How Can Short-Run Hardback Book Printing Benefit You?
Before the prevalence of digital printing, the only option for printing hardback books was by ordering them in large quantities, or large runs. The use of resources between short runs and large runs was just not as economical, with short-run hardback book printing costing more money per book on average. Suffice to say, hardback book printing in small numbers was more expensive than the projected price for books that are printed en masse.
Luckily, things have changed in recent years. Short runs of book prints in every size, including hardback books, have become more seamless and have lowered in price. This opened a new window for people, businesses, and organisations that wish to publish a book but don’t have the resources for large-scale production. While it is still true that the more copies you , the lower the price per copy will be, you now only have to print a run as small as say 50-100 to make the unit cost commercially viable.
In this blog, we will discuss the benefits of conducting a short run of hardback book printing. In addition, we will also guide you in finding an affordable service provider online.
Low wait times
Digital prints no longer consume as much time in terms of preparation and setup, which means that you won’t have to wait for a while before getting copies of your ordered books. The reduced production time means that you will be able to get access to your printed materials, allowing you to sell them at an earlier date or use them for your business with less waiting time. If you print a short run of a few hundred copies of a self published book, we will aim to deliver 6-7 working days following receipt of your print ready artwork.
Affordable price
One of the main deterrents of large run hardback book printing is the associated cost. Although litho book runs (700 copies or more) are cheaper when you are comparing price per unit, they are more expensive in terms of upfront costs due to the sheer volume of copies being produced. Short-run hardback book printing, printed on our top of the range HP Indigo press is more affordable for new self publishers and children's book authors, who want to try the market without over committing on cost for their first edition.
Allows you to print fewer copies
If you are planning a limited launch for your book, or you only want to print a few copies anyway, short-run hardback book printing in the UK is a must. Short-run productions are also recommended if your book is getting frequent updates. Since you have only released a few copies of your book, it is much easier to sell all of the previous copies before they are rendered useless due to the release of an updated edition.
Finding inexpensive hardback printing providers in the UK
Some of the best places to look online for inexpensive short-run hardback book printing service providers is online forums and message boards.
Various book printing forums on the Internet cater specifically to people residing in the UK. In these forums, you can find people with similar interests and, if you look hard enough, you might even find that your question has already been answered by another user. After all, it is very likely that other people have asked for help online concerning finding affordable printing companies in the UK. We are fortunate at Ex Why Zed to regularly receive word of mouth referrals from peer groups.
You can also consider looking through reviews and blogs that cover various printing companies in the UK and use them as a basis for your research.
If you are looking for a book printing service provider that allows short runs of hardback books, check out Ex Why Zed. Our website and printed project builder are built to be customer-friendly and easy to understand regardless of your familiarity with the printing process. We offer full customisation for our customers, from the book cover finish to the type of pages used. We also guide our customers through the whole printing process if they need or want assistance. Any questions, do give us a shout we are always more than happy to help.
Aside from hardback book printing, we also print booklets of different sizes, brochures, photo books, and portfolios, among other print products. Browse this website for the full details of our services.
We allow you to choose the exact number of copies for printing, and we even allow customers to have a single hardback book printing. Regardless of whether you are printing a single book for a private collection or if you want a few hundred copies for your business, we have got you covered.
Get a quote today by filling in our printed project builder, which can be found on this website. Our project builder can be completed in just under two minutes, and we will try to send a quote to your entered email address as soon as possible. For your other questions and enquiries, you can get in touch using our phone number: 01206 766647. You can also send us an email at hello@exwhyzed.com.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is short-run book printing?
Short-run printing refers to a method in which a small number of “trial” books are printed. Think of it as the next step up from printing “on demand”. Although this method used to be costly, modern digital printing technology allows short-run hardcover printing for books, booklets, zines, brochures, and other items to be produced at a relatively low price.
What is the point of hardcover books?
Hardcovers are a signal of quality and an indication of purpose on the part of the publisher: it indicates to booksellers and reviewers that this is a book they should pay attention to. Those who want a hardcover release for their books should consider getting short-run hardcover book printing services.
How long does it take to bind a book?
The production turn time depends on the size of your order. A typical order of soft back versions is generally completed within 4-5 working days, while hardbound editions can take 6/7. If you would like an estimate on how long your specific project would take, do ping us an email on hello@exwhyzed.com or even jump on our live chat in the bottom right hand corner of this page.
What is booklet printing?
A booklet is a small, bound book with a paper cover and a few pages. A booklet, as you might be guessed from its name, is generally smaller in size than other books. Booklets are frequently A5 or A4 in dimensions.
How much does it cost to have a booklet printed?
The factors which affect the cost of your booklet are the size, number of pages and quantity. Jump on our Project Builder, choose the Rockstar or Helping Hand route depending on your level of print experience and we will be back with an initial quote in a couple of hours.
What is the most popular type of printing?
When it comes to paperback and hardcover book printing in the UK, colour offset printing is one of the most popular printing techniques today. It is also widely used in printing for newspapers, magazines, stationery, brochures, and many more.
Below is a photo comparing a soft back perfect bound book with a case bound hardback book.
Short Run Printing Explained
Short-run hardback book printing, or “print on demand”, is a type of printing that employs cutting-edge digital technology to produce smaller “trial” batches of short-run hardbound books. This printing method can also be used in paperback books, calendars, brochures, and other items.
Before the development of printing technologies, traditional offset printing was the only type of printing available. But today, short-run printing can yield plenty of benefits, such as a shorter turnaround time for products, fewer costs and wasted inventories, and more. And because short-run printing is done in small batches, it allows for easier revisions.
The History of Book Binding
Many believe that bookbinding was the invention of Johannes Gutenberg in 1447. However, the Chinese tributary state of Korea actually came up with the first movable metal printing press 216 years earlier.
The rise of the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution influenced David McConnell Smyth to invent a sewing machine especially made for bookbinding. And during the 19th century, several improvements in the bookbinding system were made.
Bookbinding has come a long way since then. Today, anyone can have their books printed and bound simply by getting in touch with a reputable company.
The Advantages of Hiring Professional Printing Services
When it comes to short-run hardback book printing, you only want to speak with print companies who know the idiosyncracies of that type of binding.. They produce prints with a high level of precision and efficiency. Aside from this, here are other benefits why it is best to use professional printing and bookbinding services:
- They provide various printing options for different kinds of printing jobs.
- They can guarantee high-quality prints, finishes, and other services.
- They enable businesses to cut back on expenses and avoid unnecessary costs for reprinting.
- They allow clients to save more time and energy.
Selecting a Printing Company - A Few Important Things to Consider
If you’re planning to have a printing project, you’ll need to choose the best printing company for the job. In doing so, here are some things to consider:
- The quality of their print samples and past works
- Their ability to fulfil your printing and bookbinding requirements
- Open communication and top-notch customer services
- Highly rated and positively reviewed by their past customers
- Offers reasonable price ranges
- Well-known with an established reputation in the printing and bookbinding business
If you’ve been on a hunt for the best printing company for your project, look no further than Ex Why Zed. Whether you need printing for hardbound or soft-bound books, magazines, brochures, and more, we’re confident that we can produce the best results!