Printing books on offset press overview
Printing books on offset press is one quality step.
Printing books on offset press is just one step to have the best quality. There is much more to it. Books traditionally print on commercial offset printing presses. Several pages print on each side of a sheet. Each sheet folds several times to become a booklet, or what we call a signature. The signatures then bind together; usually by Smyth sewing.
Single pages can be output on a digital output device, but that is not printing!
It is necessary to understand the differences between spot and process color; RGB compared to CMYK, and press printing vs. print on-demand. Then there is adding inks to the offset press. Selecting paper, bindings, ISBN, barcodes, book pricing, PDFs, and sending files to press all go into quality book printing. I cover these subject in the following chapters, and also on our Star Print Brokers website. Just do a search on SPB. You be able to read quite a few pages and posts. The search will show you references to printing books on offset press. Self-publishers can also look up information about what print on-demand is … and isn’t.
Additionally, you will also read about real press proofs are. The term is often used incorrectly by POD services who are not printing books on offset press.
Quick Tips
- Hardcover books should always print on press, as should high quality soft cover books.
- Use Pantone Color Bridge to compare spot ink to process screenbuilds, as often they do not look the same when in print.
- Buy the ISBN from ISBN.org, or a seller authorized by ISBN. Otherwise, someone else may be the publisher of your book.
