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In some cases, black ink may be the more economical choice, but full-color provides maximum impact and perceived value. Most Comic Books and Graphic Novels are produced with a full-color cover and full-color pages. This is because saddle-stitched books are created from folded sheets. 100 sheets = 200 pages.Īnother thing to keep in mind about a saddle-stitched book is the page count must be in multiples of four (4).
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Thus, there will always be twice as many pages as there are sheets within a book. Even if a sheet in the book is blank on one side, or is blank on both sides, your printer will count it as two pages. Basically, every sheet within the book represents two pages. The page count of your Comic Book or Graphic Novel (along with the total quantity of books needed) will help your printer calculate how much paper is needed to produce your project.īy the way, when relaying the page count to your printer, be sure not to confuse sheets with pages. A lower unit cost is great, but not if you're ordering more books than you'll ultimately need.
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Incidentally, just because the unit cost of a book decreases as the order quantity increases, it is still wise to consider which run size is optimal for your specific situation. And once an offset press is running, the actual cost of applying ink to paper is substantially less than a digital press. Even though the set-up cost of offset printing is higher, a larger order allows this cost to be distributed across more books. However, as the order quantity increases, to say 500 or 1,000 books, offset printing becomes the more economical production method. An offset press, on the other hand, has higher set-up costs which cannot be efficiently distributed across a small production run. This is because a digital printing press has minimal set-up costs associated with a production run. For example, if you only need 200 or 300 copies of your book, you will generally achieve a lower unit cost by printing your books with a digital printing press. The quantity of books will determine the type of printing press best suited for producing it. A few subtle design changes upfront could translate to big savings later. That said, your printer may make size suggestions to help keep your production and distribution costs as low as possible. Graphic Novels do not really have a standard size and can be printed with just about any dimension you desire. The standard dimension for a Comic Book is 6-5/8 inches wide by 10-1/4 inches high, though there is no law that says you can't vary from this somewhat. The dimensions refer to the width and height of the book in its finished form. Unlike the saddle-stitch method, perfect binding often allows for printing on the book's spine. The other three sides of the book are then trimmed as needed to give them clean "perfect" edges.
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Perfect bound books are created by gluing the pages and cover together at the spine with a strong, flexible glue. To accommodate this higher page count, Graphic Novels are commonly produced using the Perfect Binding method. This works well for artwork that spans two adjacent pages (crossover images).īeing more of a book than a simple booklet, Graphic Novels generally have a higher page count than Comic Books. In addition to being the most economical binding style, saddle-stitching allows the book to lie almost flat when opened.
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Though simple, the result is a very professional looking document. The staples are driven through the crease of the book's spine to secure the pages into book form. Saddle-stitched books are constructed from folded sheets which are held together by wire staples. After all, the last thing you need is to be blindsided by an unforeseen surprise when you are ready to print.īelow is a list of six things that will have an effect on the appearance and cost of your book project…īecause the page count is relatively low, Comic Books are traditionally produced using the Saddle-Stitch binding method. Before getting too deep into the project it also helps to consider the printing phase of your book. You have to develop the story, create the illustrations, design the cover, and determine the physical layout of the book.
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Producing a Comic Book or Graphic Novel is a big undertaking. Many thanks to Man or Monster? Studios for use of this cover artwork
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