A piece of print people choose to keep
A calendar is one of the few pieces of print that people hang up and look at every day, so it keeps your name in front of them for a full year. That only works if it is useful: clear dates, enough space to write, and images people are happy to see. Decide early whether it will hang on a wall, stand on a desk or be posted to supporters or customers. A useful brief includes the format, the number of pages, the start month, the quantity and how the calendars will be distributed.
Wall calendars
A month-to-view wall calendar, often A4 or A3 when open, gives each month an image and a grid of dates. Leave enough space in the grid for people to write appointments.
Wall planners
A single sheet showing the whole year at a glance suits offices and workplaces. It needs to be large enough for entries to be readable from a distance.
Desk and promotional calendars
Smaller formats suit desks and mailings. Think about how the calendar will stand or hang, and whether it needs to fit an envelope.
Paper & finishes
Silk and gloss stocks bring out photography; uncoated paper is easier to write on. A heavier cover or back board helps a wall calendar hang flat. FSC-certified stocks are available.
A laminated or varnished cover can protect it through a year of handling. Spot UV or foil can lift a logo or cover image. We can discuss finishes alongside the paper and binding.
Binding a calendar
Saddle stitching folds and stitches the pages through the centre, so the calendar opens flat with one month above the next. It works well for wall calendars hung from a drilled hole. We stitch in-house on a Muller Prima stitching line and drill holes in-house.
Wiro binding lets pages flip over cleanly and suits some wall and desk calendars. Tell us the format you want and we will advise on the binding options and lead times for your specification.
Litho or digital printing?
Longer runs of the same calendar suit B2 litho on our Heidelberg presses, with Pantone spot colours available for brand colours.
Digital printing suits shorter runs and calendars that change by recipient, region or branch, such as local dates or a personalised cover. Variable data can add names or messages from your supplied data.
Mailing & trade print
Calendars are often posted to customers and supporters towards the end of the year, which makes timing important. The finished size, weight and envelope decide the postage format, so plan them early. We can enclose calendars with a covering letter and handle addressing and sortation in-house.
We also produce unbranded calendars for agencies and resellers under NDA. Allow plenty of time before the start month, as autumn is a busy period for calendar print.
Helpful guides
All guides2027 Direct Mail Planning Calendar (Free PDF)
A free printable 12-month planner for 2027 with the key UK dates, plus how to work back from the doormat date to schedule production and postage.
Read the guide
Binding Methods: Perfect Binding vs Saddle Stitch and More
Saddle stitch, PUR perfect binding, wiro and case binding compared: page counts, spines, durability and which to choose for your brochure or catalogue.
Read the guideFrequently Asked Questions
Have a print specification in mind?
Tell us about the format, quantity, artwork and how you plan to use the finished piece, and we will come back with a recommendation and a clear quote.
- Print, data and mailing under one roof in Keighley
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001 and FSC certified
- Royal Mail Mailmark and PostAim (Ireland) mailings
- Family-owned and producing since 1980