Question about book sizes

[generalbatzorig]

I am designing a book for an artist. It will be quite a good size of a book since he has many works done in his career time. The artist wants a little bigger size than the standard A4 or American letter size. I went to one of the best printing factory in my town and asked the prices. The marketing manager told me that anything bigger than A4 size will be calculated in A3 size price (we use European standard measurements here). If I translate it to an American standard, that means if I go 1/8 of an inch bigger than the letter size, she would charge me double price for the paper calculating in tabloid size.

I see many different sizes of books in the market. One book on Picasso was printed in Germany, and it had a size 11.5 x 9.75 inches (295 x 250 mm). This is bigger than A4 size but nowhere close to A3. So I wonder how do they pull off this size of books without much financial loss.
If all printing companies doubled their prices for anything a little bigger than A4, I don't think anyone would make such books as the ones I have on my shelves.

I want to ask those with knowledge in this area. What are the sizes that are a little bigger than A4 but still economical enough to be justifiable. We use international standard sizes in this country and use metric measurements. I want to go a little bigger, but I don't want to be charged double the price for it.
Thanks.

 

[NotAGooner]

Because they have to buy bigger paper to print your job, for instance, you get 2 A4s out of A3 etc, so if you went bigger, you'd only get 1 of your book size out of A3, the rest is waste.

 

[NotAGooner]

Having read that back, it's not as simple as that, books are printed on machine in multiples of pages i.e. 8 or 16 or even 32 pages but the principle is still the same.

 

[Meny]

i will answer simple - bigger book = bigger cost but not double!
Any size that will be smaller then standard size will cost the same to print and cost isdue to paper size.

talk to me for details - it is easy , but if the printer feels you do not understand he may use it.....

Meny

 

[generalbatzorig]

I have the basic understanding. From one sheet of standard printing sheet, you can make 16 pages of A4 size. So if it is a little bigger you could make 12 pages out of one sheet. And I did measure the page size and made the calculations. But the manager insists that they will only calculate it for 8 pages per sheet. Why do they have to charge me double, when I think it is possible to cut that sheet in 12 pages.

 

[NotAGooner]

If it's a fairly big book, i.e. more than 200 pages, then printing 12 pages won't be economical, there will be too many 4 page signatures which have to be folded, the manager is right.

 

[Meny]

Start with the facts

What areף
1. Wanted book dimentions
2. Portrait/landscape
3. Paper stock - what kind .
4. How meny pages .
5. Are all pages printed the same . ׂproccess , 2 color , 1 colorׁ
6. Binding method

after you send the above it will be possible to know if the change in price is justified or not - could be it is for this printer and not for others ׂif he has a smaller sheet size...

Start with the facts - i will help you out with answers

 

[generalbatzorig]

Book specifications

Thanks to Meny,

I haven't set the book size at the moment, but working on it. I felt like I didn't have enough knowledge about the price differences according to the size of the book. But I will give you the numbers what I have in mind for now.


1. Wanted book dimentions>>>230x260 mm (we use ISO standard printing sheets A0)
2. Portrait/landscape>>>Landscape
3. Paper stock - what kind >>>120g coated
4. How meny pages>>>250 pages or 125 sheets
5. Are all pages printed the same>>> 4 process colors
6. Binding method>>> Stitch

 

[szjhy]

agree with you ,I am from a China printing factory ,many of my oversea customer always choose some strange trimmed size it will be waste too much

to China mainland ,most closed is 285*280mm trimmed size ,if larget than that ,must waste much .some customer think wow just a little bigger but you quote so high.but it really waste

 

[generalbatzorig]

Question from Chinese friend szjhy

Thank you for writing a reply to my question. I have a Chinese book named “Illustrated Dictionary of Qing Dynasty Court Costumes”. And this book’s trimmed size was 285x285mm, so it was very close to your words. I would like to ask some more questions regarding book sizes. Your answer will be very helpful for my work.

In China, do you also use International Standard (ISO) paper size (A0 841x1189mm)? Our printing companies use this size.
If I use 280x285mm size for my book, will it be more expensive than A4 size? I think it will be more expensive since it is a little bigger. But how much more?
I also saw many art books with size 250x295mm (Portrait). Do you print this size in China? If you do how much more or less expensive will it be compared to 280x285mm size?
We printed several books in China. But this time I am considering to print in Korea. Do you know if Koreans use the same standard papers and printing cost calculations as Chinese printing companies?
Thank you again.

 

[Meny]

normaly you can get any size out of the industry standards

Once you change the book size you have an impact on the cost , for plates , paper and time.

