How To Print Hardcover Books

What is a cover spread, and how do I design one?

A cover spread is a set of pages that encase bound inner pages, like a Magazine or Booklet. For Hardcover Book printing, you can either:

• Supply one PDF file with your back cover, spine, and front cover design and upload it to your Artwork tab as a cover spread to ensure your artwork is aligned. 
• Or upload your spine file separately in addition to your front and back cover design. 

In your cover spread design, include the spine width plus an additional 5mm on both sides of the spine to allow for the hinge on the cover.

You can calculate the width without bleed using this formula:

Back Cover Width + 5mm Hinge + Spine Width + 5mm Hinge + Front Cover Width

Your book's height is the same for your cover spread. Then, add 20mm bleed on all four edges of the spread. Overall, the dimensions will be 40mm bigger in height and width.

Example: A4 book with a 9mm spine

210mm + 5mm + 9mm + 5mm + 210mm x 297mm (and add 20mm bleed on all edges - top, bottom, left and right)

Final Dimensions (without bleed): 439mm x 297mm

Final Dimensions (with 20mm bleed on all edges): 479mm x 337mm

How does a hardcover overlap and affect alignment?

Hardcover Books are highly durable. The hardboard used to make the covers overlaps the inner pages slightly to protect them. This overlap adds an additional 3mm–5mm beyond the trim line, which you can include in the 20mm bleed for the front and back covers and spine. You can also prevent content from becoming hidden or obscured by positioning all text away from the edge by 8mm (3mm + 5mm quiet area).

What is the hinge area?

The hinge area is a flexible bridge between the spine and the cover and joins the hard outer covers together. It’s visible on the exterior and is 5mm wide within the cover bleed area (right edge back cover and left edge front cover). You can exclude the hinge if you centralise your publication’s title on your front cover.

What are endpapers?

Endpapers join the bound inner pages (book block) and exterior covers (highlighted in green). They hide the outer cover’s bleed edges and backing material that holds the book block together. You can add classic black or white endpapers to your book prints, or some items include a selection of coloured endpapers. We do not produce printed endpapers at this time.

What is bleed?

Bleed is an extension of an image or colour(s) that appears beyond your page’s finished trim size. Due to manufacturing variance, the bleed prevents unprinted edges from appearing on your final prints.

• Front, Back, and Spine: These components require an additional 20mm bleed on the top, bottom and outer edge. The bleed allows your cover artwork to extend around the cover boards.
• Inner Pages: Add a 3mm bleed on all four sides.
• Cover (single files): Add 20mm on all 4 edges. We will only use a 5mm bleed on the inner edge to cover the hinge area and up to 5mm on the outer cover edges.

Paperback vs. Hardcover: what’s the difference?

Paperback covers are made from light cardstock, and Hardcovers have thick, rigid covers. Hardcover Books have three main components: a printed wrap, backing boards, and endpapers. The printed wrap is then glued to the backing boards, making the covers around 3mm thick. Softcovers consist of a cardstock thicker than the paper used for the inner pages, and the covers are glued directly to the book block.

How is bleed used and wrapped on hardcovers?

We print your cover artwork and wrap the additional 20mm bleed around the backing board to form a printed case, some of which will be visible on the outer cover edges. The remaining bleed is tucked under the endpaper to create neat edges.

How does the central binding affect the gutter area?

The printed text pages are stacked together and compiled into a book block. Next, we glue the binding edge of the book block to a piece of lining material bound into the covers with strong adhesive. Thread-sewn Hardbacks offer a book greater flexibility while preventing spine damage. While you can position graphic content into the binding area, place all text at least 10 - 12 mm away to ensure it’s legible. 

Which file types does Mixam accept for Hardcover Books?

You can upload different file types, but we don’t recommend using image files (JPEG, PNG, TIF, etc.) for Hardcover Book spines and cover files. However, if you only have these file formats or similar, our print experts can review them and suggest changes.

What are the dimensions of a dust jacket?

• A dust jacket’s height is always 6mm larger than the book’s inner pages to cover the hardcover board overhang.
• If you’re printing standalone dust jackets, the folded panels are 6mm wide. 60mm folded panels are for books with a width under 200mm, while 80mm folded panels are for books 200 mm or wider.

To design a dust jacket for any hardcover book, use this formula. Start with your book’s finished trim size, and just replace the height and spine width with your book’s measurements.

1. Add the width of your folded panels on the left and right sides.
   
    
2. Add 7mm for each cover panel (this includes the cover board plus the hinge/wrap allowance).
   
    
3. Add your spine width.
   
    
4. Increase the height by 6mm for the board overhang.
   
    
5. Add 3mm bleed on all outer edges (top, bottom, left, and right).

Final dust jacket size formula (with bleed):

Width = (Left folded panel) + (Back cover width + wrap) + Spine width + (Front cover width + wrap) + (Right folded panel) + bleed

Height = Trim height + 6mm (3mm board overhang and 3mm bleed top and bottom)

Dust Jacket Manufacturing Variance

Manufacturing variance issues can occur, so we advise you to create dust jacket and spine file designs without harsh lines or abrupt colour changes between panels. Your spine will slightly wrap around your front and back cover, so instead, use matching colours or apply a colour transition (gradient).

Our preview feature will overlay guidelines over your dust jacket’s folded flaps to ensure your content is properly aligned. Please check your guidelines before confirming your order.