Online Printing Blog

Things To Ask Your Printer Before Printing

If you are publishing a book for the first time there are lot of technical things that you need to keep in mind. The increasing popularity of self publishing has made sure that most authors are dealing with the printer themselves and not going to a publisher. Being a first time printer it is better to ask a few questions rather than give a go ahead to the printer with lots of questions in mind. Here are some questions that you should ask your printer before the printing of your book starts:

• The first and the foremost thing is to ask the printer is about the equipment that will be used for printing. A good printer should be armed with the latest in printing technology. For short run books digital printing is preferred where as for long run offset printing is more economical.
• Ask for quote for different numbers of books. If the difference between printing of 2000 books and 5000 books is negligible. The cost of printing often differs with the size of the book. Ask your printer to give quote for the different paper size.

• Paper quality is another important thing that needs to be considered. There are many kinds of paper available in the market which have their own pros and cons. Make sure you use the paper which will best serve your purpose. Under no circumstance should you compromise the quality of the paper.
• The time of deliver is very important in any form of business. It is thus important for you to fix the date of delivery before handing over the job to him/her.
• Ask your printer if he/she can get you an ISBN No., if you haven’t got one as yet. It is almost a must these days for your book to have an ISBN no.
• Talk to him about the kind of binding that he will provide for the book. Will it be saddle stitch, spiral or perfect bound? If you haven’t yet designed the cover of the book. You could ask your printer to do that for you. A cover design is important as it decides the success of a book.

Hiring the services of a professional printer is very important for the success of your book. A printer like PrintPapa is ideal for your purpose. They are equipped with the latest technology in printing and have expertise in printing letterheads, business cards, calendars, envelopes, catalogs and booklets among other things. They have a list of happy clients having delivered quality work on time.

Why Opt For Short Run Book Printing?

“How many copies do we print?” This is one question that troubles all authors and publishers around the world. No matter how good the book is, it is very difficult to estimate the number of copies that will sell. The recent economic slowdown where like everything else book sales slowed down made the authors and publishers re-strategize and look for a solution.

The solution is as simple as short run printing which is nothing but publishing books in limited number and accessing the market. If the demand for the books soar in the market reprints are done immediately. This has become very popular with most of the authors and the publishers. The advent of the digital printing has revolutionized short run printing to a certain extent and is encouraging self publishing among many authors. The following are the advantages of short run printing:

• Short run book printing reduces the chances of loss arising due to non sales of book items as an estimated 30% of printed materials never find buyers. It follows the demand and supply equation better.
• Even though the price per copy may be high in short run digitally printed books it reduces the overall cost which go into printing book using the normal offset printing.

• It gives the author the opportunity to publish as low as 25 copies of the book which is advantageous for books which are meant to cater to a very niche audience.
• The short run printing process is faster than the traditional offset printing and thus proves to be useful in situations where printing has to be done on a short notice.
• Short run printing is a form of ‘green printing’ as it reduces wastage which is a common thing with the traditional bulk publication system.
• Short run printing of digital printing gives you the option for variable data printing. Each and every copy of the printed material can be customized which is not possible in normal printing with metallic plates.
• It encourages first time authors to self publish their own book as the cost of the self publishing as short run printing is cheaper.

To get maximum mileage out of your short run book you need to hire the services of a professional printer like PrintPapa which will guarantee maximum profits and high quality. Apart from printing books they have expertise in greeting cards, flyers, bookmarks, presentation folders, rack cards and booklets. They have regularly high quality work on time and impressed their clients and have built a list of successful clientèle.

Self Publishing Will Rule The Future

The printing industry is fast changing and one of the biggest advents of the modern publishing industry has been the popularity of self publishing. Not long ago the publishing world was dominated by traditional publishing  companies which did not allow full creative freedom to all the authors. The explosion of the digital era has signaled a paradigm shift in the publishing industry making self publishing a buzz word among writers. Self publishing is the path many authors prefer to walk these days.

Self publishing is gaining immense popularity these days due to the fact that it gives the author creative freedom over his/her work. They can keep the copyrights of their work and gain huge monetary gains rather than a percentage from the publishers. Above all it relieves the authors from the  hard-boiled editor who in most cases are interested in the commercial potential than the actual content of the book. Most first time authors have been at the mercy of the publisher for ages.

Self publishing is not as challenging as it used to be in the earlier times. The digital printing technology has brought down the cost of book printing drastically especially when it is in low numbers. Book printing doesn’t need to go through development of plates and films and has become more like computer printing. This has given birth to what we know as ‘print on demand’ where a author has the freedom to print as many copies as he/she wants even as low as a single copy!

