Hardback book printing
aka hardcover books

Our hardback book printing service is designed for authors, self-publishers, businesses, creatives and organisations in need of a premium, long-lasting finish. Hardback books are also known as hardcover books, it uses a case binding method to bind or attach the rigid outer cover to the inner pages creating books which is ideal to be kept, sold, gifted or displayed.

Hardback books are perfect if you require premium books for sale or general distribution. Whether you are publishing a premium novel, creating a photography book or a special collector’s edition. London Print Central’s hardback book printing service can help you produce books that stand out, feel substantial and presents beautifully. With flexible quantities in popular European and US trim sizes including include A5, A4, square 210 x 210mm, Royal, 6×9 US Royal and custom sizes upto 297 x 297mm.

Hardcover embellishments

Need to your hardcover books to stand out and be more unique? Our range of cover embellishments can help with this and includes spot uv varnish which adds a glossy pop to your title and images or gold or silver foiling to make even more stand-out.

See our prices

Use our online cost calculator to work out the best options for your hardback book.
Get prices to suit your budget by selecting the various hardcover options eg. book size, paper weight, colours and turnaround times.

Low Prices

Use our online hardback book cost calculator, change the size, papers, quantity and turnaround for the best prices.

Free File Checks

We check your uploaded inner pages and hard-cover files for printability. We want to ensure your books print as indended.

Free Delivery*

Have your order delivered directly to your door free of charge. *free delivery valid to UK mainland only.

Quality

Your hardback books are printed on the very latest digital presses and case-bound to high standards.

What is case binding?
The method and advantages

Case binding is used for making hardback books, journals, photo books, dissertations, manuals, and premium publications. The printed pages are gathered in the correct reading order and glued together to create a strong book block. The hard cover, known as the case, is made separately from thick 2mm board covered with printed paper with your choice of lamination. The book block is glued into the case using white endpapers, which help hold the pages securely inside the cover. Case binding gives books a durable, quality appearance, with a strong spine and hard covers that protect the pages and make the book suitable for long-term use.

How to supply artwork for hardback books

File setup
For case bound hardcover books, we require 2 separate PDF files; a cover file and the other containing all inner pages as single pages.

Cover file
The cover should be setup as a spread and is different to perfect bound books:
(from right to left) the front page + 5mm hinge + spine + 5mm hinge + back page and a 20mm bleed all around.

Spine Width
The spine width is shown in our hardback book cost calculator at the end of the summary column.

Inner pages file
Your file should contain all pages as single pages not spreads in reading order. Pages should include a 3mm bleed area all around and please keep text within a quiet area of approximately 5mm away from the page edge.

Colour Profiles
Wherever possible always try to work CMYK colours preferably to fogra 39l standards. If using non DTP programs for example Microsoft word, Canva etc. these programs usually output to the RGB spectrum which is suited for colour screens not professional printing. Our rip (raster information process) will automatically convert to CMYK, however bear in mind these colour may not be the same as intended from your origination file.

Specifications

Hardback book sizes:

• A4 size – 210 x 297 mm
• A5 size – 148 x 210 mm
• Demi – 138 x 216 mm
• 6×9 US Royal – 152 x 229 mm
• Royal – 156 x 234 mm
• Square – 210 x 210mm
• Trade – 200 x 250 mm
• We also offer custom sized hardback books up to 300x300mm – Please get in contact for an estimate.

Print:
Print in either full colour or black and white for the inner pages. The cover is printed in colour as standard.

Papers:
Silk papers with it’s semi gloss smooth surface lends itself to rich colour, illustrations and photos. Our silk papers comes in 130gsm, 170gsm and 200gsm. If you prefer a muted look, our white uncoated papers are the perfect choice and comes in 100gsm and 120gsm. All our papers are fsc approved, read more about the FSC here.

Covers:
Hardback book covers are printed on to 150gsm silk papers in colour. This is then glued and mounted on thick 2mm greyboard to create the hard-case.

Turnaround Time:
Production time is approximately 6-7 working days plus 1 extra working day for delivery.

Additional hardback book services we offer

Putting hardcover books together for commercial printing can be daunting for some and requires professional software eg. Indesign or Quarkexpress for the best results. We are on hand to help with your word files or pdfs to ensure accuracy to final output.

We can format your books for print, creating clean reader-friendly pages that meet industry standards and print ready requirements. Our services include paperback and hardcover layout, ensuring your book has a professional interior.

Need help setting up your hardback book cover? We can prepare your cover design for print with the correct dimensions, spine width, and bleed settings to ensure it fits your book perfectly. Our cover setup service helps you avoid sizing errors and gives you a professional, print-ready file for correct printing process.