Book Printing Services

Overview of Book Printing

Most books published by aSys Publishing are via the Print on Demand system.

The Print on Demand system allows a book to be made available on Amazon, and depending upon the service ordered, other distribution outlets. When an order is placed, the book is printed, bound and then shipped automatically. Due to the fact that the books are only printed as and when an order is received, keeping an expensive stock of books is not required.

The Print on Demand system can also be used to produce "author copes" at highly competitive unit prices. However, if an author is looking to order more than 25 copies, it is often cheaper to have stocks of books printed outside of the Print on Demand system.

It is also worth noting that while Print on Demand produces high-quality books, if an author wishes exceptionally high quality or has specific requirements which are not available via Print on Demand, then it might be better to have books printed outside of the Print on Demand system.

aSys Publishing has business relationships with various Digital and Lithographic books printers and so is able to obtain competitive unit prices at any quality level.

Book Printing in General

Books are usually printed in either Paperback or Hardback formats. Paperbacks are highly cost-effective and are best for mass-market novels but as paperbacks are not robust, the longevity of such books can be limited if not treated carefully. Conversely, hardback books are more expensive to produce but due to their robust nature can have a much greater longevity.

When deciding what type of book to have printed, the author needs to consider their target market. If it's a mass-market novel, then paperback is perfect. However, if the book is an academic or reference book which is intended to be read many times, then hardback would be better.

It is worth noting that while Print on Demand can be used to produce full-colour books, the printing costs can be quite high. This is mainly due to the fact even a single colour page means that the entire book has to be printed with the full-colour process. Having books printed outside of the Print on Demand system means that if a book has just a few colour pages, then only these pages need be printed in full-colour. This can drastically reduce the printing costs.

Digital Printing

Digital book printing is one of the most cost-effective ways to have books printed and is the most common way that self-published books are printed. For example, the Print on Demand system uses a digital printing system.

Books can be printed in full-colour, part-colour and monochromatic and can be either paperback or hardback. Hardback books can have the cover artwork printed onto a full-colour dust-jacket, the hardback cover itself or both. It is most suitable for relatively short print runs but can be used for longer runs if needed.

Book trim sizes (actual dimensions of a book) and shapes are usually limited to industry standard book sizes and, in some cases, it is not possible to customise the endpaper colour or hardback material.

Lithographic Printing

Historically, Lithographic book printing was the traditional way that books were printed. However, it is still very popular when exceptional quality or full customisation is a requirement.

The Lithographic process is much more expensive than the Digital equivalent but as stated above, it allows for full customisation of the book's trim size or shape - almost anything is possible.

The process also allows for a wide selection of hardback case material and customised printing onto the endpapers is possible. If Lithographic printing was a requirement, then aSys Publishing would send the author a sample swatch of the available hardback case material whereby the author could make a choice from the wide selection available.

This service would normally be used to produce high-quality coffee table books or reference manuals, it would not normally be used for standard novels etc because the Print on Demand or digital printing services provides ample quality for such books.

Printing Cost

The printing cost of all books is dependent upon the number of pages and the exact specification of the book.

aSys Publishing is not a book printer and so outsources all book printing and does not make any money on the actual printing of books, instead the actual printing costs are passed to the author. However, aSys Publishing charges a fixed fee to manage the print run on behalf of the author.

The fee for managing print runs can be found on the price list page.

Final Notes

aSys Publishing is only able to arrange book printing services if the book in question has been typeset and published by ourselves.