General

For the interior of your book, the base price includes your choice of one of our five main paper types. Beyond that, we offer two optional custom features at additional cost:

Translucent Vellum inserts are semi-transparent pages. They are similar to tracing paper, and can be blank or printed. They can be inserted anywhere within the book contents. These are most com used as overlays for chapter breaks, or at the very front and back of the book.

Gatefold Pages, also called fold-out pages. These are often used for maps, panoramic images, and family trees. We can include up to four gatefolds per book.

We are happy to source different paper and materials for your project, or consider features outside of our normal offerings.

If you are looking for something other than what you see on our website, contact us directly.

If it's available to us, and compatible with our equipment and processes, we can order custom paper or materials.

However, keep in mind that this will increase cost, and overall turnaround time on your project.

Certain options that you are interested in may not appear on our order form. This could be because it is not a material that we stock, or it's a feature that we do not have the capability to produce with our equipment.

There may be options that we offer on a case-by-case basis, or new things that we just haven't tried yet. If you are looking for materials or options other than what you see on our website, feel free to contact us directly.

For each book component related to your order, we will need a print-ready PDF. Please take a look at our file formatting specs — you'll find everything you need to properly prepare your files for print production.

When exporting PDFs from InDesign, please follow these steps:

• File > Adobe PDF Presets > High Quality Print
• In the PDF Export Dialog box:
  • Make sure to select Pages (not Spreads)
  • Go to the Marks & Bleeds tab and check the box and use Document Bleed Settings:
    • Do not include printer's marks such as crop marks, registration marks, color bars, etc. in your PDF to preserve embedded color profiles,
• Go to the Output tab:
  • Color section and select the following from the dropdown menus > No Color Conversion  
  • Include All RGB and Tagged Source CMYK Profiles
• After you've exported, be sure to review your PDFs before sending them to us. Your book will be produced directly from the files that you provide.

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Our digital and physical processes are built around working in inches, in the Imperial/US measurement system.

We allow page sizes in increments of 1/4" (0.25").

For example, your page dimensions could be 7.25" wide by 9.75" high.

If you originally laid out your book using metric measurements, it's often fairly simple to edit the page dimensions to the closest 1/4" equivalent.

If you have questions, feel free to contact us.

To produce your books, we need print-ready PDF files of your book interior (content) and cover, and any applicable optional items such as dust jackets, foil stamps, inset images, etc.

Adobe InDesign is the industry standard software for multi-page document design, and that's what we use and recommend for book layouts.

If you are not a designer yourself or do not have access to one, you can find a list of skilled book designers on our designer directory.

Before starting your project, review our file preparation guidelines for important info regarding image resolution, file format, layout recommendations, and more.

The main book cover styles we offer are listed below:

Printed softcover

• These perfect bound softcover books have a crisp, square spine and feature full color printed covers.
• There are three different laminate options, and the cover can also be foil stamped.
• Other options include printing on the inside cover, and cover flaps (french flaps).
  

Classic softcover

• These are constructed in the same way as printed softcovers, but feature a luxurious cover stock available in an array of colors and finishes.
• Full color printing can be done on lighter shades, and black-ink only printing works best with medium to dark shades.
• Classic softcovers are not laminated. Foil stamping is a popular option for this type of cover, and inside cover printing and cover flaps are available.
  

Linen wrap hardcover

• This style of book features made-to-order hard covers, with your choice of coated or uncoated book cloth from the 25+ different colors that we stock.
• Linen wrap hardcovers frequently feature foil stamps or inset images. Dust jackets are another popular option, adding a decorative and protective covering to the book
  

Printed wrap hardcover

• Printed wrap hardcovers feature a full color print that gets wrapped and glued around book cover boards. These can be finished in a gloss, semi-matte, or soft touch matte laminate.
• Foil stamping is an option as well.
  

Printed linen wrap hardcover

• These are a hybrid of the printed wrap and linen wrap styles, where we print a design directly onto a coated linen material. This is frequently paired with foil stamping.
  

Saddle stitch booklets

• Covers on saddle stitch booklets are folded and bound to book contents with wire (staples) or thread.
• They can be printed in full color and laminated, or use Classic Softcover stock. The covers can be foil stamped, and printing on the inside cover is an option as well.

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We are happy to provide information to help you decide which book type is best for your project.

Below are some guidelines you can keep in mind when exploring the options and making your decision.

Hardcover books are heavier and more durable, due to the stiff cover boards that form the basis of the cover. If you are interested in a 'coffee table book', hardcover is the option you want.

Softcover books and saddle stitch booklets are flexible and easy to distribute, and are more economical to produce.

If you are interested in a full-color printed cover design, you should consider a printed softcover, printed wrap hardcover, or linen wrap hardcover with dust jacket.

