Book printing: compare quotes and prices

Single copy, print run or reprint

State the quantity you actually want produced initially. Digital book printing can allow single copies and small runs. For larger quantities, compare matching specifications in several quotes without assuming a fixed crossover quantity between digital and offset.

Print-on-demand produces books in response to an order. Compare reordering, shipping and any file setup as well. Setup alone for future sales is a different job from the production of book copies requested here.

Distinguish cover and binding

Softcover means a flexible cover; hardcover means a rigid case. This does not automatically specify how the contents are bound. Glued, thread-sewn and lay-flat versions have different requirements. Ask for a combination suited to page count and use.

Describe pages and size clearly

Count the inside in pages rather than sheets. Front and back of one sheet make two pages. Describe the cover separately; blank inside pages count too. Agree how endpapers or necessary extra pages are treated.

Give the finished book’s width and height. Paper and page count affect spine width and therefore the cover file. Later text changes can alter it. Page increments and minimums vary by binding and production; one rigid rule for every book would be wrong.

Choose paper and colour for the content

Text-heavy books and illustrated books have different needs. For text, check readability, show-through and comfortable use. For images, consider reproduction, surface and details lost at the binding. A sample with comparable content helps you choose.

Distinguish a colour cover, black-and-white contents and individual colour pages. For mixed contents, ask which pages are charged as colour. A small coloured graphic can matter to the process; count colour pages from the final file.

Compare total book printing costs

Match quantities, inside pages, size, paper, colours and binding when comparing. A starting price for a basic text book is not a guide price for a large illustrated book. Averaging different configurations would not be very useful.

Include design, corrections, samples, finishing, packaging and delivery. Larger quantities can require storage and tied-up cash. Compare the needed first run and justified reserve with smaller reorders and their transport, not unit price alone.

Prepare contents and cover for print

Before exporting, agree file format, colour profile, bleed and separation of contents and cover. Use the cover template for the final specification. An arbitrary PDF does not automatically suit every book process; check embedded fonts and page order.

File checks can detect technical problems but do not replace text editing or image-rights clearance. Files may be unfinished for the initial enquiry. State their stage so typesetting, cover design or preparation can be quoted.

Plan a proof copy and delivery

Before a larger run, a bound proof copy can help. Check sequence, type size, images at the binding, cover and opening. Ask whether the proof uses final paper and production method and which properties it reliably demonstrates.

State the required arrival date, for example for a reading or event. Approval, proof review, printing, binding and transport need coordinated timing. On receipt, check quantity and condition. For reprints, reconfirm file version and material.