All about book printing

Offset book printing in Australia

A more traditional method of book printing is offset book printing. It is a widely used process for publications like magazines, newspapers, prochures, and books. Offset printers use plates and usually a kind of rubber sheet to transfer ink onto paper.

This kind of printing is most suitable when printing your books in large quantities and is a cost-effective option for books with high page counts. If you’re wanting only a few copies of your book printed, you would be more suited to another option.

Digital book printing

One of the more modern methods of book printing is digital book printing. This type of printer uses toner or inkjet technology to produce books.

Digital book printing is great for short runs or on-demand printing (POD) and is cost-effective for these smaller quantities. If you’re wanting to print your book in larger volumes, you would be more suited to another option.

Letterpress book printing

Another traditional form of book printing is letterpress book printing. It involves using plates to create raised impressions of images and text that can inked by rollers. With this process, you can achieve rich colours and a high-quality aesthetic. 

Letterpress book printing is costly and time consuming. Therefore, it is mainly used for printing limited edition books with a small print run.

Book printing quantity

The decision to print a book nowadays is simply determined by the quantity needed (not quality). The diagram below shows that self-publishers who know what volume they need to print can choose between the two main methods – digital book printing and offset book printing.

If the volume is less than the “critical point’ then go digital. If the volume is higher then the self-publishing project warrants offset printing.

At Green Hill, we can advise you on which print method to use.