If you like the look of a solid color cover with a foil stamp, consider a linen wrap hardcover or classic softcover.

You can use our price calculator to compare prices of different book types based on your project's specifications.

You will find photographs of each of these book types in our book gallery. Feel free to contact us directly with any questions.

Choosing a book type is ultimately a personal decision. However, there are some basic guidelines you can use to help make your choice.Hardcover books are heavier and more durable, due to the stiff cover boards that form the basis of the cover. If you are interested in a 'coffee table book', hardcover is the option you want.

Softcover books and saddle stitch booklets are flexible and easy to distribute, and are more economical to produce.If you are interested in a full-color printed cover design, you should consider the following options:- Printed softcover- Printed wrap hardcover- Linen wrap hardcover- Linen wrap hardcover with dust jacket. If you like the look of a solid color cover with a foil stamp, consider a linen wrap hardcover or classic softcover.

You can use our price calculator to compare prices of different book types based on your project's specifications. You will find photographs of each of these book types in our book gallery. Feel free to contact us directly with any questions—we're happy to help you choose the right book type for your project.

Finishing options will vary depending on the type of book you order

Cover designs printed on paper or cover stock will be protected with your choice of laminate.

We offer gloss, semi matte, and soft touch matte. Laminate is applied to the outside cover of >printed wrap hardcovers, printed softcovers, and saddle stitch booklets, as well as to dust jackets and inset images.

For hardcover books, you can have the option of

• Foil stamping is a popular finishing option that is available for all of our book types. Blind stamping (no foil material) is available for hardcover books. 
• An inset image is a laminated print that is glued into a recess on your book cover, and the recess becomes a frame for the image. This option is available for linen wrap and printed linen wrap hardcover books
• Dust Jackets are removable folded sheets of paper stock that wrap around the book cover, providing both protection and decoration. Dust jackets are available for both hardcover and softcover books, but not saddle stitch booklets.
  

For printed softcover and classic softcover books, you have the option of

• Inside cover printing in addition to the included exterior cover print. This is sometimes called 4/4 cover printing
• Softcover flaps (French folds) are available for printed softcover and classic softcover books with a page width of 8.75” or less.

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Finishing options vary depending on the type of book you want to make. Our common finishing options include:

All books

• Gatefold pages
• Vellum inserts
• Foil stamping on cover
  

Hardcover books

• Printed endpapers
• Dust jacket
• Inset image (linen wrap hardcovers only)
• Laminate (printed wrap hardcovers only)
  

Softcover books

• Laminate (printed softcovers only)
• Inside cover printing
• Softcover flaps
  

See our website for more detailed information about all of our stock finishing options. If you have questions about any finishing options, or are interested in options not listed on our site, please contact us.

Since 2007, we've been manufacturing truly custom, short-run books of unmatched quality. Our team of dedicated visual design professionals boasts a range of finely-tuned skills—from advanced color management to precise handwork.

We offer a vast selection of materials and custom options, and your books can be custom-sized to fit your specific project.

We're passionate about books and focused on building long-term relationships with our customers.

With our commitment to high quality, craftsmanship, and stellar customer service, we strive to offer the best self-publishing and book production service available.

Edition One Books works with design professionals, photographers, artists, and other creatives to manufacture short-run books of unmatched quality and customization.

We are focused on building long-term relationships with our customers and aim to offer a more personalized self-publishing and book production service.

Our wide selection of fine materials, combined with our beautiful printing, truly custom formatting, and hands-on personal service, allow our customers to create the books they envision.

Edition One's California production facility maintains a unique array of in-house capabilities. Our books are the result of handmade craftsmanship combined with the most innovative and proven machinery available.

Edition One was founded in 2007 by Ben Zlotkin a few years after he completed his MFA in Photography. Ben's own search for high-quality custom-made photography books during his graduate studies was the catalyst for starting Edition One Books.

Initially called Edition One Studios, the plan was to have an art gallery with a small book-making component. Edition One had exactly one photography show, but the bookmaking component took off.

Today, our company is staffed by a small group of graphic and visual arts professionals. Many of us have formal training in the visual arts. Currently, we have staff members who studied at the San Francisco Art Institute, the California College of the Arts, and the California Polytechnic State University.

All of us strive to make the best custom books available. From the press operator checking color consistency to the person foil stamping book covers, everyone here knows what a well-made book should look and feel like, and they do their part to ensure things are done correctly.

We do not offer any graphic design or book layout assistance. Our services are intended for graphic arts professionals, and we strongly believe that good, competent design is the most important part of making a great book.

If you do not have the skills necessary to lay out your book on your own, please review this list of talented book designers we've worked with in the past. Feel free to contact designers directly to discuss your project. If you are not sure where to start, get in touch with us and we can help put you in contact with a great designer.