Since printing options has always been the weakest in my knowledge of graphic design I have decided to research into printing of book covers, what stock they print on etc. This is something I have always had difficulty getting my head around so I think its important that I look around for this. A possible chapter I can include is printing for book cover design.
If you are doing your cover with an offset printer and you are getting one of these options, get them to put a flood varnish on it. If you want it really shiny, get them to do a flood UV which is a specific type of varnish. If you want a combination of matte and gloss spots on your cover, talk to your representative. It is definitely more pricey, but it can be done.
If you aren’t wanting anything unique to be done to your cover, whether your cover is being done offset or digitally, I recommend a good single side book laminate. It is sturdy, looks nice, has a high sheen, and is an economical choice. Personally, I recommend a gloss laminate for most books, especially dark books. Matte laminates tend to mar, scratch and scrape easily, and show it.
How is a flood varnish different from a laminate?
Offset varnish works on the same principal as furniture varnish. Laminate is a plastic sheet that is heated and adhered to the book cover.
What if I want a hard cover book? What do I need to know?
Standard Case Bound Book: This is your standard hard cover book. It has a cloth, leather or vinyl type of material covering the “hard” or “case” cover. The most economical material that you can get your books covered with would be the ones of the vinyl variety.
With these books you will also get what is called a foil stamp on them. This would be the writing on your spine and cover. You can choose from a variety of colors, including gold and silver. You can even do designs on the front, if you are willing to pay extra for it. I have seen some beautiful books created this way.
Dust Jackets: Commonly, you will see people pair their standard case bound books with dust jackets. Essentially, this is the cover of the book with 2-3” flaps (typically) that can wrap around the case bound book and be removed. These are usually printed on an 80# gloss text weight stock and then laminated on one side.
A classic, and often beautiful looking choice, this isn’t the most hardy way to go if you want a real cover on your case bound book. I am sure that we all have a large collection of hard cover books that have dust jackets that look like they’ve witnessed far better days. That is, of course, assuming that you aren’t like me, who has a collection of bare case bound books and an equally large collection of missing dust jackets, likely eaten by one of the family pets, a toddler or two, or just forever gone to the place where things like the matching partner to your sock goes to.
Just as a note, unless you want to pay extra to go to an offset printer for your dust jacket, the largest sized books that most digital printers could do a dust cover for would be a 6 or 6.5 x 9 book. When you add the dust cover’s 3 inch flaps, the spine, and then the 12 inches in width of the cover itself, you are quickly approaching the 20 inch maximum mark.
Lithowraps: This is my personal favorite when it comes to case bound books. Previously reserved for things like text books, this type of binding is becoming more popular with books from every genre. Hardy and guaranteed to keep your dust jacket attached to the book, it is easy to see why. Essentially, they take your printed and laminated cover and wrap it around the “case” or “hard” cover. There it stays, attached, and difficult to damage. This is becoming especially popular in hard cover children’s books, for obvious reasons. This option, typically, is also cheaper than the dust jacket option.
http://maxinespence.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/printing-my-self-published-book-paper-and-cover-choices/
No comments:
Post a Comment