Bleed and trim are essential in printing, it ensures that your book will look exactly as you intended, without any white borders or unfinished edges.
Bleed refers to the area of the design that extends beyond the final trim size. This extra area is crucial because it allows for minor variations in the printing and trimming process. When a book is printed, it is printed on a larger sheet than the final trim size. Bleed ensures that the image goes to the edge of the sheet of paper, even if the final trim size is slightly off. If there is no bleed, a slight shift during the printing or trimming of your book may result in a thin white border around the final product, such as an image or coloured background.
Trim refers to the final size of the printed piece after it has been cut down from the larger printed sheet. The trim marks indicate where the paper should be cut to ensure it is the correct final size.
Unfortunately, Microsoft Word is not designed for professional print design, and it doesn't have built-in tools for setting up bleed and trim. However, there is a workaround you can use to achieve similar results. You can create a custom page size in Word that is slightly larger than the final size of your document.
The calculator below assumes that you have used mirror margins or the gutter option in the word document. Please see the previous article on setting up books margins before you proceed.
Web-press inkjet printing is an excellent method for printing low-cost paperbacks. If you’ve written a novel and are looking for a cheap way of producing it, Web-press technology may suit your requirements. However, Web-press technology has its drawbacks, such as the quality of the final product is often compromised. Using web-based inkjet technology results in books with lower-resolution images, less vibrant colours, and poorer detail. Upon close inspection, you will find that images are slightly blurred and filled in. Text is often grey and washed out with irregular edges. Web-press inkjet printing is usually limited to single-colour or full-colour printing, leaving authors with fewer options for printing their books. Another setback is the lack of paper options; speciality papers and thicker stocks are not offered to clients. People may not keep your book on their bookshelf. However, not all books are meant to be kept forever.
Dry toner is a printing technology that uses toner particles to create images and text on paper. Unlike inkjet printing, which uses liquid ink, toner is a dry powder fused to the paper using heat. The result is a sharp, clear, durable print resistant to fading and smudging. One of the critical benefits of toner-based printing is its flexibility in terms of printing options. Toner-based printing allows authors to have both black and white and colour pages throughout their books, making it an affordable option for partially coloured books. This is because the cost of printing partly coloured books with toner-based printing is significantly lower than that of printing full-colour books with web-based inkjet printing.
Toner-based printing also offers a range of finishing options, such as gloss, matte, or spot gloss, which can further enhance the look and feel of the final product. Toner-based digital print is in the middle of the spectrum price-wise. However, you will pay slightly more for this technology if you want a book that will sit on a bookshelf.
When considering book printing options, it is essential to understand the trade-off between cost and quality. While web-based inkjet printing is cost-effective, it often results in lower-quality prints. On the other hand, toner-based printing and high-quality inkjet printing are more expensive but offer superior-quality photos with sharp images and vibrant colours. When choosing a book printing technology, it is essential to consider the needs and budget of the project. If quality is an issue, toner-based or high-end inkjet should be used.
How many books should I print?
Often, we are asked by our clients, what is the best quantity to order. The simple answer is, we don’t know. We can do the hard sell and tell you like some publishers, that you should order more because it’s cheaper per unit, or even worse, that you should order a two year supply. The cost per unit is not based on how many you get printed. It’s based on how many you sell.
The simple truth is that many people order hundreds of books and find out when they arrive that there is an error in the book, or that they don’t have adequate storage to store hundreds of books. Paper if not stored properly will deteriorate quickly if exposed to a damp environment.
We strongly recommend printing only enough books to supply you for approximately 6 months. You can always get more printed if the books sell well. Most of the orders we receive from experienced authors are under 250 books and in most instances for self publishing authors 50-75 books.
Please don’t fall into the trap of believing that any third party knows how many of your books will sell. Quiet honestly, no one can predict how well your book will sell.
A PDF ensures that your printed or viewed file retains the formatting that you intended. Please ensure that your PDF preference is set for press quality. This will ensure that fonts and images are embedded and that no data loss occurs during the printing process. All files should be sent through at 300dpi (preferred) as a minimum. Maximum 450-600 dpi. For the best results with photos, under 150dpi is not advised. 300dpi is better. If you are using Adobe Indesign to design your book, please ensure that the internal text pages are not sent through as spreads. Covers must be supplied as a single PDF, not as 3 pages such as back cover, spine and front cover. To work out the size of your cover, please use our cover and spine width calulator.
