Selecting a book printer can be a daunting task for first-time and experienced publishers alike. There are a variety of sizes of books, types of printing, types of binding and printing styles involved, and deciding which options you want will affect how you can choose the best book printer. For any project, it is essential to know what services your book printer provides and what costs are charged.
The most common way to choose a book printer is to find a company that blends quality and cost. The standard way to find out what a printer offers and at what price is to request a quote. This is an estimation, based on your particular project, of the overall cost and time.
There are several factors that you must provide about your book to find a good quote from a printing company. The essentials are how many pages the manuscript is and what size the book will be. Generally, the shorter the manuscript and the more traditional the size of the book, the less expensive each individual book will cost. Printing a book with several hundred pages or a unique size that must be customized for your project will result in a higher cost. Fees for these services vary from printer to printer, so quotes help the decision-making process.
You also will want to find out more about the printing equipment each company uses and the types of binding that are available. Printing companies also offer a variety of paper, which also can affect the overall cost of a project. From cheap standard paper to thick, recycled stock, your choice will change the way the book looks and feels and the cost of printing it.
You must seek a book printer whose print run ability matches your needs. A long-run printer will print many copies — often thousands — at a time, so the cost per book is lower. A short-run printer is able to create a smaller number of books but often charges a higher per-book fee. Recently, print-on-demand presses have grown in number and allow you to print only a few books at a time to avoid having an overstock of books. You need to find a printer who will print the number of books you need for the right price.
Delivery is an often-overlooked element when searching for a book printer. Some printers will include delivery as part of the quote, but others will add it to the final price. This could add a significant cost, depending on the size of the run. If you choose a local book printer, you can save money by picking up the books yourself.
