Questions and Answers About Book Printing
You've come to the right place to get your book printing questions answered. Here are a few questions that our clients have asked. If you don't find the answer you're looking for, please call or email us.
General
- Cancelled orders ($100 + any other options chosen)
- Who owns the rights to my book?
- How do I get my book printing files to you?
Custom Sizes
Cover & Layout
- I don't know how to layout my book. Can your company do it for me?
- I don't know how to calculate my spine width or set up my cover. Can you do it?
- Can I See a Bound Copy of my Book before I order?
- Can I see an Unbound Proof?
- Can I get an inside cover?
- I'm in a rush; can you provide 48 Hour Services?
- Do you design covers?
- What is Font Embedding?
- Do you have book templates that I can use?
- How do you tell the difference between a page and a sheet?
- What's the best way to keep my costs low?
Types of Binding
Paper Choices and Color Pages
- Paper Choices for your Inside Pages:
- Do you offer full-color books?
- Is there an extra charge to print photos?
- What if I need extra computer work done?
- I don't know how to convert my file, is that a service you provide?
Revisions
ISBN and Barcodes
Shipping questions
- How long does UPS shipping take?
- Can I send my books to two different places?
- Is blind shipping available?
General
Cancelled orders ($100 + any other options chosen):
Your order is started almost immediately after you submit your order. We will be more than happy to return any deposits or credit card authorizations, but we will charge $100 and any other charges for options chosen that we have already completed.
Who owns the rights to my book?
You own the rights to your book. The Printing Palace is a printing company we are not interested in claiming the rights to your work. A large amount of companies have unreasonably large prices for layouts, marketing services, etc. and offer you a certain percentage of royalties, or discounted book printing prices. We find this practice unethical. You wrote you book, you own the rights to your work. Be cautious of these companies when you are searching for someone to print your work. Because you wrote the book you will be the best salesperson.
How do I get my book printing files to you?
Files can reach us two ways. The first way is to upload your files on the order form. The second method is to email the files to us, if they are not over 20MB.
Custom Sizes
What about Custom Sizes?
Yes we can print custom size books for our customers. We round the size up to the next size and that is the charge for the book. If your book is an odd size, choose the next larger size, and indicate the actual finished size under "Comments" when you order. We offer three pricing levels: Standard ships in 2 business days, Rush ships in 1 business day, and Super Rush ships same day. (Note: Rush and Super Rush are available on a limited basis. Please call to confirm availability.)
Cover & Layout
I don't know how to layout my book. Can your company do it for me?
We have a complete layout service for $400. You can send us your book and cover files and we will completely set up the book according to your specifications.
I don't know how to calculate my spine width or set up my cover. Can you do it?
We have a page that allows you to calculate your spine with to correctly set up your cover. If you need additional assistance we offer two services.
a) The first is a cover design in which you can send us your images, exact wording, and your specifications of what you would like it to look like.
b) If it is complicated or you would like great detail, you will have to contact a graphic designer. The Second Service we offer is for cover layout. If our spine calculator does not help we allow you to send us the spine, front, and back cover and we will lay out the cover for you. The charge for this is $50
Can I See a Bound Copy of my Book before I order?
Yes, for $80 dollars we can give you a bound proof of your book so that you are able to see exactly what you work will look like.
Can I see an Unbound Proof?
We offer an alternative to the bound proof, an Unbound proof so that you are able to see what the pages and book will look like.
Can I get an inside cover?
Yes, We offer an Inside Black and White Cover. There is an additional charge of $0.40 per book.
I'm in a rush; can you provide 48 Hour Services?
We require a 100% payment upfront, before we start your book printing. We accept, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover.
Do you design covers? [$100]
Yes, we offer an economical alternative to the high-priced cover design you've seen elsewhere. Our Create-a-Cover allows you to choose a design and a color combination. Then simply send us the wording along with any photos or artwork that you'd like to include. We'll set it up according to your instructions, and send you a PDF proof to approve before we print your order. At a cost of $100, it's a great alternative to getting a high-priced custom cover design elsewhere. If you have more complex requirements, we recommend that you contact a local graphic designer, since you'll probably want to meet with them to discuss your requirements.
