Softcover Book Printing

Crafting Softcover Excellence: Your Vision, Our Print.

Workflow

The typical procedure of manufacturing a softcover book includes prepress, printing, folding, sewing, casemaking and casebound. Such a complex process requires advanced machinery and seasoned expertise.

With 35 years in the industry, Huaxin Printing offers a one-stop in-house manufacturing solution, eliminating the need for outsourcing. Our specialized color management ensures your product meets the highest standards.

Prepress

Advance prepress equipments and compliance with ISO 12647-7 color management standard. That ensures your files will get accurate proofing before put to print.

Printing

Fully automated printing presses with the speed of up to 18,000 sheets per hour. CIP-3 ink management and experienced press operators.

Folding

Swift adjustment of any trim sizes from 8-page per signature to 64-page per sheet.

Sewing

Fully automated sewing machines ensuring all pages are secured by thread

Binding

Glue the spine and bind the text block with C1S card paper. Capable of completing section sewn, perfect binding and PUR binding

Packing

Professional packaging team makes sure that your products will be safely delivered no matter how far the destination is.

Our Works

Offset paper

Flat spine books printed with uncoated woodfree paper. FOGRA-52 color profile management

Children book

4-color printed children books on matte art paper

Cookbook

4-color printed cookbooks with bright colors for food and beverage

Softcover Books

Softcover books
Book Sizes
Design Tips

A softcover book, commonly known as a paperback, features a flexible, paper-based cover that is typically bound with adhesive or stitched techniques. Unlike its hardcover counterpart, the softcover’s lighter, more pliable binding makes it highly portable and easy to handle. These characteristics make softcover books a versatile choice for a wide range of publications, including novels, educational materials, and promotional literature.

With 35 years of experience in the business, Huaxin Printing combines its experience in softcover book printing with the all-in-house advanced machinery to transform your precious designs to beautifully manufactured books.

Softcover Book Binding

Section Sewn

“Section sewn” in paperbacks means using thread to stitch together small groups of pages, known as ‘signatures.’ This method offers a durable, lay-flat design, perfect for high-use books

Perfect Binding

“Perfect binding” in paperbacks is all about gluing the book’s pages directly to the spine. It’s a sleek, cost-effective choice that’s great for novels and catalogs.

PUR

“PUR binding” uses polyurethane-reactive adhesive to secure pages to a paperback’s spine. Known for its high durability, it’s the go-to for heavy-use and coated-paper books.

Flap

A “flap” in a paperback is an extended portion of the cover that folds inside the book. It’s a multitasker—serving as a built-in bookmark, offering extra design space, and giving room for author bios or summaries. Ideal for adding a premium touch.

Looking for the perfect fit for your next paperback project? Whether you’re into portrait or landscape formats, various sizes are at your fingertips to match your genre, audience, and content. To give you a head start, here’s a guide to popular sizes tailored for different genres.

At Huaxin Printing, we offer both—custom sizes to meet your unique requirements and standard sizes that align with industry norms. Understanding these options is crucial for making informed decisions about your print project, ensuring not just aesthetic appeal but also functional practicality.

US Market Sizes

Book Sizes:

Catalog, Magazine and Booklet Sizes:

Europe & ANZ Market Sizes

Book Sizes:

Thinking about mailing out multiple copies or stocking bookshelves? Standard formats could be your best bet for meeting customer needs and easy storage. Plus, they’re budget-friendly. Want to go the custom route? Keep in mind, unique sizes or formats might bump up the cost and time due to extra prep work. But if it’s for a special project, that extra investment could pay off big. The choice is all yours.

For softcover books, compelling artwork and precise typography are crucial elements. Whether you’re going DIY or hiring a designer, mastering the nitty-gritty details for print-ready files can’t be overlooked. Pay special attention to bleed zones, safety margins, and trim lines. Plus, make sure your images are high-res and in the right color space to meet your specific design goals.

Here are key tips for file preparation to achieve optimal printing results.

