When submitting artwork for a Hardback (Casebound) book, please provide two separate files:
- Cover Artwork – This should be supplied as a spread format file, including only the outer cover design.
- Inner Pages – A multi-page PDF containing all internal pages in sequential order, starting from page 1 through to the final page.
Instructions on how to set up a Hardback / Casebound book
Setting up cover artwork for a Hardback (Casebound) book differs from the setup used for a traditional Saddle Stitched book. The dimensions of your document will be determined by the final book size.
For example, if creating an A5 Hardback book with a 10mm spine, the cover layout should include the following elements:
- Front Cover
- Back Cover
- Spine
- Hinge Area
- Wraparound Area
The spine width varies depending on the total number of pages in the book. To ensure accuracy, you can use our Spine Calculator, available on the product page when placing your order.
Width Calculation:
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- Wraparound: 17mm (left) + 17mm (right)
- Page Width: 148mm (front) + 148mm (back)
- Hinge Area: 5mm (left) + 5mm (right)
- Spine: 10mm
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Total Width: 350mm
(17 + 148 + 5 + 10 + 5 + 148 + 17 = 350mm)
Height Calculation:
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- Wraparound: 20mm (top) + 20mm (bottom)
- Page Height: 210mm
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Total Height: 250mm
(20 + 210 + 20 = 250mm)
Wraparound (Margin)
Set the margins to 17mm on the left and right and 20mm on the top and bottom. This area acts as an extension of the background elements, similar to bleed, and wraps around the hardcover to ensure a seamless finish. Learn more
Gutter
The gutter is the inner margin where the pages meet at the spine. This space is crucial to ensure that text and important design elements do not get lost in the binding
Bleed
Apply a 3mm bleed on all sides to allow for trimming and ensure critical design elements are not cut off during production.
Slug
Include a 10mm slug on all sides to provide space for fold lines, helping with accurate alignment during the finishing process. Learn more
Endpapers & Flysheet
Endpapers are sheets attached to the inside of the front and back covers. These cannot be customised and consist of four pages each:
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- One page (the pastedown) is glued to the inside of the cover and will not be visible.
- The opposite side forms the inside cover, while the remaining pages make up the flysheet.
You do not need to add the blank endpapers into the artwork files, these will be automatically applied to your design during production.
Flysheets are automatically applied to the artwork and cannot be customised. Please consider this when thinking about the pagination for your booklet. Learn more