Making a custom board book for kids can be a fun DIY project. As a professional children’s board book printing manufacturer, I suggest you create unique and personalized books that educate and entertain little ones.
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll share everything you need to know to make your own sturdy board book. From choosing the right paperboard and layouts to printing and binding, let’s dive in.
Why Make Custom Board Books?
As parents already know, board books are a staple for babies and toddlers. These chunky books with thick cardboard pages can withstand chewing, throwing, and everything in between.
Unlike flimsy paper pages, sturdy board book pages encourage little kids to explore books through touch. Board books also often have bright colors, simple stories, and engaging textures.
While you can find tons of mass-market board books at your local bookstore, making a custom book allows you to:
- Create a personalized gift for a loved one
- Preserve special memories and photos
- Teach kids concepts, numbers, letters, colors and more
- Print as few or as many copies as you need
- Include interactive elements like lift-the-flaps
- Control the story, images, and message
For creative parents and grandparents, designing a custom board book is extremely rewarding. Let’s go over the process step-by-step.
How to Make a Children’s Board Book?
Choose a Binding Method
The most critical decision in your board book project is the binding technique. Self-published board books generally use one of two bindings:
1. Saddle Stitch Binding
Saddle stitch is the standard binding you see in paperback books. Pages are stacked, folded down the middle, and stapled along the crease.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Printing and binding is easy
Cons
- Durability is low for board books
- Page count is very limited for thick cardboard
Due to its flimsiness, I don’t recommend saddle stitch binding for board books. The staple is likely to rip out of the spine once kids start playing rough.
However, saddle stitch can work for very short board books with just a few pages.
2. Case Binding
Case binding is the gold standard of book binding. It’s an extremely sturdy technique that allows hundreds of pages to be stacked and sewn together.
In this method, pages (or small groups of pages called “signatures”) are stacked and sewn together. The sewn pages are then glued into the cover.
Pros
- Very durable – perfect for board books
- More layout flexibility and page counts
Cons
- Case binding equipment is expensive
- The process has a steeper learning curve
Due to its unmatched durability, case binding is ideal for creating custom board books.
If doing it yourself with hand tools, it does take some skill. But working with an experienced book printer streamlines the process. Their special equipment makes case binding super simple.
Choose a Book Size
Once you’ve decided on a binding technique, the next step is picking a book size. Some good dimensions for board books include:
- 5 x 5 inches
- 6 x 6 inches
- 7 x 7 inches
- 8 x 8 inches
I recommend starting with 6 x 6 or 7 x 7 inches. This allows enough space for appealing layouts while keeping things compact.
Square or portrait layouts tend to work better than landscape proportions. Little hands find them easier to grip and manipulate.
For very young babies, choose a smaller size like 5 x 5 inches. And bigger kids can handle slightly larger sizes like 8 x 8 inches.
Just keep in mind that page count goes down as the dimensions get larger. More on that next.
Determine Page Count
Given their thick cardboard pages, case bound board books don’t allow as many pages as normal paperback books.
Here’s a quick guideline on feasible page counts:
- 5×5 book – up to 30 pages
- 6×6 book – up to 28 pages
- 7×7 book – up to 26 pages
- 8×8 book – up to 24 pages
Remember that with a case bound book, each “page” is really the front and back of a sheet. So a 26 page 7×7 book has 13 physical sheets of cardboard.
I recommend keeping your custom board book on the shorter side. Around 20 – 24 heavy cardboard pages is sufficient for most concepts and stories.
With smart layouts and design, a standard 24 page board book equates to 12 spreads – plenty of real estate for creative ideas.
Decide On A Cover
Board book covers need to grab attention while being durable enough to withstand bites and rips. Here are some good cover options to consider:
Printed Cardboard
Printing the cover design directly onto thick cardboard stock gives a smooth, sleek finish. It’s the same material used for the inner pages.
This method allows for bright colorful designs with a neat, integrated look. Printed cardboard does lack scratch resistance though.
Book Cloth
Gluing a woven book cloth onto cardboard is another option. The fabric adds nice texture and protects the cover from scratches.
Choose a tightly woven book cloth or sturdy canvas material so little fingers don’t poke holes.
Laminate
Laminating printed cardboard or book cloth covers with a thick wear-proof plastic film boosts durability. A laminated cover resists bites, scratches, and liquids.
One thing to watch is delamination. Make sure the printer uses stable, archival lamination sheets to permanently fuse to the underlying surface.
Select Interior Paper
Picking the right paperboard for inner pages is an important piece of the puzzle. Here are the best options:
Recycled Paperboard
Recycled paperboard contains a high percentage of post-consumer waste paper. It has a tan color and works great for board book pages.
This eco-friendly material feels substantial in little hands. And the natural color can pair nicely with colorful artwork.
Recycled paperboard does have small wood flecks throughout since waste paper contains traces of tree bark and plant matter. For some projects, the tiny specks add nice texture and visual interest.
White Paperboard
For a smooth, bleached white surface, upgraded white paperboard is another good choice. It costs a bit more than recycled stock but has a very clean look.
