{"id":27373,"date":"2020-05-01T19:59:34","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T19:59:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/suprefreshprod.wpengine.com\/\/?page_id=27373"},"modified":"2025-05-28T15:02:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T20:02:06","slug":"page-creep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartpress.com\/support\/printing-basics\/page-creep","title":{"rendered":"Page Creep"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In online printing, page creep refers to the fanning out of pages<\/a> that can occur when they\u2019re folded and gathered together. As you fold more pages together, the thickness of the paper<\/a> pushes the inner pages out. The amount of creep depends on the number of pages and the thickness of the paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once the pages are folded and bound together, the final trim will cut off the edges of the innermost pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You\u2019ll likely encounter page creep on Saddle Stitch Booklets<\/a>. In custom booklets<\/a> with up to 48 pages, the creep is often barely noticeable and doesn\u2019t need to be accounted for. In booklets with more than 48 pages, compensating for the inevitable creep requires incrementally shifting the pages in order to end up with a consistent outer margin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To avoid booklet creep, you can print your project with a different binding<\/a>. Spiral Coil<\/a>, Wire Coil<\/a> and Perfect Bound Books<\/a> are all great alternatives because their pages are not folded inside one another, so you won\u2019t have to account for creep.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Can I Adjust for Page Creep?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is recommended to let the prepress department of your online printer to adjust the creep. However, if you\u2019d like to do it yourself, you\u2019ll need to know the thickness, or caliper, of the paper you will be printing on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have the caliper, follow these formulas to determine the creep of your pages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n