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Save Money With Your Book Design & Layout
By: Joshua Prizer
If you're trying to publish your own book and save money on book printing services, you'll definitely want to pay attention to how your book is laid out. Minor adjustments in the layout can result in a reduction in page count that reap large savings on print cost.
Printers print pages in blocks, called signatures. A 32-page signature is most common, so if your page count is divisible by 32, that's the most economical option possible. However, the general rule of thumb is to try to not print less than a quarter signature of 8 pages. So if your book is 266 pages, see if you can drop a couple pages to get it down to 264. You'll definitely notice the cost savings for the print run.
To get to an appropriately divisible page count, play around with the margins in your book. Make them a little smaller or a little larger.
A minor increase or decrease in the leading (line spacing) can have a major effect on the page count. I've had books where I've had to drop a couple pages to save cost, and just adjusting the leading by a small amount - maybe only 0.2 pt. - can get me those two pages.
Note: There are a couple exceptions to the 32-page signature rule. Digital printers don't print with signatures, so page counts only need to be divisible by 2. Also, every once in a while you'll run into a sheetfed printer that uses 12-page signatures. Be sure to always ask your printer if there is a more economical page count that might save you money.
Finally, check with your printer regarding the size of your book. If you are printing a non-standard-sized book, the printer probably has some paper waste on the press. That paper waste equals extra cost for you.
So be sure to always ask your printer (before you finish the design and layout) if there is a more economical print size than what you have in mind. It might save you more money than you would expect!
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