We understand that many of our authors are new to the publishing business. We do our best to help them along the way, but sometimes they misunderstand how our process works. The best way to avoid possible errors is to educate our clients whenever possible. Whether you choose us or another book printer, do yourself a big favor and learn our three things that are commonly misunderstood. There are hundreds of things that can go wrong with a book printing order, but these three items probably cover 90% of them.
And here is our regular FAQ section. Simply toggle through the questions below, clicking on the red "+" before each question to reveal the answers. If you can't find the answers you're looking for, just call us (800-231-0521), email us, or use our On-Line Chat.
Yes, we do. You can download templates for free from our Templates Page. We currently have templates for your inside pages, which can be used in Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, Open Office, Pages, and just about any other popular word processing program. We'll be adding Cover Templates for InDesign soon.
In Windows, using Word 2007 or newer: Many of our clients use Microsoft Word to write their books. If you're using a recent version of Word (2007 or newer), the easiest way to create a PDF file is to click "File > Save As ..." and select "PDF File" as your file type.
In Windows, using an older version of Word or a different program: You can convert your files to PDF for FREE by using a great new converter called doPDF. Simply click here to download doPDF and select "Run" when prompted. This installs a virtual printer named "doPDF" on your computer. With it, you'll be able to "File > Print ..." to create a PDF from any Windows application. Then choose "doPDF" as your printer. The first time you use doPDF, hit the 'Preferences' button and change 'Graphic Resolution' to 600 dpi (near the bottom right of the window.)Hit 'OK' and your Preferences are all set. Hit 'Print', make sure 'Embed fonts' is turned ON, and it will create a PDF.
From a Mac: PDF conversion is built right into your system. To create a PDF file on a Mac, simply open your file, select "File > Print", then click the "PDF" button at the bottom left and choose "Save as PDF ...".
Be sure to check your PDF file CAREFULLY before sending it to us for printing. Any errors on your PDF will show up on all of your books. If you have questions, call us for help, or just send us your Word files and we'll convert them for you for a $50 charge.
There are settings within Acrobat Distiller that determine how much to "downsample" your file to a lower resolution. While handy for web graphics, this can be horrible for printed material. Either use one of Adobe's pre-set settings ("Print" or "Press" work fine), or change the settings yourself within Distiller to downsample NO LOWER THAN 300 dpi for color and grayscale images (photos), NO LOWER THAN 600 dpi for monochrome images (line art), and be sure to INCLUDE ALL FONTS.
Make your cover slightly larger than the book itself, to account for bleed (when the printing goes all the way to the edge). Since it's a wrap-around cover, it needs to be TWICE the width of the finished book, plus the spine. To determine the width of your spine, divide number of Pages (not SHEETS, but PAGES) by 440. For example, if your book was 120 pages, the spine would be 120 / 440 = 0.27 inches.
So for a 5.5 x 8.5 book that is 120 pages long, the cover should be 8.5 tall, and 11.27 wide (5.5 front + 5.5 back + .27 spine = 11.27). And for a 8.5 x 11 book that is 200 pages long, the cover should be 11 tall, and 17.45 wide (8.5 front + 8.5 back + .45 spine = 17.45).
Of course, if your artwork is going to BLEED (go all the way to the edge), you'll need to have it extend 1/8" BEYOND the edges on top, bottom and sides.
Include your title and author name on the spine so when your book is on a bookshelf, the title and author name read from top to bottom.
Please Note: We do NOT print on the inside cover. No printing on the inside front cover or back cover. Under special circumstances, we can print on the inside cover, but there is an additional cost and time involved. Please call to discuss.
To change your book size in Microsoft Word, click the Page Layout header. From here, either select the proper size from the list or simply type in the proper width and height. Next, type the proper margins. We recommend 0.75"e; of margin on all four sides. This ensures that none of the text runs too close to the edge of your final book.
After opening Microsoft Publisher, select the "Blank Page Sizes" option and choose the size that you would like your finished book to be. Next, on the left-hand column, select "Change Paper Size ...". From here, you can adjust the page size as well as the margin guides. We recommend 0.75" of margin on all four sides. This ensures that none of the text runs too close to the edge of your final book.
