Printing

On-demand Printing 

Print-on-demand (POD) is a relatively new, though now widely used, printing technology, which is sometimes referred to as ‘digital printing.’ POD books are printed directly from electronic files such as PDFs or InDesign files rather than mechanical plates. Digital or POD presses are capable of printing single copies of a book “on demand,” meaning when purchased by a customer or Author. (What most of the larger self-publishing companies mean by POD publishing, is the combination of digital printing with digital online distribution. For more information on POD distribution visit our distribution page.) With your on-demand printing capacity, you will be able to print and ship in any quantity to anywhere in the US and Canada, thus allowing you to target and pursue sales opportunities independently of your online distribution, and without needing to maintain inventory. Epigraph’s on-demand printing uses industry standard paper and cover stocks and produces books that are virtually indistinguishable from traditionally printed books. Black and White books all feature a full color cover and most are available in either crème or white paper. Color books are available with either Standard (50 lb.) or Premium (70lb.) papers. Both types are available in a wide range of trim size and formats including paperback, hardcover with dust jacket, cloth hardcover, no dust jacket, and hardcovers with mat laminate finishes.

Print-on-Demand Trim Sizes and Formats

Short Run Digital Printing

Short run digital printers, like on-demand printers, are capable of cost-effectively printing small quantities of books. Authors turn to short run printers when the design or manufacturing demands of their books exceed the parameters available with on-demand printers. Whereas on-demand printers use the same cover and paper stocks for all their printing, short run printers offer a much wider selection of papers to choose from, and the ability to print in nearly any trim size. Typical print runs using short run printers are between 25 to 500 copies.

Offset and Web Printing

Offset and Web are the names of the printers used by traditional publishers when printing 1,500-2,000 copies or more. The primary advantage of printing with offset or web printers is a significantly lower per-unit cost. For example, a 200 page book printed on-demand will have a per-unit cost of around $6.  If the same book were printed with offset or web printer in a quantity of 3,000 copies, the per-unit cost would drop to about $2. Offset and web printers also offer a wider selection of paper and cover stocks to choose from. This kind of printing is considered essential if your book is going to be distributed traditionally in order to absorb the higher wholesale discounts demanded with trade distribution as well as the additional cost associated with trade distribution.