Creative Writing Publication Printing for Guillotines by We Are Plan C

240x170mm Books
4pp Cover onto 350gsm Uncoated
Matt Lamination to outer
210pp Inside Pages onto 140gsm
Four colour printing (CMYK Ink)
Perfect bound (Glued, square spine)

“Thanks very much for sending those links of the case studies through, they’ve given us a lot of ideas…”

Introduction

Guillotines is a substantial, 210-page publication that feels like it’s built to be carried, shared, and argued over. The two-tone cover hits hard straight away: an unapologetic colour combo, punchy type, and an illustration that signals “this is a proper object”, not a throwaway pamphlet.

If you’re planning something similar, it’s worth browsing our perfect bound book printing guidance and grabbing paper samples early: it’s the fastest way to make confident decisions.

About the Publication

We Are Plan C brought us Guillotines, a radical creative writing publication built around ideas, reflection, and movement thinking. The pacing inside is confident: strong section openers, varied visual rhythms, and plenty of breathing space where it counts. It’s the kind of book that needs to hold together through repeat handling (at meet-ups, in bags, on tables) and still look sharp.

Print Specification & Materials (and why they work)

This project was printed as a 240x170mm perfect bound book: a “trade” feeling format that sits between A5 and A4. It’s big enough to give layouts room, but still easy to hold for long reads.

The 350gsm uncoated cover gives the publication real backbone, while the matt lamination on the outer adds durability and keeps the colours looking solid (especially important with bold flat blocks). Inside, 140gsm uncoated helps the 210 pages feel substantial without turning the book into a brick, and that tactile, matte surface suits text-heavy reading while still letting the full-colour pages land with clarity.

Need a quick sense-check on cost and options? Our instant quote calculator is built for exactly this stage.

Key Spec Summary

• Size: 240x170mm
• Cover: 4pp, 350gsm uncoated, matt laminated outer
• Text: 210pp, 140gsm uncoated
• Print: Four colour (CMYK) throughout
• Binding: Perfect bound (glued, square spine)

Design Nuances We Loved

The cover is the headline act: high-contrast colour fields, big typography, and an illustration that gives the whole thing a symbol to gather around. Inside, you can see the editorial intent in how spreads change pace: crisp typography-heavy pages, then sudden visual punches: collage textures, full-bleed photography, bold graphic motifs.

Uncoated stock was a smart call here. It keeps long sections readable and calm, and it gives the image-led pages a grounded, human feel: less shiny “magazine”, more “kept and re-read”.

The Client’s Print Journey

This was a proper collaborative run-up. The team ordered paper samples, compared options side-by-side, and asked the right questions: how page weight affects bulk, what the cover should feel like in hand, and how to keep everything on track with a tight deadline.

They also wanted a physical proof before committing to the full run, not just for peace of mind, but to give themselves a final proofreading window. That’s a sensible move on a publication of this size, especially when multiple people are involved in sign-off.

For a clear view of what happens when you hit “go”, our print journey overview lays it out step-by-step.

How Ex Why Zed Helped

We guided the team through:

• Paper decision-making (samples first, then final spec)
• Proofing (helping them get a physical proof turned around quickly)
• File handling and checks (keeping the process tidy when deadlines are real)

If you’re doing a multi-section publication like this, our file set-up knowledge base is the best place to start.

Takeaways for Your Next Creative Writing Publication

• Choose a format that fits the reading experience. 240x170mm is a sweet spot for longform writing with designed spreads: roomy, but still hand-friendly.
• Uncoated + heavier text stock can make a 200+ page book feel intentional. It slows readers down in a good way, and it holds up to repeat handling.
• Matt lamination earns its keep on bold covers. It protects flat colour areas and helps the cover stay clean across events, postage, and heavy use.
• Build time for a physical proof if you can. It’s the best way to spot layout oddities, check hierarchy, and feel the weight/bulk before the full run.
• Let the cover do the shouting. If the topic is dense, a decisive cover palette and big type helps the book stand tall in real-world distribution.

Writing collections come in slimmer shapes too. Royal Holloway's Wild Words Anthology paired art and poetry across 40 recycled uncoated pages at A5, on a 4mm spine that still found room for its title.