Artwork
Pre-press artwork
Printing a book involves several important stages, including prepress artwork. Prepress artwork is the process of designing and preparing all the visual elements of a book before it goes to the printer. It is crucial to get the prepress artwork right in order to ensure that the final product looks professional, polished, and visually engaging.
What kind of artwork do we prefer?
The following are some short tips for your reference, you can also consult with our sales, and we will give you our professional advice for your books. Usually, our sales will reply to you in 1-2 hours on working days.
1: We prefer artwork in PDF format.
2: The pictures are in at least 300 DPI.
3: In CMYK colors, not RGB. As RGB will change them to CMYK auto by us. If CMYK we will guarantee print the same color as the original artwork.
4: If black text, is better to design 100% black, not composed of CMYK colors. As 100% black is cheaper than CMYK black.
5: Full bleed on each side abt 0.12inchs.(3mm)
6:Convert all text to outlines.
After get your artwork our design department will check your artwork carefully to make sure it can print beautifully. When your artwork is finished pls do not hesitate to send us by transfer or dropbox. If some small problems our professional book designers will fix them for you to make sure we can print them nicely.
Some tips for prepare pre-press artwork
Prepress artwork design software
Choosing the right software for your prepress artwork is key. Some popular options include Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop. These programs are industry-standard tools used by professional designers and printers alike.
Bleed
Bleed is a margin around the edge of the page that is meant to be trimmed off during printing. It is important to include a bleed in your prepress artwork design to ensure that there are no white edges or gaps in the final print. A common bleed size is 0.125 inches(3mm).
Signature
A signature is a set of pages that are printed on a single piece of paper and then folded and trimmed to create a group of pages. Understanding how to set up signatures is key to ensuring that your final print looks the way you intended.
CMYK and RGB
CMYK and RGB are two different color modes used in printing and digital design. Knowing when to use each is important in creating a high-quality print.
We recommend in CMYK colors, not RGB. As RGB will change the to CMYK auto by us. If CMYK we will guarantee print same color as original artwork. If black text, is better to design 100% black, not compose of CMYK colors. As 100% black is cheaper than CMYK black.
Picture resolution
When working with images in your prepress artwork, it is important to make sure they are high resolution (at least 300 dpi) to ensure a sharp and clear print.
Book spine
Including the book spine in your prepress artwork is important in creating an attractive and professional-looking book. Make sure to design the spine to include the book title and the author’s name. The size of spine is depend on your book’s page counts, paper thickness and binding options.
Paperback Spine:
Paperback books commonly have a spine size of around 0.125 inches (3.175 mm) to 0.5 inches (12.7 mm). However, it can vary depending on the number of pages and the paper stock used. A larger spine is typically necessary for thicker books to accommodate the extra pages.
Hardcover Spine:
Hardcover books typically have a larger spine size compared to paperbacks, ranging from 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) to 2 inches (50.8 mm) or even more, depending on the number of pages. Hardcover books often use more durable materials, such as leather or cloth, to cover the book board and spine.
Saddle Stitch Spine:
Saddle stitch binding is a binding method for smaller books with 8 to 64 pages. The spine size for saddle stitch binding is usually around 0.125 inches (3.175 mm) to 0.25 inches (6.35 mm) and can vary depending on the number of pages. It’s important to note that saddle stitch binding can only accommodate a limited number of pages due to its binding method.
Board Book Spine:
Board books, which are often used for children’s books, have a very different spine size compared to paperback or hardcover books. Since board books have rigid pages made of thick cardboard, their spine size often ranges from 0.125 inches (3.175 mm) to 0.25 inches (6.35 mm), even for a book with a lot of pages.
Page number
When designing a book or a document with multiple pages, it is necessary to include page numbers to help readers navigate through the content. Page numbers also add a level of professionalism to printed materials, and can even help track important information within a larger manuscript.
Make sure to include page numbers in your prepress artwork. This not only helps readers navigate the book, but also ensures that pages are in the correct order.
Vector graphics
Vector graphics are a type of digital image that can be scaled up or down without losing resolution. Including vector graphics in your prepress artwork can help ensure that images look crisp and clear in the final print.
Which format are best for your prepress artwork
In terms of file formats, it is best to work with high-quality PDFs for your prepress artwork. Adobe InDesign allows you to export high-quality PDFs that can be easily sent to a printer for production.
Prepress artwork plays a vital role in the book printing process. By following the tips outlined above, you can ensure that your prepress artwork looks professional, polished, and visually engaging, resulting in a high-quality final product. Get in touch.
