coloring books are produced by organizations and individuals for a variety of reasons. Some plan to sell their coloring books in stores or online, others develop the books for promotional campaigns or fundraising efforts. Regardless of the intended purpose, it is imperative that you familiarize yourself with the printing phase of your coloring book before delving too deeply into the design and layout phases.
Whether the coloring book contains simple outlines for children or more complicated illustrations for adults, the actual printing will be one of the last steps in bringing the coloring book to life. however, it is important to learn as much as possible about the printing stage as soon as possible.
You are reading: What kind of paper are coloring books printed on
With that in mind, here’s a list of seven things that will affect the look, function, and cost of your coloring book…
1) binding style –
Coloring books are usually bound using the saddle stitch method or the perfect binding method. In most cases, the binding style you choose will depend on the number of pages in your coloring book.
If the number of pages is relatively low, the binding method is recommended. Spine-stitched coloring books are constructed from folded sheets held together by wire staples. Staples feed through the spine fold of the coloring book to secure the pages as a unit. Although simple, the spine stitch method produces a very clean and professional appearance.
Also, saddle stitch is the most economical binding option. it also allows the coloring book to lay quite flat when opened. this works well for layouts that span two adjacent pages.
If the coloring book has a relatively high number of pages, the perfect binding method is recommended. perfect bound coloring books are created by gluing the pages and cover to the spine with a strong, flexible glue. the other three sides of the book are trimmed as needed to give them clean, “perfect” edges. Also, unlike the staple-to-spine method, perfect binding often allows printing on the spine of the coloring book.
A couple of lesser used options are the wire and spiral binding methods. Usually reserved for premium coloring books, these easy-to-use methods allow the book to open a full 360 degrees (cover to cover). this feature allows the book to lay perfectly flat while in the open position…thus eliminating the need to continually hold the book open for coloring. although you can’t print on the spine, these methods can accommodate books of different thicknesses.
2) dimensions –
Dimensions refer to the width and height of the coloring book in its final form (also known as crop size). Although coloring books can be printed in almost any size you choose, from pocket size to jumbo, keep in mind that all commercial printers have certain page sizes that they offer as standard sizes.
These standard sizes are determined by the type of production equipment used by the printer. designing your coloring book page size to fit one of your printer’s standard page sizes will optimize your coloring book production and keep cost as low as possible.
See Also: Harry Potter Audiobooks | Audible.com
Conversely, a coloring book designed with non-standard page dimensions may not scale well on any of your printer’s presses. as a result, the production run would be inefficient and would have a poor paper yield. excess paper becomes waste and could substantially increase the cost of your production cycle.
It goes without saying that knowing what page sizes your printer can most affordably produce is good information to have before you begin your coloring book design and layout. A few subtle changes up front could add up to big savings later, so be sure to involve your printer early in the process.
3) amount –
The number of coloring books will determine the most suitable type of press to produce the project. For example, if you only need 200 or 300 copies of your coloring book, you will generally achieve a lower unit cost by printing your books with a digital press. This is because a digital printing press has minimal setup costs associated with a production run. An offset press, on the other hand, has higher setup costs that cannot be spread efficiently over a small production run.
however, as the order quantity increases, say 500 or more, offset printing becomes the most economical production method. although the setup cost of offset printing is higher, a larger order allows this cost to be spread over more books. And once an offset press is up and running, the actual cost of applying ink to paper is substantially less than a digital press.
By the way, just because the unit cost of a book decreases as the order quantity increases, it’s wise to consider what print run size is optimal for your specific situation. a lower unit cost is great, but not if you’re ordering more coloring books than you’ll ultimately need.
4) number of pages –
In addition to determining the binding style, your coloring book page count (along with the total number of coloring books needed) will help your print shop estimate how much paper is needed to produce your project.
>
by the way, when transmitting the page count to your printer, make sure you don’t confuse sheets with pages. Basically, each sheet inside the book represents two pages. even if a page in the book is blank on one or both sides, the printer will count it as two pages. therefore, there will always be twice as many pages as leaves within a book. 100 sheets = 200 pages.
hence, all books contain an even number of pages. not every page in the book may necessarily be printed or have page numbers printed on it, but the number of pages will always be uniform. Another thing to keep in mind about a spine-bound book is that the page count should always be a multiple of four. This is because saddle stitched books are created from folded sheets.
For example, if a spine-sewn coloring book has a finished size of 8.5″ x 11″ and contains 20 inside pages, these pages would be created by folding five 17″ x 11″ sheets in half, nesting them, and then securing the folded spine with staples. each 17″ x 11″ sheet creates four 8.5″ x 11″ pages.
5) ink colors –
To provide maximum visual impact and perceived value, most coloring books are produced with a full color cover. by contrast, the line art on the inside pages is almost always printed in black or grayscale ink.
See Also: 30 Best Graphic Novels for Kids Aged 6 to 12 Year Olds
also, in most coloring books, the cover ink extends to the edge of the cover. this is known as a bleed and requires that the cover be created slightly larger than the final size of the book cutout. You will also need to add crop marks, so your printer knows exactly where to trim the sections that bleed. the inside pages of a coloring book may or may not bleed. Bleeding can be a confusing concept, so if you have any questions check with your printer before going too far into the design phase.
6) paper characteristics –
For durability, the cover of a coloring book is usually printed on paper that is somewhat heavier than the inside pages. To further increase the longevity of the cover, it is often produced with a clear top coat, such as an aqueous or UV gloss coating. For maximum wear protection, a clear laminate film can be applied to the cover. In addition to durability, a gloss coating adds brilliance and vibrancy to ink colors.
Because the pages of a coloring book are designed to be filled in, they are usually created from an uncoated paper that has enough surface texture to “wash” the color out of crayons, colored pencils, and pencils. other drawing mediums. Also, the inside pages of a coloring book should be opaque, so the images don’t bleed easily from one side to the other.
Some spine-sewn coloring books are made with covers that have the same type and thickness of paper as the inside pages. this is known as a “own cover” book. although the cover will be less durable, this method is sometimes used to reduce costs.
7) finishing operations –
finishing refers to the value-added operations that take place after the ink is applied to the paper. most finishing services are optional. punching, rounding corners, and shrink wrapping are examples of finishing steps that often appeal to those creating a coloring book.
Punching is a procedure that creates a series of very fine holes in the paper, usually along a straight line, to allow a portion of the printed part to be easily separated by hand. Some coloring book pages are created with perforations near the spine so that each page can be easily removed, if desired. this allows a page to be brought to a separate work surface for coloring or displayed individually once it has been colored.
Rounding corners is recommended whenever the combined characteristics of the book produce a degree of stiffness, such as when using heavy cardstock and/or thick laminated cover. a sharp 90 degree corner is more likely to present a handling hazard, so corner rounding is used to minimize this possibility. corner rounding is especially recommended for coloring books intended for children.
shrink wrap is a packaging method that encloses the printed material within a clear plastic film. the application of heat causes the film to shrink around the print to secure it firmly. In addition to providing a layer of protection, shrink wrapping is a cost-effective way to create conveniently sized packages of coloring books, allowing for easier handling, storage, and distribution. coloring books can also be individually wrapped.
related article: ten ways to add appeal to your adult coloring book
If you have any questions about an upcoming coloring book project, please call formax at 866-367-6221. Or, if you already know your specifications and would like a quote, click here. We look forward to helping you with your coloring book project!
take care!
See Also: The Best Venture Capital Books Every VC Should Read