For optimal printing outcomes, it’s advisable to save your files in PDF format as vectors. We suggest using Adobe Illustrator or Adobe InDesign for softcover book design. These platforms also enable the conversion of color space from RGB to CMYK, a requirement for offset printing.

In cases where vector files are not an option, such as when using bitmaps from Photoshop, maintaining a resolution of at least 300 DPI is crucial. Unlike vectors, raster images need to be high-definition to avoid quality loss during resizing.

Within the established 3 mm bleed zone, it’s essential to indicate trim lines that set the ultimate dimensions of the completed page. Ensure key elements on your page are positioned a minimum of 10 mm away from these trim lines.

Within your designated bleed zone, it’s imperative to identify the trim lines that outline the final size of the completed page. Keep essential page elements at least 10 mm away from these lines for optimal results.

When a photo or artwork extends across a two-page spread, ensure that critical elements, such as facial features or key details, do not fall on the central fold.

Ensure uniformity in all formatting elements across the document, including but not limited to fonts, font sizes, drop caps, section dividers, page numbers, margins, chapter titles, and page breaks.

Pricing

Thanks to our one-stop manufacturing capability, we are proud of our capability of producing premium quality softcover book printing service with affordable prices

Page Number	500 Copies	1,000 Copies	2,000 Copies	5,000 Copies
80 pages	USD 1.85	USD 1.19	USD 0.89	USD 0.72
128 pages	USD 2.76	USD 1.79	USD 1.36	USD 1.11
208 pages	USD 4.30	USD 2.79	USD 2.12	USD 1.75
256 pages	USD 5.22	USD 3.41	USD 2.59	USD 2.13

Remarks:

All prices above are the unit prices corresponding to the number of text pages and print-runs;
All prices are EXW only and does not include any logistics cost;
All prices are based on the trim size of 8.5″ * 11″ (216 * 280mm);
Cover 250gsm/91 lb coated art card with matte lamination;
Text pages 105gsm/ 71lb coated matte art paper;
Cover and text pages all color printed;
Packed no more than 18kg/carton, no shrinkwrapping

Finishing

In the book manufacturing process, cover finishing serves as a critical component that augments both the aesthetic quality and structural integrity of the final product. Available techniques include gloss and matte lamination, as well as advanced methods such as embossing, debossing, and foil stamping. These selections are instrumental in optimizing the book's tactile attributes, longevity, and overall market viability.

Lamination

Lamination provides a protective film to book covers, enhancing durability while offering a choice between gloss and matte for aesthetic appeal

Foiling

Foiling involves the application of metallic or pigmented foil onto the cover, adding a premium touch and elevating the book’s visual distinction.

Embossing/Debossing

Embossing and debossing are techniques that create raised or recessed relief images on the cover, enhancing tactile experience and visual complexity.

Spot UV

Spot UV involves applying a UV-coated area to the cover, creating a contrast in texture and adding a focal point for visual interest.

Gilding

Color edge gilding involves applying colored metallic foil to the book’s edges, offering not just durability but also a unique aesthetic signature that complements the cover design.

Varnishing

Varnishing entails applying a liquid coating to the cover for enhanced durability and sheen, available in gloss, matte, or satin finishes. Varnishing can be processed in-line or off-line.

Materials

Paper
Finishing

Paper Materials

For the text pages of softcover books, the paper quality significantly impacts readability and the overall user experience. Uncoated, matte paper is often selected for its readability and reduced glare. If your text pages are printed in color, coated matte art paper could be a better option. The weight and opacity of the paper should also be considered, particularly for works with a high text-to-image ratio, as this can affect ink bleed-through and page transparency.

When it comes to the cover, a sturdier, coated card stock paper (e.g. C1S) is commonly used. This not only enhances the visual appeal of the cover art but also offers added durability. The finish—whether matte or glossy—further impacts the tactile experience and aesthetic quality.

Glossy Coated Paper

Matte Coated Paper

Uncoated Woodfree Paper

Paper Option for Hardcover Books

While there’re many options of paper you can choose to print your books, certain types of paper are more commonly used for printing and binding hardcover books. If you are aiming to have your books printed quickly and with commonly accepted paper, consider below options which are more accessible in the market.

