• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Self-Publishing
  • Author Blogging
  • Sitemap
  • Fonts/Typography

The Book Designer

Practical advice to help build better books

by selfpublishing.com

COACHING


PUBLISHING


WRITING


PRODUCTION


FREELANCE


WRITING JOBS

  • Home
  • About
  • Articles
  • Contact
  • Shop
You are here: Home / Book Construction Blueprint / Self-Publisher’s 5-Minute Guide to Book Printing Processes

Self-Publisher’s 5-Minute Guide to Book Printing Processes

by Joel Friedlander on November 9, 2009 27 Comments

Table of Contents

  • Three Ways to Print Books
  • Comparing the Three Printing Methods

Podcast: Self-Publisher’s 5-Minute Guide to Book Printing Processes
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Book-Printing-Processes.mp3

With all the talk about print on demand, digital printing and the future of the publishing industry, it’s easy to forget that we’ve got books to produce in the here and now, and we need to know the best way to produce those books today, this week. Okay, we only have 5 minutes, so let’s dive in.

Three Ways to Print Books

There are actually three distinct technologies to print books, all of which are widely used. Let’s quickly run them down and see where each comes into play.

  1. Letterpress—This was the main printing method from Gutenberg’s day until the middle of the twentieth century. In one way or another, type, pictorial engravings, or etched metal plates made from photographic originals are inked and then paper is rolled over them, transferring the image to the paper, one sheet at a time.
  2. Letterpress technology led to large, automated presses. You can see just how versatile this printing method had become because it overshadowed all other forms of printing for over 400 years.

    Letterpress is still in use today for very fine limited edition books, and in areas of the world where electricity is unreliable. A letterpress that’s powered by a foot pedal can run for many years with just a lube, and doesn’t need power at all..

  3. Offset—Offset printing’s development at the beginning of the twentieth century was sparked by the accidental discovery that an image transferred to paper by a rubber covered cylinder was actually sharper than the image from the original type. This offset image gave rise to the name offset printing.
  4. Komori 38 Web offset press
    Komori 38 Web offset press. Each of the four towers prints a separate color.
    With the advent of industrial uses of photography and advances in paper and platemaking materials, photo-lithography, the making of printing plates through the photographic process, allowed offset printing to overtake letterpress.

    In sheet-fed offset, paper is fed to the press and printed one sheet at a time. In web offset, special presses are used to print from a large roll of paper which, as it travels through the press, forms the web for which it is named.

    At the end of the press the paper is cut into individual sheets. Bindery equipment to fold, trim and assemble the printing job is often set up right at the end of the press, allowing the printer to complete a printing project in one pass from blank paper to a finished, assembled job.

  5. Digital—Digital printing, the result of marrying a computer-driven high-speed copying machine to computer-driven bindery equipment, is the fastest-growing form of book printing today. Computer servers hold separate but coordinated digital files for the book’s cover and interior text block.
  6. At a request from the operator or a computer instruction, the files are downloaded to the printing end of the press and imaged with toner in the same way your high end copier images copies. The resulting pages are combined with a color-imaged cover. The whole book is glued together and trimmed. Some digital printing equipment can produce an entire book, color cover and all, in just seven minutes.

    The major difference between letterpress and offset printing, on one hand, and digital, on the other, is that digital printing is designed to create one copy of a book at a time. The other, earlier methods of printing produce books in stages, and only work efficiently when producing many copies at once.

Comparing the Three Printing Methods

Well, now we know about the three printing methods, but how does that help pick the right one? Here’s how each printing method is best used:

  • Letterpress printing is used almost exclusively for fine, limited edition books. The characteristic “bite” of the type into the paper, and the resulting subtle texture it adds to the page is impossible with other methods. These books are usually made with lavish materials and can cost hundreds of dollars each.
  • Offset printing is used for the majority of books produced today. Web offset is used to make mass market paperbacks, like the ones sold in racks at supermarkets and at airports, and for very large printings of other books. Sheet-fed offset book printing offers the best quality reproduction of artwork and photography, and is the most flexible when it comes to the number of sizes offered for books and the different kinds of paper available for printing.
  • Digital printing is increasingly being used in the print-on-demand distribution model that’s becoming so popular. Larger publishers are moving their backlist books to digital printing, saving money on warehousing and shipping. The self-publishing phenomenon has created a huge demand for digital printing through print-on-demand distribution, since it has eliminated almost all of the cost of putting a book into print.

In Summary: Use letterpress printing for very fine, limited edition collector’s books. Use web offset for mass market and very high volume books that don’t need to be high quality. Use sheet-fed offset for print runs over 500 copies or where high quality reproductions are needed. Use digital printing where print runs are very short or where you have no need of an inventory of books.

