Things To Consider When Printing Your Book
If you have done all the work required to print your book, you should feel very proud. It is an accomplishment to take your thoughts, write them down, edit and create a message for your readers.
The final step in ensuring that your message travels to various people is printing, and you need excellent printing services to ensure that it is captivating, legible, and practical.
Before you settle for the first printing service you come across, there are a few things you should consider. These considerations ensure that you choose the correct printing service for your needs. Additionally, it guarantees that you will get the best results.
Therefore, if you are one step closer to becoming a published author, here are the most important things to consider when printing your book.
What to Consider
Printing Options
There are many forms of printing available for your book. However, we advise that you go for a company that specializes in multiple forms of printing. Specifically digital printing and offset printing.
This ensures that the book comes out beautiful and legible. Additionally, it ensures that you save money for the overall cost. Digital printing is best for short runs and low setup costs. Offset printing is better for long runs and when you need special finishing. It is good to have both methods.
Accepted File Formats
Next, you need to find out the accepted file formats. It is always better to go with a printing service that accepts multiple file formats. Otherwise, you would have to convert your work into a different format which could take time and affect their quality.
If you have images, texts, and graphics, we advise you to save them in their default formats (i.e., JPEG, Word, and PNG). This ensures that you do not mess with the quality of the work.
Binding Method
This is another critical thing to consider before printing. As you know, there are many binding methods at your disposal. The correct binding depends on the size of the book. For example, perfect binding is ideal for books with 120 pages or more.
On the other hand, square back binding is better for books with fewer pages. When you select a good printing service, they will guide you into choosing the most appropriate and long-lasting binding method for your book.
Paper
The type of paper you select is, first, dependent on the desired look. The thicker and heavier paper will always look better for books with graphics and images. If it is fully text, then you can go with a more basic paper.
Secondly, the lifespan of the book should help you pick paper. If you plan to reprint or put out a second book, you could go for plain paper. If not, then choose the thicker paper, so it lasts longer.
Page Count
It sounds simple looking at the number of pages in your book. However, people often miscommunicate this number because they forget to factor in double-sided printing. What you call a page might not be what the printing company considers a single page.
Therefore, you could request 200 pages and receive an ‘overpriced’ quote. What you consider 200 pages may be 100 pages when it comes to printing. Therefore, always ensure that you and your printer are on the same page.
Dimensions
This is the width and height of the book in its final form. This is all dependent on your needs or desires. However, it is important to recognize that different printing companies have specific standard sizes, limited by commercial printers.
It is all dependent on the type of printer. If you think this might be a problem, confirm with your printing company to ensure they can give you the correct size of the book. If you find a company with multiple standard sizes, the better.
Ink and Typography
You may fall into temptation and choose fun, beautiful fonts, but remember that the goal is legibility. You can use the unique fonts for dedication pages or the first lines of every chapter, but the rest of the text should have easy-to-read typography.
Consider how many color inks you need, plus their availability. Additionally, do you need ink with specific effects? Plus, how dark do you need the ink, and will it show to the other side? And finally, consider the quality of the ink.
Finishing and Aesthetics
Lastly, what aesthetics are you going for? Do you need a unique finish for the cover or pages, such as lamination or UV coating? These are the small details that make your book unique, and you should ensure that your printer can achieve this to save on cost and prevent the hassle of finding a different company.
For an undeniably remarkable book printing experience, come to us! Our guarantee is high-quality results, affordable prices, and professional advice on achieving your goals.