With the rates at which authors are opting for self publishing it won’t be wrong to predict that they will soon take over the traditional author-publisher printing. Self publishing is also on a rise as there are options where people can host digital versions of their books online which are printed and given to readers. Never in the history of the publishing industry were the authors so powerful. Self publishing is a thing for the future as it empowers authors.

To ensure that your self published book is of high quality you need to hire the services of a professional printing service provider like PrintPapa. They are a modern printing house who uses the latest printing technology available in the market and have a well trained staff. They have their expertise in printing catalogs, booklets, letterheads, business cards,  calendars, envelopes etc. The company has regularly satisfied their clients delivering high quality results on time.

The Popular Types Of Book Binding

Book binding is one of the most important stages in a book publishing industry. Book covers play an important role in the success and failure of books. This is quite ironical considering there is a famous saying “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” A good book cover is a result of good binding. Be it booklet or a standard book no good publisher compromises on the binding. Although there are many types of book binding the most popular among them are perfect binding, saddle stitch binding and spiral binding.

• Perfect Binding: Popularly known as paperback binding, lay flat bid or Euro bind this is the most commonly used type of book binding. In perfect binding a flexible adhesive attaches a paper cover to the spine of the assembled signatures. This type of binding also comes with a spine which can be used to print the spine of the book. Perfect binding can be used for all sizes of books but the most popular are 8.5×11, 8.5×5.5 and 6×9.
• Saddle Stitching Binding: This is usually used for booklet printing or in case of books which contains less number of pages. In saddle stitched booklets pages are held together by staples that run through the gutter. The pages need to be perfectly aligned in case of saddle stitch binding. This kind of binding can be used for books and booklets containing as less as four pages. Two of the most commonly used saddle stitched booklet sizes are 8.5×11 and 8.5×5.5. However many people opt for custom booklet printing.

• Spiral Binding: This type of binding is very popular in the corporate sector for preparing reports, sales presentations, proposals, recipe books and maintenance guides. This is the most flexible of the book binding options available. In this method a plastic or metal coil is inserted and twisted through small holes or slots that run along the spiral edge of the book’s cover and pages. A spiral bound book can be opened 360 degrees, letting in open flat which serves as a huge advantage. Spiral bound books also gives the option of later addition of pages making them favorite with the corporate houses.

For the binding quality to be good there should be no compromise with the printing service provider. You need to hire the services of a professional printing agency like PrintPapa who has built expertise in the job. They are equipped with modern printing equipment and print brochures, business cards, letterheads, rack cards, notepads and many other domestic and corporate documents.

Some Common Self Publishing Terms

Self-publishing is becoming very popular these days. Many people are opting for this to keep their creative freedom intact which gets compromised at times with the publishers. Earlier it was considered a territory for the first time authors but these days we can see that more and more authors are going in for self publishing. Some of the most common self publishing terms are:

• True Self Publishing: In this the author publishes the book bearing the entire cost of publishing it. He or she goes to a printing service provider with the manuscript of the book and gets it printed. The advantage is that the author is entitled to the entire profit and reserves the entire rights of the book. The author gets the proofreading done all by himself or herself.
• POD (Print-On-Demand): This is a printing method in which new copies of a book or other documents are printed on the basis of their demand rather than in bulk as in the traditional printing business. This concept became popular only after digital printing began as it was not economical to print single copies using traditional printing technology such as letterpress and offset printing.

• Vanity Press: This service is preferred by writers who have not found a good publisher for their work and do not have the means to entirely self-publish their book. A good vanity press proofreads and edits manuscript, designs cover, prints the book and does basic marketing. The downside is that these books aren’t taken too seriously in the market.
• Micro Publishing: This is done by authors who want to target a very niche market. Most of the big publishers do not take up these jobs due to the low volume. In this the author bears the cost of publishing. It is a form of true self publishing which is targeted at a very micro market which can be an educational institute or even a small community.

There should be no compromise on the quality of printing while printing your self published book. You should select a professional printing agency like PrintPapa for your printing job. They are equipped with the latest in printing technology. They have expertise in printing booklets, posters, business cards, banners, letter heads and all other kinds of domestic and corporate items. They have built a list of satisfied clientèle delivering quality work on time. They also provide other services like proofreading in case the writers need it.

Creative Booklet Printing Tips

Booklets are one of the best ways to promote your products and services. They have been extensively used as a marketing tool along with brochures to sell products and services. This has also made the traditional booklet a little boring. Most of the booklets have the same rectangular shape and are printed four color on high quality paper.

