Bookmark designs can range from sharing a love for reading to promoting a product. Whether you’re designing personalized bookmarks for your book club, looking for a new product to offer as an Etsy seller, or trying to promote your business, a custom bookmark is an affordable print product that is easy to distribute. Even if you don’t have a design background, you can make your own personalized bookmark. If you’re an author, bookseller, librarian, small business owner, or just an avid reader, you can make a bookmark that you’ll be happy to display in your current read.
How to Design a Bookmark
Establish Your Goal
As a versatile print product, custom bookmarks serve different functions. As a marketing tool, you can share information about your company, products, or services. Authors can use them as promotional tools in a PR package or sell them as book merch. Public libraries can share events or programs with them. Teachers can use bookmarks to track students’ progress in classroom reading challenges. Bookstores can offer them as a complimentary gift with purchase. Even influencers can use them—BookTok creators can create merch for readers that their fans will want to use. A bookmark is an essential reading accessory, so you know it will get a lot of use.
Determine a Design Focus
Depending on what you’re using your bookmark for, your custom bookmark design will highlight different features. A marketing bookmark will likely feature a lot of text and informative copy. A text-focused bookmark should still be concise, since there is limited space to share details. Include your company name, logo, slogan, and contact details, such as an address, website, and email. Get straight to the point with any extra details, like a new product or service.
Meanwhile, selling bookmarks as merch will probably require cute, eye-catching artwork. There are several different approaches you can take. Focus on a genre—a romance author will likely use bright, fun colors like pink and purple, while a horror writer will likely use black and red. Consider different themes, like cozy reading vibes, epic fantasy, or inspirational. You can also print quote bookmarks. Just make sure the text is copyright-free.
Pick Your Bookmark Size
How elaborate your design is will depend on your bookmark dimensions. 2 x 8 and 1.5 x 7 are the most popular bookmark sizes. 2 x 6 is the standard bookmark size. But you can also print small bookmarks, like 2 x 4 or 2 x 5.5, or large bookmarks, like 2 x 9 or 2.75 x 8.5. The smaller bookmarks will require a more condensed design. To make a large bookmark, you’ll have to keep the long and skinny dimensions in mind.
Pick a Paper Stock
There are several different bookmark paper options. Typically, people opt for a thinner cardstock so the paper bookmarks can easily fit between the pages. A shiny paper, like 14 pt. Gloss Cover, emphasizes bright colors and has a UV Coating to protect the bookmark against damage. If you want a bookmark you can write on, then choose an uncoated or matte paper, like 14 pt. Uncoated or 16 pt. Premium Matte.
Free Bookmark Templates
If you don’t want to design a bookmark from scratch or want some bookmark ideas, don’t worry. GotPrint offers several customizable bookmark templates in different sizes. Here are just a few to get you started.
This bookmark has cozy reading vibes, with a cute book nook, reading chair, and bookshelves. Choose between a green, beige, and peach color palette.
Readers with an endless TBR pile (to be read pile, or stack of unread books) will love this bookmark. There’s a pile of unread books at the bottom underneath the eye-catching text. There are cute illustrations on the back.
Readers and authors all love cute bookmarks, which is why this template is great for all book lovers. The customizable text says “books are my happy place,” and is surrounded by book drawings.
For a simple bookmark design, you can’t go wrong with this floral bookmark. The blue background is covered in thin flowers and leaves. You can add your own text to the patterned bookmark by using the online design tool.
This cute bookmark design has a girl reading a book surrounded by leaves. The text says “I love to read” in a colorful font. You can choose between a green and pink color palette. The text on the back has space for readers to write their name, so they’ll never lose their page or their book.
If you need a corporate marketing bookmark, then this free template is perfect for you. The green geometric background is sleek and professional, so you can impress potential clients and customers. There is plenty of space for custom text to promote your business. Add your company logo at the top to match your branding.
Need more bookmark design ideas? Browse all of GotPrint’s customizable templates before you print bookmarks with us. We use full color printing with vibrant colors on high-quality materials, so you know your custom bookmark printing will result in premium products.
Once you’ve designed your bookmark, it’s time to place your order. Get a Free Sample Kit if you would like to test our different paper stocks and finishes. You can also order custom notepads to take notes for your next book review.