PREPARATION FOR BOOK PRINTING.
- I have researched photo books: see blog post
I have researched the making of photobooks: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/category/sustaining-your-practice/assignments/a4-syp/a4-syp-photo-book-research-colberg/
Having taken advice for many photographers on best companies for self-publishing and have narrowed it down to Exwhyzed and Mixam, and have invested time researching what they offer.
A SUMMARY OF MY NOTES ON EXWHYZED PRINTER :
From their intro video for zines
Binding up to 40 sheets:
- wire/saddle/stapling stitching:
- a sheet will be 4 pages (4 page cover). Need multiples of 4 pages for this zine.
- Self-cover is same paper throughout.
- Can have a 4 page cover which is stiffer/thicker but cover does bounce up
- A4 16 pages is neat
- Perfect binding: glued cover is continuous spread with a hinge which should open flat
40 pages (includes 4 page cover) is a 3ml spine can’t do for less than 40 pages total, need 170g for cover.
Cover:
- Laminate front cover if go for 170g or thicker to stops spine cracking.
- Matt (though feels professional does scuff) or gloss (pops the colour ü) or soft touch (looks professional).
- Recommend flat colour 160g for thinner zine or uncoated 300g for thicker zine but matt laminated
Size:
- up to A4, 297 x 210mm, but suggests between A4/5 is a nice size.
- Bespoke sizes stand out from other books
- keep text 10/12ml away from edge 6/8ml lost on into spine
Paper types (house types)
- Uncoated (no shine, white), silk (good middle ground, colours jump, slight sheen, smooth), gloss (shine), & evolution uncoated (off white, soaks up ink, not good for dark prints and colour reproduction) 100g (170g max for pages) to 350g chunky cover (300 best max).
- Blk/wht recommend only uncoated or silk
- Page numbers sugested 5/6pt nice and small
HARDBACK BOOKS
Case binding
- Hardbacks are little larger (V perfect bound softback as cover overhangs)
- Inside the front/back cover overhangs the hard cover by 17mm, though majority is covered by the end paper glued to cover case. So will need extra 17mm round the edges.
- Can have content on all 3 pages of the end pages.
- The first text page is actually glued to the end papers not the bookcase, so lose 5mm of the first text page therefore content should be at least 10/15mm away from the spine, ideally 20mm so the page doesn’t have to be pressed down to be read.
- 28 minimum pages for a hardback ideally 32. Or not enough surface area for gluing – this gives 3 mm spine.
Covers:
- printed 170 silk laminated hardback – suggest gloss rather than matt
- Or spot UV varnishing or foil.
- Linen or fabric cover wibalin range- lots of choices – natural – feels premium -Not printable so only way is to foil text on.
- Colourplan for a plain cover which has a slight texture (premium paper, can linen emboss on the top. But need foiling to the cover for text Printed pages.
End papers:
- can be shiny paper from colour plan, and the edges also takes the colour
- Printing the colour on the end page is considerably cheaper– means can have any colour, though do see white edge (from the side).
Inside pages
- silk ideal for my colours
- Standard paperweights: 115 gsm uncoated, 120 evolution uncoated recycled, or 130 silk. Premium Upgrades: 160g evolution uncoated (recycled sucks in ink), 170 house uncoated to 170 silk makes it easier to glue with small number of pages. 12ml border ideal or full bleed (but do lose some image in the centre fold)
- Captions suggest 7/8 pt
- Stop 15/20 mm short of spine so pages don’t have to be pressed down. Later they said for my 9mm spine it would only be a 2/3mm loss
If an A4 Landscape photography book, though suggest bespoke sizes say 260 x210 better
- 15/18ml round edges(might be too large for me)
- 130 silk paper silk is safest for colour reproduction
- They send me 1 page at least to check how images print – allow extra week if checking prints, hardback takes 1 week normally and linen an extra week foiling another – so 2/3 weeks for hardback line/foil book.
- Apart from full bleed keep the others the same place margin
- up to A5 is one set of prices, including any bespoke size, no extra for bespoke prices. The same goes for A4.
- 8 X 10 good landscape photography size bespoke from A4 or A5 makes the readers eye work harder.
Lithoprint is used only for longer print runs.
- I like the size of Lucy Roses ‘no words left’ book?, which is slightly bigger than A5 landscape, but having measured it out, though cheaper A5 is too small for my images.
- I definitely don’t like more than one image on a page
- For preview they offer a print preview PDF for proof reading prior to printing/payment.
- I must ask how to avoid getting the end pages the wrong size like ode to Hackney in their video example.
Tips:
- Images: Might need to boost contrast for printing in photoshop
- More white space round text is better
I asked XYZ for a quote based on:
- Hardback photobook
- Size: Landscape 210 x 262.5mm or could be 210x 260 want to achieve near to 5:4 ratio
- Case bound-glued
- Cover: printed 170 silk laminated hardback gloss – Also give alternative quote for if a colourplan cover with foil for text title
- Printed end pages silk 170g
- 32 pages 170g silk
- 1 or 2 copies only
Their quote was:
210 x 263mm Landscape Casebound Books – I then realised I should increase this width to possibly 210 x 279 to allow for (15mm loss into spine on full bleed images. (A4 is 297×210)
- Cover onto 170gsm Silk FSC Certified
- Wrapped over greyboard case
- Gloss Lamination to outer
- 2x 4pp End Papers printed onto 170gsm Uncoated FSC Certified
- 32 inside pages onto 170gsm Silk FSC Certified (9mm spine)
- Printed in full colour throughout
- Trimmed, collated and case bound
Copies:
1 = £226 2 = £238 5 = £256 sweet spot 10 = £280
My questions:
- 5:4 =210 x 263 so Quote: 210 x 279 would give 15cm to lose in the spine and allows for 2 ‘parts’ images to go side by side at 5:7 ratio and approc 25mm for spine . They replied that 2/3mm is enough for my 9mm spine so I may make a 210x 266mm book.