The full answer can nopt be given without full details:
size
type of binding
number of pages
stock thikness
number of copys - if you print 1000 it is not like printoing 50000....

 

[szjhy]

1) we use A0 size printing ,but seldom.we are gennlery use 889x596mm 787x546mm printing China inside order 985x635mm printing oversea order ,280*285 will be a little more expensive than A4 SIZE ,but will not much more ,because it more suit for 889x596mm paper to cut .how much more up to your project ,like qty ,like total pages
2)we printing that size but it much waste paper ,will 20% higher thant 280*250mm if add the paper waste seems more
3)this question is diffcult ask because from Korea most of our customer we seldom have cooperation with Korea printing factory

 

[szjhy]

1) we use A0 size printing ,but seldom.we are gennlery use 889x596mm 787x546mm printing China inside order 985x635mm printing oversea order ,280*285 will be a little more expensive than A4 SIZE ,but will not much more ,because it more suit for 889x596mm paper to cut .how much more up to your project ,like qty ,like total pages
2)we printing that size but it much waste paper ,will 20% higher thant 280*250mm if add the paper waste seems more
3)this question is diffcult ask because from Korea most of our customer we seldom have cooperation with Korea printing factory

 

[generalbatzorig]

Chinese printing

Thank you very much for your reply, szjhy.
That was very informative. Now I have a little better understanding of book sizes. It seems like you divide the height in three and divide the width in two for most books. For example, 889:3 and 596:2. Am I right?
I want to ask another question. Can I make a book sized exactly 285x285mm out of the printing sheet 889x596? Because this size seems to be big enough for 285mm both in height and length.

You mentioned that 985x635 size is used for oversea's orders. What sizes of books are made from this printing sheet?

Thank you again.

 

[Bill Borcicky]

One thing you also need to look at is to allow gripper space at the top of the sheet in which the machine can handle the paper without interfearing with the image. occasionally we run into the situation where we must order a larger size sheet in which to allow the gripper room needed and have the image space needed for the job. this increases the cost of the job due to the increase cost of a larger size sheet. But by no means should it increase the cost to double !

 

[szjhy]

That was very informative. Now I have a little better understanding of book sizes. It seems like you divide the height in three and divide the width in two for most books. For example, 889:3 and 596:2. Am I right?yes ,you are correct
I want to ask another question. Can I make a book sized exactly 285x285mm out of the printing sheet 889x596? Because this size seems to be big enough for 285mm both in height and length.you can but that size is for normal printing factory use if you offer the other size ,the facotry should reset thier machine ,and some others machine also need reseted,I think that cost will be more expensive

You mentioned that 985x635 size is used for oversea's orders. What sizes of books are made from this printing sheet? not 985 but 965x 635mm A4 ,300X300MM 9*12MM most of this

Thank you again.

 

[generalbatzorig]

question from szjhy

Recently I was informed that Korean printing companies use 220x315mm size as their standard book size. From your previous reply, I guess that this size is probably made out of the 965x635mm printing sheet.

>>>>>You mentioned that 985x635 size is used for oversea's orders. What sizes of books are made from this printing sheet? not 985 but 965x 635mm A4 ,300X300MM 9*12MM most of this
>>>>>

When you wrote 9*12MM, you probably meant 9x12 inches, didn't you? If so, 220x315mm size matches quite close to the 9x12 inches.

I also want to ask this, supposing that Korean printers use 965x635mm sheet for their standard sizes, do you think that they should also use 889x596 and can make 280x285mm book?
I know that I am asking this again and again. It is because I am worried what if I take my book design files to Korea and find out that they don't print 280x285mm or they have to reset their machines which would cost a lot. That means I will loose a lot of money and time. I will fly to Korea and stay in a hotel while there.

 

[szjhy]

yes you are correct ,9x12inch ,not MM ,I make a mistake ,gennerly A0 size machine will not reset ,just the strage size will cost more paper .why do not you ask Korea local printer ,their suggestion will be more closer your question.

have you confirmed your printing factory ? you can ask their platemake department about it

 

[generalbatzorig]

Dimension reconfirmation

Thanks for the reply. I will ask the Koreans about the book size. But before I do so, I want to reconfirm the book size again. On one entry you wrote 285x280mm was the good size, and on another entry you wrote it was 280x285mm. So I want to know exactly what the Height and Length of the book dimension. Can you take a look at the image and tell me whether it is Book-1 or Book-2? You can click on the image to see larger size.

 

[szjhy]

if you printing in China ,I will tell you both these two book is suit for China size printing paper 889*596MM size ,the are cost same ,one large paper can place 12 Page .

that size portrait or landscape nothing to do with their cost

Jessie