Dust jackets and the standard InDesign set-up

Standard dust jackets and the Adobe InDesign set-up.

Standard dust jackets are the subject in this chapter. We call it a standard jacket to differentiate it from a French fold dust jacket, which is a different style.

Standard set-up

A dust jacket is a loose paper wrapping for a hard case or perfect bound book. Also called a jacket, it has an inside front cover and an inside back cover flap. The jacket and flaps usually contain promotional information. You may want to add a summary of the book on one flap. An author biography is often placed on the other flap.

See the feature image at the top of this post for the standard dust jacket set-up. The jacket is printed on a commercial printing press just as the text of a book is printed. Then, a lamination is applied to the jacket. The lamination can be gloss or matte, depending on the style of the book or the author’s preference. The cost is the same for either matte or gloss lamination. You may add embellishments to a dust jacket for added value.

Additional cost and potential extra profit

Dust jacket and adding value

Delivering a higher quality book to readers means that self-publishers can charge a higher retail price. Perhaps a jacket may cost the self-publisher and extra 50 cents to a dollar or more per copy. It is important not only to consider the cost of optional items, but also how much more a self-publisher can charge for a hardcover book.

If a dust jacket or any other item costs 50 cents per book you might add one dollar added to the retail price. You can actually make 50 cents more per book in this scenario. The self-publisher or author should decide if it is worth it. Will you still stay competitively priced in the marketplace? Usually, yes, as the extra item adds value. Learn more about it at Star Print Brokers.

Varnishes and embossing

We can also add a spot varnish, spot UV, or even a silk UV printed over the lamination on the jacket. For instance, you can have just one image, an area of type (the title) stand out with a spot varnish. Spot varnish is applied to a defined area. Flood varnish covers the entire area. Jackets can also be embossed, having raised type or other design areas. You can even add foil stamping in a variety of colors. We usually have both matte and gloss finishes for foils. We provide a custom dust jacket template for your book.

A dust jacket template and measurements

Sometimes self-publishers search for a template for book jackets. Book dimensions, spine width, page count, and paper thickness vary. That is why we cannot post a dust jacket template. But you can prepare a preliminary file yourself in InDesign, as long as you are prepared to modify it before printing. Star Print Brokers will supply a specific template in millimeters, for the dust jacket style you choose.

See the French fold jacket set-up in Chapter 7, Extras for Books.