Title:
Size:
Extent:
Text:
Soft Cover cover:
or
Hard cover case:
Ends:
Jacket:
Binding:
Ships to:
Quantities:
Art ready:
Product needed:
Additional comments:
1. Start with the title of the book or working title, you could also include the type of book
eg: Mattie's Hat: Hard Cover large format children's book with dust jacket.
eg: California's Coast: Saddle-stitched wall calendar
2. Size: Do the width first, then the height in inches and then specify exactly whether it is horizontal or vertical format. For a calendar say which side the stitching or wire "O" is on.
eg: 8.5" x 11" Vertical format or 14" x 10" calendar, stitching on the 14" side
3. Extent: For a book or calendar start with the number of pages of the text, then progress to the endsheets for a hard cover or the cover for a soft cover or calendar. Then for the hard cover move to the cover, then the dust jacket.
eg: 96pp of text + 8pp ends + case + dust jacket + optional cardboard mailer (Hard cover)
eg: 64pp of text + cover with 5" flaps + shrinkwapped in loose bundles of 6 (Soft Cover)
eg: 24pp of text + 4pp cover + drilled hanging hole + individual shrinkwrapping with cardboard stiffener. (Calendar)
4. Type of paper and printing:
Text: Usually a coated paper here, either glossy coated or matt coated, followed by printing color coverage.
eg: 128 gsm ( 80# ) Note glossy or matt coated (or uncoated for a special job) This weight is OK for a large format book with lots of color and lots of pages. Over 200 pages for example. It keeps the overall weight down.
eg: 150-157 gsm (100# )This weight is most popular for coffee table full color books. It feels great as you turn the pages and the book itself seems thicker, full of value. Also standard for children's picture books and wall calendars.
Printing. We specify full color throughout as 4/4, meaning 4 color on both sides of the printing forms (or signatures) 1/1 indicated black only on both sides. 1/4 indicates black on one side (consistently) and color on the other. This is a good compromise in some situations, but quite complicated and needs a designer who knows how to set this up.
eg of paper + printing descriptions:
Text: 157 gsm glossy art 4/4 throughout
Text: 128 gsm matt art 2 signatures (front matter + index) 1/1 and balance 4/4 (In this case the pages must be signatures (usually 16 pages continuous) and start at the right page. (you must know how to do this before proceeding with this sort of detail)
5. Cover: Cover stock for a soft cover is in the 10 pt to 12 pt range, or 250 gsm to 310 gsm. I usually prefer 250 gsm if I am going to have a soft cover with flaps because it folds better and because of the flap the cover appears thicker than it is. Covers without flaps are usually 12 pt or 300 gsm. A cover stock can come coated on one side (C1S) or coated on two sides. (C2S). If you will be printing on the inside of the cover you need coating on both sides. You should also use C2S for covers with flaps because the C2S folds better. The advantage of C1S is that it is thicker and stiffer than a C2S and costs less. I prefer C2S but that is a personal preference.
Cover laminating: The cover should be film laminated , either in glossy or matt finish. The glossy finish is a film that adheres completely to the paper, something like Saran Wrap. Scratches don't show up very easily unless they are deep. Matt film lamination is glossy film lamination that has been "pitted" to make the matt finish. The cover only adheres to the high points of the surface, so when a scratch happens, part of the film collapses and becomes glossy as it is pushed to the surface of the cover and as a result it is easily seen against the rest of the matt cover, making it obvious, so many ordinary production processes have the potential of scuffing the cover. This is not a good finish in stores that will return unsold books because there is a chance they will be scratched while returning them. Overall the matt finish is a more "arty" look but the glossy finish looks better longer.
Combine the cover stock, printing and film lamination on one line:
eg: 250 gsm C2S glossy art 4/4 + glossy film lamination (Printing on inside of cover)
eg: 300 gsm C1S matt art 4/0 + matt film lamination
Cover binders board for hard cover: You specify the cover thickness of the binders board in mm. CHildren's books = 2.5mm for both novels and picture books. 3 mm = large format coffee table books or specialty Limited Edition books, especially if there are not that many pages, as the cover board thickness helps make the book look and feel like a larger book.
Book covering for a hard cover:
You have many choices. In order of cost, the most expensive being first:
Leather: Full leather or a 3/4 binding where only the spine and a small amount of leather showing on the front and back covers.
Bonded Leather: Leather particles reconfigured into a soft leather coating which adheres to a synthetic backing.
Book binding cloth: Examples are T-Saifu (Japanese), Brilliante, Italian, Chinese as well as heavy Linen, sailcloth canvas, rayon and cotton and even silk, or
real leather.
Binding Paper: Uncoated paper colored or white and printed to a specific color using a PMS color. This can also be printed in 2, 3 or 4 colors. Usually has a texture that looks like cloth. (linen finish) Coated paper printed 4-C and film laminated. Usually a 128 gsm or 157 gsm paper with an adhesive back.
Hard Cover Ends: This is a special uncoated paper called woodfree or W/F. White with no printing is standard, but you can print this 1-4 colors. Usually printed on a 1 or 2 color press. 140 gsm is usual weight but for special editions or large format 180 gsm is better. Can come in colors, is usually expensive in colors. See special section on endsheets.
Hard Cover Jacket: This is usually 150-157 gsm glossy art 4/0 + glossy/matt film lamination. I prefer printing the jacket on glossy stock even if the book is in matt coated paper and even if the jacket is going to be matt film laminated because the inks will lie better on the glossy coated paper and make for a better jacket, and because the glossy coated two side stock hugs the binder board better than coated one side or matt coated paper.
There are also prepress considerations, but prepress can be discussed separately apart from the bid.
Other things to mention:
Binding: Usually the binding goes with the style of book. Hard covers are sewn (Called Smythe sewing) Soft covers without flaps are usually trimmed and glued, perfect or notch binding. Soft covers with flaps are usually Smythe Sewn.
Wire "O" binding: Usually for notebook type projects, directories, projects with tabbed sections, or wall, desk or easel calendars.
In the binding section you also indicate if you want a square back or round back hard cover, if you want matching head/tail bands (and choice of color) and if you need reinforced first last signature (for very large format books, or books with a lot of pages).
Shipping to: Put zip code and city, whether it is to a warehouse with a loading dock and fork lift or to a house in a residential area. Some trucks cannot deliver into neighborhoods.Whether you are signed up to receive books through a customs agent.
Whether you want door-to-door delivery or if you are prepared to pick the books up from a warehouse.
Other helpful things are file ready date, when you want books (see scheduling section for more information on that)
Sample Estimate Request:
Title: Millie's Hat: Hard cover children's book with dust jacket
Size: 10" x 9" horizontal format
Extent: 32pp text + 8pp ends + case + jacket
Text: 157 gsm matt art 4/4 throughout
Hard cover case: 2.5mm binders board covered with printed paper 4/0 + glossy film lamination
Ends: Plain white 140 gsm, w/f, no printing.
Jacket: 157 gsm glossy art 4/0 + glossy film lamination.
Binding: Smythe sewn, square back, no head/tail bands.
Ships to: Bay Area, San Rafael, zip 94901 residential delivery
Quantities: 1,000 copies, 1,500 copies, 2,000 copies
Art ready: July 1
Product needed: October 20
Additional comments: I have the files ready in pdf format. All images 300 dpi 100% size and in CMYK format.
Please send printer template for cover and jacket.