To change your book size in InDesign, select "File > Document Setup ..." and adjust the width and height to be the size that you would like your finished book to be. Next, select "Layout > Margins and Columns ..." and adjust your page margins. We recommend 0.75" of margin on all four sides. This ensures that none of the text runs too close to the edge of your final book.
Yes, you do! As long as you order 100 or more, we'll print 25 additional books for free.
Yes, we do offer lay-flat lamination. All of our hardcover books are laminated, and for perfect bound (paperback) books, it is an option. However, please keep this in mind: all lamination will curl. "Lay-flat" simply means it curls less than standard lamination. With laminated covers, you have two different substances: a PAPER cover glued to a NYLON laminate. When they are exposed to any change in climate (temperature or humidity change), the two substances will expand and contract differently, causing the cover to curl. We use materials that are designed to minimize curl, but it can't be eliminated entirely. Our standard UV coating is embedded into the paper, and therefore curls less than the lay-flat lamination. The drawback, of course, is that it doesn't provide the protection and durability that a laminated cover does. For hardcover books (case bound), because the cover is wrapped around a cover board and glued down with end-sheets, there are no curling issues, so lay-flat lamination is standard. It provides a sturdy, durable finish.
Yes, we do. While our covers are always printed full-color, the inside pages are usually printed black-and-white. However, we also offer full-color books, as well as "combination" books (books with some black-and-white pages and some full-color pages). Pricing for all of these is available on the Cost Calculator which can be found on the "How Much?" tab.
Yes, we can print photos. Black-and-white photos on the inside, and full-color photos on the cover are FREE. If you want full-color photos on the inside, just indicate how many pages of full-color you'd like when you fill out your order.
Since your books are printed digitally, black-and-white photos on the inside pages will be printed as halftones at 106 lpi. Full-color photos are printed as continuous tones and are near photographic quality.
Yes, we can help you to format your files. We can offer you free simple instructions for reformatting your own files, or you can simply send us your files (Word documents) and we can reformat them for you. For most standard book files, the reformatting charge is $75. If you have special requirements (large files, many graphics or charts, etc.), we'll analyze your files for free and let you know up front what the reformatting cost will be.
We've got a complete prepress department, staffed with qualified graphic designers. Depending on the type of files that you send us, we can take care of most corrections or deletions.
Yes, we can convert your files to PDF for you, however, it's best if you do it yourself.
In Windows, using Word 2007 or newer: Many of our clients use Microsoft Word to write their books. If you're using a recent version of Word (2007 or newer), the easiest way to create a PDF file is to click "File > Save As ..." and select "PDF File" as your file type.
In Windows, using an older version of Word or a different program: You can convert your files to PDF for FREE by using a great new converter called doPDF. Simply click here to download doPDF and select "Run" when prompted. This installs a virtual printer named &qout;doPDF" on your computer. With it, you'll be able to "File > Print ..." to create a PDF from any Windows application. Then choose "doPDF" as your printer. The first time you use doPDF, hit the 'Preferences' button and change 'Graphic Resolution' to 600 dpi (near the bottom right of the window.)Hit 'OK' and your Preferences are all set. Hit 'Print', make sure 'Embed fonts' is turned ON, and it will create a PDF.
From a Mac: PDF conversion is built right into your system. To create a PDF file on a Mac, simply open your file, select "File > Print", then click the "PDF" button at the bottom left and choose "Save as PDF ...".
Be sure to check your PDF file CAREFULLY before sending it to us for printing. Any errors on your PDF will show up on all of your books. If you have questions, call us for help, or just send us your Word files and we'll convert them for you for a $50 charge.
Yes, we offer an economical alternative to the high-priced cover design you've seen elsewhere. Our Create-a-Cover allows you to choose a design and a color combination. Then simply send us the wording along with any photos or artwork that you'd like to include. We'll set it up according to your instructions, and send you a PDF proof to approve before we print your order. At a cost of $100, it's a great alternative to getting a high-priced custom cover design elsewhere. If you have more complex requirements, we recommend that you contact a local graphic designer, since you'll probably want to meet with them to discuss your requirements.
