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Giving Form to Your Ideas
Of course, the content and purpose of the publication has a major role in decisionmaking about the form. One of the biggest challanges is to get the most for the least amount of money while maintaining quality. For this reason all the people involved inthe publishing process must work closely together to determine what is possible within the budget. Budget. The budget that is established for any publication will have a major role in determining the format, the paper stock and process used for text and binding, the number and quality of pictures and method of reproduction, whether colour will be used in the text or cover, the quantity to be printed, and whether any special effects or processes will be used during manufacturing. Format. It is not a coincidence that most publications end up in standard sizes. Paper and presses come in standard sizes. The less wasted paper and binding materials, the more efficient the production. Paper Stock. There are many papers to choose from when designing a publication. Again, the budget, purpose, and content will determine what is used, and how it is used. Whether it's a brochure, poster, or letterhead, or a book, the percent of the budget that goes to paper in a book is considerable. With that in mind, one has to consder the following:  Coated or uncoated: coated is usually more expensive but gives better quality for pictorial reproduction. Opacity: the more opaque the sheet, the less show-through, and therefore better quality. Texture: some publications - or parts of publications - are more appealing on textured paper, but it can significantly increase cost.Pictorial Elements. The way photographs and colour images are treated will have a tremendous effect on the budget. Some of the options from least expensive to most expensive are: Line illustrations. Black and white halftones. Duotones, tritone, quadratones. Colour separations: ganged or individualAnother consideration is the placement of images - all in one place, in groups, or spread throughout the publication.
Colour. If there is a place where one would divide publications into two catagories, it is whether there is colour or not. The addition of colour increases the cost regardless of how it is used. There are some decisions to be made as to where and how to place colour signatures - they can be all in one place, wrapped around to put some colour in front and back, or spread throughout in a perfect bound book or a book with a large budget. Binding. The binding also effects the cost of a book. Again, the content and place in the market will have a lot to do with this decision. Some of the options are saddle stitched and trimmed, perfect or glue bind, hardcover, spiralbound, and plastic binding. Quantity. The more copies one prints, the lower the per unit price becomes. In the publishing industry, the print quantity is probably one of the most difficult decisions. A publisher cannot afford to have capital tied up in warehoused books while at the same time any particular book will have a price range that it fits into. Obviously, if the book is priced too high, it won't sell. A publisher tries to break even on the first run, because it pays for all the set-up costs and profits will come on the second and subsequent printings. Cover. The cover is the package for a publication - the hook that will make people pick it up and read it, or not. The cover usually takes up a considerable amount of the production budget. Extra covers are frequently printed to use as promotional pieces - printed on the reverse side with detail content information for pre-publication sales and to send to booksellers. Okanagan Bookworks | books@booksokanagan.com | 250.870.2690
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