Guides
Plain answers to the questions authors ask us most, from setting up bleed to deciding how many copies to order, so you can get your book ready to print with confidence.
- File setup guide
Everything our file check looks for, and how to fix it.
- How to set up bleed, trim and safe areas for a print-ready book
What bleed, trim and the safe area are, why printers need them, and how to set them up in the apps authors use most.
- What 300 DPI means and how to avoid blurry pages
Why images that look sharp on screen can print soft, how to check the real resolution of your images, and how to fix low resolution art.
- How to calculate spine width for a hardcover or paperback
How page count and paper decide your spine width, a simple way to calculate it, and why your cover has to match.
- Paper weights and finishes explained: satin, gloss, uncoated
What paper weight numbers mean, how uncoated, satin and gloss paper differ, and which to choose for novels and picture books.
- Matte, gloss or soft touch: choosing a cover finish
How the three cover laminations look and feel, how they wear, and which suits your kind of book.
- Foil and spot UV: how to prepare the mask file
What foil and spot UV are, how a mask file tells the printer where they go, and how to make one without mistakes.
- Hardcover vs paperback for your first book
How hardcovers and paperbacks differ in cost, feel and where they sell best, so you can choose for your first print run.
- How to format a landscape children's picture book for print
Setting up a landscape picture book: page size, bleed, spreads across the gutter, page counts and the cover.
- The true cost per book: comparing printers with shipping included
Why the per book price is only half the story, and how to compare printers fairly once shipping, proofs and setup are counted.
- Standard or short run: when to plan ahead and when to rush
How standard printing and short runs differ in price and timing, and how to plan a launch around both.
- ISBNs, barcodes and copyright for self-published authors
What an ISBN is, where US authors get one, what the barcode on the back does, and how copyright and Library of Congress numbers work.
- How many author copies should you order for your launch?
A practical way to estimate your first print run from events, preorders and the people already waiting for your book.