When creating a book board for bookbinding or book cover boards, choosing the right printing method is key to getting vibrant, accurate colors and durable, high-quality results. In this comprehensive guide, as a professional board book printing manufacturer, I’ll compare the most popular printing techniques used for book boards and cover which option works best based on considerations like quantity, budget, artwork complexity and printing timeframes.
What Printing Do You Use for a Book Board?
Offset Printing for Crisp Illustrations and Photos
Offset printing delivers excellent color accuracy and sharp details, making it ideal for book covers or boards containing intricate artwork, illustrations or photographs that need to be replicated precisely. This versatile printing method transfers ink from metal plates to a rubber blanket and then onto the paper or cardstock surface.
The offset printing process allows for mixing precise amounts of cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) inks to obtain accurate colors needed for photographic images. For book boards containing photos or complex vector illustrations that require color gradient blends, offset printing can smoothly translate those to the printed page.
In addition, offset printing works well for larger print runs where cost efficiency and faster turnaround times are needed. The initial plate setup and configuration does take time, which is why offset printing higher quantities ranging from 500+ copies can achieve better economies of scale. For very small batches like 50 copies or less, digital printing may make more economic sense.
Digital Printing for Short Runs and Customization
Digital printing has grown tremendously in capabilities over the past decade while also dropping significantly in base costs. It’s a great option for printing shorter runs of book boards sized 8.5″ x 11″ or smaller. The workhorse digital presses available today like the Canon ImagePRESS, HP Indigo and Ricoh systems allow for quick printing of variable data jobs. So each finished book board can contain custom elements or personalization if desired.
Key Benefits of Digital Printing:
- Cost effective for shorter print runs below 500 copies
- Fast turnaround, takes less than 5 business days
- Ability to easily tweak artwork and reprint as needed
- Print high-quality color including spot varnishes
- Customization options for variable data printing
The overall quality of digital printing also continues to reach impressive levels that rival offset. But for precision printing with registration needed for lining up multi-pass print passes or specialty inks like metallics, offset still produces better results for now. But given the steady enhancements with digital system capabilities, this story may change in the coming years.
Screen Printing for Bold, Tactile Effects
Screen printing presents another option well-matched for printing book boards, especially if a bold, high-opacity colorful look with optional textural finishes like spot UV or embossing are desired for the artwork. Screen printing pushes ink directly through a fine mesh screen using a rubber squeegee blade. The process can build up ink thickness to allow for bold solid colors needed for graphical images or illustrations containing flat fields of color.
Screen printing only prints one color at a time, so this technique works best for simpler book cover artwork needs versus intricate four-color process photo reproductions or blended colors. But the graphic nature of the process lends itself perfectly to a youthful, engaging cover board print that children’s hands can touch and feel.
Building up many layers of ink on the book boards through screen printing also allows for 3-dimensional enhancements using clear spot UV, aka spot varnish, that embeds glitter or other particles for even more tactile sensations. And running the printed boards through an embossing die after printing can yield sculpted artwork that literally pops off the page.
UV Printing for Photographic Quality and Durability
UV printing utilizes a high-intensity ultraviolet light source to instantly cure ink onto the book board substrate surfaces. The process allows for photographic printing quality while delivering enhanced durability critical for kid’s books undergoing heavy usage. Because UV inks bond directly with the paper or cardstock, they produce excellent ink adhesion while resisting finger smudging and markings.
While screen printing builds up ink thickness for getting that bold solid color pop, UV printing instead focuses on translating smooth color gradients and fine details found in photographic images or complex vector illustrations. The extensive color gamuts possible plus high DPI resolution printing under UV curing capabilities deliver spectacular, accurate results.
And for young readers mishandling books, the scratch and scuff resistance UV printing provides over conventional inks keeps imagery vibrant longer despite hard kid wear and tear usage patterns. Plus, using UV coating over UV ink offers waterproofing protection should drinks spill onto covers.
How Many Book Boards Are Needed?
A key factor that dictates optimal printing process selection centers around order quantity. Here’s a quick snapshot:
- 1 to 50 boards – Digital best suited for very small batches
- 50 to 500 boards – Could use either digital or offset
- 500 to 2,500 boards – Offset ideal for most cost-effective mid-sized runs
- 2,500+ boards – Offset provides best economies of scale for larger quantities
Understanding order size combined with budget, timeframes, and special effects needs determines which technique – offset, digital, screen or UV printing – produces stunning, durable book boards or covers at affordable pricing. Most publishers opt for offset printing offset printing for the majority of longer print runs given the process’s proven color accuracy and efficiencies. But for small test batches or special video jackets requiring ultra-durability, alternate printing techniques should be explored.
Summary: Key Considerations When Printing Book Boards
To summarize optimal book board printing options, below are the top considerations:
Print Quantity Needed
Choose digital printing for very small quantities up to 50 units. For run lengths of 500+, offset printing becomes more cost-effective.
Budget
Assess budget constraints. Digital works well for limited funds and small batches while offset printing controls expenses better for large print runs.
Turnaround Timeframe
Digital printing provides the fastest speed to print from files whereas offset requires more setup time at the start.
Artwork Complexity
If photographs, intricate illustrations and complex graphics appear on covers, offset printing delivers superb color matching and clarity.
Special Finishing Needs
To achieve striking neon colors or textural spot UV, screen printing excels. UV printing resists scuffs and fingerprints.
Wrapping Up
Deciding whether offset, digital, screen or UV printing works best relies first on order size requirements. But also consider budget limits, available lead time, artwork complexity and any embellishing needs. Understanding strengths and weaknesses across printing techniques allows for educated pairings between book board cover content and optimal production processes. So publishers can deliver visually stunning, cost effective and durable books to their audiences.