Printing Your Own Book:
The Free Guide for Publishers

1. Choosing the Right Book Style

First things first, book style. You have a choice of paperback, hardback, or booklet—each has their own merits and target audiences.

• Paperback Books (Softcover): Paperback books are a lightweight option, making them a popular choice for novels, storybooks, memoirs, diaries, photobooks, children’s books, travel guides, and training handbooks. They are bound using strong PUR or EVA glue in a process called Perfect Binding.
• Hardback Books (Casebound): Hardback books are a heavier and more durable option, making them a popular choice for large novels, non-fiction, reference books, coffee table books, dissertations, photobooks, and rulebooks. The text block is usually Smyth Sewn for extreme durability.
• Booklets (Saddle-Stitched): For shorter books, a saddle-stitched booklet is an option. It is super lightweight and cheaper than paperback and hardback printing. Booklet printing is perfect for children’s books, zines, poetry, lookbooks, comic books, and coloring books.

2. The Anatomy of a Physical Book

Before you dive into design, understanding the structural anatomy of a book is crucial for communicating with your print provider.

• Text Block: The actual inside pages of your book, gathered and bound together before the cover is attached.
• Endpapers (Endsheets): Used in hardcover books. These are the thick sheets glued to the inside of the front and back covers, connecting the cover to the text block.
• Spine: The outside edge of the book where the pages are gathered. Crucial Note: Your cover design must account for precise spine width, which is dictated by your page count and paper GSM.
• Headbands & Tailbands: Small decorative pieces of cloth glued to the top and bottom of the spine on hardcover books, adding a premium, traditional finish.

3. Standard Book Sizes & Dimensions

When it comes to book size, you need to consider the genre of the book you’re publishing, as well as the reader. What makes sense for a reference book won’t be a conventional choice for a children’s book or memoir. We recommend browsing your local bookshop or library to see which sizes are most popular in your genre.

You should also consider how the book will be read and what’s practical—on the move (e.g., a novel likely to be read on a commute) vs. a heavy coffee table book.

We offer a broad choice of book sizes. Here are the industry standards:

4. Page Counts & Pagination Rules

How many pages do you have? Identify the most common page count range in the genre. If your page count is drastically below or above this range, it may be off-putting to potential readers. Furthermore, binding machines impose minimum and maximum physical limits.

The Golden Rules of Pagination

It’s vital to consider the pagination of your book in print, giving consideration to the page sequence and chapter breaks.

• By default, the first page of your paperback or hardback book falls on the right-hand side.
• This means the first full spread will be page 2 (on the left) and page 3 (on the right).
• It is traditional for new chapters to start on right-hand facing pages, so be mindful of this and insert blank pages where required.
• If you have specific spreads that need to match up (e.g., half an image on the left page and half an image on the right page), ensure they fall correctly as an even/odd spread.

5. Offset vs. Digital Printing

If you have used POD (Print-On-Demand) platforms, you have utilized Digital Printing. It functions like a giant laser printer, ideal for single copies but prone to color banding and high per-unit costs for bulk orders.

Offset Printing is the method of choice for professional publishers. It involves etching your book's pages onto metal plates, which transfer wet ink onto rubber blankets, and then onto the paper.

• True CMYK Quality: Offset provides richer, deeper, and vastly more accurate colors. Text is razor-sharp.
• Scale Economics: Setting up the plates takes time (hence a Minimum Order Quantity of ~300-500 copies), but the cost per unit drops massively. A book costing $6 digitally may cost just $2.30 via offset.

6. Color Theory: Colour vs. Black & White

If your book is image or photo-heavy, color printing is the best option. In contrast, if your book is largely text (e.g., a novel), black and white is the sensible choice. Black and white printing is significantly cheaper than color printing, so if budgets are more limited, it is best to stick with black and white.

7. Paper Weights (GSM) & FSC® Certification

Your print, your way! The thickness of paper is measured in GSM (Grams per Square Meter). The higher the GSM, the thicker the page.

• Uncoated Paper (80gsm - 100gsm): Rougher, natural feel. Perfect for text-heavy novels and workbooks where readers might scribble notes.
• 128gsm Coated Silk: Standard for adult trade illustrated books. Lightweight but crisp.
• 157gsm - 200gsm Coated Art Paper: The absolute best choice for children's books and photography. Thick, durable, and guarantees zero ghosting (see-through) of dark colors.

We are proud to offer FSC®-certified papers, ensuring your books are printed on materials sourced from responsibly managed forests.

8. Cover Finishes, Spines, and ISBNs

So you’ve done the difficult part—creating the book! But what about the cover? If you’re creating it yourself, do you know which dimensions to use? For paperback and hardback books, have you considered the spine width?

Your cover needs to reflect the contents and instantly tell the potential reader what type of reading experience to expect. It should be high quality (300dpi minimum for images), readable at a glance, and easy to understand. Which type of lamination would look best—matt, gloss, or soft touch?

Note: Here at Kidillus, the option of a full-color printed cover is included in the cost for all paperback and hardback books, even if the inner pages are black and white.

9. Selling Price & Proof of Concept

If you’re going to sell your book, it’s important to consider the retail price. Factors to inform your sale price include:

• What is the break-even point for each copy? You need to factor in printing costs, cover design, formatting, and ISBN fees.
• What is a typical RRP (Recommended Retail Price) for books in this genre?
• Who will be buying the book, and where will it be sold (local, national, or international audience)?
• If sales are for charity, how much of a contribution do you wish to make per copy?

Proof Of Concept

Before committing to printing a large run, we always encourage our customers to order a single copy (or short run) to act as your draft, proof of concept, or sample. If you’re not sure of size or spec, order a few different copies (e.g., one size with a matt cover, another with a soft-touch cover) and compare. You could even run a focus group with friends, family, or your target market to obtain valuable feedback before placing your bulk offset order.

10. Manuals & Guide Book Printing

For books that need to look and feel professional quality, elevate your manuals and guidebooks with our advanced production lines.

Our cutting-edge technology, including the Müller Martini Prinova Digital binder, brings your booklets to life with incredible speed and precision, producing up to 9,000 cycles per hour. Each booklet is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that every page is crisp, clear, and perfectly aligned.

Transform your manuals into professional powerhouses with expertly crafted stapled booklets. Designed to deliver instructions and procedures with crystal-clear precision, these booklets are the ultimate sidekicks for onboarding new hires and impressing customers. Go big with a heavy-duty uncoated paper for thick, tough manuals that’ll handle endless flipping, or keep it cool with lighter silk papers for guides that’ll be passed around.

11. Global Logistics & Delivery

We take the headache out of international fulfillment.

• Door-to-Door Delivery: We ship directly from our press to your front door using fast, reliable FedEx Air Freight.
• Customs Cleared: We handle all customs clearance paperwork for the USA, UK, Canada, and Europe. The price you see on our quote calculator is the final price.
• Amazon FBA Ready: If you sell on Amazon, we can ensure your cartons are packed to FBA standards and shipped directly to their fulfillment centers.

12. The Ultimate Printing Glossary