Filed Under: Book Construction Blueprint, Book Printing, Book Production, Podcasts, Self Publishing Basics Tagged With: digital printing, letterpress, offset, print on demand

journal marketing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sezai Nuhoglu says

    August 21, 2020 at 5:40 am

    I wonder; 11 years later, in the light of advances in printing technologies, does the author keep his ideas in this summary?

    Reply
  2. Emily Windsor-Cragg says

    November 27, 2017 at 3:01 pm

    I used to work for Xerox, and I know the digital process well. CreateSpace has been printing my sold books one copy at a time, and I would like to take over that process with my own printing equipment.

    What can you suggest?

    Reply
    • Emily Windsor-Cragg says

      November 27, 2017 at 3:03 pm

      ALSO, I need to fine someone to do my marketing for me. At present I have 21 books being marketed at Amazon.com and they’re doing a lousy job of it.

      Reply
      • Joel Friedlander says

        November 27, 2017 at 4:37 pm

        Emily,

        Amazon.com does not provide marketing services, only retailing. In general it’s difficult for authors to find some to “do marketing” for them, but you might start with someone in PR who arranges interviews for authors and go from there.

        Reply
    • Joel Friedlander says

      November 27, 2017 at 4:35 pm

      Hi Emily, you can certainly print your own books, all you need to do is acquire the equipment and training to do so. The simplest 1-step equipment is the Espresso Book Machine, and there are over 80 of these worldwide. You can find out more here: http://ondemandbooks.com/

      Reply
  3. Elma Perdue says

    November 18, 2017 at 11:27 am

    I’ve written a book. I’m not computer savvy, but i can get help. Using 48 hour book publishers, what be my first step.

    Reply
  4. Doylr says

    May 28, 2017 at 7:42 pm

    Is there a reason the first and last page in modern novels appear to be thicker paper stock?

    Reply
    • Joel Friedlander says

      June 7, 2017 at 3:46 pm

      Doylr, do you mean the covers?

      Reply
  5. GEORGE NAVARRO says

    July 22, 2013 at 1:53 am

    Hello,All I’m doing is putting together a all ready written book side by side Tagalog and English. My biggest concern is when you take it to the printer to be printed, what format and resolution it has to be? I believe they have to transfer your written material into a special film to be able to make many book copies? I’m using MS Publishing some say it will not work because of the low resolution? What advice can you give me for using a word processor with high resolution or that will transfer into a film for off-set printing?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Joel Friedlander says

      July 24, 2013 at 6:20 pm

      George, I suggest you have a look at our Word templates at BookDesignTemplates.com. You can put your text into one of our templates and create a PDF for your printer. They come with complete instructions.

      Reply
  6. Douglas Bonneville says

    May 12, 2011 at 11:08 am

    Can you point to or recommend a list of digital printers that specialize in short runs but also have binding in house? Something comparable to Lulu? Or even just a favorite few?

    Reply
  7. Joanne Bolton says

    November 11, 2009 at 3:58 pm

    Thanks for your well-presented article. As far as quantities, although Walt thinks that number where pricing converges is 1,500, — overseas, where I print, the printers are looking very hard at digital printing. Offset printing is now available for 500 or lees books, which can be large format and high quality color printing either for photography or art. If you have the time, offshore is still a very viable solution for small numbers.

    Reply
    • admin says

      November 11, 2009 at 11:42 pm

      Joanne, thanks. Interesting that the Asian printers are looking at digital. Do they think the quality is good enough for their customers, or is it something they are still waiting to develop? I’m sure many people would be interested in the viability of photography and art books in a print-on-demand model with great quality!

      Reply
  8. admin says

    November 9, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    @Walt, thanks for your thoughts.

    You may well be right about the break point, although I’d put it closer to 1,000. My question is, once the two start to converge, wouldn’t people naturally prefer offset production? I don’t think there’s any doubt you will get better quality, more flexibility in production, perhaps a longer lifespan for your books (although the jury is out on that one) and far lower reprint costs.

    I do agree that the quality differences are getting smaller all the time, and I fully expect that at some date digital production will overtake offset; it’s just the nature of progress. Makes me think of that ancient Chinese curse (on the publishing industry, in this case): “May you live in interesting times.”

    Reply
  9. Walt Shiel says

    November 9, 2009 at 7:37 am

    Good overview of the processes, Joel.

    However, I see the offset-digital break point at 1500 copies (often even higher). With every book, I get quotes and run the numbers again, most recently four months ago. Even two years ago, I would have agreed with your 500-copy guideline, but not today.

    Most of the time, a run of up to 1500 copies can be done digitally for the same price as offset or for an insignificant unit cost difference over offset. And setup costs are almost always lower.

    Offset will still produce better graphics/photos (and some insist better text display, too — although I doubt many readers would notice anymore), even though digital is constantly improving.

