How do I create a cover for a hardback book?

The cover for a hardback book differs from the covers for our other products. Rather than four pages making up the cover, like a brochure, a hardback book has two pages that make up the cover. These two pages are simply your front cover and back cover. 

Endpapers are the inside front and back covers of your hardback book. These endpapers cannot be printed on. Please note that when you are ordering a hardback book, the endpaper pages will be locked and you will be unable to add anything to them. Pay attention to the order of your pages, as the locked endpapers may throw off your page sequence. You can choose either solid white or black endpapers. 

1) Once you have placed your order, our system will advise the required finished and viewable spine width

2) Your artwork the spine must also include 2x 5mm areas of bleed where we create the two hinges 

3) Create a trim box to the final finished size of your book cover, including the total spine width with the hinges  - 

Total width = front cover width + 5mm hinge + spine width + 5mm hinge + back cover width

Total height = height of the book 

4) Then add 20mm bleed on all sides outside the trim box. Please do not add any important content to it. 

Name your file 'coverspread' You should upload a cover spread, do not upload a separate file for the spine of your book.  

Once your artwork is set up correctly, our system will automatically populate the cover area for you to see in the proof.

For the cover page of your hardback book, we recommend leaving a “quiet area” or margin of at least 8mm around the edge.