What to tell us before we can quote your book
Everything we need for an accurate price and a realistic schedule — before a single page is designed.
A quote is built from a specification, not a description. Two books with the same word count can cost twice as much depending on trim size, paper, binding and finishing — and changing any of these after design starts usually costs more the second time. This guide is short on purpose: fill in the copy-paste specification near the end and you’ve told us almost everything we need.
Once it’s fixed we send you the spine width and, for hardcovers, a cover template — from there, see our guide on preparing your files for print.
On this page
1. Why this comes first
Trim size and page count decide how your pages sit on the printing sheet; binding and paper decide the spine width. Changing either group after layout has started can mean a redesign, not an edit. Nothing needs to be perfect on day one — it needs to be decided, in writing, before a design file is opened.
2. Trim size
The finished, cut size — not your design file size, which is larger to allow for bleed.
| Format | Size | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 148 × 210 mm | Novels, poetry |
| B-format | 130 × 198 mm | Mass-market paperback |
| Trade | 170 × 240 mm | Non-fiction, memoir |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | Manuals, workbooks |
| Square | 210 × 210 mm | Photo books, gift books |
| Custom | any | Ask us first — an odd size can waste a third of every sheet |
3. Page count
Give the total, including blanks and endpapers, excluding the cover — unless the cover shares the interior stock (a “self-cover” book), in which case say so. One physical leaf is two pages, front and back; when in doubt, count pages, not sheets.
4. Binding
| Binding | Page range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Saddle stitched | up to ~64 | Booklets, brochures, zines |
| Perfect bound (softcover) | 32–800+ | Novels, paperbacks, trade books |
| Case bound (hardcover) | 32+ | Gift editions, cookbooks, art books |
| Section sewn | 64+ | Reference books, heavily-used editions |
| Wire-O / spiral | any | Cookbooks, workbooks, notebooks |
| Layflat | photo formats | Wedding albums, premium photo books |
| Swiss binding | — | Art books that open flat, spine exposed |
For hardcovers also tell us: board thickness (commonly 2–2.5 mm, heavier for larger formats), spine shape (straight or rounded), and, if there are flaps, their width.
5. Paper
- Weight (gsm): text block usually 70–170 gsm; cover or case material heavier, or laminated board.
- Finish: coated (gloss/matt/silk) for vivid colour and photos; uncoated for warmth and long reading.
- Opacity: heavy ink on light, uncoated paper can show through — flag it if the book is image-heavy but you still want a lighter stock.
- Cover and text are specified separately, always.
- FSC or PEFC certified stock: tell us at inquiry stage if you need it, or want to say so on the book. It can affect minimum quantity and lead time.
6. Colour
We write colour as printed sides: 4+4 (full colour, both sides), 1+1 (black text, both sides), 4+0 (colour on one side only). Add a Pantone number for spot colour — e.g. 1+5 (Pantone 526), one side in a single colour, the other in four-colour process plus a spot.
| Notation | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 4+4 | Colour both sides | Photo books, cookbooks, catalogues |
| 1+1 | Black text both sides | Novels, text-only non-fiction |
| Mixed | Some sections 4+4, rest 1+1 | Mostly-text book with a photo insert |
| + Pantone | Spot colour added to either | Brand colour, special effects |
7. Finishing and extras
- Lamination: matt, gloss, soft-touch or anti-scratch.
- Spot UV, hot foil, embossing/debossing, die cutting, rounded corners — list any you want; some combinations need checking (soft-touch and spot UV pair well; some foils don’t sit well under certain laminates).
- Endpapers: stock and weight (e.g. offset 150 gsm), plain or printed.
- Head and tail bands: colour, if the binding uses them.
- Ribbon marker, dust jacket, belly band, slipcase: each is its own file and its own quote line.
- Boxed sets or collector’s editions: list every separate physical piece — box, insert, any non-paper component — individually.
8. ISBN and barcode
- ISBN and barcode: supply as a print-ready vector file, correctly sized; tell us if you want it checked for scannability after lamination.
- Don’t have one yet? We can generate the ISBN and barcode for you — just say so in your inquiry.
9. Delivery
- Postcode and country: enough for us to price shipping accurately — no need for a full street address yet, especially if you don’t have one settled. Splitting delivery across several destinations costs more per copy than one bulk drop.
- Destination type: a distribution centre, a trade fair, or a regular address — say which. A distribution centre delivery usually needs to be booked into a time slot in advance; a trade fair has its own move-in times and unloading rules.
- Unloading access: tell us if the vehicle will need a tail-lift (hydraulic platform) — most private addresses, and many venues, have no loading dock or forklift.
- EU or not: tell us whether the destination is inside or outside the EU — customs, duty and paperwork differ, and it changes the quote.
10. Quantity and timeline
Unit price falls sharply as quantity rises — set-up and drying time are largely fixed costs spread across the run, so the gap between 300 and 1,000 copies is usually bigger than between 1,000 and 3,000. Order what you need rather than rounding down; a short-run reprint later often costs more per copy than printing the larger quantity the first time. Expecting to reprint? Say so, and version your files clearly when you do.
Give your target delivery date as part of the inquiry. A hardcover with foiling and a die-cut cover needs tooling made before anything runs, so it takes longer than a straightforward softcover reprint.
11. Putting it together
Copy this into your inquiry. Leave blanks where you’re unsure — we’ll follow up rather than guess.
12. The specification checklist
- Trim size decided, or narrowed to two options
- Total page count agreed, including blanks and endpapers
- Binding chosen — plus board thickness and spine shape for hardcovers
- Text and cover paper decided separately
- Colour specified for interior and cover
- Finishing listed, including endpapers and any boxed components
- ISBN and barcode ready, or flagged for us to generate
- Quantity confirmed; delivery postcode, country and destination type given
- Target date given, marked fixed or flexible
- Reference file or sample attached, if you have one
Not sure where to start?
That’s normal — most people specify a book once or twice, we do it every day. Send what you know, however incomplete, and we’ll come back with a suggested specification and a price range.
Send your inquiry