Free design proof on every custom order: no templates, no stock SKUs
Custom folders are built around whatever size, pocket configuration and closure your project actually needs, rather than a standard presentation or file folder layout. That flexibility matters when you need something a stock folder doesn't offer. An angled pocket for a specific insert, a business card slit, a die-cut window, or a size built around a set of documents that don't fit a standard 9 x 12. Tell us how the folder will be used and what it needs to hold, and we'll build the pocket layout and stock around it.
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Most presentation folders follow a familiar template: a 9 x 12 cover with two straight interior pockets. A custom folder order exists for the projects that need something different from that default. A different finished size to match a specific set of documents, an angled pocket instead of a straight one, a business-card slit built into one pocket, or two pockets of different depths to separate a cover letter from a full proposal.
Pocket configuration is usually where the customization pays off most. A straight pocket holds standard letter-size sheets simply and cleanly. An angled pocket, cut at an angle from one corner, is often used for a single hero document (a proposal cover page, a menu, a photo) that's meant to be visible without pulling everything out. Some custom folders split one pocket into two, or add a small die-cut slit sized for a business card or a USB drive, which matters for anything meant to double as a leave-behind after a meeting rather than just a document carrier.
Closures and finishing add another layer of customization. A folder that needs to travel or be mailed benefits from an elastic band or ribbon tie to keep contents from sliding out, while a folder meant to sit flat on a desk or in a display can skip the closure entirely. A die-cut window on the cover, or a foil-stamped logo, adds a branded touch that a plain printed cover doesn't achieve on its own. Both are common on folders meant for client-facing use, like press kits, sales presentations or RFP submissions.
Stock choice follows the same range as our other folders: a heavier cover weight, typically 12 pt to 14 pt or 100 lb cardstock, holds its shape through repeated handling and keeps the folder from bending in a bag or briefcase. Lamination. Gloss for a brighter, more polished look, matte or soft-touch for a more understated, premium feel. Protects the surface and extends the life of a folder meant to represent a brand in front of clients.
Because the specifications are entirely custom, it's worth having the finished size, pocket layout, closure preference and quantity worked out before requesting a quote, that's usually enough to put together a layout that fits both the documents it needs to hold and the impression it's meant to make.
The board decides how the finished folder feels in hand and how well it survives repeated use. 10pt to 12pt C1S is standard for a handout that is used once; 14pt is the point most people describe as "sturdy" without feeling like a binder cover. Above 14pt the folder gets harder to fold cleanly without cracking the coating at the score.
Which weight should I ask for? One-time event handout, 10-12pt. A folder clients keep on a desk, 14pt.
Full color (4/4 or 4/0) covers most orders. Where a brand color has to match exactly across reorders (a specific corporate blue, a metallic) we run it as a Pantone spot rather than approximating it from CMYK. Inside panels are usually left unprinted or carry a light pattern, since the pockets and their contents cover most of that surface anyway.
Do I need to print the inside? Rarely worth it, that budget usually does more on cover finishing.
Laminate is a film bonded to the printed sheet, not a varnish. It is what lets a folder survive being opened and closed dozens of times without the corners softening or the color scuffing. Gloss maximizes color pop for a folder that needs to catch attention on a table; matte reads as more restrained and hides fingerprints better in daily handling.
Do I need lamination at all? For a single-use event handout, no. For anything kept and reused, it is the difference between lasting a week and lasting a year.
The fold is scored, not just creased, before it is folded. Pressing a blunt rule into the stock so the fibers bend along a controlled line instead of cracking the coating at random. Skip the score on 14pt or heavier stock and the laminate visibly fractures along the spine on the very first fold.
Why does my folder crack at the fold? Almost always a missed or misplaced score on 14pt or heavier stock. Tell us the exact caliper and we set the score line for it.
This is the same manufacturing sequence as any folder (print, laminate, score, die-cut, glue) but the die itself is drawn to your specification rather than pulled from a standard set. That covers an angled pocket, a non-standard trim size, a die-cut window in the cover, a third panel, or a pocket configuration built around a set of documents that do not fit a standard 9″ × 12″.
Do I need to supply a die line? No. Describe what it has to hold (or send a sketch) and we draw the die line and show it on your proof before tooling is cut.
Ask for samples of any stock on this list before committing to a run.
Maximizes color pop. The right call for a folder meant to stand out on a table.
Kills glare, hides fingerprints. Reads as more restrained and corporate.
A small die cut into one pocket. Standard on most orders, no added cost.
