Church Newsletter Printing, Sizes, Paper and How Often to Print
Choose the size and fold from the length of each issue, pick a paper that survives a month on the kitchen counter, then settle how many copies go in the pews and how many go in the mail. Every size, stock and price below is one you can order today.
For a monthly church newsletter, an 11 x 17 sheet with a half fold gives a four-page issue at 8.5 x 11, and 70# uncoated or 100# gloss text keeps the cost per copy low. Fifty copies start at $75.80 and 500 cost $207.60, so one run covers the pews, the visitor table and the mailing list.
Quick tips
Two counts that settle any church newsletter order
Know your page count and your household count. The page count picks the sheet and the fold. The household count, plus the pews and a visitor stack, picks the quantity. Paper and finish follow from how long each issue has to last on a counter or a fridge door.
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Pick the sheet size from the length of each issue
Start with how much your church has to say each month. A single 8.5 x 11 sheet printed on both sides holds a letter from the pastor, the service times and a short calendar. When the calendar, a ministry spotlight and the giving update all need space, move to an 11 x 17 sheet with a half fold: it closes to 8.5 x 11 and reads as four pages. Our non-profit newsletter printing range covers five preset sizes plus a custom size.
What each size is for:
- 8.5 x 11. A one-sheet update in full color on the front, or on both sides. It tucks inside the Sunday bulletin or trifolds into a #10 envelope.
- 8.5 x 14 and 9 x 12. Extra height for a full month calendar beside the news, still on one sheet.
- 11 x 17. The four-page issue. Half fold it to read in the pew, or leave it flat as a calendar for the fridge door.
- 11 x 25.5. A long sheet for an accordion or a double parallel fold, when an anniversary or a building campaign needs a panel for every story.
The newsletter often sits beside a weekly handout, and our guide to printing a church bulletin covers that Sunday piece from layout to fold.
Choose a fold your readers can open with one hand
The fold decides how the issue opens and how it travels. A half fold turns one sheet into a spread that a reader holds like a program. A trifold splits an 8.5 x 11 sheet into six panels and closes to about 3.67 by 8.5 inches, the shape of a mailer. A Z-fold opens like a map, and a gate fold hides the big announcement behind two doors that open from the center.
The configurator lists ten folding options: no fold, half, trifold, Z-fold, accordion, double parallel, barrel roll, right angle, gate and closed gate. Keep the same panel plan from one month to the next. Readers learn where the calendar lives, and the volunteer who lays out the issue swaps the words instead of redesigning the page.
Paper that lasts a month on the kitchen counter
A monthly newsletter spends four weeks on a counter or under a fridge magnet, so the paper has to hold up without pushing the cost per copy too high. Text weight stock does both. 70# uncoated text feels like a letter and takes a pen, which suits a prayer request form or a sign-up slip. 100# silk/matte text keeps glare off long columns of type. 100# gloss text makes photos of the youth group or the new roof look sharp.
Step up to cover stock for the issues people keep. 80# gloss cover, 100# silk/matte cover or 14pt gloss cover give an anniversary edition or a campaign report weight in the hand, and the 14pt uncoated cover carries 30% post-consumer waste. Add the High Gloss UV Coating when the front page is one large photo. For layouts that make the most of each stock, browse these newsletter design examples.
Mail it, hand it out, or do both from one run
Handing the newsletter out after the service costs nothing beyond the print, and it reaches the people who already come. Mailing it reaches the members who miss a Sunday, the homebound and the families at the edge of the congregation. One run covers both groups, and the price per copy falls as the quantity climbs.
For the mailed copies, fold the sheet to fit the envelope you plan to use. A trifolded 8.5 x 11 sheet fits a #10 envelope, and blank envelopes start at $13.17 for 50, ready in 1 business day. If the issue goes out without an envelope, keep one panel clear for the address and postage. Sorting, postage and mail lists are covered step by step in printing and mailing newsletters.
How many copies a congregation needs
Count households, not people. A family of five reads one newsletter, so start from the household count on your mailing list, add a copy for each family that picks one up in person, and add a visitor stack for the welcome table. Then round up to the next step in the configurator.
The ladder rewards the round-up. Fifty copies cost $75.80, about $1.52 each. Two hundred cost $141.70, about 71 cents each, and 500 cost $207.60, about 42 cents each. At 1,000 copies the run costs $240.55, close to 24 cents a copy, so the spares that cover new families cost you pennies.
