Illustrations

Please supply text, mono illustrations and colour illustrations as digital data, in PDF format.

Please see the Prepress Guidelines for more information

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Covers

See the Prepress Guidelines for more information about how to supply data to us.

Printing Conditions

• Sequence: Black - Cyan - Magenta - Yellow.
• Densities: Black = 1.8, Cyan = 1.4, Magenta = 1.35, Yellow = 1.00.
• Please note: All proofs to match for colour should be unfinished.

Paperback cover dimensions Trims: 2mm tails. 3mm foredge. 8mm between heads. Laydown: head to head. spines aligned with each other. centrally placed. non-bleeding lettering or design withdrawn 4mm from trim lines. spine width equals book bulk.

Printed Cover For Case Dimensions Allow 18mm all round for casemaking turnover and extend the image that needs to bleed into this area.

Blocking/Embossing

• Jackets - Maximum blocking/embossing width is 530mm.
• Covers - No restrictions as regards to area.

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Spine Widths for Covers

NB Please contact your account controller if your job has an extent over 1000 pages and is being printed on thin paper, as you may need to add extra into the spine.

Text Bulk

Text Bulk (TB) is the thickness of all the pages together, which determines the spine width. The bulk of the text paper in the book is calculated as follows:

The extent (in pages) multiplied by the thickness of the paper (in microns) is divided by 2000. This gives the bulk of the text in mm.
e.g. an extent of 224 pages on paper of 110 microns: (224 x 110) / 2000 = 12.32mm = TB

Text Bulk Adjustment

For TB calculated up to and including 10mm, add 0.5mm. This becomes the final calculated bulk. For TB calculated over 10mm, round the figure up or down to the nearest whole mm
e.g. 12.32mm becomes 12mm; 15.6mm becomes 16mm

Unsewn Paperbacks

For text bulks over 10mm, up to and including 45mm, add 1mm
e.g. TB = 30.7mm, final bulk = 32mm

For text bulks over 45mm, add 2mm
e.g. TB = 47.1mm, final bulk = 49mm

Sewn paperbacks

For text bulks over 10mm, up to and including 25mm, add 1mm
e.g. TB = 23.8mm, final bulk = 25mm

For text bulks over 25mm, up to and including 35mm, add 2mm
e.g. TB = 32.3mm, final bulk = 34mm

For text bulks over 35mm, up to and including 55mm, add 3mm
e.g. TB = 45.5mm, final bulk = 48mm

For text bulks over 55mm, add 3.5mm
e.g. TB = 60.7mm, final bulk = 64.5mm

Spine Widths for Cases & Jackets
Rounded and backed books

Notes:

• for intermediate bulks add the increase used for the next listed bulk.
  
• please contact us about spine widths for books bulking over 56mm.
  
• final bulk will always be subject to variation in paper micron.

Flat backed books

Text Bulk + (Board Caliper x 2) + 1
e.g. a bulk of 36mm with 2250 micron boards would be: 36 + (2.25 x 2) + 1 = 41.5mm

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Guidelines for Brasses and Artwork

• We are able to accept files for artwork or use sharp definition laser copy or bromide paper.
• Make up artwork to correct size and positioning as for final case design.
• Supply each blocking colour as separate artwork and complete as one piece for spine and front of case.
• It is recommended that spine rules and spine panel widths are 5mm over theoretical width to allow for possible variation in extent or paper bulk. These can then be cut down to final size once final bulk is known. i.e. paper book block + 9mm for the case round + 5mm extra.
• Spine text lettering should be no wider than the calculated paper bulk (use lowest likely page extent).
  
• For solid panels surrounded by blocked rules, panel depth and width should be 1mm less than the outer dimension of the rules.
• This helps register of the rules over the panels and also avoids the panel colour bleeding under the rules.
• Don't forget to send a layout of the artwork marked up for colour and positions required from edge of final case.

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Stickers

Specification

• General requirements: Self-adhesive labels, roll-fed; label spacing min 2mm. Reel width: max 100mm.
• Reel core: 44mm (b).
• Label width: 6 - 55mm (c).
• Label depth: 12 - 40 (d).
• Label placement tolerance: App 1.0mm.
• Stickers per reel : Please supply as many stickers per reel as possible, i.e if the quantity is 6,000 supply one reel of 6,000 in preference to 2 reels of 3,000.

Orientation of Labels on Reel

• Self-adhesive labels, roll fed.
  
• Sticker spacing min 2mm.

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Guidelines for Cover Designers

There are certain variables that can affect components during production and though on their own they can be small, they can combine to affect the final cover design on the trimmed book. It is useful therefore to follow some basic guidelines:

• Type and non-bleeding images such as logos, flashes etc., should be withdrawn 4mm from book trims.
  Spine bulks of less than 5mm should contain no type on the spine.
  
• Spine type on thin books between 5 and 10mm should be 2mm smaller in height than the text bulk.
• This will help to avoid wraparound type when bound.
  
• Logos and type for wider spines should be sized to give 2mm minimum space either side of the image. This should be increased to 3mm on spines exceeding 30mm.
  
• It is worth noting that spines on sewn books can be between 1mm and 2mm larger than their unsewn equivalents (refer to production if unsure).
  
• Avoid fine serif type reversing from four colours.
  
• Fine reversed rules or keylines in solid colour should be minimum of 0.25mm in thickness.
  
• Kiss fit images need to be spread/choked to give better fit in final printing.
  
• Large panels of black solids will generally have a 50% tint of cyan beneath to provide best density, underlying colours should not total more than 120%.
  
• Avoid high percentage tints printing within large areas of solid colour. 60-70% tint will give better definition.
  
• Do not reverse out foil blocking areas from the print image (unless a drop shadow effect is required). This will assist blocking register.
  
• If fifth colour match is not 'crucial' it is worth considering producing this from four colours.
  
• Be aware that Pantone colours are not always accurately matched by four colour process.
  
• Be aware that Pantone colours starting with a 'C' are for coated paper, pantones starting with a 'U' are for uncoated papers.
  
• Printing black from four process colours should be avoided where possible, especially on spines or trim edges.
  
• Matt/silk lamination over large areas of dark colours is prone to showing a degree of scuffing and marking during the book production process.

Recommendations for printing over foil

• Avoid areas with tight fit between blocking and printing.
  
• Avoid small areas of foiling and over-printing as there is an indentation in sheet at foiling stage which is then difficult to over-print.
  
• Sheet distortion takes place in both processes so fit can vary between foiling and over-printing.
  
• Always laminate job to ensure ink doesn't scratch off foil.

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