48 Hour Books is excited to share more about our exclusive new book printing service, edge printing! Edge printing is not offered by most printing companies and is something many authors have been DIY-ing. Now, you can stay on trend and save time.
Our edge printing service is different from most sprayed edge or edge painting machines because our machine prints your color or design directly on your book’s cut edges for a truly unique, limited-edition book. Color and intricate designs are printed on the edges – not painted. 48 Hour Books is the only book printing company in the U.S. to provide this type of edge printing service!
In this blog, we will cover all the basic information you need to know about adding edge printing to your order, what is included in the service, and how to set up your files.
Binding Types:
As of right now (January 2025), edge printing is only available for hardcover books. We are hoping to have it available soon for paperback books! It is unavailable for spiral coil binding and saddle stitch binding.
Book Sizes:
Edge printing is available for all sizes except 4.25 x 7 books or smaller (portrait & landscape). The width of each edge must be 4.5 inches-13 inches.
Page Counts:
Here is a breakdown for each paper type we offer and the page count range acceptable for edge printing:
60# white offset: 100-1000 pages
60# cream offset: 100-1000 pages
70# white offset: 100-850 pages
70# cream offset: 100-850 pages
80# white offset: 100-750 pages
80# silk text: 100-1000 pages
80# gloss text: 100-1000 pages
100# silk text: 100-800 pages
100# gloss text: 100-850 pages
Pricing: *These prices reflect a 25% off introductory sale; Pricing may change
For small books (5.5 x 8.5 & 6 x 9): $135 setup + $1.50/book
For medium books (8.5 x 11, 8.5 x 5.5, & 9 x 6): $135 setup + $2/book
For large books (11 x 8.5 & larger): $135 setup + $2.50/book
Design Pricing:
If you provide your own design or choose a solid color for the edges, this is no additional cost. If you need help pulling a design from your existing cover art elements, our prepress design team can do this for no additional cost. If you would like us to create a custom design, or if sampling your artwork is more complex, we will provide a quote for this work before proceeding ($75/hour).
Design Specifications:
If you are providing your own design, please upload a 3-page PDF or 3 individual PDF, JPG, TIFF, or PNG files. Please do not include crop marks. Files must be a CMYK design.
Height: length of each side +0.08 inches
(for example, a 5.5x8.5 book will have two edges that are 5.5 inches one edge that is 8.5 inches, so we’ll need three designs: Two that are 5.58 and one that is 8.58)
Width: (# of pages / 440) +0.08 inches
(for example, when using 60# offset paper, if your book is 350 pages, the edge documents will be (350/440)+0.08=0.875 inches wide)
Bleed: 0.04 inches on all sides
If you are requesting a solid color, let us know in the “customer comments” section of your order form and provide a CMYK color value or let us know where we can grab the color from your cover artwork. We will try to match the edge printing color to the cover as best we can, but variation may occur. To be safe, we recommend ordering a printed proof if you have critical color.
Order Timing: *Timing listed is in addition to standard production times. Find them here.
Printed Proof Timing:
If no D3D options: +4 business days
If any D3D options: +1 business day
Full Order Timing:
If no D3D options: +4 business days
If any D3D options: +2 business days
Learn more about options that impact production time.
*If you are looking to print a special edition book, we recommend pairing our Edge Printing service with our Diamond 3D Printing! We recently added more 3D color options, so there's plenty of ways to curate your cover design to your liking.
More Info/Limitations:
Edge printing is a wonderful addition to any book, but is especially perfect for special editions and limited releases. Printed edges have been making waves on social media for their highly coveted aesthetic, and when punching the numbers, have increased the average value of a book up to 10%, leading to increased sales. Edge printing is just one more way to pour more love into your book and make it your own.
Ready to get started? Get instant pricing or place an order today!
If you have more questions about edge printing, give us a call at 800-231-0521 and we will connect you with our design team.
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