Today’s competitive business environment requires more creative booklets which can catch the eyes of the target audience. Booklets arouse interest in minds of the people to purchase a product or a service and thus it is important to make your booklet attractive and make it stand out. The challenge is to look different at the same time meet the purpose. Here are a few tips for creative booklet printing:

• Alter Booklet Cover – Traditional booklet covers have been printed on slightly thicker paper than the rest of the booklet. Try using textured paper, corrugated paper, plastics, cardboards and other interesting materials to make the color booklet look different.
• Use Metallic Ink – Although there is nothing wrong with the four color printing that you are used to seeing, using metallic ink will make your booklet stand out. Also metallic ink has an external shine which makes it look great.

• Change The Binding – Perfect binding has been used so far when it has come to binding of booklets but you can experiment with other types of binding. Spiral binding or even special string or twine binding  would make your booklet look very attractive when compared to other types of booklet.
• Play With Shape – You can shun the traditional rectangular booklets and opt for some other shapes like square, triangle or even a circle. This will give your booklet an edge over it’s competitors and make a statement of your creativity.
• Add Accessories – This is another way of making your booklet look attractive. You can add things such as a ribbon or metallic studs, plastic shapes and even embossed elements. This will be very impressive.

For your creative booklet printing you will need the services of a good print service provider. This is where a printer like PrintPapa comes in handy. They have expertise in all kinds of printing and designing services. They use the state of art printing technology for printing posters, banners, business cards, letterheads, rack cards etc. They have built a list of successful clientèle over the years due to their high quality service.

What Are The Different Kinds of Book Binding Available For Self Publishing?

Self publishing has become very common in the industry these days. Many authors do not depend on publishers and head straight to the printing agencies for their printing jobs. This however puts the author into a decision making chair where he or she has to decide on each and every technical details from paper quality to book binding. Your book’s cover often decides it’s sales and binding plays a key role in the look of the book.

You as a author need to take the decision of choosing the kind of binding for your book. It is important that you choose the right kind of binding to make your book look attractive in the book stores. You should check for book binding samples with your printing agency before zeroing in on one. Following are the book binding options available to you:

• Saddle Stitched Binding: In this method of binding loose printed pages are secured with staples down the middle of a folded sheaf of papers. This is the most economical process of binding and ideal when the number of books is less. The cost comes down as everything is done by machine. In this binding method card stock can be used as a cover. This binding is usually used in case when the number of pages in a book is low especially in cases of booklets and catalogs.
• Soft Cover Perfect Binding: This is used for books which are thicker than ones in saddle stitch. It comes with a which can be used for title of the book. In this the book is divided into multiple sections and these are glued together at the spine with a strong adhesive. This is one of the most commonly used types of binding and half the book in your book shelf will have a soft cover perfect binding.

• Spiral Binding: Although not as popular as saddle stitching and perfect spiral binding is widely used for books which are meant for short term use. You will have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to the cover from clear plastic cover to art paper. The biggest advantage of spiral binding is the fact that it can have any number of pages.

For your book to have a perfect binding it is important to ensure that you get it printed from a professional printer like PrintPapa. They have the expertise in printing banners, posters, greeting cards, flyers, envelopes etc. They also undertake CD/DVD duplication jobs and other designing services. They have been delivering high quality services to all their clients on time over the years.

What Are The Various Options Provided By PrintPapa For Self Publishing?

Self publishing of books has become very popular in the industry. More and more authors are preferring to publish their books themselves rather than knocking the doors of a publisher. Self publishing lets you have full creative control of the website and retaining the copyright for the book. You will have to make a sizable investment from your side but the benefits clearly outnumber the drawbacks.

As a self publishing author you will need the services of good printing agency. Self published books are no compromise to a book published by established publisher if it is printed well. You should opt for a professional printer like PrintPapa who have expertise in the job and are ideal for self publishing author especially if you are getting your first book printed. Some of the services that are provided by PrintPapa to the self publishing authors are:

• Your book might be in the form of word document or some other word processor. PrintPapa would convert it into a Print Ready PDF on your behalf. This process will take care of all the formatting required for the book.
• PrintPapa also provides proofing service for self publishing authors. It is ideal to opt for this service as many errors are corrected in this stage.

• Book cover plays a very important role in deciding the success of a book. PrintPapa helps you with the art work of your book. Designers at PrintPapa will design very attractive cover for you which will include the front, back and the spine cover.
• You will have the option to print the exact number of books you want. This will allow you to make a measured entry into the market as a first time author.
• As a part of it’s offer to the self publishing package, PrintPapa gives Perfect Bound with a soft cover which is the market standard.
• PrintPapa’s self publishing package also allows you to include pictures, graphics and other artwork in their books which can be printed in full color depending on your needs.