What is Font Embedding?
Font Embedding is when all the fonts are inside the document, if the fonts are not included in the document; your type could reflow and become distorted.
Do you have book templates that I can use?
Yes, we do. You can download templates for free from our Templates Page. We currently have templates for your inside pages, which can be used in Microsoft Word, Word Perfect, Open Office, Pages, and just about any other popular word processing program.
How do you tell the difference between a page and a sheet?
There is a huge difference between sheets and pages. The front of a sheet counts as one page and the back side counts as another. If you have 25 sheets you have 50 pages. Be sure to keep this in mind when you are submitting your book.
What's the best way to keep my costs low?
The best way to make sure that your cost stays as low as possible is to be sure to send us your files correctly formatted and ready to print. It will cut cost to avoid fees for resubmitting files and having a graphic designer reformat your file or create a cover
Types of Binding
Perfect Binding (paperback)
We have a complete layout service for $400. You can send us your book and cover files and we will completely set up the book according to your specifications.
Plastic Coil Binding
Ideal for cookbooks and school workbooks, this type of binding is great for books that need to lay completely flat. We use strong, flexible plastic coil. Black, White, and Clear coils are available. Please contact us to see what additional time may be needed to prepare your order.
Saddle Stitching
Saddle-stitching is where the sheets are folded in half, and 2 wire stitches (or staples) are added on the fold. It's really more of a "booklet" than an actual book, but we do have it available for some book sizes.
Paper Choices and Color Pages
Paper Choices for your Inside Pages:
Most of our books are printed on 60# White Offset, which offers great contrast and, therefore, better readability. Here's our full line of paper available for inside pages:
- White Offset ... 60#, 70#, 80#
- Cream Offset ... ,60#, 70#
- Gloss Text ... 80#, 100#
Prices vary, but complete pricing appears on our Cost Calculator and also on our Order Form.
Do you offer full-color books?
Yes, we do. Our covers are always printed fully in color and normally have black and white pages; however, we also offer full-color books, as well as "combination" books (books with some black-and-white pages and some full-color pages). Pricing can be found when you calculate your cost on our convenient book calculator.
Is there an extra charge to print photos?
Yes, we can print photos. Black-and-white photos on the inside, and full-color photos on the cover are FREE. If you want full-color photos on the inside, just indicate how many pages of full-color you'd like when you fill out your order.
What if I need extra computer work done?
We've got a complete graphics department, staffed with skilled designers. Depending on the type of files, we can fix most corrections or deletions. ($75 an hour)
I don't know how to convert my file, is that a service you provide? [$50]
Yes, we can convert your files to PDF for you, however, it's best if you do it yourself.
If you decide to use us for the conversion, there is a $50 charge.
Revisions
Do we provide Book Revisions?
In order for us to provide you with book revisions, we charge $75 each hour it is worked on.
What if I do the revisions myself?
We allow you to do the revisions yourself, but there is a $25 charge to resubmit the cover and $25 for the inside content of the book.
ISBN and Barcodes
What about ISBN and Barcodes?
We can generate a barcode for you from your ISBN. You can purchase your ISBN number or numbers at the website below. https://www.myidentifiers.com/index.php?page=isbn_blocks
Shipping Questions
How long does UPS shipping take?
In addition to Rush and SuperRush production times, we can also expedite your shipping. Check out the UPS shipping map below to see how long UPS Ground will take to get to you. If you need your books faster than that, you may want to select Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, or 3 Day Select as your shipping method. However, it's usually less expensive to upgrade the PRODUCTION time (Rush or SuperRush) than to upgrade the SHIPPING. We can help make sure that your books get delivered on time. Just give us a call, but be sure to do it BEFORE you give final approval of your artwork.
Can I send my books to two different places?
Yes, we can split ship your order. An example of this would be an order for 100 books. We can send 50 to one location and the rest of the order to another location of your choice.
Is blind shipping available?
Yes, blind shipping is available, and we don't charge extra for it. Blind shipments are sent in plain brown boxes, without our name appearing anywhere. Your company is listed as the shipper.
