Annual Report Printing: Design Tips for Your Year in Review

From public companies and small businesses to ESOPs, nonprofits and schools, organizations of all kinds rely on annual report printing to showcase the year’s achievements and partnerships. And with pages laid together and stapled through the fold line, saddle stitched books allow for a wide range of formatting possibilities to do just that.

For Pauline McPeake, executive director at Growing Place, booklet binding was crucial. “The format allows us to strategically use the centerfold to highlight our most noteworthy accomplishment for the year,” she said.

Charity Eldred’s online printing strategy took a process of elimination to find the just-right format for OPEN USA’s annual report. Collaborating with designer Ryan Baker, Eldred blended imagery with clean text and infographics that were “too large for a brochure, but too small for a perfect bound book. We liked saddle stitch for the ease of display.”

For Grace O’Hara, project manager at Seed Effect, along with design partners Missy Williams and Starla Koehler, the decision was obvious: “The binding makes it an ideal product to send to our supporters.”

No matter what annual report ideas you have, Smartpress’ online printing services offer customizing options that result in a professional booklet to present to donors, volunteers and shareholders.

From paper to size to orientation, this personalization made designing convenient for O’Hara. “The size is large enough to share stories of impact, both visually and through text, while also providing space to communicate our ministry’s vision in the years to come,” she said.

Whether your report has eight pages or 64, saddle stitch books can accommodate it all. (And why not use that ample space to tell the complete story of your entire year?) The right stock and weight creates the right feel, while coating ensures the right look.

Offered with either of the two UV coatings or the suede-like Soft Touch laminate, saddle stitch printing ensured a polished finish for McPeake: “The flat matte UV coating for our cover [gave] the report a glossier and more professional finish.”

When you think annual reports, you may not think marketing tool. But you should. David Gamboa, communications director at Elijah Rising, used his annual report booklet to promote, communicate and engage.

“We sent printed copies to donors and volunteers [and] printed extras and gave them out throughout the year,” Gamboa said. “We always bring a copy to meetings with potential donors and supporters. It helps them have a clearer picture of what we do and the results we see from our work.”

However you’re distributing them, Smartpress’ booklet printing options take care of it for you. For Direct Mail Saddle Stitch Booklets, add wafer seals so your pages stay together. Or order shrink wrapping so you have protected bundles on-hand for later events.

After all, it’s “not just about the organization’s metrics but what our supporters were able to accomplish throughout the year,” said Gamboa.

As a premium online printer, Smartpress provides design options galore, but one thing that should remain constant in your annual report? Showing appreciation. And while digital communication can take less time, print makes the sentiment more impactful.

“Holding a physical copy shares the stories in a way that’s more concrete,” said O’Hara. “It helps show our supporters the impact they are making first-hand.”

For Eldred, “We wanted it available to put into the hands of people we’d been working with for a while. Something to say, ‘This is where your generous donations are going,’” she said. “It told the stories of the people we support and we wanted to present givers with something special to remind them of how they are a part of a bigger story.”

Annual reports, too, can serve as memory books or time capsules for the work your business or organization has done, the people you partnered with and the stories they provided.

“Our supporters really appreciate it when we hand them a copy,” Gamboa said. “It feels like a gift instead of an informational piece.”

Design Tips to End Brilliantly:

• Highlight examples and images of specific initiatives, accomplishments, milestones or projects completed over the year.
• End on a good note, with one final image that makes your annual report (and organization) memorable.

Hint: Get more annual report printing and booklet inspo:

• Perfect Bound: Print Booklets with a Sophisticated Binding
• Choosing the Right Paper Stock for Your Booklet