Book Printing: Choose Your Paper Stock Wisely

With hundreds of available paper stocks, the decision of which paper to use for your print run can be overwhelming. Most of all, it’s a decision determined by the type of book you are printing. A children’s or coffee table book? You’ll need a thick glossy sheet to help your color images stand out. A novel? Go cheap.

First-time publishers need to understand the difference between the paper they purchase at an office supply store versus what is used by a professional printing plant. While paper weights at an office supply store are measured as “bond,” printing plants use a different measurement called “offset.” I won’t get into the details of why bond and offset weights are different for the same type of paper, but just know that if you multiply a bond weight by 2.5, you get the offset weight. For example, the 24# bond paper you purchase at Office Max is the same thickness as a 60# offset sheet used by your printer.

That 50# offset paper proves to be fine for many books. If your book has no or few images and no color inside, there is little reason to print on a much thicker paper. Save your money. You may want to check the pricing for 60# offset, but I usually don’t recommend printing on paper much thicker than that for most novels, etc.

One thing I cannot emphasize enough - get print samples. There are a couple times when I have had a client tell me they knew exactly what type of paper they wanted to use, but then they were disappointed when they got the final product. Why? A friend of theirs had told them which paper stock to choose, and they ordered their books without ever seeing a paper sample. Don’t make the same mistake!

Now let’s assume your book is not as simple as a novel or a book with just black text. Maybe your book needs to be printed in full color. If that’s the case, you’ll want to use a paper stock that highlights the color better than a typical offset sheet. Glossy paper will usually do the trick.

Also, if you are printing in full color, you’ll definitely want a thicker paper stock. You don’t want any see-through for your color images from one side of the page to another. I usually recommend 80# gloss for most color books. If you want a little thicker, step up to 100# gloss. If you are trying to save cost, drop down to 70# gloss - but never less than that.

I’ll say it again: Samples, samples, samples. Don’t be shy about asking your printer for paper samples. It’s probably the most expensive choice you’ll make when printing your book; make sure you get it right!

When it comes to cover stock, for a paperback book a 10 pt. C1S cover is standard. However, it is usually very inexpensive to upgrade to a 12 pt. C1S cover. People do judge a book by its cover, so this might be a cost-effective upgrade.