With a new year approaching, people are in the market for a planner to organize their agendas, calendars, and personal goals. Planners are for everyone and can be used by anyone; There’s no limit to the audiences looking to buy a new planner. If you have a vision for a planner, 48 Hour Books can help bring it to life.
48 Hour Books has the print options you need to design and print your own planner, including spiral coil binding, custom tabs, and thick paper options for writing on. Here are some questions you should ask before printing your custom printed planner:
We’ll go through these questions step-by step so you can feel confident when you go to print your own planner to help set people up for success.
What type of binding should I choose?
Next you should decide the type of binding you want your journal to be.
Spiral coil binding: If you want your planner to lay flat, then spiral coil binding would be the best option. Our spiral binding is made from durable plastic coil that is auto punched. Plastic coil binding offers advantages over wire coil binding, as it won’t easily bend, and it comes in lots of coil color options to match your cover artwork. Spiral coil binding is also the only binding type that can be used with tabs. Reverting back to our list of questions, if you want your planner divided into specific sections, like months or seasons, then divider tabs would be a great way to customize these sections.
Case Binding/Hardcover: Hardcover binding is also a great option for custom planners, especially if you’re going for a more classic, sleek look. Our case binding option can be customized with a variety of beautiful choices, from cover type to foil stamping and more. For a classic, high-quality look, we recommend selecting one of our special cover options, which we will dive more into later.
Perfect Binding/Paperback: For a cost-effective binding option, paperback binding is always a reliable choice. Paperback books are the most popular binding option for consumers, so you can’t go wrong. They are loved by readers for being light and portable, which is a good selling point for planners. People want to be able to take their planners with them when on the go.
What kind of paper should I choose?
Since planners are intended to be written in, we recommend printing on uncoated stock. We recommend a thicker stock (70 lb. or 80 lb. Uncoated.). Just make sure that the thicker stock won’t make your planner too bulky. It needs to be portable, flexible, and practical for writing purposes. 48 Hour Books offers printed proofs, which we recommend adding to your order for planners – especially if you choose special print options. With a printed proof, you can see the finished product before your full run of books print. You can practice writing on the pages to ensure it will work exactly as planned. Learn more about our available paper types.
How do I want to set up my planner?
We recommend looking at planners you like and taking notes on the features you find appealing. For example, some planners have a standard design of a monthly calendar, with space to write notes for each day of the week for the full calendar year. This is a good place to start. However, there are other features you can add to make your planner more customizable.
Consider adding lined notebook pages for additional notes or inspirational quotes and seasonal designs for added flair. Bullet Journals (BuJo) are popular on the market, and often double as planners. They are known for their overall aesthetic, mindfulness exercises, and attractive designs. What can you add to your planner that separates it from the pack? Think about the point of view you bring to the table, or commission an artist to help with filler designs throughout its pages.
Not all planners are used exclusively for monthly calendar purposes. Some custom printed planners are specific to certain topics and activities. For example, fitness planners have become a popular selling item for the new year, with people looking to get in shape and start the year with a goal of health. If you are an expert on fitness, creating a custom planner for your clients is a great way to market your fitness plans, while servicing your clients in a unique, organized manner.
What do I want my planner cover to look like?
Lastly, let’s talk about book covers. Think about your target audience and age range. What kind of design aesthetic will they find appealing? If you’re printing a BuJo, these tend to be pretty stylized, using modern, colorful artwork to make a good first impression. If you’re appealing to an older demographic, then consider printing your journal with one of our special cover options, like cloth, leather, and leatherette, These special covers can be paired with foil-stamping to make your journal title and artwork shiny and sleek.
For a more cost-effective way to make your custom planner stand out, our Diamond 3D Printing pairs well with every cover option offered by 48 Hour Books. Diamond 3D Printing is a shiny, raised texture that accentuates the cover design underneath. Our expert designers can help determine which elements to highlight to give you the look you desire. We recommend checking out our YouTube Channel to see how brilliant this cover effect actually is, as pictures can’t do it justice!
Now that you understand your print options to print your own planner, you can start the process of making your vision come to life. 48 Hour Books is here to help with guidance, high-quality, timely printing, and a team of experts that will hold your hand through the process.
Here’s a short checklist of what is needed to print your own planner with 48 Hour Books:
You can find formatting guidance, free book templates, cover size calculators and more at our website.
Have questions? Contact us today to get started!
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