“this is one of the most inspirational creative videos I’ve ever watched, cant wait to get printing….”
Enjoy our feature-length video as we guide you through the entire zine printing process. This super informative video takes you through how many artists, small presses and indie zine publishers have used print to promote their creative work. We detail the options available for size, paper and binding in zine printing.
We showcase illustrated, photography, poetry, skate and music zines and highlight the winning solutions to design and produce the perfect zine.
Self publishing your zine or magazine is super easy at Ex Why Zed. Start your print journey today!
In this showcase snippet video we take a look at the three different binding choices when we come to print your children’s book at Ex Why Zed. The key thing to remember is that the binding method you choose is dictated by the number of pages your publication has.
First up is wire stitching or stapling if you prefer less print jargon. The printed sheets are produced as spreads then folded in half and stapled twice on the spine to keep them together. Simple, cheap and effective for up to around 40 pages. It might be visually as high end as our next two options but the advantage is that the reader can press the pages completely flat which is a BIG advantage for kids books and bedtime reading. You need to settle on a multiple of four pages for wire stitching so 20,24,28 for example…in case you don’t have a calculator handy 🙂
Next up is perfect binding where we print the cover as a spread with a separate text block. The text block is trimmed to the size of your finished book, roughened up on the left hand edge, a layer of glue applied and the cover is wrapped around and glued on with a 7mm hinge to the text block. Your books will have a neat spine if you have a minimum of 32 pages. A lot of books in the children’s sector are exactly 32 pages so choose 170gsm silk, gloss or uncoated for the inside pages and that will just about get us to the 3mm thickness we need to glue the spine. Under 170gsm will be too thin. You can see that it is slightly harder to press the pages down, more so the nearer to 32 pages you are because the spine is tighter. So, don’t rule out staple binding completely if it’s super important that the reader sees the whole of the double-page spread.
Finally, we move on to case binding and hardback books. Arguably the most professional looking of the three, we use thick 3mm board for the front cover, back cover and spine which is wrapped by your choice of either printed artwork or book binding cloth. End papers, in this instance these glorious leaves, are added to bind the cover block to the inside pages. The text block sits neatly inside the overhanging 3mm cover. Again, by pressing down the pages slightly you can view the whole spread. Something to bear in mind with your layouts – let’s keep important content like text or crucial imagery a good 8mm away from the spine side.
Looking at the side profiles gives you a great insight into the three different binding aesthetics. They each have their own characteristics, pros and cons.
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For more In-Depth Printing Video Guides, jump over to our dedicated page.
If you are a photographer or designer looking to print a book featuring black and white, monochrome images then this is a crucial video for you to watch, absorb and act on.
It can be extremely hard to effectively print black-and-white images in digital print. Thankfully, this isn’t our first rodeo so we take a deep dive into how to get around this and why it is so difficult.
This is an issue that you will encounter at every printer but at Ex Why Zed we are keen to point it out and help before going ahead.
#printing #photography #selfpublishing
In this mammoth, feature-length video, we give you a wealth of information, ideas and insight to make this guide the perfect companion during your course’s catalogue planning meetings.
We show you the almost infinite options for binding, paper types, sizes and for creating a boundary-pushing, eye-catching front cover.
Additionally, there are numerous deep dive sections to highlight specific aspects of designing and styling the catalogue including a look at our top three catalogues of all time and what made them work so well.
**Spoiler alert! This video might encourage you to get that idea you have been working on for years into print. (Finally)
We have compiled an informative and ideas packed video showcasing our favourite publications from last year. Diving deep into 12 eye-catching projects we dissect what makes them successful, where the clients pushed the boundaries of print and how you can replicate these techniques with your next print brief.
The extensive video includes children’s books, notebooks, zines, photography books and artist catalogues. If you are thinking of printing one of these then this video will hopefully really broaden your knowledge on the options available and what can be achieved in print.
Yes, this is the video you have been looking for! We will help you prepare your artwork for print including the troublesome ‘3mm bleed’ you keep getting asked to add.
Well, we have compiled the definitive guide to methodically guides you through the entire process. This super informative video takes you through the concept of case-binding, choosing your cover material, finishes and endpaper options. It showcases how the process lends itself to children’s, premium coffee table, promotional business and photography books. It also gives a comprehensive insight into winning page layouts.
It has never been easier to self-publish a hardback book than it is today at Ex Why Zed so we looking forward to seeing your artwork!
