Elastic Folio Inserts
Traveler's notebook style booklets, printed to your specifications.
Elastic folio systems, often called traveler's notebooks, have become one of the fastest-growing formats in the planner world. A leather or vegan-leather cover holds several slim booklets on elastic bands running down the spine, and the reader swaps them in and out: a monthly here, a notes booklet there, a project tracker for the season. The cover lasts for years. The booklets are printed fresh whenever your customer is ready for something new, and that is exactly the part we produce.
At Vervante we have been handcrafting custom books in the USA for over 25 years. If you design planner or journal pages for this format, we print the booklet inserts for you, any size, black & white or full color, in the counts your customers order, with the same low minimums, warehousing, and fulfillment we offer across our product line.
Want to see and feel the quality before you commit? Order samples to review our paper stocks and finishes in person.
Please note: we print the booklet inserts only. We do not supply the leather or vegan-leather folio itself. Your customers pair our inserts with the cover of their choice, so all we need from you is print-ready files sized to fit. If you source your own folios, you can send them to us to warehouse and fulfill alongside your inserts — see below.
We print the inserts
You supply the folio
Sized to Fit the Folio
Getting the dimensions right is what makes an insert sit properly under the elastics. A booklet that is even slightly off will not seat cleanly in the cover, so we match your booklets to the recognized standard sizes below. If your customers use a size that is not listed, send us the exact measurements and we will print to them.
| Size | Inches (W × H) | Millimeters | Good For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular / Standard | 4.33 × 8.27 | 110 × 210 | The classic traveler's notebook insert |
| B6 Slim | 4.9 × 7.1 | 125 × 180 | A popular size with indie planner makers |
| A5 | 5.83 × 8.27 | 148 × 210 | Roomy weekly and monthly layouts |
| Personal | 3.75 × 6.75 | 95 × 171 | A compact carry-everywhere size |
| Pocket / Field Notes | 3.5 × 5.5 | 89 × 140 | Notes, lists, and quick trackers |
| Passport | 3.5 × 5.0 | 89 × 124 | The smallest common folio insert |
| Custom | Your exact measurements | Anything your cover calls for | |
How the Booklets Are Built
Folio inserts are saddle-stitched, the same binding used for slim booklets and magazines. Two staples through the fold hold the pages together so the booklet stays thin and flexible enough to layer several under the elastics. The format is built around a set of light booklets rather than one heavy one, so your customers can carry only what they need.
What we can do:
- Any size. Choose a standard folio size above, or give us custom dimensions.
- Black & white or full color interiors, and you can mix booklets within a single order.
- Up to 52 pages per booklet, the practical maximum for a saddle-stitched insert.
- Ordered in sets. Most folio users rotate a handful of booklets at a time, so tell us how many you want and we will print them together.
Send Us Your Folios for Fulfillment
We do not make or sell the folio covers, but we can still ship the complete product for you. Source your leather or vegan-leather folios from the supplier of your choice and send them to our facility, and we will store them alongside your printed inserts. When an order comes in, we pair the folio with the booklets you have specified and ship the finished set straight to your customer.
That means one fulfillment partner for the whole product, not a separate warehouse for covers and another for inserts. It is the same warehousing and fulfillment we provide across our product line, extended to the folios you supply.
How to Order
Design each booklet at the folio size you are targeting, with bleed and crop marks, and save each one as its own print-ready PDF. Then tell us your specifications and upload your files.
- Prepare your files. One print-ready PDF per booklet, built to the correct insert size.
- Submit your specifications. Give us the size, page count, color, and number of booklets on our send file specifications form.
- Upload and we print. We produce saddle-stitched booklets sized to drop straight into an elastic folio.
Want pricing before you commit? Request a quote and we will send an estimate for your booklets.
New to custom planners? Our free resource library includes expert guides, product videos, print templates, and FAQs. Everything you need to get started with confidence. Explore all free resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an elastic folio insert?
It is a slim, saddle-stitched booklet designed to slip into an elastic-band folio cover, the format often called a traveler's notebook. The cover holds several booklets on elastics running down the spine, and the reader swaps them in and out. We print the booklet inserts; the folio cover is sourced separately.
Do you sell the leather folio or cover too?
No. We print the booklet inserts only. Your customers pair our inserts with the folio cover of their choice. All we need from you is print-ready files sized to fit the cover they use.
What sizes do you print?
We print the standard folio sizes, including Regular (the classic traveler's notebook size at 110 by 210 mm), B6 Slim, A5, Personal, Pocket, and Passport. If your customers use a size that is not on the list, send us the exact measurements and we will print to them.
How many pages can a booklet have?
Up to 52 pages, which is the practical maximum for saddle-stitched binding. This format is built around several thin booklets rather than one thick one, so the page limit fits how the inserts are actually used.
Can I order booklets in a set and mix colors?
Yes. Most folio users rotate a handful of booklets at a time, so you can order several in one job and mix black & white and full color booklets within the same order. Tell us how many booklets you want and how each should print.
What file format do you need from me?
We accept print-ready PDF files, one per booklet, built to the correct insert size with bleed and crop marks. Specifications for size, bleed, margins, and resolution are on our print specifications page.
Ready to Print Your Inserts?
Whatever stage you are at, here is where to start.
