Printing and production

With a designed book, prepared files and a provisional specification, you are ready to choose how and where to print. This decision affects quality, cost, schedule, risk and even the environmental footprint of the book. This lesson compares offset, digital and print-on-demand production; explains the economics of fixed and variable costs and how unit cost falls with run length; shows how to request and compare quotes; describes press checks and how to behave at one; and covers delivery, inspection, storage and the business terms printers use. Example prices are illustrative and rounded; real quotes vary with paper prices, exchange rates and the printer's workload, so collect current quotes for your own project.

The main printing processes

Photobooks are printed by three main routes, each with different strengths.

High-end digital presses, such as those using liquid electrophotography, now rival offset for many photographic images on coated paper, and are widely used for short-run photobooks and zines. Offset remains the standard for monographs in runs of several hundred copies or more, especially when the book uses uncoated papers, duotones or special inks. Print-on-demand suits books with uncertain demand, proof copies, and photographers who want to avoid storing and shipping stock themselves.

Fixed and variable costs

The economics of printing depend on the split between fixed costs, which are paid once regardless of run length, and variable costs, which are paid for every copy. In offset printing, fixed costs include prepress, plates, makeready (setting up the press and running waste sheets until color is correct) and binding setup. Variable costs include paper, ink, press time and binding per copy. Digital printing has very low fixed costs but higher variable costs.

Here \( F \) is the fixed cost, \( n \) is the number of copies and \( v \) is the variable cost per copy. As \( n \) grows, the fixed cost is spread over more copies and the unit cost falls toward \( v \). This is why printers quote several run lengths and why the extra cost of 500 more copies is often surprisingly small. But a lower unit cost is only valuable if you can sell or distribute the copies; unsold books still cost money to print, store and eventually recycle.

import numpy as np
routes = {"offset": (6000, 5.50), "digital": (400, 14.00), "print-on-demand": (0, 22.00)}
runs = np.array([100, 300, 500, 1000, 2000])
for name, (F, v) in routes.items():
    unit = F / runs + v
    print(f"{name:16s}", "  ".join(f"{n}: ${u:6.2f}" for n, u in zip(runs, unit)))
(Fo, vo), (Fd, vd) = routes["offset"], routes["digital"]
print(f"offset beats digital above {int(np.ceil((Fo - Fd) / (vd - vo)))} copies")
print(f"digital beats print-on-demand above {int(np.ceil(Fd / (22.00 - vd)))} copies")

offset           100: $ 65.50  300: $ 25.50  500: $ 17.50  1000: $ 11.50  2000: $  8.50
digital          100: $ 18.00  300: $ 15.33  500: $ 14.80  1000: $ 14.40  2000: $ 14.20
print-on-demand  100: $ 22.00  300: $ 22.00  500: $ 22.00  1000: $ 22.00  2000: $ 22.00
offset beats digital above 659 copies
digital beats print-on-demand above 50 copies

The table makes clear that print-on-demand, with no fixed cost, is cheapest for tiny quantities but quickly loses to a short digital run. For each route, remember to add freight, storage and fulfillment, which can change the comparison significantly.

Requesting quotes

A printer can quote accurately only if you give a complete specification. Prepare a request for quotation (RFQ) that lists all the following, and send the same specification to each printer so quotes are comparable.

• Title and contact details; target delivery date and location.
• Trim size, orientation and extent (pages, including any blanks).
• Paper for the text block, with weight and preferred stock or equivalent; any inserts on different paper.
• Colors: for example 4/4 (four colors both sides), tritone, spot colors, varnish.
• Binding: saddle stitch, PUR, section-sewn softcover, Swiss binding or case binding, with details.
• Cover: material, printing, finishes, flaps, jacket, endpapers, foil or embossing.
• Run lengths: ask for two or three, for example 500, 750 and 1,000.
• Proofs: type and number; whether a press check is wanted.
• Packing: shrink-wrapping or not, copies per carton, palletizing.
• Delivery: address, freight terms and whether the printer arranges shipping.

Ask printers to state what is included and what is extra, for example proofs, file corrections, samples, freight and duties. Request printed samples of similar books they have made, ideally on the paper you plan to use.

Overs, unders and terms of trade

In book printing, the exact number of copies delivered can differ slightly from the number ordered because of spoilage and setup waste. Printing trade customs in North America and Europe commonly allow a tolerance, often up to 5 to 10 percent over or under the ordered quantity for short runs, with overs billed and unders credited at the per-copy rate. Check the quote and contract for the printer's policy, and specify if you need an exact minimum quantity, for example to fulfill crowdfunding rewards.

Other terms to check include deposits (often 30 to 50 percent on order), payment schedule, ownership of files and plates, storage charges for finished books, responsibility for damage in transit, and what happens if color does not match approved proofs. Printers often state that slight variation from proofs is normal; the definition of acceptable variation should be discussed before printing, not after.

Press checks

A press check is a visit to the printer while the job is on press, to approve the first good sheets of each signature before the run continues. Many photographers consider it the most valuable step in producing a book, because color and density can be adjusted on the spot. It is also expensive in time and travel, especially with overseas printers, and some printers offer remote approval using photographs, measurements or digital viewing booths.

At a press check, you view sheets under a standard viewing booth next to the approved contract proofs. Look at the following.

• Overall match to proofs: color balance, density and contrast of each image.
• Neutrality of black-and-white images and gray tones.
• Shadow detail and highlight dots.
• Registration: all color plates aligned so edges are crisp.
• Defects: hickeys (small specks or rings caused by debris), scratches, streaks, ghosting and set-off.
• Consistency across the sheet: images on the same sheet share ink settings, so improving one may affect another.

Remember that press operators control ink in zones across the sheet. Increasing magenta for one image affects others in the same zone. Prioritize the most important images and accept small compromises elsewhere. Speak clearly and respectfully with the press operator and the printer's representative, explain what you want in plain language, and sign the approved sheet. Then let the press run: each stop costs time and paper.

Production schedule

A self-published offset book has a typical production schedule that can be planned backward from the date you need copies.

Build in slack. Paper shortages, proof rounds and freight delays are common. If a book must arrive for a launch, festival or exhibition opening, set the file delivery date at least three to four months before the launch for a domestic printer, and five to six months for an overseas printer.

Delivery, inspection and storage

When books arrive, inspect them promptly. Open several cartons from different pallets and check a sample of copies for binding faults, misprinted or missing pages, color variation, damaged covers and incorrect counts. Report problems to the printer in writing with photographs within the period stated in the contract, often a few weeks. Reputable printers reprint defective copies or offer credits.

Store books flat in cartons, off the floor, in a dry space with stable temperature and humidity. Damp basements and hot attics warp covers and pages. Keep cartons sealed until needed, and keep track of stock as you sell or give away copies. If storage space is limited, distributors, fulfillment services and some printers offer warehousing for a fee.

Print-on-demand in more detail

Print-on-demand services let you upload files and print copies as orders arrive, either sold through the service's own store, through online retailers via distribution programs, or ordered by you in small batches. Advantages include no upfront run, no storage and easy updates. Disadvantages include high unit costs, limited paper and binding choices, color variation between print sites, and trimming and binding tolerances that are looser than in offset. Some services specialize in photobooks with lay-flat bindings and photographic papers; others focus on trade books distributed through retail catalogs.

POD is valuable for producing dummies and proof copies, for testing demand before a larger offset run, and for keeping a book in print after the offset edition sells out. Order a printed proof copy before making a POD book available for sale, and order again occasionally to check that quality remains consistent.