    Regarding quality, I think the two main printing options are converging at an accelerating rate. I’ve seen discussions claiming offset pricing for short runs is going down but have yet to see the evidence in responses to RFQs.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 7 Reasons Not to Self-Publish—Is This You? | Publetariat says:
    January 3, 2016 at 9:07 pm

    […] openings for books. That’s what’s caused the meteoric rise of self-publishing, once digital printing and print on demand distribution removed the monetary risk of getting into […]

    Reply
  2. How to Pick the Size of your Book — The Book Designer Self-Publishing Basics: How to Pick the Size of your Book says:
    May 29, 2012 at 5:38 am

    […] Offset printing has few of the restrictions imposed by the digital book printers. Although it’s handy to stay with the traditional sizes, you can print your book any size you like. Some sizes may make more efficient use of paper and consequently be more economical, but it’s possible to do almost any size. I have a book on press right now that’s 9.5″ x 11.5″, an impossibility for digital printers at the moment. […]

    Reply
  3. Book Design: Have You Checked Your Margins? — The Book Designer says:
    May 15, 2012 at 7:03 am

    […] of the consequences of holding the printed book is seeing how the basic page layout has worked out in the real world. It’s one thing to have […]

    Reply
  4. Should Authors Design Their Own Books? - How To Be An Author says:
    March 7, 2012 at 12:21 am

    […] involving a professional book designer somewhere along the line.Any offset book—When you use offset printing you’re likely going to print 1,000 or more books. You’ll be paying the printer […]

    Reply
  5. Indie Book Distribution with Publishers Group West — The Book Designer says:
    December 27, 2010 at 11:54 am

    […] on the traditional world of publishing. Although PGW, through Perseus Books, now has access to digital printing equipment and is starting to move into ebooks, they clearly are part of the existing world of […]

    Reply
  6. Self-Publishing Case Study: Personal Memoir — The Book Designer says:
    September 22, 2010 at 11:23 am

    […] digital printers charge by the page, while publishers can’t get away with pricing by the page. A 700 page […]

    Reply
  7. Pantone: The Language of Color Reproduction — The Book Designer says:
    May 14, 2010 at 12:04 am

    […] blue. You can see the problem. Once color printing really started to take off with the advent of offset printing in the second half of the twentieth century, there was a real need for a “language” of […]

    Reply
  8. Self-Publishing Costs for DIY Publishing — The Book Designer says:
    April 19, 2010 at 12:06 am

    […] and Reproduction—Virtually all DIY self-publishers will use digital printing through print on demand suppliers to manufacture their book. A copy of the book essentially acts as […]

    Reply
  9. Self-Publishing Is Easier Than Ever, But Some Writers Cannot Overcome Inner Obstacles to Publication — The Book Designer says:
    March 12, 2010 at 12:33 am

    […] openings for books. That’s what’s caused the meteoric rise of self-publishing, once digital printing and print on demand distribution removed the monetary risk of getting into […]

    Reply
  10. Self-Publishing Is Easier Than Ever, But Some Writers Cannot Overcome Inner Obstacles to Publication — The Book Designer says:
    March 12, 2010 at 12:33 am

    […] openings for books. That’s what’s caused the meteoric rise of self-publishing, once digital printing and print on demand distribution removed the monetary risk of getting into […]

    Reply
  11. Books Printed Quickly for Self-Publlishers at 48HrBooks.com — The Book Designer says:
    March 3, 2010 at 12:02 am

    […] understand that 48HrBooks is a digital printer. This company is not a print on demand provider, because they don’t do any distribution. They […]

    Reply
  12. E M Ginger on Digitizing the Art of the Book — The Book Designer says:
    January 12, 2010 at 12:05 am

    […] I’ve said elsewhere, letterpress printing was the dominant form of reproduction for most of printing’s 500-year history, and it’s […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Get the Advanced Publishing Kit

Topics

  • Audiobooks
  • Author Blogging 101
  • Book Construction Blueprint
  • Book Design
  • Book Printing
  • Book Production
  • Book Reviews
  • Cameras
  • Contributing Writers
  • Cover Design
  • E-Books & Readers
  • Editorial
  • Guest Posts
  • Interior Design
  • Interviews
  • Journey of a Book
  • Legal Issues
  • Marketing
  • Podcasts
  • Project Focus
  • Reports
  • Reviews
  • Samples
  • Self Publishing Basics
  • Self-Publishing
  • Social Media
  • Training
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • Writing
Self Publishing Platform
Self Publishing School

COACHING

Self Publishing

PUBLISHING

The Write Life

WRITING

The Book Designer

PRODUCTION

Make a Living Writing

FREELANCE

Freelance Writers Den

WRITING JOBS

Footer

  • Home
  • About
  • Articles
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Self-Publishing
  • Author Blogging
  • Sitemap
  • Fonts/Typography
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
Comment Policy
Guest Author Guidelines
Why?
"Writers change the world one reader at a time. But you can't change the world with a book that's still on your hard drive or in a box under your bed. This blog exists to help you get that book into people's hands."
—Joel Friedlander

Copyright Self Publishing School All Rights Reserved. © 2022