White paperboard contains virgin tree pulp and gets bleached to achieve brightness. It has no visible particles and works well for colorful picture books.
In most cases, 12pt thickness (0.12 inches) provides ideal sturdiness for custom board books. Refer to the next section for printing surface recommendations.
Choose Printing Surfaces
When selecting interior pages, you’ll also need to decide on printing surfaces. Here are some top options:
Uncoated
Standard uncoated paperboard has a flat matte texture. It allows pencils, crayons, and art markers to glide smoothly across the surface.
The downside is that uncoated stock absorbs liquid. So pages get damaged if kids try coloring it with wet paint.
Overall though, uncoated recycled or white board pairs wonderfully with dry art supplies for interactive books. The matte surface also helps display colors accurately.
Gloss Coated
Gloss coatings create a shiny, smooth finish that pops color vibrancy. The images seem to float on the surface.
However, gloss cardboard causes most art supplies to skip and smear. Liquid paint beads up and doesn’t absorb well.
If your custom board book will strictly be for reading, gloss coating adds nice visual flair. The liquid resistance also helps pages withstand spills.
Matte Coated
With enhanced durability vs. uncoated stock and better ink holdout than gloss, matte coating hits the sweet spot for board book paper.
It has a velvety texture that allows coloring while still giving a coated surface. Both wet and dry artistic media bond evenly and smoothly.
Plus, matte coating minimizes glare when reading under bright lights. It brings out colors without the shine factor going overboard.
Layout and Illustrate Pages
With the print specifications decided, you can start designing the interior pages.
Software Tools
For layouts, professional book printers have templates to make things easier. But you can also use design programs like:
- Adobe InDesign
- Microsoft Publisher
- Canva
In terms of illustrations, you have a couple options:
- Hire an artist – Talented designers can create custom drawings based on your vision. Sites like Fiverr and Upwork have loads of freelancers. Be sure to review portfolios first.
- Use stock art – Stock art libraries like Adobe Stock have millions of photos, vectors, icons, fonts, and illustrations. Just mind copyright laws.
- Draw your own artwork – If you have artistic chops, hand drawn images add a personal touch. Or get the kids involved! Their pictures make for adorable homemade books.
I recommend having an illustrator create theartwork unless you or your children plan to draw the pictures yourselves. Professional illustrationsalign everything nicely while allowing you to focus on the writing and layouts.
Spread Layouts
Once your illustrations are finished, place them across blank page templates with accompanying text.
Remember that with case binding, pages are printed front and back. So you’ll design individual pages but arrange them as spreads.
When opened, kids see a two page spread. This allows for fun panoramic layouts with images that cross between the left and right textbook pages.
Here are some layout elements to consider as you design:
- Photo montages
- Shapes cutout windows
- Gatefolds
- Lift-the-flaps
- Pull-out imagery
- Pockets and enclosures
- Embossed patterns
- Die-cut holes
- Special inks/coatings
With so many options, custom board books unlock serious creative potential compared to mass-market alternatives.
Plan Binding and Finishing
As you complete the layouts and illustrations, talk with your printer about binding and finishing.
Most book printers have board book printing down to a science with efficient case binding equipment. But extra finishing touches require planning.
Color Management
Work with the printer early on to calibrate colors correctly. Confirm that cover laminates, interior pages, and case wrap fabric all have matching hues.
Establish color profiles and check press proofs to verify colors before the full print run.
Die-Cutting
Any special die-cuts like shaped covers, holes, or custom page contours need planning too. Sheet sizes, die-cut page placements, and perfect registration take coordination.
Embossing/Debossing
Similar to die-cutting, embossing (raised texture) and debossing (indented texture) require special tooling. Finalize locations and depths ahead of production.
By discussing binding style, page counts, finishes, and other specifications with your printer upfront, the manufacturing process will go smoothly.
Print and Bind!
With all the pieces in place, it’s time to start the presses and see your custom creation come to life!
As sheets print and dry, watch in anticipation as they get trimmed, folded, sewn, glued, and assembled into books.
The final story that emerges page by page results from lots planning, paperwork, and elbow grease. But as you hold the completed project, none of that matters.
All that’s left is to enjoy story time snuggles with your little one as your imagination unfolds.
Share Your Book!
Once printed, you now have professional-quality board books to gift and sell. Here are some ideas:
- Mail copies to friends and family
- Donate to schools, libraries, and hospitals
- Sell on Etsy, eBay, or Amazon
- List on social media and local classifieds
- Use for marketing collateral at your business
I once created a custom board book chronicling the first year after my daughter Emma was born. Complete with photos, milestones, and memorable moments, “Emma’s First Year” makes for an unforgettable keepsake.
Whether you make a board book for a child, grandbaby, hospital program, school curriculum or other project – the personalized nature makes them special.
Get Creative!
Creating DIY board books requires patience but pays major dividends. Use this guide to make memorable gestures of love.
The format allows mixing photos, drawings, typography, and themes to capture what connects us. And that spark – not the paper and ink – is what matters.