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Book Printing: Choose Your Paper Stock Wisely
By: Joshua Prizer
With hundreds of available paper stocks, the decision of which paper to use for your print run can be overwhelming. Most of all, it's a decision determined by the type of book you are printing. A children's or coffee table book? You'll need a thick glossy sheet to help your color images stand out. A novel? Go cheap.
First-time publishers need to understand the difference between the paper they purchase at an office supply store versus what is used by a professional printing plant. While paper weights at an office supply store are measured as "bond," printing plants use a different measurement called "offset." I won't get into the details of why bond and offset weights are different for the same type of paper, but just know that if you multiply a bond weight by 2.5, you get the offset weight. For example, the 24# bond paper you purchase at Office Max is the same thickness as a 60# offset sheet used by your printer.
That 50# offset paper proves to be fine for many books. If your book has no or few images and no color inside, there is little reason to print on a much thicker paper. Save your money. You may want to check the pricing for 60# offset, but I usually don't recommend printing on paper much thicker than that for most novels, etc.
One thing I cannot emphasize enough - get print samples. There are a couple times when I have had a client tell me they knew exactly what type of paper they wanted to use, but then they were disappointed when they got the final product. Why? A friend of theirs had told them which paper stock to choose, and they ordered their books without ever seeing a paper sample. Don't make the same mistake!
Children's books or coffee table books that are printed in full color need a different paper stock than black & white books. You'll want to think about whether to bump up to a glossy stock to make your pictures really shine on the paper. If you don't like the glare of a glossy sheet, ask your printer if they have any matte coated stocks that would bring out the color of your images without the extra sheen.
Also, if your book is full color, a thicker paper may be necessary to make your book have a nicer feel to it and justify your sale price. If printing in the U.S., I usually recommend no lighter than a 70# or 80# gloss. If printing overseas, don't go lighter than 120 gsm.
Again -- always get samples before making your decision!
When it comes to cover stock, for a paperback book a 10 pt. C1S cover is standard. However, it is usually very inexpensive to upgrade to a 12 pt. C1S cover. People do judge a book by its cover, so this might be a cost-effective upgrade.
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