Printing books – calculating the cost of printing books with hard- and soft-cover binding.
This Printing Books online calculator will help you estimate the cost of printing books, catalogues with hardcover binding or any other printed products with one or several inner blocks different in paper type or colour gamut made in hardcover binding.
Product types that can be calculated:
- catalogues with hardcover binding;
- hardcover books;
- hardcover notebooks, copybooks;
Unique features of the Printing Books online calculator:
- book format: from В7 to А3;
- circulation size: unlimited;
- binding types: classic (coated paper glued to hard cover); integral binding;
- round back (optional);
Standard cardboard in calculations: 2 mm, 250 g/m2 for integral binding;
Cover specifications:
- stamping: cover only or cover and back (embossing, foil stamping);
- lamination: gloss or mat;
- options: spot UV varnish, jacket (an additional cover in the form of a sheet of coloured coated paper), ribbon (a textile bookmark);
Specifications of book internal blocks:
- paper: newsprint, offset, light-coated, coated; (for large circulations the calculator takes the minimum paper density equal 70 grams/m2 automatically);
- colours: from /1+1/ to full-colour printing /4+4/, plus Pantone /5+5/, except for the inner block on newsprint or light-coated paper with the maximum number of colour inks being /4+4/;
- block page factors: 8 pages for newsprint, offset and light-coated paper; 4 pages for coated paper;
- additional inner block finishing: protective varnish, UV varnish (solid or spot).
The Printing Books calculator is set up to select the best matching printing technology (sheet-fed, web or digital printing) automatically depending on the parameters input, such as the circulation size, format, number of colours and the density of the internal block's paper.
This tool allows calculating the cost of printing of almost any book based on the publication format, binding type, paper density, number of colours and circulation size. To allow maximum comfort the calculator provides for counting several inner blocks of the book: for instance, you need to print a hardcover book on offset 80 g/m2 paper with additional coated inserts, for example a total of 3 inserts 8 pages each printed on 150 g/m2 coated paper. To calculate the cost of printing such a book you should select in the calculator the binding type ("Classic" being the standard), then the needed number of pages on 80 g/m2 offset paper, relevant number of colours, and then in Block 2 select 24 pages on 150 g/m2 coated paper. If the book has several other inner blocks on different paper types you should specify that by adding a new block (‘Add block’ function) and specify the needed number of pages and paper type for the block.
After you have filled in all needed boxes and pressed the ‘Calculate’ button, in the right-hand window the calculator will render the results: the trim size, price of the whole circulation, per-copy price, and the circulation's weight. After the estimates have been rendered you can promptly place your order online (you need to register on our website to do so). Following your registration and re-calculation based on the same parameters the 'Place order' button will appear in the right-hand window.
Types of hardcover bindings supported by this calculator:
There are several types of standard book bindings, the main of these are hard- and soft cover bindings. To calculate the cost of printing a soft cover book, please, use the Printing Magazines calculator. Below are some details of calculations for hardcover bindings.
Hardcover bindings have been used for books since olden times as this method is most reliable, it extends the book's life and makes volumes' appearance well-presented. This is the most expensive type of binding. Soft cover binding, on the other hand, allows substantial savings and producing more books within tighter time limits compared with hardcover analogues.
Hardcover bindings are based on binder board that is first cut to the needed book format and then glued to wrapping materials such as coated paper, balacron, vinyl paper, artificial leather, textile, in other words, this implies composing a folder for the future book.
Types of hard-cover binding:
1. Solid-cover binding (based on 1.5-3 mm thick cardboard): classic, the binder board and back lining are covered with standard 130 g/m2 coated paper with the image printed on it and with gloss or mat lamination;
2. Book jackets:
Are mainly produced from 130 to 170 g/m2 coated paper printed on one side and serve as additional covers enveloping the book. This makes books wear-resistant and looking nicer.
3. Integral binding:
Bindings of this type are only based on unthick (flexible) board on which the image is first printed (differently from the 'classic' type) and then the board is covered with gloss or mat lamination (film). Then the board is folded to match the needed cover format and lined with the endleaf pre-glued to the book's inner block.
Technological specifics of book printing
Books' inner blocks are printed with web (roll), sheet-fed and digital printing machines. The main factor of choosing one or another type of printing is the circulation size. Little circulations are based on digital and sheet-fed printing, large circulations are printed using the web (rotary) method.
Printing large circulations of books is one of our main focuses in the hardcover segment. A unique feature of our production is rotary book and magazine printing (format 70x100/16).
Book printing lead times:
- Circulations up to 500 copies: 7 calendar days;
- Circulations from 500 to 1000 copies: 1 to 2 weeks;
- Circulations 1000 to 3000 copies: 2 to 3 weeks;
- Circulations over 3000 copies: the time is subject to negotiation. In such cases phase-by-phase product shipments are possible.
Soft-cover book printing
If you choose to print soft-cover books, please, use the Printing Magazines calculator. This tool allows calculating for magazine-type products with the cover printed on coated or offset paper with and one or several inner blocks printed on newsprint, offset or coated paper. Please, specify the binding type in the calculator ('binder' or 'binder+thread').