ClickBook, by Blue Squirrel, is a long-running consumer booklet-printing utility. You install it, then "print" from Word, a browser, or any app to a ClickBook virtual printer, and it re-lays out your pages into folded booklets, n-up sheets, and other home- and office-friendly layouts. It is built around driving your desktop printer, not around producing a clean, press-ready imposed PDF. PDF Press takes booklets, n-up, step-and-repeat, cut-and-stack, marks, and variable data into the browser with nothing to install — and outputs an imposed PDF you can send to any printer or press. The choice is between ClickBook's simple print-to-booklet convenience and PDF Press's no-install prepress workspace.
Use PDF Press from Windows, macOS, Linux, or ChromeOS without downloading an app or maintaining workstation installs.
Start processing immediately with no file-upload round trip. Your PDF stays on your device while the browser workspace updates.
Jump into proven layouts for cards, books, labels, packaging, signage, tickets, variable data, and more.
Choose PDF Press if you want a real imposed PDF — booklets, n-up, step-and-repeat, cut-and-stack, with crop, bleed and cutter marks and variable data — produced in the browser with nothing to install and sent to any printer or press. Choose ClickBook if you just want to print home or office booklets and n-up handouts from Windows or Mac to your own desk printer, and a simple print-to-booklet utility is all you need.
These trade-offs may be worth accepting for the right production workflow. Check them against how your team actually works before you commit.
ClickBook is installed software that adds a virtual printer driver you print to; it runs only on a supported Windows or Mac desktop, not in a browser and not on a Chromebook. PDF Press opens in a browser tab on any OS with nothing to install and no printer driver to maintain.
ClickBook is built to drive your desk printer — you print to it and it rearranges pages onto sheets. It can save booklets to PDF, but it is not a prepress tool that produces a clean imposed PDF with production marks and bleed. PDF Press is designed to output a press-ready imposed PDF.
ClickBook targets consumer and office booklet printing. It does not offer gang runs, step-and-repeat, cut-and-stack, or crop/bleed/registration/cutter marks and variable data the way a prepress tool does. PDF Press covers those jobs directly.
From installed software to one browser workspace
ClickBook can be the right choice for a fixed production setup. But installed software adds compatibility and maintenance checkpoints that an online browser workflow avoids.
ClickBook depends on an installed Windows or Mac desktop app and a ClickBook virtual printer driver you print through. After an operating-system or host-app upgrade, a team may need a compatible release, patch, or reinstall before production continues. PDF Press is not tied to that desktop integration chain.
Installed software must be deployed, activated, updated, and troubleshot on each production workstation. PDF Press delivers updates through the browser, so there is no desktop package or plug-in to maintain on every device.
Mixed desktop versions can create workflow drift between operators and machines. Supported browsers open the same current version of PDF Press, with the same tools and production-template library.
| Feature | PDF Press | ClickBook |
|---|---|---|
| Runs in the browser (any OS, Chromebook) | Windows / Mac desktop app | |
| Nothing to install | Install + virtual printer driver | |
| Clean imposed PDF output | Press-ready PDF | Print-driver based; can save PDF |
| Easy home & office booklet printing | Its core strength | |
| Booklets & n-up | ||
| Step-and-repeat & gang runs | ||
| Cut & stack | ||
| Crop, bleed, registration & cutter marks | ||
| Variable data (numbering, mail-merge sheets) | ||
| Ready-made template gallery | 190 live templates | 170+ print layouts |
| Works on Mac, Linux & ChromeOS | Windows or Mac only | |
| Pricing | Free, then $12/mo or $120/yr | $49.95 one-time license |
full · partial / paid add-on · not available. ClickBook 15 pricing ($49.95 full license, $24.95 upgrade), its Windows and Mac desktop editions, the virtual-printer workflow, and the 170+ layout count were checked on Blue Squirrel's official pages on July 15, 2026.
Compare first-year cost for your team. Drag the seats and switch the time horizon.
ClickBook is a one-time desktop license (full version $49.95 per seat on Blue Squirrel's store, upgrades $24.95); PDF Press is $120/year per seat. Over enough years a perpetual license costs less in raw license fees — this compares first-year and three-year totals so you can weigh no-install browser access, cross-platform reach, and prepress output against a one-time desk-printer utility. Prices checked July 15, 2026.
Built-in template gallery
PDF Press includes 196 production-ready templates across commercial print, publishing, packaging, large format, office work, and variable data. Pick one, add your artwork, and fine-tune it in the live preview.
14-up · Tabloid · duplex
A4 · signatures · creep
3-up · cut-and-stack · sequential
13×19 in · die cut · folds
A4 · kiss cut · contour
Signatures · duplex · binding
No install, no upload, no credit card. Get 5 free downloads to try it.
