Perfect Bound Paperbacks, Hardcovers With or Without Jacket or Matching Jacket, Color Interior on Matte type paper, Black & White Interior, White or Creme Paper, Perforated Pages, Print on the Inside Cover...

IngramSpark offers a variety of trim sizes to select from, such as a square (cookbook/children's), landscape (children's/photo), trade (self-help/novel), graphic novel, and many others. Trim sizes are as small as 4x6 (152x102mm) to as large as 8.5x11 (280x216mm) or 11x8.5 (216x280mm), and all are available in a perfect-bound paperback binding, and some of the most popular trim sizes are available in hardcover without a jacket or with a jacket (for some hardcover trim sizes). 

Books are printed with inkjet technology with black and white interiors printed on 50#/74gsm white or creme paper or 38#/48gsm eggshell groundwood and 3 color interior print options to select from, depending on the trim size and type of cover binding. We offer "Standard" color printing on 50#/74gsm white paper, "Standard 70" color printing on 70#/104gsm paper, and "Premium" color printing (our best color quality) on 70#/104gsm white paper.

See the charts below for the trim sizes, bindings, and paper options we offer for the books we print. We also offer printing on the inside of the cover and perforated pages for some of the paperback books we print.

The charts and information shown below are from the Trim Size Matrix and can be found on page 40 in the File Creation Guide, click HERE to access the guide.

Black & White Interior Books

Color Interior Books

Covers/Bindings

Duplex Covers (Print inside the cover)

Glue

Groundwood Paper Information

Hardcover Bindings

Jacketed Hardcovers

Paper Information

Paperback Binding

Perforated Interior Pages

Spine Text Information

Unavailable Bindings and Products

COVERS/BINDINGS

Many authors stick to one binding type (e.g. paperback only or e-book only) for simplicity and efficiency. Others emulate the traditional pattern used by major publishing houses—simultaneous hardcover and ebook release, followed by paperback release 6 to 12 months later. With Print-On-Demand you can offer all formats at the same time, allowing consumers a choice. For a list of all available trim sizes for each product type, please see the trim size matrix charts below on the last page in the File Creation Guide.

Duplex covers: Perfect bound titles can be printed 4 color duplex (two-sided) covers. 11"x8.5" is not available for duplex printing.

Jacketed Covers: Where available, Jacketed Covers can be set up with either Case Laminate or Digital Cloth™ Covers.

PAPERBACK BINDING

The perfect bound trade paperback is the most commonly printed book in the indie publishing arena. Its compact, lightweight shape makes it inexpensive to ship, which combined with its modest production cost has made the paperback the print format of choice for any publisher on a budget. Furthermore, many people who habitually read on the go prefer paperbacks, since they are more easily portable and are easier to hold onto than heavier books. Perfect binding involves binding the page block to a printed and laminated coverstock with hot glue.

HARDCOVER BINDING

Unlike many print-on-demand services, IngramSpark supports hardcover bookbinding in a variety of sizes, with or without a dust jacket. Hardcovers produced by IngramSpark are made in two very similar processes: case binding and Digital Cloth™ hardcover binding. In both cases, pages of printed text are combined into a block that is glued to a rigid cover. The difference is that case bound covers are made of cardboard wrapped in paper that has the cover image printed directly on it with either gloss or matte laminate coating, while Digital Cloth™ Covers are made of cardboard covered in either blue or grey paper and coated with textured lamination that gives the book a linen type "feel" and look. IngramSpark also offers publishers the option of having a hardcover book printed with a matching jacket.

When designing cover images for hardcover formats, extra bleed space is required in the hardcover templates, due to the paper cover wrapping around the cardboard cover stock. 

Spine Text can be added to the spine of books with at least 48 pages.

When setting up a new title as a Digital Cloth™ Hardcover book (available in either blue or gray) three fields will appear for spine text to be entered. Up to 42 characters may be used on the spine in the following order and must not exceed the following number of characters per field:

• LEFT: 12 characters
• CENTER: 26 characters
• RIGHT: 12 characters

If the number of characters allowed per field is exceeded, the text will overlap on the printed book.

The available characters include 26 uppercase and lowercase English-alpha letters, numerals 1-10, space, period, comma, a hyphen, quote, apostrophe, and two parentheses.

Spine text is printed with the Cheltenham Book, 18-point font in non-metallic gold color.

Please type the text exactly as it should appear on the spine of the finished book.

The spine text entered can match or be different from the title and contributor information entered under the title information for the book.

BLACK & WHITE INTERIOR BOOKS

In the chart below:

The minimum and the maximum number of pages that can be printed for each paper type and binding are listed below the heading of each type of paper.

The 1st column lists the trim sizes available.

The 2nd column lists the binding type (perfect bound/paperback, case laminate hardcover, Digital Cloth™ hardcover, and jacketed hardcover.)

If the field in the 3rd, 4th, or 5th column is gray, that paper is available for the trim size and binding listed on the left side of the chart.

• 3rd column lists Groundwood paper 38#/48gsm, 18-900 pages for paperback books, and 18-840 pages for hardcover books. 
• 4th column lists Creme paper 50#/74gsm, 18-1050 pages for paperback, and hardcover books.
• 5th column lists White paper 50#/704gsm, 18-1200 pages for paperback, and hardcover books.

Where available, Jacketed Covers can be set up with either Case Laminate or Digital Cloth™ Covers.