A rounded corner, an angled flap, or a fully custom silhouette, tooling carried into the first order.
Same family, genuinely different jobs. Your current selection is highlighted.
| Folder | From | Construction | Order it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Folders | $420 | Two side pockets | Everyday branded handouts |
| Presentation Folders | $420 | Two pockets, premium finish | Pitches, proposals, client meetings |
| Legal Folders | $475 | Oversized pockets | Legal-length contracts and filings |
| Custom Folders | $395 | Your layout | Anything standard sizes cannot hold |
| Die-cut Folders | $440 | Custom cut outline | A folder shaped around your brand |
| Certificate Folders | $460 | Corner / ribbon slits | Diplomas, awards, ceremonies |
| File Folders | $530 | Reinforced tab, no pockets | Everyday document filing |
| Photo Folders | $370 | Print slit | Portrait and event photographers |
| Tri Panel Folders | $520 | Three panels | Multi-piece kits |
Almost all of it is tooling. Printing a non-standard folder costs the same as printing a standard one; cutting it requires a steel-rule die made for your shape, which is a one-time cost carried into the first order. Reprints reuse the same die, so the second run prices much closer to a standard folder.
No. Send the shape or layout you need (a sketch is enough) and we draw the die line as vector artwork, apply the bleed, and show it on your proof before any tooling is cut. If you already have a die line from a previous supplier, send it and we verify the tolerances against our cutter.
Usually. Post us one. We can measure the caliper, identify the coating by hand and sheen, read the pocket geometry and rebuild the die from the physical sample. What we cannot always match is a proprietary house stock. In that case we name the closest equivalent and tell you honestly where it differs.
Lower than most people expect, but the tooling cost dominates at small quantities, so the per-unit price falls steeply as volume rises. If you expect to reorder within the year, running the larger quantity once is almost always cheaper than two smaller runs.
The clock starts when you approve the proof, not when the order is placed, which is the part most people are surprised by. You get a proof first: artwork checked by a human, die line and score positions set to your caliper, proof issued free. Turnaround after approval depends on the finish: anything laminated, foiled or die-cut adds a stage that cannot be compressed without causing problems later. Tell us the date you actually need them and we will work backwards from it rather than quoting a generic lead time.
Print-ready artwork with bleed and a safe margin, supplied as a PDF, AI or EPS. Because this product is cut to a shape, the file also needs a live vector path for the blade to follow. A JPG or PNG has no outline to cut to, so it has to be redrawn first. If your file is not print-ready, say so when you order. We would rather fix it before the proof than after the run.
Yes. Die-cut & pocket, to your layout is the standard build, and the dimensions around it are yours to set. A size that sits efficiently on the press sheet often costs no more than a standard one, while an awkward proportion that wastes half the sheet does. Ask before you commit and we will tell you whether a small change to the dimensions saves a disproportionate amount.
In most cases they are the same product under a different name: the trade uses several terms for it depending on the region and the supplier. What actually defines this one is the build: $395. Order it when your layout. If you have seen it called custom folders printing elsewhere, describe what it has to do rather than which name you found, and we will match the specification.
Yes. We provide free samples, and on custom folders it is worth asking for one, because the difference between coated cover c1s and coated cover c1s is obvious in the hand and invisible on a screen. Most orders run on coated cover c1s, but ask for whichever you are weighing up. You also get a free design proof before anything goes to press, so nothing is printed that you have not seen.
The usual choices are gloss lamination, matte lamination, business card slit. Finish is not decoration on this product so much as a decision about how long it survives and how it reads in the hand, so it is worth choosing against the job rather than the budget. Tell us where the finished piece ends up and we will say which finish is doing real work and which is only adding cost.
Yes, and that is what almost every order here is. Nothing in this catalogue is a stock item: custom folders are manufactured to the specification you give us, with your artwork on them. Send your logo as vector artwork where you have it, since that scales to any size without softening. If all you have is a low-resolution file, tell us and we will say what it needs before it reaches the press.
Yes, and a repeat run is simpler than the first one. We keep your approved specification on file, so a reorder skips the setup decisions and goes straight to production. Where the job used custom tooling, that tooling is reused, which is why a shaped run costs less the second time. Tell us the previous order and we will match it rather than starting the specification again.
Yes. Regalo Print has been producing custom commercial print for businesses across the USA and Canada since 2008, and every order ships tracked. The tracking number reaches you the day the job leaves, not the day it arrives. If you are working to a fixed date, say so when you order so the production schedule is built around the delivery date rather than the other way round.
