on the own-design page and it fits in one table.
| Setting | What to supply | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| File type | Print-ready PDF preferred. AI, EPS, PSD, JPG, PNG and DOCX also accepted | A PDF locks fonts and layout so the proof matches your screen |
| Resolution | 300dpi | Lower resolution prints soft, especially on fine rule lines and small type |
| Bleed | 3 mm on every edge | Gives the guillotine room, so a line that touches the page edge does not end with a white sliver |
| Binding margin | 20 mm clear on the edge that will be bound (top or left) | The glue, spine tape and perforation sit in this strip |
| Ink | Black only | Own-design NCR books are printed in black ink on carbonless paper |
| File size | Up to 50 MB per upload | Larger files can be emailed quoting the order number |
Export with the highest quality PDF preset your program offers.
What size should the artwork be for each NCR book?
Set the page to the finished book size and add 3 mm of bleed on all four sides. Personalised Invoice Book prints own-design NCR books in four sizes, and the writing area you have left after the 20 mm binding margin works out like this:
| Book size | Trim size | Page size with 3 mm bleed | Writing area, left bound | Writing area, top bound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A6 | 105 x 148 mm | 111 x 154 mm | 85 x 148 mm | 105 x 128 mm |
| DL | 99 x 210 mm | 105 x 216 mm | 79 x 210 mm | 99 x 190 mm |
| A5 | 148 x 210 mm | 154 x 216 mm | 128 x 210 mm | 148 x 190 mm |
| A4 | 210 x 297 mm | 216 x 303 mm | 190 x 297 mm | 210 x 277 mm |
The writing area column is the one people skip and then regret: a left-bound A5 book gives you 128 mm of usable width, not 148 mm. If you're torn between A5 and A4 for a form with lots of lines, go A4. Our guide to how an invoice book layout is designed shows how to divide the page into zones so the description column gets the room.
Why do you leave 20 mm clear on the binding edge?
You leave 20 mm clear because that strip of the sheet is doing three jobs: it holds the glue, it carries the spine tape, and it contains the perforation line that lets each sheet tear out cleanly. Personalised Invoice Book glues and tapes own-design NCR books along the top or the left edge, your choice, and perforates every sheet near the spine.
Anything inside that 20 mm is at risk. A phone number sitting 8 mm from the left edge on your screen ends up under the spine tape or torn through by the perforation.
Decide the binding edge before you design. A landscape job sheet usually wants a top binding; a portrait invoice usually wants a left binding.
Does the artwork need to be black, or can it be colour?
Own-design NCR books from Personalised Invoice Book are printed in black ink only, so the safest file is black and greyscale from the start. A full colour logo will still print, but as shades of grey, and a pale yellow can disappear almost completely. Convert the artwork to greyscale before you export, so nothing surprises you on the proof.
Keep the areas where people write white. Handwriting has to be legible on the bottom copy of a carbonless set, and a grey tint behind a description column makes that fainter copy harder to read.
If your brand depends on colour, personalised receipt books are the full colour product, on an 8 to 9 working day turnaround.
Where does the sequential number go on your design?
Leave a clear box for the number and let the printer add it. Sequential numbering is included in the price of own-design NCR books from Personalised Invoice Book; you choose the starting number, for example 0001, and the position, most commonly next to the word "Invoice" or "No". Do not type a number into your artwork, or every page of every book will carry the same one.
Mark the position with a box roughly the size of a postage stamp, or simply say "number top right" in the order notes. The proof shows the number where it will sit, with your chosen start figure, and a "without numbering" option exists for worksheets and order pads.
How to make NCR books when all you have is a Word file or a JPG?
Say your job sheet lives in Word and your logo is a JPG from an email signature. You can still make NCR books from it: Personalised Invoice Book accepts DOCX, JPG and PNG uploads alongside PDF, AI, EPS and PSD, up to 50 MB per file. A proof is emailed before printing; if the file needs bleed or a binding margin, the free design service lays the page out for you.
If the design exists only as a physical book, photograph a page and send it: the free design service recreates the layout with your current details. If you have no design at all, send your logo, address, VAT number and bank details and the designer lays the book out at no extra cost.
There is no template to download from the own-design page. If you want to build the file yourself, the two tables above are the template.
What does ncr books printing from your own file cost?
Own-design ncr books printing at Personalised Invoice Book starts at £102.96 ex VAT for 5 A6, DL or A5 books, or £131.04 ex VAT for 5 A4 books, with delivery free anywhere in the UK. Supplying your own artwork costs no more and no less than using the free design service.
A duplicate book holds 100 sets, so 5 A5 books give you 500 invoices for £102.96, about 21p a set. Triplicate books cost the same per book but hold 50 sets, so a 3 part set works out at roughly double. At volume, 100 A6 books cost £376.74 ex VAT.
If you'd like a designer to glance at your PDF before you pay, email it to sales@personalisedinvoicebook.co.uk with the size and binding edge you want, or phone 01933 81 21 51.
Which mistakes get a supplied file bounced back?
Most files fail for one of six reasons. Personalised Invoice Book emails a proof of every own-design upload before printing, so this list saves you a round of emails.
- Text or lines inside the 20 mm binding strip
- A page set to the trim size with no bleed, or set to letter size instead of A4
- Photos or a logo pasted in at screen resolution (72dpi) rather than 300dpi
- A number typed into the artwork instead of a clear box for the sequential number
- Fonts not embedded, so the PDF substitutes a different typeface
- A layout that misses something HMRC expects on an invoice
That last one matters if the book is an invoice. GOV.UK says an invoice must show a unique identification number, your company name, address and contact information, the customer's name and address, a clear description of what you're charging for, the supply date, the invoice date, the amounts charged, VAT if applicable and the total owed (GOV.UK: invoices, what they must include). Sole traders add their own name and any trading name; limited companies use the full registered company name.
For what happens after the upload, read how an invoice book goes from artwork to finished book.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to supply a separate file for each copy in a 2 part or 3 part set?
No. Personalised Invoice Book prints the same artwork on every sheet of the set, so one PDF covers every copy. Duplicate (100 sets) or triplicate (50 sets) is chosen on the product page, not in your file.
Can I have my own design printed in colour on NCR books?
Not on the own-design product. NCR books printed to your own design at Personalised Invoice Book are black ink only, so colour artwork is converted to greyscale. For full colour on carbonless paper, personalised receipt books are the product to order.
What happens if my artwork is not 300dpi or has no bleed?
You see the result on the emailed proof. Personalised Invoice Book prints nothing until you approve it, so a soft logo or missing bleed gets fixed first, by resupplying the file or using the free design service.
Is there a template I can download for own-design NCR books?
No, the own-design page does not offer a template download. Use the size table in this guide: trim size plus 3 mm bleed, with 20 mm clear on the binding edge. If you would rather not build the file, the free design service at Personalised Invoice Book does it for you.
Can I use one design for books and NCR pads?
Yes, the same artwork works for both. NCR pads are glued at the top with a card cover, so keep the binding margin along the top edge; they take 5 to 6 working days. Our post on what NCR paper is and how the copies form covers the paper itself.
Ready to upload?
Export the PDF at 300dpi with 3 mm bleed, check the 20 mm binding strip is empty, and upload it on the NCR books printed to your own design page with your size, number of parts and starting number. A proof lands in your inbox, you approve it, and the books are dispatched 3 to 4 working days later with free UK delivery. Stuck on the file? Phone 01933 81 21 51 and a designer will help.