- Method of printing and printer? Indigo same as Mixam
- Gutter sizes no print zones? What about full bleed? They sent advice on how to do.
- Note to self: Have to use affinity or indesign software
The information that I gleaned from Exwhyzed, was helpful and enabled me to do a comparison of what they offer. I sent for their paper samples.
MIXAM PRINTER summary of notes:
I was alerted by a photography photobook maker to them and investigated. I sent for their paper samples.
I want to make a draft version of the book to test the layout initially and they appear cheaper than Exwhyzed.
Mixam offers:
- A print preview file which would be eventually sent to the printers – downloadable
- A sharable by link flipbook
This would work for sharing with peers and tutor.
Mixam also will only do a hardback case bound/glued for the 28 pages minimum with 200g paper. Though for 32 pages I could have 170g silk the same as ‘XYZ’.
They only seem to offer certain sizes, not bespoke. I would like something close to A4 but preferably with a near to a 5:4 ratio:
- A4 = 210 x 297mm
- 210 x 210mm square – I considered but decided its too small
- ‘Letter’, 216 x 279mm is a good possibility– the ratio is close to 5:4 (which on 216mm length would be 270mm width and I will possibly lose 15/20mm in the spine, so 279 is a good size for 5:4 photos and full bleed. This width may allow me too much near the spine for a 5:4 full bleed and I may have a white space?
- Quote is for £56.50 print on demand extra copies £11.50, or order a multiple to save postage. And need to register for on demand if needed
- Q: Do I need to add 4 more pages for the quote/template or is that adjusted already by me adding a cover? A: They add them, I would order 32 pages.
- Q: How deep will the spine be? This is shown after added to cart – It’s 9mm
- Q: Can you have a page printed to check the colour? No This is a flaw though If went Mixam can afford to print 1 for use even if adjust again for final copies but cost wise then need to stick with Mixam
- Q: Do they have any video files on how to do? See how to start a book/order
- Q: If add head and tail band is it just aesthetic? Yes
- Printed on Indigo 7800 digital
- Do need software for best results. See how to start an order
- The process: Upload – then payment – confirm or cancel then have flip book available and proof pdf can download
Other considerations:
- which preview would be best for a portfolio review or will I get the book printed fast enough for initial artist talks?
- Might need to brighten for paper printing – I have done that on my images for print.
DECISIONS:
- My book will be hard back (essential for taking to the woods for my artist talks), 32 pages.
- Either 216 x 279mm, which allows 9mm extra on the width over a 5:4 ratio (Mixam) or 210 x 266 mm, which is 3mm over a 5:4 ratio (exwhyzed) depending on the answers to queries that I have out, and my budget decisions. Exwhyzed say2/3 mm only will get lost in my spine so I may have too much spare in the mixam letter size?
- I would prefer a linen cover foil embossed but the cost is extremely prohibitive so I will go for a print gloss cover.
Print company comparisons:
| Mixam | Exwhyzed |
| Hard cover Matt laminated 2 x End papers (quality unknown) Stone colour (natural)32 inside pages Silk 170gsm pages 9mm spine Printed in full colour Casebound Head and tail band (aesthetic) 32 pages | Cover onto 170gsm Silk FSC Certified Wrapped over grey board case Gloss Lamination to outer 2x 4pp End Papers printed onto 170gsm Uncoated FSC Certified 32 inside pages onto 170gsm Silk FSC Certified (9mm spine) Printed in full colour throughout Trimmed, collated and case bound 32 pages |
| Quote: £56.50 one copy +£11.50 extra copies | Quote: 1 = £226, 2 = £238, 5 = £256 |
The price differential is huge.
Quality differences: Mixam is a matt laminated cover Exwhyzed gloss
Process differences: Exwhyzed will send proof pages for colour checking – however at Mixam prices I could afford to adjust and order another and still save approximately £150
I am currently evaluating the quality and availability of their support services as I will be using affinity for the first time
Blurb
I decided to use Blurb to make a maquette for review in the meantime, as its cheaper and timely – though the quality is not what I want for my end product. It will also give me a pdf preview that I can share for feedback.
I can’t get the exact dimensions of my final book, above, but it will be near enough for my draft.
The draft book is their standard landscape size of 200 x 250mm, 5:4 ratio so I will get a little loss in the spine.
I will use the nearest materials that I can get to my final choices:
Hard cover, 20 x 25 mm 32 pages on mohawk proPhoto pearl 140gsm (semi-gloss) , casebound, endpages? Cost £35
End pages will not be ideal as to make a budget maquette I must take their default standard mid-grey, unless the upgrade to white is very low. Also the have a logo page as a separate sheet added as the very last page/sheet in the book, which can be white (as a maquette I am not paying 25% to remove this)
I made various mock ups to support my decisions:
- A: A4 size
- B: Mixam letter size 279 x 216mm
- C: Exwhyzed bespoke size 279 x 210mm
- D: blurb 200 x 250mm
- E: Mixam 210x 210 mm
This mock up to establish the size the footnote images would actually be if on a book 266mm wide and 4 across a 2 page spread.
NIKI SOUTH 