Text Paper

80gsm/54lb coated
105gsm/71lb coated
128gsm/86lb coated
157gsm/106lb coated
80gsm/54lb uncoated
100gsm/68 lb uncoated

Cover Paper

250gsm / 92lb C1S Cover
300gsm / 111lb C1S Cover

Finishing Materials

When it comes to making a lasting impression with your book cover, several key finishing options are at your disposal. Lamination is often the go-to for adding both protection and a tactile quality, available in either gloss or matte finishes. If you’re aiming for a luxurious look, foiling can introduce metallic or colored highlights to your cover design.

Spot UV coating is another effective method for adding texture and drawing attention to specific cover elements. For those seeking a unique touch, edge gilding applies a metallic or colored foil to the book’s edges. And don’t overlook varnishing; available in gloss, matte, or satin, it provides that final layer of durability and sheen.

By carefully selecting the right finishing techniques, you can significantly enhance both the durability and aesthetic appeal of your book cover, making it a standout product.

Lamination

Given the difference of glossiness and texture, lamination can be categorized as glossy lamination, matte lamination, scuff-free lamination and soft-touch lamination. The latter two options usually result in higher cost.

Foil Stamping

Metallic Foil: The most common type, often available in gold, silver, and bronze, adds a shiny, metallic finish to the cover elements.
Pigment Foil: Unlike metallic, pigment foils offer a matte finish and are available in various colors, including white and black.
Holographic Foil: This foil creates a 3D effect, adding a futuristic and eye-catching element to the book cover.
Pearl Foil: Offering a pearlescent finish, this foil adds a subtle shine without being overly reflective.
Gloss Pigment Foil: This combines the color variety of pigment foils with the shiny finish of metallic foils.
Matte Metallic Foil: Provides the metallic look but with a subdued, matte finish.

Spot UV

Gloss Varnish: This type provides a shiny, reflective finish, enhancing the vibrancy of colors on the book cover.
Matte Varnish: Offering a subdued, non-reflective finish, matte varnish is ideal for a more understated or elegant look.
Satin Varnish: Satin varnish strikes a balance between gloss and matte, offering a semi-gloss finish that’s not too shiny but still adds a touch of elegance.
UV Varnish: This is a special type of varnish cured with ultraviolet light, often used in Spot UV techniques to highlight specific areas of the cover.
Soft-Touch Varnish: This varnish gives the cover a soft, velvety feel, adding a tactile dimension to the book.

About Huaxin

A family business founded in 1988 with three generations involved, Huaxin Printing has been devoting all its effort to print hardcover books with the highest possible quality.
Hua Xin has been certified with ISO 9001:2015 as well as the FSC (Forest Steward Council), and has been audited by 4-Pillar Sedex for social compliance (SMETA).

Prepress Services

We are more than just a printer. With an experienced team embracing over 30+ years in prepress, we provide the full scale of reprographic services. From layout design, image retouching to color management and plotter/Epson proofing, we make your book files fully prepared for printing. We also provide quick turnaround of proofs, samples and even advance copies to ensure your proofing and marketing needs are timely met.

Softcover Book Printing

Workflow

Prepress

Printing

Folding

Sewing

Binding

Packing

Our Works

Offset paper

Children book

Cookbook

Softcover Books

Softcover books

Softcover Book Binding

Section Sewn

Perfect Binding

PUR

Flap

US Market Sizes

Book Sizes:

Catalog, Magazine and Booklet Sizes:

Europe & ANZ Market Sizes

Book Sizes:

Pricing

Finishing

Lamination

Foiling

Embossing/Debossing

Spot UV

Gilding

Varnishing

Materials

Paper Materials

Glossy Coated Paper

Matte Coated Paper

Uncoated Woodfree Paper

Paper Option for Hardcover Books

Text Paper

Cover Paper

Finishing Materials

Lamination

Foil Stamping

Spot UV

About Huaxin

Prepress Services

Company

Product

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