Book Design and Layout

Outlined below are the basic requirements for preparing your book for print. If, however, you are unsure or would prefer some assistance, we have several cover and book design packaging, which are very affordable. Please go to Book and Cover Design to check out our available options.

Can my book be resized?

Changing the size of your printed book after you have typed your manuscript will cause problems and cost you money. Reducing the size of your book will reduce the size of your fonts and images, making your text difficult to read. Please ensure that you set up your document at the correct size before you save it as a PDF. If you wish to change the size of your manuscript, we have word specialists who can assist.

Document Bleed Settings

There are two types of bleed, Internal Bleed and External bleed.

Internal bleed or text-safe area is the area just inside the trimming edge of the sheet. An inner margin is required to ensure that all text/important graphics are kept from the trimming edge. A small degree of movement can occur during the cutting process. The inner margin is designed to ensure that your essential content is safe.

External bleed is when an image, background or diagram is extended beyond the trim edge of the page. This allows for a slight movement that may occur when your printing is cut to size. If there is no external bleed, white space or strips can occur at the edge of the sheet. An external bleed is not required for documents that have none of the above extending to the edge of the sheet. Please note that the external bleed will be trimmed off after binding.

Saddle Stitching

Saddle stitching requires a structured approach to how it is laid out. The best way to understand what we are describing is to get 5-10 sheets of paper and fold them directly in half.

As you will see, opposite the stapled side of the book, the inner pages will protrude past the cover sheet. This side of the book (forage edge) will be trimmed off during the binding process to tidy up the book. As you can see, when trimmed, the sheets of paper in the book's centre will be shorter than the external sheets. When you are setting up your document, please take this into consideration. Placing your page numbers in the centre will ensure that your page numbers are not cut off. Please note that the external bleed will be trimmed off during the booklet-making process to the required book size.

Saddle Stitch Bleed settings

Saddle stitch Internal Page Margins

Page Margins for saddle stitching are not required for structural purposes. Besides the internal and external bleed settings explained above, page margins are purely a design component. How you would like your book to look is entirely up to you.

Saddle Stitching Cover design

Saddle-stitched covers can be supplied as individual pages or as a spread. The bleed setting for the cover should be at least 7-10mm internal and external bleed.

Wire and Comb Binding

Wire and Comb binding design is relatively straightforward. The only consideration for wire and comb binding is that approximately 8-9mm on the binding edge will be hole punched to attach the wires or plastic combs. Therefore, any content you don't want to lose should be kept clear of the binding edge.

Wire Binding Bleed settings

Wire and Comb Binding Internal Page Margins

Page margins for wire and comb binding are not required for structural purposes, aside from the binding margin, which requires an area for punching, which was explained above. Page margins are purely a design component; it is entirely up to you how you would like your book to look.

Wire and Comb Binding Cover design

Wire and Comb binding covers must be supplied as individual pages with 3mm external bleed on all sides.

Case/Hardcover and Perfect/Soft Cover Binding

Perfect binding design, like wire binding, is relatively straightforward. The most important aspect is the binding edge inner margin.

Case and Perfect Binding Bleed settings

Case and Perfect Binding Internal Page Margins

Page margins for perfect binding are required for structural purposes. Depending on the thickness of your book, a  25mm to 40mm margin will ensure that anyone reading your book will not need to force the spine flat to read the content on the binding edge of your book. Regarding double-page spreads or, simply put, an image that goes over two pages, the margins required are not an exact science. If you wish to have DPS in your book, please consider the content and ensure that no vital information is within 7-10mm on the binding edge when placing images.

Perfect Binding Cover design

Perfect binding covers must be supplied as a single file separate from the body text, which includes the back cover, spine and front cover. Alternatively, you can contact us via our contact page for assistance.

Suppose you are printing on the inside of the cover. In that case, you will need to supply the inside front and back covers as separate pages to the body text. The inside front and back cover pages require a 5mm external bleed on all sides.

Spine widths differ depending on the thickness of your book. The text stock, cover thickness, and the number of pages in the book influence the thickness of your book. To work out your spine width based on our premium papers, please use the Perfecting Binding spine width calculator...

Please remember that the binding process can have a variance of up to 1mm. Therefore, we strongly advise that your artwork is not designed to line up flush with the spine. The preferred design would be that the front, spine and back cover are a continuous image across the spread. If this is not possible, a spine colour that blends into the cover design will reduce the imperfection.

Case Binding Cover design

Please use our Cover and spine width calculator for exact cover and spine width calculations. More

Case binding covers must be designed and supplied as per the below specifications. If you are not experienced with hardcover design, the services of an experienced graphic designer should be considered. When considering a Graphic designer, please ensure that they have had experience in Book and Cover print design and not just E-Books.

For a case to fit your book accurately, your cover must be 6mm taller and 3mm wider than your internal text pages, plus 8mm for the hinge area. On top of that, you must include an additional 20mm bleed. This is called turn-in. The 20mm bleed or turn-in, as often referred to, must consist of 15mm of the image or background colour used for your cover design. The leftover 10mm is covered by the endpapers and therefore does not require any image or background colour.

Spine widths differ depending on the thickness of your book. The text stock, cover thickness, and the number of pages in the book influence the thickness of your book.

Please remember that the binding process can have a variance of up to 1mm. Therefore, we strongly advise that your artwork is not designed to line up flush with the spine. The preferred design would be that the front, spine and back cover are a continuous image across the spread. If this is impossible, a spine colour that blends into the cover design will reduce the movement look.