All publishers, independent authors and print brokers are welcome. We guarantee customer satisfaction for our book printing quality.
All book printing files must be in print-ready Adobe PDF format, all content pages combined into 1 pdf file and cover file submitted separately. Please review the following specifications before submitting your artwork. If there are difficulties complying with the requirements, let us know and we will try to assist you.
Before You Submit Your Files
Please review the following file specifications before submitting your artwork.
Bleed
A bleed is an extension of your background colour or image going beyond the intended trim size of your piece. Please make sure your artwork has at least 1/8 inch (3 mm) margin of bleed. This ensures that the colour or image continues to the edge of your piece. Please build your press-ready digital files by adding 1/8 inch (0.125″) or 1/4 inch (0.25″) all around the edges of the page. If your artwork has no bleeds, no bleed margin is required, leave it as the final trim size. Click here to learn how set up bleed and margins for your documents.
Printer Marks
Printer marks are not necessary. If you decided to include printer marks to your file, please make sure your have set the offset of marks to minimum 0.125” (3 mm) to ensure marks will not be printing inside the bleed area. Click here for a visual example.
Colours
All colours in your document should be in CMYK format. If the texts are in black colour, please convert them to pure black (only K has value, CMY=0) before saving. For gray colours, not recommend using black colour with K value less than 30%. If you have difficulty with file setup, let us know and we can provide the file adjustment service. Exact colour match is not guaranteed.
PDF
Recommended that all fonts be embedded in PDF files or created outlines.
Image Quality
Photos or scans should always be saved as CMYK. All scanned images should be of a professional standard. Images need to be saved at an appropriate resolution of 300 dpi or above for continuous tone reproduction (photos and/or illustrations).
Text Safe Area
To avoid having text cut off during trimming, recommend no text is within 3/8″ (0.375 inch) from the edge of your document.
Overprint / Transparency
Do not enable the “overprint fill” feature and all transparency effects must be flattened. The feature will cause unexpected results during printing. We are not responsible for any unexpected outcomes when this feature is enabled.
6 Most Common File Errors
These issues account for 90% of all preflight rejections. Check your files before uploading.
1
RGB Colour Space
Convert all elements to CMYK in Adobe Acrobat or InDesign before export.
2
Missing Bleed
Extend background colours/images 3mm beyond the trim edge on all sides.
3
Low-Resolution Images
Replace with 300 DPI+ images at final print size. Upscaling does not fix resolution.
4
Fonts Not Embedded
In InDesign: File > Export > PDF settings > ensure "Embed Fonts" is checked.
5
Incorrect Spine Width
Use our spine calculator and submit an updated cover file before production.
6
Crop Marks Inside Safe Zone
Make sure cropmarks are not inside the bleed area, otherwise remove all crop marks and printer marks from your file — we add these automatically.
✦ SPINE CALCULATOR
Calculate Your Exact Spine Width
Input your specs below to get the precise mechanical spine width your cover file must use.
0.513 in
(13.0 mm)
BACK COVER
SPINE
FRONT COVER
✦ Use this calculator for files submitted to our plant only. Third-party calculators may not match our press calibration.
Need Help With Your Files?
If you have difficulty with file setup, our team can provide file adjustment, graphic and layout services. Let us know and we will assist you.