Before you send files
File guide
Files set up this way print the way you expect. The Prep my files page builds a paperback cover template for your trim and page count. Share a Google Drive or Dropbox link, and we confirm the files by email before anything prints.
1. Set the bleed for that file
Paperback interiors get 1/8" of bleed on the top, the bottom, and the outside edge, and none on the spine side. A 5.5" × 8.5" page is a 5.625" × 8.75" file. The file is 1/8" wider and 1/4" taller than the trim. Covers and comics still get 1/8" of bleed on every side. Run the background all the way out. Bleed can't be white if you want color to the edge.
2. 300 DPI at full size
Measure at the size it prints, not the size on screen. A file that's 300 DPI at 4 inches is only half that at 8.
3. Keep text in the safe area
Logos, text, signatures and page numbers stay at least 1/8" inside the trim line, so the cut never touches them.
4. Send a PDF, in CMYK
PDF keeps your fonts and layout. Screens glow and paper doesn't: we convert RGB files, and some bright colors print duller.
What bleed means
We print on a bigger sheet and cut it down. A blade can land a hair off, so art that stops exactly at the edge can leave a white sliver. Art that runs past the edge can't.
- Bleed edge:
- art goes all the way out; the outer 1/8" is cut off.
- Trim line (dashes):
- where we cut, your finished size.
- Safe area (dots):
- 1/8" inside the trim; keep text and logos in.
Exact file sizes
Paperback interiors are 1/8" wider and 1/4" taller than the trim: bleed on the top, bottom, and outside edge, and none on the spine side. Comics have 1/8" of bleed on every side. Pixels below are at 300 DPI.
| Product | Finished size | Make your file | Pixels at 300 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperback interior | 5" × 8" | 5.125" × 8.25" | 1,538 × 2,475 |
| Paperback interior | 5.25" × 8" | 5.375" × 8.25" | 1,613 × 2,475 |
| Paperback interior | 5.5" × 8.5" | 5.625" × 8.75" | 1,688 × 2,625 |
| Paperback interior | 6" × 9" | 6.125" × 9.25" | 1,838 × 2,775 |
| Comic books | 6.625" × 10.25" | 6.875" × 10.5" | 2,063 × 3,150 |
Book covers have a spine that depends on the page count: Prep my files works out the whole wrap for you. Paperbacks can be 60 to 900 pages. Our max is 900 pages, which is about a 2.48 inch spine.
The full rules, including who's responsible for what's in the file, are in our policies. Not sure about a file? Send it anyway. We confirm files by email before we invoice, and we'll tell you exactly what to change.