When you plan to print a book in professional China book printing factory, do you have any ideas how to reduce the book printing cost and running time? Below simple tips might help you.
1. Size
First of all, you have to decide what size your book would be. You may know that the popular sizes are A4, A5 and A6. But for book printing designs in China, because of different paper sizes from your domestic market, they may recommend the book size will be slightly different from what you have done before. Most popular paper size that the factories in China purchase from paper mill, are 31"x 43"and 35"x 47". So if your book fills the size perfectly, you definitely could reduce the cost because of lowest paper wastage. Of course, you also need decide your book portrait or Landscape format.
A) 31"x 43" size paper
A4 size book could be 7"(Max 7-7/16") x 10"(Max 10-7/16")
A5 size book could be 5"(Max 5-1/8") x 7"(Max 7-7/16")
A6 size book could be 3-1/2" (Max 3-5/8") x 5"(Max 5-1/8")
B) 35"x 47" size paper
A4 size book could be 8"(Max 8-1/2") x 10"(Max 11-7/16")
A5 size book could be 5"(Max 5-1/2") x 8"(Max 8-1/2")
A6 size book could be 4"(Max 4-1/8") x 5"(Max 5-5/8")
When your order is big enough, the book size is not a problem, because the factory could buy special size paper for this job from paper mill, although the whole production lead-time might become longer because of fluctuated production status of paper mill.
2) Pagination
After the size is settled down, you could plan for the pagination based on the content and illustration. There is no special formula, but obviously it should be even. Furthermore, for a section-sewn book, you had better keep total page amount multiple of four, which will make the binding efficiently and save the cost.
3) Printing
Although flexography printing, gravure printing and screen printing could be applied to book printing, most of books today still are made by offset printing. In general, the sheet-fed machine is used for a small job, the web-fed machine for a big job (around hundreds of thousand).
If your book is full of photographs, we would like to recommend full colors printing on coated paper. But for a text book with few illustrations, only black color printing on uncoated paper seems workable.
4) Bindery
When the printing is completed, the workshop will fold and gather the signature. So the book block comes out up to this step. Next binding procedure will depend on different bookbinding.
Hardcover book printing job:
The thin hardcover book printing job will require singer or side sewing, the library hardcover book will require side sewing particularly, but for normal hardcover book, thread sewing will be applied. Certainly the endpaper is needed definitely except for self-end book (4 or 8 pages of book block remained). When the book printing factory finishes case making, they will case in and finish the book.
Softcover book printing job:
It includes saddle stitching, perfect binding and thread sewing. Saddle stitching is applied if the book block is thin less than 3mm. The cover is necessary for perfect binding and thread sewing book. But saddle stitching could proceed with self-cover.
Wire-O or spiral book printing job:
This kind of book could have a cover or not, but the spiral or wire-o will be applied after the book block punched. Wire-o also should be closed by pressing machine. The wire-o and spiral is up to book block thickness.
Ring and Comb Book printing job:
It is similar with wire-o book in bookbinding. The ring and comb are applied after punching. There are many different rings, like O-ring, R-ring and D-ring etc. This bookbinding is usually used to diary, notebook and cook book etc.
Board book printing job:
It is mainly for children. It can not be very heavy or big, the cardboard is from 200gsm to 350gsm, the corner is round and the pages are varnished, which is to protect the baby from hurting. The binding is very special, just mount press sheets back to back, and then case in.
Pop-up book printing job:
It is similiar with board book in binding and mainly for children too. But the pages are normally die cut, with diveriform creative paper parts. So the die-cutting is very important, and the artworks as well.
5). Surface finishing
Finishing technical is mainly for the surface of book. Except for lamination and spot UV, there are also foil stamping, die-cutting, embossing and flocking etc. Different finishing is to show diversity intention of designer.
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