Perfect Bound Books

• Material type: Softcover perfect bound book with glued spine
• Standard sizes: A6, A5, A4, 148mm x 148mm and 210mm x 210mm square
• Custom sizing: Available on request
• Orientation: Portrait, landscape or square, depending on selected size
• Cover material: Silk, gloss, uncoated or recycled paper options
• Cover weights: 250gsm, 300gsm or 350gsm options
• Inner pages: Silk, gloss, uncoated or recycled paper options
• Inner paper weights: 100gsm to 200gsm options, depending on specification
• Print options: Full colour or black only
• Cover finish: None, matt, gloss or soft-touch lamination
• Special finishes: Gold foil, silver foil or Spot UV available on selected cover designs
• Page count: 28 to 600 pages including cover
• Page setup: Pages must be supplied in multiples of 2
• Suitability: Indoor use for books, catalogues, magazines, reports and longer publications
• Artwork setup: Cover artwork must include the front cover, back cover and correct spine width

What is a perfect bound book?
A perfect bound book is a softcover book where the inner pages are glued into the spine and trimmed to create a neat, square edge. It is commonly used for paperback books, magazines, catalogues and reports.

How many pages can I have?
Perfect bound books start from 28 pages and can go up to 600 pages including the cover. Pages must be supplied in multiples of 2.

What if my book has fewer than 28 pages?
A saddle stitched book is usually better for smaller page counts. It is folded and stapled through the centre, making it more suitable for thinner booklets.

What sizes are available?
Standard options include A6, A5, A4 and square formats. Custom sizes are also available, depending on the finished specification.

Can I print in full colour or black only?
Yes. Covers and inner pages can be printed in full colour or black only, depending on your artwork and budget.

What paper stocks can I choose from?
Paper options include silk, gloss, uncoated and recycled stocks. Silk gives a smooth, subtle sheen, gloss is brighter and more reflective, uncoated has a softer natural feel, and recycled paper has a matt, more tactile finish.

Can the cover be thicker than the inner pages?
Yes. Perfect bound books usually use a heavier cover with lighter inner pages. This helps give the book structure and makes it feel more durable.

What cover finishes are available?
Covers can be supplied unlaminated or finished with matt, gloss or soft-touch lamination. Lamination can improve the appearance of the cover and add extra protection against handling.

Can I add foil or Spot UV to the cover?
Yes. Gold foil, silver foil and Spot UV can be added to selected areas of the cover. These finishes work best on simple details such as logos, titles, patterns and key design elements.

Do I need to include a spine in my artwork?
Yes. Perfect bound books have a printed spine, and the spine width depends on your page count and paper choice. We can confirm the spine width once your specification is agreed.

How should I set up the cover artwork?
Your cover artwork should include the back cover, spine and front cover as one complete spread. The spine must be the correct width, with bleed added around the full cover.

How do I avoid losing content near the spine?
Keep important text, logos, page numbers and key image details away from the inner binding edge. We recommend allowing at least 10mm on the inside edge so content does not disappear into the spine.

Should I supply inner pages as single pages or spreads?
Please supply inner pages as single pages in reading order, not printer's spreads. This makes it easier to check and prepare the file correctly for production.

What file format should I supply?
Please supply a print-ready PDF. PDF/X-1a is preferred where possible. Fonts should be embedded or converted to outlines.

Do I need bleed and crop marks?
Yes. Please include bleed and crop marks on your artwork. Any background colours, images or design elements that run to the edge must extend into the bleed area.

What resolution should my images be?
Images should ideally be 300dpi at the final printed size. Low-resolution images may look soft, blurry or pixelated when printed.

Can I design my book in Canva?
Yes, but please export your artwork as a PDF Print file with crop marks and bleed selected. Canva files are usually RGB, so colours may shift slightly when converted for print.

Will colours print exactly as they appear on screen?
Not always. Screens display colour in RGB, while print uses CMYK. Some colour variation is normal, especially with bright colours, Pantones, spot colours or RGB artwork.

Can SM1 check my artwork before print?
Yes. We can check supplied artwork and flag obvious print issues. If your artwork needs correction, layout changes or print-ready setup, we can quote for artwork support.

Artwork Templates

Our handy templates are available in Adobe InDesign and Acrobat PDF Format and the zipped folder can be downloaded to help you create your artwork to the right dimensions.

Download Templates

Unzipping a folder is easy on both Apple Mac and PC. On a Mac, double-click the zipped folder or right-click and choose "Open With" > "Archive Utility." The contents will be extracted to the same location. On a PC, right-click the zipped folder and select "Extract All." Follow the prompts, choose the destination, and you'll find the unzipped folder in no time.

Artwork Guides

Supplying Your PUR Book - Guide

PUR Book - Guide

Spot Colour - Guide

Setting Up Artwork For Scodix Foil Gold – Guide

Setting Up Artwork For Scodix Foil Silver – Guide

Understanding Types of Lamination - Guide

Font and Image Preparation – Guide

Orientation Guide For Artwork – Guide

Understanding Paper Sizes – Guide

Accepted File Formats – Guide

Print Colour Variation – Guide