We send a FREE PDF proof for your approval, but if you also want a PRINTED PROOF sent to you via UPS Next Day Air, respond "Yes" to Printed Proof when you place your order. You'll still get the PDF proof, but after you approve that, we'll print, bind, and ship a printed proof to you. We pay the shipping. All you pay is $40 for the proof itself. This $40 price is a special price for the first printed proof. Additional printed proofs may be more expensive, based on your book specifications.
Yes, we can print index tabs in your books. We recommend that you only use tabs for spiral bound books, but we MAY be able to put them into perfect bound and hardcover books as well. For coil bound books:
For Perfect Bound and Hard Cover books, tabs are a little trickier. We recommend that you call or email us the information, and we'll let you know if it can be done, and what the cost would be. If you have questions, just call or email us. We'll be happy to help.
We can help you get your own ISBN and barcode and YOU will be the publisher! Your book doesn't have to have an ISBN, but if you're planning on selling it through major bookstores or online bookstores, you'll need one.
Just go to their website, ISBN.org. They have a simple online order form. A single ISBN is $125, a block of 10 ISBNs is $250, a block of 100 ISBNs is $575. Why get your own? Because you will be your own publisher and will retain all rights to your book. Of course, we still want to print your books, but you'll have total control.
The ISBN process may take a couple of days, so be sure to figure that into your deadline. If you're in a hurry, have us print the first set of books without an ISBN. We can always print stickers that you can put on the books after you get your ISBN.
Yes, if you already have an ISBN, we can create the barcode for you. We can also include the price for the book in the barcode if you'd like us to. Simply type the ISBN number and the price in the "Comments" section when you place your order. It costs $20, which we will add to your order.
In addition to Rush and SuperRush production times, we can also expedite your shipping. Check out the UPS shipping map below to see how long UPS Ground will take to get to you. If you need your books faster than that, you may want to select Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, or 3 Day Select as your shipping method. However, it's usually less expensive to upgrade the PRODUCTION time (Rush or SuperRush) than to upgrade the SHIPPING. We can help make sure that your books get delivered on time. Just give us a call, but be sure to do it BEFORE you give final approval of your artwork.
Yes, we can split ship your order. For instance, suppose you order 200 books, but want 50 to go to New York and the rest to go to California. No problem. Just let us know exactly how many go to each address, and we'll take care of the rest. Since you'll have multiple "ship to" addresses, your shipping cost may be a little higher.
Yes, blind shipping is available, and we don't charge extra for it. Blind shipments are sent in plain brown boxes, without our name appearing anywhere. Your company is listed as the shipper.
We ONLY ship to USA and Canada. We like to follow through on all of our orders, and a shipment to other countries can be difficult to track, expensive to ship, and hard to guarantee by a certain date. If you need your books shipped to a different country, we recommend that you coordinate a pickup of your books at our offices with your preferred carrier (UPS, FedEx, DHL, Post Office, etc.). We'll print, bind, package, and have your books ready for pickup.
"Rush" and "SuperRush" production options are available.
For perfect bound books: "Standard" service means we ship your books 2 business days after your artwork approval. "Rush" means we ship your books one business day after your artwork approval. "SuperRush" means we ship your books the same day, as long as your artwork is approved before noon EST, and you'll need to confirm that SuperRush is still available for that day.
For coil bound and hardcover books: add 3 days to the turnaround, making our "Standard" service a 5-day turnaround, "Rush" a 4-day turnaround, and "SuperRush" a 3-day turnaround.
You'll be able to select expedited UPS shipping (Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, etc.) when you place your order.
Yes, we do this all the time! Even if you need your books tomorrow, we can probably get it done for you. Just select "SuperRush" and Next Day Air, then get us the files early enough that you'll be able to sign off on your PDF Proof before noon EST. But if you're choosing "SuperRush", be sure to call us to confirm that we've got production time available that day.
Select the next larger size from our list of book sizes, then write the ACTUAL book size in the COMMENTS section of the order form. For example, a 5"x7" book would be priced like a 5.5" x 8.5" book, and a 7"x10" book would be priced like an 8.5"x11" book.
In general, the "per book" price drops as you order more books. But, because we give you 25 free books, sometimes it can actually go a little higher.
The 25 FREE books are very significant on the order of 100 books, where they account for 20% of the order (25 divided by 125). They are a little less significant on the order of 200 books, where they only account for 11% of the order (25 divided by 225). And they are even less so on the order of 400 books, where they account for about 6% of the order (25 divided by 425). So it's not that the higher quantities are more expensive, it's just that (in some cases) the small quantities are artificially low because of the 25 free books. The more expensive a book is (very thick books, lots of color pages, or case bound books), the more likely this phenomenon will be. For example, you may not see it happen with a 60-page book, but you will with a 600-page book.
"Gaming the System" is OK with us: Suppose you want 350 copies of your book. By playing around with our Cost Calculator, you may find that you can save money by placing two separate orders, each for 150 + 25 free, instead of one order for 325 + 25 free. And that's just fine with us ... we commend you for doing the math! Just let us know that you are intentionally placing two orders so that we don't think it's an accidental duplication of orders. We're happy to honor the lower price.
There's a big difference between "pages" and "sheets." The front and back of a SHEET count as two PAGES. If you've got 60 sheets 2-sided, that equals 120 pages, so make sure you enter "120." Just about all computer programs will tell you how many pages are in your file, but if we are going to reformat your files, the final number of pages in your book may change. In that case, just enter your best guess at the number of pages and we'll let you know exactly how many there are after it's been reformatted.
The best way to keep your costs low is to proofread carefully at every step. Your costs start to increase if we have to go back and forth with multiple revisions of your files. Try to give us trouble-free "ready-to-print" files from the beginning. (If you've never formatted a book before, we do offer formatting services.) Next, make absolutely sure that the PDF proof that you approve is correct. We give you this proof so that you have an opportunity to find errors, yours and ours, BEFORE the books are printed. If there are errors that go undetected in the proofreading, we cannot reprint your books for free. The best we'll be able to do is make the corrections to your files so they are right for the next printing.
To order reprints of your book, simply log into your 48HrBook account. Once logged in, you will see a list of your past book orders. Locate the book you would like reprinted and click the "Reorder" button. You'll then be asked whether you would like an "Exact Reprint" or a "Reprint with Changes to Artwork." Click the corresponding link and you will be directed to the appropriate order form.
If you want your cover artwork to extend all the way to the edge of the cover (so it "bleeds" off the cover), you'll need to extend that artwork BEYOND the edge of the cover at least 1/8". Some programs will create a bleed for you, but if you're not sure how to do it, simply create a page size that is 1/4" wider (1/8" added to the right, and 1/8" added to the left), and 1/4" taller (1/8" added to the top, and 1/8" added to the bottom), and make sure you keep any TYPE at least 3/8" away from the edges for your cover files, and at least 3/4" away from the edges for inside pages.
Since all of our books are custom orders, we do not accept returns unless there are manufacturing defects or damages in shipping. On the rare occasion that there is a defect in the manufacturing process or damage in shipping, please call or email us immediately and let us know what's wrong. We'll reprint the affected books and send them out to you at no additional charge. All claims of defects in manufacturing or damages in shipping must be made within 10 days of receipt of your order, so please, open your shipment and examine your books when they arrive.
Our terms involve a $100 deposit before we start working on your files, and payment in full before we start printing. We accept Paypal and all major credit cards. We require a $100 deposit for all orders, after which we will begin working on your files and creating your PDF proof. You can make additional payments by logging onto your account, selecting your current order, and clicking the "Add Payment" button on the right side. All orders must be paid in full before we can begin to print your books. If you choose to pay by check, simply select "Other" as form of payment when you place your order. Then make your
Please note that paying by check (including Paypal's E-Check) will delay your order by several days, since we wait for your check to clear before we begin printing.
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