Printed Wrap Hardcover

Printed Wrap covers are the most common type of hardcover book. With these books, a full color print is wrapped around the cover boards and glued down. Our cover wraps are laminated, which adds strength, durability, and beauty to the cover. If you need a printed image on your cover and do not want the added cost of a dust jacket, then this is the cover type for you. 

Interior Papers

Our books are printed on high quality papers made by trusted and environmentally responsible American paper mills. We have chosen papers from Neenah, Mohawk, and Domtar which print beautifully on our presses and help to create strong and reliable bound books. Many of the papers we use are manufactured using renewable energy, and all are FSC certified.

Super Smooth Uncoated
This paper is great for art, photography and illustration books. The super smooth surface and bright white base allow for accurate and vivid color reproduction. We stock this paper in two weights, 100lb text weight (148gsm) and 80lb text weight (120gsm). The page count of your book will dictate which weight will be used.

Matte Coated
Matte coated paper is another excellent option for art, illustration and especially photography books. It offers the print quality benefits you get from coated paper — rich detail and vibrant color — without the high gloss finish of some coated offerings. Matte coated is a good choice for designs that feature solid color graphics and backgrounds. We stock this paper in 100lb text weight (148gsm).

Smooth Uncoated
We suggest using this paper for books which are primarily text, such as poetry, fiction and memoirs. This paper is slightly rougher and toothier than our photo & art paper described above. Color images still print very nicely on this stock, though it feels more appropriate for text based books. We stock this paper in 80lb text weight (120gsm), though lighter weights are available for books with high page counts. 

Natural Tone Uncoated
This paper is identical to the paper described above, but with a pleasing warm white color. Natural tone papers are considered to be easier on the eyes than bright white papers, and are frequently used for poetry books, novels, and any other text based book which does not contain many, if any images. Color images will not print accurately on this stock as the paper base is not a true white.  We stock this paper in 80lb text weight (120gsm), though lighter weights are available for books with high page counts.

Vellum Uncoated
We have added this luxurious vellum paper to our line in response to our customers request to have a more toothy paper for their books. This is a bright white paper with good opacity and thickness. The vellum surface texture appears slightly more matte than the smoother papers we offer. Color images print well on this paper, though blacks will not print quite as dark as they would on the super smooth uncoated or matte coated papers described above. We stock this paper in 80lb text weight (120gsm) only.

Endpapers

All hardcover books have endpapers. Their function is to hold the bound book block into the cover. One side of the sheet is glued onto the inside of the cover, while the other is bound to the book block. These sheets are effectively the first and last sheets in your book. We currently stock black, gray, white and natural endpapers.

Back to top

Whether you are publishing a simple gallery catalog or a high-end portfolio, we offer a range of cover decoration options that will allow you to create a beautiful, custom book cover.

Finishing Options

Whether you’re publishing a simple gallery catalog or a high-end portfolio, we offer a range of cover decoration options that will allow you to create a beautiful, custom book cover. Visit our specifications page to learn more about finishing options and limitations.

Foil Stamping
This traditional cover decoration can be added to our printed wrap hardcover books. The process is age-old and involves making a custom copper die from your digital files, heating the die and then pressing an impression into the cover material. Foil stamping is a finicky medium, and some foil colors do not stamp well when certain designs are combined with particular book cover materials. If we find that the foil color or finish you have chosen does not stamp well on your book, we will contact you to suggest an alternate option.

Cover Finishes
Laminate provides both strength and beauty to your book’s cover. We can apply either gloss, semi-matte, or soft touch matte laminate to printed wrap books. Gloss laminate provides a high sheen finish which is resistant to dirt and smudging, while soft touch matte laminate feels softer in the hands. Semi-matte laminate is scuff proof, offering much of the protection gloss laminate provides without the shiny surface. When choosing your laminate, please consider that matte laminates dulls dark colors, while a gloss laminate preserves a rich black. This may alter the appearance of your cover.

Custom Finishing Options
We offer a variety of additional custom finishing options. They are considered on a case by case basis, as some of these finishing options cannot be applied to certain book types. For more information, questions and pricing, please contact us directly or see our specifications chart. The additional options for Printed Wraps include:
• Custom Printed Endpapers
• Gatefolds
• Vellum Inserts

Back to top