Book Options
Book Sizes, Paper and Cover Options
Your book wants to be created, but what trim size should it be? would you like it to be small enough to fit compactly in a pocket, or is it a large book of beautiful photos that should grace a coffee table? We offer over 250 different print book options, so without a bit of guidance, the choices of what is best for your book can be a bit overwhelming!
Is it in black and white, or color? Do you need heavier paper for color illustrations or need the economy of having only black and white text? Certain sizes are ideal for different genres and some paper weights are better for specific needs. Although you can choose to create your book from any of our sizes, covers, inks and paper types listed below. We also list the most commonly used sizes and covers for the various genres of books.
Once you choose your book size, the cover type, and the paper and ink you want to use, you will be ready to start your project. You see the process flow of a book project, see our Book Process Flow Chart.
Book Interior: The Pages
We can make a book to fit your needs. If you have a lower budget and a black and white, text-only book, you can easily get by with Standard black & white ink on Standard paper in either bright white or creme. You don’t really need any more than this. Say you have a reference book with color pictures, but they’re not high-class art books. It will suffice to print them with Standard color ink on Standard paper. Have an illustrated children’s book? Standard ink on Premium paper for little hands is best to avoid tearing and paper cuts. If you are an artist or photographer, you will need Premium color ink with heavier Premium paper to avoid any potential distortion of pictures showing through onto the other side of the paper. We want to help make your book special and the best that it can be.
Choose from the following paper and ink options to make the interior of your book. Page count must be in increments of 2. Suggestions as to popular sizes for various applications are listed with each trim size. For a comprehensive price sheet, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Black & White Printing Options
Black & White Interior
Ink Type:
Standard Black and White Ink (Ideal for most applications. Not available in 11.5 x 8 in. books.)
Paper Types:
Standard 50 lb. Paper in Bright White (Economical yet high-quality paper that withstands the darkest of inks without showing through a page.)
Standard 50 lb. Paper in Crème (Easy-on-the-eyes and available in most smaller sized books of 6 x 9 in. or less.)
Color Printing Options
Color Interior
Ink Type:
Standard Color Ink (Economical, high-quality, all-purpose)
Premium Color Ink (For Premium Paper only)
Paper Types:
Standard, 50 lb. Paper in Bright White (Available in any size. Good for all applications.)
Premium, 70 lb. Paper in Bright White (Available in all sizes except 5 x 7 in. (Best quality for art and children’s books.)
Book Exterior: The Cover
The cover of a book is an automatic advertisement, so you want it to look great! All covers, whether paperback or hardcover are in beautiful full color, so take advantage of this! Once you choose the size, you need to design a cover, but there’s more to it then meets the eye. There is cover type, its finish, and the binding that holds it all together. All these make your book special. Browse the suggestions and choose the most ideal cover materials for your book. Some smaller books can be done the old-fashioned way, being Cloth-Bound, with or without a dust jacket.
When paperbacks are used too often, they can start to look worn, have their pages curl or eventually their pages may even fall out. Books in this condition could potentially end up- the trash! We believe a book should last forever. Therefore, we encourage the production of more durable hardcover books, and recommend a case laminate cover. Jewish books often contain sheimot (sacred names) and these must be treated with special care. Hardcover books will rarely if ever be thrown out, since they are durable and continue to look good over time. If they outlive their original owner, they will more often be donated to libraries or re-sold at used bookstores.
Both Hardcover and Paperbacks come in either Gloss or Matte. Pick which goes best with your book.
Matte Finish
Description:
Soft sheen without glare, a matte finish has a slightly granular texture and doesn’t tend to show wear or scratches over time.
General Use:
It is great for less fancy text books and manuals, but can be used for any type of book.
Gloss Finish
Description:
A high-gloss shine makes for a cover resistant to stains and water.
General Use:
The most common finish for paperbacks, a gloss finish is found on just about any type of book there is.
Covers and Bindings
Paperback Books
Perfect Bound
Description:
Both the pages (called the book block) and the paperback cover are attached together at the spine with high-strength, flexible glue. Perfect Bound paperbacks are economical, yet high quality.
General Use:
This is the modern standard for paperback books.
Availability:
Perfect bound books are available for books of 18 pages or more in all sizes.
Hardcover Books
Case Laminate Cover
Description:
This is the most popular of all cover types. Case laminate, (also called “Casewrap”) has the main printed full-color cover wrapped around the hard boards, and pages are glued to the hardcover at the ends.
General Use:
This is the modern industry-standard for hardcover books, with good reason. It looks very classy and modern, and can show off the fanciest cover art. They are reasonably priced and very durable.
Availability:
Case laminate is available in with a gloss or matte finish. It is available in all hardcover sizes.
Simulated Cloth Cover
Description:
Like “case laminate”, the simulated cloth cover wraps around the hard boards. The title and author text are stamped on the spine.
General Use:
Simulated cloth mimics the cloth commonly found in older books with dust jackets, giving them a somewhat antiquated look. They are can have no designs on them. The best application is perhaps family trees and memoirs.
Availability:
Gray or blue simulated cloth with optional gold text on the spine. Available in 5 x 8 in., 5.5 x 8.5 in., and 6 x 9 in.