PLEASE READ
To send a PDF for printing, you MUST save the fonts you used in the PDF, so the document looks exactly the same on our machine as it does on your computer. Here’s how to do it:
Mac Word
Word>Preferences>Save>Font embedding check (tick) “Embed fonts in the file" and uncheck “Only embed the characters used in the file”.
The difference is only about 100kB and the possibility of missing one is a risk.
PC Word
File>Options>Save>Preserve fidelity when sharing this document: then check “Embed fonts in the file” and uncheck the following two options ("Embed only the characters used…” and “Do not embed common system fonts”)
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
|
Position |
Internal Margin |
External Bleed |
|
Top of page |
10mm |
5mm |
|
Bottom of page |
10mm |
5mm |
|
Binding Edge |
10mm |
5mm |
|
Forage edge (edge opposite the binding edge) |
10mm |
5-7mm |
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
|
Position |
Internal Margin |
External Bleed |
|
Top of page |
10mm |
3mm |
|
Bottom of page |
10mm |
3mm |
|
Binding Edge |
15mm |
3mm |
|
Forage edge (the edge opposite the binding edge) |
10mm |
3mm |
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
|
Position |
Internal Margin |
External Bleed |
|
Top of page |
15-20mm |
3mm |
|
Bottom of page |
15-20mm |
3mm |
|
Binding Edge |
25 - 40mm depending on book thickness. The thicker the book, the wider internal margin |
3mm |
|
Forage edge (the edge opposite the binding edge) |
20-25mm |
3mm |
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.
Which is the best Book size for my book?
There is no right or wrong size when it comes to book design, however, there are a number of tips or rules which will make the end product more presentable and more affordable. The number of pages in your book is a factor when it comes to the book size. The more pages in a book, the larger the spine of the book needs to be, and this will have an impact on the margin or space between the binding edge and the internal text. The thickness of the stock chosen is also a factor. Thicker paper will increase the spine of the book. Books over 200 pages require a larger margin between the spine and the internal text. Therefore, a larger book size should be considered.
Trade paperbacks which includes fiction novels
Based on 200 internal pages and under a 5 x 8 inches (203 x 127mm) and 5.5 x 8.5 inches (216 x 140mm) is suitable. Over 200 pages a 6 x 9 inches (229 x 152mm) would be better suited.
Non Fiction Novels
Based on 200 internal pages and under a 5 x 8 inches (203 x 127mm) and 5.5 x 8.5 inches (216 x 140mm) is suitable. Over 200 pages a 6 x 9 inches (229 x 152mm) would be better suited.
Children's books
Book size (Trim size) 8 x 8 inches (203 x 203mm).
Family History, Cook Books, Magazines, Annual Reports and Technical or Training manuals
Book size (Trim size) 8 x 8 inches (203 x 203mm), 8 x 10 inches (254 x 203mm), 8 x 10.88 inches (276 x 203mm), 8.25 x 11 inches (280 x 210mm), 8.268 x 11.693 inches (A4) (297 x 210mm), 8.5 x 8.5 inches (216 x 216mm).
BOOK PRICE CALCULATOR
What do you want your book to look like?
First things first; Our simple book price calculators, will enable you to control the format, size, and book printing cost.
However, if you need to speak with a real person, use our contact form to request a call back. Our staff will get back to you as soon as possible.
Utilising the drop-down menus you get to choose paper types, book size, cover protection such as celloglaze type, colour and the binding methods that you prefer. Once you have selected the parameters for your books, you will then be asked to upload your working files. A reply email address is essential so that we can arrange a digital proof of your job for pre-press approval.
Once approved, your books will go into our production schedule. In most cases, your book will be completed within 10-15 working days from approved artwork. If for any reason you require your order within a shorter time-frame, please send us a message through our contact form before placing your order. If your desired size, paper stock or quantity isn't available please fill out the contact form and we will get back to as soon as possible.
Lets start here. Please use the following links for your preferred binding method.