What is a Hardcover Book Binding?

Hardcover bound books are first perfect bound with a blank end sheet, and then trimmed to the final trim size. The outside cover of the book is glued to .088" thick book board and are wrapped in cloth, leather, or a printed sheet (typically called case wrapping). DiggyPOD offers case wrapped hardbound book binding, we do not offer cloth or leather wrapping.

What is a Dust Jacket?

Dust Jackets are detachable outer cover, made of paper & printed on for a custom look. The Dust Jacket has folded flaps that hold it to the front & back covers. DiggyPOD does not currently offer Dust Jackets.

What is Foil Stamping?

Foil stamping (which is also known as hot stamping) is the process by which the book title and author name are stamped onto the book in gold or silver foil. Foil stamping is most typically found on cloth or leather-bound books or books with dust jackets. Because this process uses a steel die that hot stamps the foil onto the front cover, it can be quite expensive, costing anywhere between $500 and $1,500. DiggyPOD does not currently offer foil stamping.

What is Embossing?

Embossing is when you use a steel die to put an impression into paper to give a raised letters or design. It is mostly used on dust jackets to give the book cover a high end finish feel and look. Embossing can be quite expensive, as the embossing dies can cost anywhere from $300 to $2000 depending on how intricate the embossing is. DiggyPOD does not offer embossing.

What is Smyth Sewn Binding?

Smyth Sewn books actually are sewn together on an industrial sewing machine to help hold the pages together. The sewing is applied once the pages are folded into signatures and collated together. This adds another step to the hardcover binding process, and can only be done if the book is printed in signatures. At DiggyPOD, we print only flat sheets on our digital printing presses, so we are unable to do smyth sewn books.

What are End sheets?

An end sheet (also called an end leaf) is used as the false cover of hard bound books. These end sheets are glued to the interior book pages and then glued to the inside of the outer casing of the book. The end sheets are a thicker paper that secures the book block (text pages) to the outside cover casing with glue. End sheets are either white or natural and contain no printing on them.

What are Endbands?

Endbands are multicolored ribbons on the top & bottom of the book spine. Endbands are used for decoration only & serve no additional functions to the book. Endbands are typically used for Reference books, and some religious book.

What is the minimum amount of hardcover books I can order?

Our minimum order is 24 books.

Can I get a proof of my hardcopy book?

Yes, you can order a hard copy proof for $80.00 when you place your order.

What is the turnaround time for my hardcover books?

Our production time for hardcover is 10 business days + shipping time.

What is the minimum number of pages that I can have for hardcover books?

The minimum page count depends on the paper used for the interior pages of your book:

• 50# white — minimum page count is 42 pages
• 60# white — minimum page count is 36 pages
• 60# natural — minimum page count is 34 pages
• 70# white — minimum page count is 30 pages
• 80# gloss — minimum page count is 45 pages

What kind of hardcover book does DiggyPOD produce?

DiggyPOD produces a Case Wrapped hardcover book. The casewrap in printed on 100# gloss text in full color and then we apply either a gloss or matte lamination to protect the cover.

What are the layout requirements for my hardcover book?

• One pdf file of your book cover & a separate pdf file for the interior pages.
• Fonts must be embedded in both pdf files.
• Page size must match the trim size of the book you are ordering.
• PDF file should be in single page layout
• Make sure any graphics are high resolution (we recommend 200 to 300 dpi).

What size of hardcover book can I print?

DiggyPOD offers three standard sizes hardcover binding:

• 5.5" x 8.5"
• 6" x 9"
• 7" x 10"

This is portrait size only.

Can DiggyPOD print both Hardcover & paperback books from the same file?

Yes, but you must place a separate order for each binding style. We cannot do both binding types on the same order, because the binding process is quite different and requires different equipment and set-up times.

Feel free to read our reviews below, or view the over 1400 verified online reviews. Feel free to give us a call with any questions you might have about our case binding offerings at 1-877-944-7844 Monday thru Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST.