Hard cover books are sturdy and endure well over time if a sewn binding is used. And that is the type of binding we provide. We also offer glue binding on smaller hard cover books. 

 HARD COVER             SOFT COVER

HARD COVERS  COVERINGS & COLORS

    • Various choices of color are available. If you plan 25-99 books, available colors are medium blue, dark blue, green, and maroon. And these are the most popular colors.
     • When we send a client the Proof of his submitted text material (before printing and binding), we include swatches of cover samples and colors to choose from, so you will know exactly what the cover will look like. If you plan more than 100 books, there will be additional choices, such as brown, gray, black, other shades of popular colors, etc. 

    • For an example of colors, see color photos of books. Be aware that the way colors appear on a "computer screen" may be a few shades different from the actual book, and the foil gold or silver stamping of title, etc, may "appear" to blur or change colors. But these scanned covers will give you an idea of color and design.

    • For shades of maroon, see Page 2, Page 7  Page 8A.

    • For green, see Page 3, Page 6 of Color Photos. For light green, see Page 5.

    • For light blue, see Page 4.  For dark blue, see Page A4.

     COVERINGS OF VARIOUS MATERIALS 

1. Thick textured paper is most commonly used. Most people do not know that the majority of hard cover books have a thick textured paper covering. 

2. Linen-based, imitation leather, or bonded leather are more sturdy, especially for a thick book, and cost a bit more. Genuine leather is not a good choice because it will disintegrate over time. For an example of Bonded Leather, see Page 2 of Color Photos.

 3. The cloth-based cover does not look like "cloth." It looks like a regular cover, but is more durable. Be aware that on a computer screen, it is difficult to tell the type of material on the covering. When you submit your project and we produce a text proof, we then send you that proof along with swatches of various colors and types of coverings so you can make a specific choice.

LETTERING ON THE COVER & SPINE

A hard cover book includes "foil stamping" of title, sub-title, and author on the cover and spine in gold or silver in Times New Roman. This can be in italics if you wish. For an example of italic lettering, see Page 6 of Color Photos. When we send the color swatches with your proof, we also include samples of gold or silver foil stamping in this font so you can choose. Other fonts are available at a small additional charge.

See an example of how to create your cover and spine. Or we can do this for you.

END SHEETS & HEADBANDS

If you open a hard cover book, you will notice the thick sheet glued to the inside front cover and inside back cover. These are called "end sheets." They are107 lb weight paper. White is the standard used. These are a natural part of a hard cover book. The first actual "page" of the book when you open it is also a heavy weight end sheet. It is also the last "page."
   • For pricing purposes, these end sheet "pages" are not counted in the total number of pages of your book.

Headbands, also standard, are the tiny colored ribbons you see at the top end and bottom end of the spine. Look at the top of a hard cover book spine and you will see these.

BOARDS

Heavy weight "boards" (.098)provide the underlying strength of a hard cover book. The covering material is wrapped around these boards and carefully glued to it. Next, an end sheet is affixed to the inside covers. If a book has 400 or more pages, we recommend you order heavier boards (123) for a small charge.

Hard Cover Enhancements You Can Add at Additional Cost

  • Fancy lettering of non-standard fonts, or artwork, on your cover. For an example of "art work" see Color Photos Page 3.  For an example of fancy lettering, see Page 5. 

  • A border on the front cover of your book: Thick/thin is the post popular, but others are available. For an example of a border, see Color Photos Page 7.

  • A marker ribbon in each book. Choice of colors.

  • Imitation Leather, a Cloth- or Linen-based Cover, Bonded Leather.

  • Personalized names imprinted on the front cover (for a particular family member).

  • Colored End Sheets 

  • Printed End Sheets with maps, photos, etc.

  • Heavier Boards for a book with many pages.

  • Dust Jacket

DUST JACKET

Dust jackets can be added. Most family books do not have one because when a book is used often, the dust jacket can become frayed. See an example of a dust cover on Color Photos Page 9 and Page 11. 

CHOICES ON COVER DESIGN

There are two types of hard covers. One has a cover like an encyclopedia; it is one color with title and author imprinted on the cover and spine in gold or silver.  For examples, see Color Photos pages 2-7. 

The second hard cover is called a "printed cover" (generally for 500 or more books). A printed cover is like the ones you see in a book store where a "printed color cover with design and/or photos" is glued onto the book (this is not a dust jacket). A printed cover is more expensive to do, but can be designed front and back with photos, etc. For an example of a "printed cover" see Color Photos Page 10 and Page 14. Of course, a less expensive way to have a designed cover is to print a soft cover book.

If you decide you want a dust cover, or a printed cover, or you plan to do a soft cover book–and you want that cover designed–it is important to know how to prepare it.

    • Unless you are a professional book designer, don’t design your own dust cover. There are places to save money and this isn’t one of them. Find a handful of books that you like and show these to the person designing your book. We offer design services, if you need it. See More Services. 

    •A full color soft cover book is no more expensive than using only one or two colors–if you plan to do a smaller quantity of soft cover books. If planning a large quantity of books (500+), full color will cost more because it is a different type of printing. So have an idea what type of printing will be used and design accordingly. Or a new option for color books is now available. Read more.

    •A full color cover should be created in CMYK (not RGB), the color specification.

For examples of soft cover book designs, see Page 8, Page 12, Page 13 Page 15 of Color Photos. Also there are examples on the Main Page.

SOFT COVER CONSIDERATIONS

Be aware that if you are considering a soft cover family book and it will be frequently used, heavy wear and tear over time can cause pages to slip. The same caution is advisable if the book has more than 300 pages and you expect heavy usage. 

We are happy to design at no charge a simple soft cover for your book. Just provide us with the photo/photos you wish on the front and/or back, the color of the background you wish, etc.

The usual paper choice for the cover is called "C1S" meaning it is coated on one side. 

•A 10 point cover (this is the weight of the cover paper) is adequate for most books. For a thicker book, a 12 point may be better and costs a bit more. 

•A protective coating is placed on the cover to add strength and protection.

•Bindings for Soft Covers are: 1) Perfect Binding (glue) used for most commercial books, 2) Wire coil (many color choices). 

•If you want text on the spine of your book, avoid the wire coil.

See the When Ready To Send section for more info.

If you have questions, please submit them on our Question Form or feel free to call us:

1 800 360-5284. 

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