You can choose to have either a gloss or matte laminate coating applied to the cover of your book. 

Blank white cells indicate items not available.

COLOR INTERIOR BOOKS

In the chart below:

The minimum and the maximum number of pages that can be printed for each paper type and binding are listed below the heading of each type of paper.

The 1st column lists the trim sizes available.

The 2nd column lists the binding type (perfect bound/paperback, case laminate hardcover, Digital Cloth™ hardcover, and jacketed hardcover.)

If the field in the 3rd, 4th, or 5th column is blue, that paper is available for the trim size and binding listed on the left side of the chart.

• 3rd column lists Standard Color printed on 50#/74gsm White Paper, 18-1200 pages. 
• 4th column lists Standard Color printed on 70#/104gsm White Paper, 18-900 pages for paperback books & 18-840 pages for hardcover books.
• 5th column lists Premium Color printed on 70#/104gsm White Paper, 18-900 pages for a paperback book, and 18-840 pages for a hardcover book.

Where available, Jacketed Covers can be set up with either Case Laminate or Digital Cloth™ Covers

You can choose to have either a gloss or matte laminate coating applied to the cover of your book. 

Blank white cells indicate items not available.

PERFORATED INTERIOR PAGES

Perforation is available for perfect-bound paperback books when you select the Color 50 interior print option. Books are printed on 50#/74gsm white paper in the following trim sizes:

6" x 9", 7" x 10", 7.5" x 9.25", 8" x 10", 8" x 10.88", 8.5" x 9", 8.5" x 11"

Perforated interior pages are produced with a tiny line of perforation that allows pages to easily be removed from the book. Perforated pages are available in limited paperback trim sizes. There is an additional per-page cost for Perforation.

Books with perforated pages are not eligible for sale through Ingram/Lightning Source’s distribution channels.

Books with perforated pages may only be ordered directly through a publisher’s account.

Additional Perforation Requirements:

Perforation of interior pages is available when you select the Color 50 paperback option during title setup.

Perfect-bound paperback books with perforated pages are available in limited sizes- see below.

Within a publisher’s printed book, the perforation line would be placed 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) from the edge of the binding, positioned parallel to the spine, and applied to all pages of the book interior.

Only available in Color 50lb/74gsm white paper for the following trim sizes:

6 x 9" (229 x 152mm)

7 x 10" (254 x 178 mm)

7.5 x 9.25" (235 x 191mm)

8 x 10" (254 x 203mm)

8.5 x 11" (280 x 216m)

Inside Margin: Recommended minimum 1” (25 mm)
Margins: Recommended minimum 0.5” (13mm) on outer 3 edges

Contact Support for a sample book that contains both perforated pages and duplex printed covers.

DUPLEX COVERS 

What is Duplex Printing?

Duplex printing allows the printing of a sheet of paper on both sides. In the case of a book cover, this allows you to design elements to be printed inside the front and back cover. Contact Support to request a sample book. 

NOTE: The bar code and print information on the last page of a book, shown above, cannot be removed.

GLUE: What Type of GLUE Does Lightning Source Use?

We use an EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) glue furnished by Reynolds Company. This product is petroleum-based. 

PAPER SPECIFICATIONS (click here to access the current paper information, also shown below)

GROUNDWOOD EGGSHELL PAPER

Groundwood Eggshell Paper is similar to the paper used in mass-market books. On the IngramSpark website, Groundwood Eggshell Paper will be described as "B&W: printed on 38lb eggshell paper (mass market-like)". 

• Groundwood Eggshell Paper is currently available in the U.S.  and U.K. only
• A book set up to print with Groundwood Eggshell Paper that is printed outside of the U.S. and the U.K. will be automatically converted to 50#/74gsm crème paper (spine widths will be adjusted automatically to accommodate this)
• Australia: In the Australia print facility, books set up to print with groundwood eggshell paper will be printed on 50#/74gsm creme paper
• Global Connect printer partners will print books that are set up with the groundwood eggshell paper option on 50#/74gsm creme paper 
• Groundwood Eggshell Paper is available in limited B&W trim sizes, in both paperback and hardcover formats. A list of book types and trim sizes is included below.
• Books printed with Groundwood Eggshell Paper are eligible for distribution
• The print cost for Groundwood Eggshell Paper is the same as our current B&W 50#/74gsm crème and 50#/74gsm white paper print costs.

 Groundwood Eggshell Paper specs are below:

• Weight = 38#
• PPI = 408
• Opacity = 94
• Brightness = 70

UNAVAILABLE BINDINGS & PRODUCTS

With Lightning Source Print On Demand (POD) print and manufacturing technology, there are some formats or bindings and products that are not available, due to the fast turn around time needed for printing the books sold through the global distribution network Ingram offers. 

Board Books

Spiral Wire or Plastic-type Binding or Curly O Wire

CD’s / Audiobooks

Spot varnish or Spot UV

IngramSpark does not currently offer CD production for inclusion in physical books we manufacture. Publishers who wish to offer this feature would need to have IngramSpark print the book and once the publisher receives the printed books, they would need to apply/include the disc themselves and sell the books on their own. These books with the audio included could not be sold through Ingram's POD global distribution network.

IngramSpark does not offer audiobook creation services at this time. Publishers looking to find audiobook creation services may find reputable companies listed on our “Experts” page: http://www.ingramspark.com/resources/experts