PrintPapa uses high quality paper and ink for self publishing books. Apart from printing books for self publishing authors, PrintPapa also undertakes all kinds of printing and designing jobs. Over the years they have built expertise in printing booklets, brochures, rack cards, catalogs, newsletters, door hangers and presentation folders. They use the latest printing technology and have a well trained team for the job. PrintPapa’s greatest achievement has been the long list of happy clients that it has built over the years.

Five Important Self Publishing Facts

There is a lot of talk about self publishing these days in the market. Many renowned and first time authors prefer to go the self publishing way than to go to a renowned publisher. The rising popularity of self publishing also makes it a victim of many myths that surround it. Some are created out of ignorance while others due to commercial interests of the publishers. Here are five important facts about self publishing:

1. You Are The Boss: First and the foremost fact is that in self publishing you are your own boss. You have complete creative freedom to work for the book on your own terms. If your book becomes popular with the audience then there will be many publishers knocking on your door willing to re-publish your book on your terms.
2. It Is Easy: Far from the popular myth that typesetting and designing a book is difficult, on the contrary it is a very easy job. Most of the publication softwares have custom made templates for setting a book. You do not need rocket science to use them. Most of the processes in these softwares are self explanatory and in case you have doubts you can seek help from the Internet.
   
3. It Is Cheap: Self publishing seems expensive from outside but inside it is quite cheap as you can save a lot of money by doing some of the jobs yourself. Regular publishing softwares are enough to help you design your book. You don’t need to buy those expensive softwares like your publisher and can achieve quality results even with the MS Office package. With Print On Demand you can print any quantity of books without spending a fortune. For e.g. we at PrintPapa can print only 5 Books at a very low cost. Check it out.
4. Copyright Is Yours: You get to keep the copyright of your book unlike the case of going to a publisher. This gives you the freedom to reproduce the book in a new form, edit it for future editions and even sell it to a publisher if you get a lucrative sum of money and lifetime royalty.
5. Niche Books: Many publishers do not publish books for niche audience as they are not commercially viable. In self publishing you do not have to face such hurdles as you are the publisher yourself and being so you are not accountable to any individual.

A good book should be complemented by quality printing and you should hire the services of a renowned printing agency like Print Papa. They have been in the printing industry for quite some time and have latest printing technology at their disposal. They have built expertise in printing booklets, stickers, calenders, labels, NCR forms and rack cards and a host of other domestic and corporate printing materials. Check out our Soft Cover Perfect Binded Book Section and get a instant quote to find out how much your book will cost to print.

Self Publishing! What Is It?

Self-publishing is the publication of a book by the author. Don’t be scared it doesn’t require you to set up a printing press to publish your book! It is just a process where you don’t take your manuscripts to a third-party publisher but instead to a printer and get the job done at your own expense. There is lot of buzz around self publishing these days as authors are not fully dependent on publishers for approving and printing their books.

The advent of technology and publishing tools such as MS Office, Corel Draw, Pagemager, Photoshop etc has empowered every author to wear multiple hats like the designer and typesetter of the book. This relieves the author of depending on the third party publisher and the creative freedom all author strive for. There are a lot of advantages of self publishing. Some of them are:

•    You are the boss! You get make all the decisions regarding the book and don’t have the editors removing parts of the book or executives suggesting changes to make the book more commercial.
•    A publisher pays you only a small percentage of the profits unless you are a big name who can negotiate terms. With self publishing you get to keep the entire profit for yourself.

•    In self publishing you get to retain the right of the book and set the market price for it. If the book becomes a bestseller you can strike a lucrative deal with the publisher.
•    You can edit your book for the second edition if you feel necessary following the feedback of your first. A publisher may not allow you to edit the content of your book.
•    You can reproduce the entire book or parts of it somewhere else in case you want which is not possible with a publisher who will keep rights of your book.
•    You do not need to attend promotional events and keep on hopping from city to city at your publisher’s wish to reap maximum commercial benefits from your book.

•    You are not bound by any long term contracts which don’t allow you to look for greener pastures.

All you need to self publish your book is a good and professional printer. This is where a printing service provider like Print Papa can be of great help to you. They are a professionally managed company which uses the latest technology in printing. They have been regularly offering high quality jobs to their clients at competitive prices. They have built expertise in printing calenders, catalogs, labels, NCR forms and rack cards.

PrintPapa Offers Short Run Soft Cover Perfect Binded Book Printing for your book. These books are printed proffesionally and can be sold at a book store. We offer 3 standard sizes, but if you need a custom size, just request for a custom quote. You can order as low as 5 books at a time. So next time when you are ready to write a book, you know where to go for publishing it.