Simulated Cloth or Case Laminate Cover with Dust Jacket
Description:
For an added cost, both the simulated cloth books mentioned above or case laminate covers in the same trim size have the option of a dust jacket, which can sport a fancy cover with artwork. The drawbacks to a dust jacket is that it is more expensive, harder to design, and they are not very durable and may get torn or curl if the book is read quite often.
General Use:
More commonly found older books, these have a more antiquated look. These can be used for novels and reference books, since the jacket can serve doubly as a built-in bookmark. The jacket can also serve as an extra promotional tool, having a bio of the author or other items on the inside flaps.
Availability:
Simulated cloth or case laminate hardcover books with dust jackets can be ordered in 5 x 8 in., 5.5 x 8.5 in., and 6 x 9 in. sizes only.
Trim Sizes
Size Options for Paperbacks
Pocket-Size Paperback
Size:
4 x 6 in. (154 x 102 mm)
General Use:
Reference Books, Language Books (Any book that needs to be on hand)
Interior Printing Options:
Available in all Paper and Ink types.
Mass-Market Paperback
Size:
4.25 x 7 in. (178 x 108 mm)
General Use:
Ideal for POP stands at cash registers
Interior Printing Options:
Available in all Paper and Ink types.
Small Trade Paperback
Size:
5 x 7 in. (178 x 127 mm)
General Use:
Non-Fiction, Novels, Charity/fundraiser Cookbooks
Interior Printing Options:
Available in all Paper and Ink types except for Premium Color.
Trade Paperbacks
(Most common sizes)
Sizes:
5 x 8 in. (203 x 127 mm)
6 x 9 in. (229 x 152 mm)
General Use:
Non-Fiction, Novels, Charity/Fundraiser Cookbooks
Interior Printing Options:
Available in all Paper and Ink types.
Miscellaneous Paperbacks
Sizes:
5.5 x 8.5 in. (216 x 140 mm)
7.5 x 9.25 in. (235 x 191 mm)
8 x 8 in. (203 x 203 mm)
8.5 x 8.5 in. (216 x 216 mm)
General Use:
Novels, Short Stories or Collections of Stories, Memoirs, Non-Fiction
Interior Printing Options:
Black & White, Standard Color on Standard or Premium Paper, and Premium Color
Large Paperbacks
Sizes:
8 x 10 in. (254 x 203 mm)
8.5 x 11 in. (280 x 216 mm)
8.268 x 11.693 in. (297 x 210 mm)
General Use:
Manuals, Workbooks, Directories
Interior Printing Options:
Black & White, Standard Color on Premium or Standard Paper. Premium Color available for 8 x 10 or 8.5 x 11 only.
Large Landscape Paperback
Size:
11 x 8.5 in. (216 x 280 mm)
General Use:
Photo Albums, Books with Graphics, Coffee Table Books
Interior Printing Options:
Available in Premium Color with Premium Paper only
Size Options for Hardcover
Trade Hardcovers
(Most common sizes)
Sizes:
5 x 8 in. (203 x 127 mm)
5.5 x 8.5 in. (216 x 140 mm)
6 x 9 in. (229 x 152 mm)
General Use:
Non-Fiction, Novels, Reference
Interior Printing Options:
Black & White (on Creme or White Paper), Standard Color, or Premium Color
Miscellaneous Hardcovers
Sizes:
5.5 x 8.5 in. (216 x 140 mm)
7.5 x 9.25 in. (235 x 191 mm)
General Use:
Novels, Short Stories or Collections of Stories, Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Reference, Cookbooks, Memoirs, Family Trees, Illustrated Children’s Books
Interior Printing Options:
Black & White, Standard Color, or Premium Color
Ideal Children’s Books
Sizes:
8 x 8 in. (203 x 203 mm)
8.5 x 8.5 in. (280 x 280 mm)
8.5 x 11 in. (280 x 216 mm)
General Use:
Illustrated Children’s Books, Photo Albums, Books with Graphics
Interior Printing Options:
Standard Color with Premium Paper
Largest Hardcovers
Sizes:
8 x 8 in. (203 x 203 mm)
8 x 10 in. (254 x 203 mm)
8.5 x 8.5 in. (203 x 203 mm)
8.5 x 11 in. (280 x 216 mm)
General Use:
Photobooks, Art Books, Coffee Table Books, Books with Graphics, Illustrated Children’s Books, Cookbooks
Interior Printing Options:
Black & White, Standard Color, or Premium Color
Large Landscape Hardcover
Size:
11 x 8.5 in. (216 x 280 mm)
General Use:
Photobooks, Art Books, Coffee Table Books
Interior Printing Options:
Premium Color on Premium Paper only
Book Price Options Sheet
Below is our comprehensive price sheet with every option we have to offer. We’re sure you will agree that there is something to fit every need possible. We offer a large variety of styles and paper types. See the above descriptions for average general uses to get a better idea of what your book’s physical features should be.
To download a copy of our current price sheet, click on the button.
We enable you to figure out the price yourself or use our handy “Book Cost Calculator Tool” to figure out how much it will cost to make one book. Simply multiply the number of pages you have by the cost per page of the paper you need in each book type. Add the cost of the cover and the handling fee. One nice thing about Picky Press is we do not force you to buy a large number of books to get a discount price. Our prices are already low, so you know exactly what you are paying for. (Prices do not include shipping charges.)
* Other less common sizes are available by request.