How often to print, and how to set up the file
A monthly schedule carries the calendar for the weeks ahead and gives the volunteers who write it three weeks between deadlines. A weekly update fits better inside the Sunday bulletin, and a quarterly issue suits a longer report on giving, missions and building work. Pick one schedule and keep it, so members know when to look for the next issue. If you are weighing paper against email for any of these, printed and digital newsletters compared sets the two side by side.
Standard production takes 3 business days before the box ships, with 2-day, next-day and same-day options when a deadline slips. Build the file at the exact sheet size, flat and unfolded, with the fold lines in mind, and work in CMYK at 300 DPI. Pick the free online proof and read every date and phone number at full size before you approve it; every order also gets a free file check before it prints.
Wally plans the monthly issue
Page count first, household count second
Wally starts with the page count before anyone opens a layout file. A one-page update goes on 8.5 x 11, and a four-page issue goes on 11 x 17 with a half fold. Then he counts the households on the mailing list, adds the pews and the welcome table, and rounds up to the next quantity step, because 4OVER4 prints the run from 50 copies and the price per copy falls as the count climbs.
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Sizes side by side
Church newsletter sizes and folds compared
Every size and fold below is a live option on church newsletters. Find the row that matches the length of your issue and how it reaches people, then price that size in the configurator.
| Size | Best for | Fold that suits it | Closed size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 x 11 in | A one-sheet update, one side or both | Flat, or a trifold for a #10 envelope | About 3.67 x 8.5 in trifolded |
| 8.5 x 14 in | News with a full month calendar | Flat, or a trifold | About 4.67 x 8.5 in trifolded |
| 9 x 12 in | A photo-led single sheet | Flat, or a half fold | 6 x 9 in half folded |
| 11 x 17 in | The four-page monthly issue | Half fold | 8.5 x 11 in |
| 11 x 25.5 in | An anniversary or campaign issue | Accordion in three panels | 8.5 x 11 in |
Specs and pricing
Church newsletter specs and pricing
The live sizes, papers, folds and price per run for church newsletters at 4OVER4.COM, from 50 copies up to 25,000.
| Quantity | Price Per Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | $1.52 | $75.80 |
| 100 | $1.09 | $108.75 |
| 200 | 70.8¢ | $141.70 |
| 300 | 54.6¢ | $163.67 |
| 400 | 46.4¢ | $185.63 |
| 500 | 41.5¢ | $207.60 |
| 600 | 35.7¢ | $214.19 |
| 700 | 31.5¢ | $220.78 |
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Where to go next
By the numbers
Five sizes, from 50 copies up
Common Questions
Church newsletters, answered
What size should a church newsletter be?
Choose it by the page count. A one-page update fits 8.5 x 11, printed on one side or both. A four-page issue prints on an 11 x 17 sheet and folds in half to 8.5 x 11. For a full calendar on one sheet, 8.5 x 14 and 9 x 12 add height, and 11 x 25.5 with an accordion fold carries a longer anniversary or campaign issue.
Which paper works best for a monthly newsletter?
Text weight paper keeps a monthly run affordable and easy to fold. Take 70# uncoated text when readers write on the page, 100# silk/matte text for long columns of type, and 100# gloss text for an issue full of photos. Cover stocks such as 80# gloss cover or 14pt gloss cover suit a keepsake edition.
Should we mail the newsletter or hand it out?
Handing it out adds no cost beyond the print, and mailing adds envelopes and postage but reaches the members who miss a Sunday. Print both groups in one run, because the price per copy falls as the quantity climbs: 200 copies cost $141.70 and 500 cost $207.60.
How many newsletters should a church order?
Start from the households on your mailing list, add one copy for each family that picks it up in person, and add a stack for the welcome table. Round up to the next quantity step; the spare copies cost little and cover the families who arrive halfway through the month.
Do non-profits pay less for newsletter printing?
Registered non-profits can print through 4OVER4 Gives Back, which takes 25% off all prints for life and ships every order by free UPS Ground, with rush priority production and instant reprints. Call 718-932-2700 and ask about the program before you place the order.
How fast can we get church newsletters?
Standard production takes 3 business days before the order ships, with 2-day, next-day and same-day options. Send the file a week before the Sunday you plan to hand it out, pick the free online proof, and check every date and phone number before you approve it.
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Print next month's issue this week
Pick the size from your page count, choose a text weight paper, and order church newsletters from 50 copies at 4OVER4.COM.
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Gold Standard guarantees apply to all standard orders placed through 4over4.com. Price match requires verifiable proof of a competitor's published price for an equivalent product with matching specifications and turnaround time. Satisfaction guarantee covers manufacturing defects and print quality issues. Contact support with order number and documentation.
