CHOOSING SOFTBACK or HARDBACK for PHOTOBOOKS at Ex Why Zed
Which binding method will you choose to showcase your latest photography?!?
In this video we showcase the difference between softback, perfect binding and case bound (hardback) to help you choose which method will work best for your next Photobook.
The winning print specs shown in the video are
210x210mm Zines
4pp Cover onto 350gsm Silk
Matt laminated to the outer
76 inside pages onto 170gsm Silk
Four colour print throughout
Trimmed, collated and perfect bound
250x250mm Case Bound Books
Cover onto 170gsm Silk
Wrapped over greyboard case
Matt laminated to the outer
2x 4pp End Papers printed onto 170gsm Uncoated
72 inside pages onto 150gsm Silk
Full colour print throughout
Trimmed, collated and case bound
What is the Minimum Number of Pages for Binding?
First up, we do need to say that you will need a minimum, an absolute minimum, of 28 inside pages for it to be thick enough for either process. 36 pages upwards work best.
The two books we are looking at here are 210x210mm and 250x250mm so two square photo books which hit slightly different price points for both print costs and the retail cover price.
The 210x210mm softback book is a slick product, at a cost-effective price which gives you a wide 210x420mm double-page spreads and plenty of room for landscape or portrait images to breathe without feeling cramped. There is a 7mm hinge from the covers to text block and looking at the side profile you can see part of the spread is slightly obscured without going over the top and pressing the pages too flat.
The 250mm hardback is instantly more impressive and does command a higher cost which you can pass on to readers in book shops, tourist information, or your online store. The cover overhangs the text block by 3mm and the spine of our hardback books will always be a minimum of 9mm giving you plenty of surface area for the title and author’s name. Endpapers, which are the first and last double-page spread are a great vehicle of creating instant impact at the start and end.
The slightly wider 250mm pages have more flexibility and do fall flatter than the previous book we looked at. Again, the square format lends itself well to both portrait and landscape images with plenty of white space to draw the reader’s eye in.
Similar subject matters for both these books. As a guide, the 76 page Still Waters sells for £20 and The Sound of Waters with 76 pages can be bought for £30. Links in the description below, do buy a copy and enjoy!