We want to share our expertise with you so that your first book printing project becomes a rewarding and enjoyable experience. We understand that you have put a lot of effort into the development of your book, and may be a little scared about what comes next. Relax… we have outlined the steps we’ll take so that you will be comfortable with the book manufacturing process.

Getting Started
Once you’ve written your book and are ready for production, here’s what we need to get started:
   •Print-ready digital files
   •Hard copy of your book (a print-out made from the files you’re sending)
   •Incoming Order Checklist with shipping instructions
   •Payment - Contact your sales rep for information on payment schedules and shipping options
   •A signed copy of our quote, with order quantity circled

Preflighting
After your project arrives at Color House Graphics, you will be assigned an Account Executive who will work with you and shepherd your project through the production process. We’ll preflight your files and provide you with a detailed report right away. Preflighting is an in-depth file check that will alert us to any concerns there may be with your digital files. To expedite file processing, up to $60 of file corrections may be completed without additional customer notification.

Proofing
Once your files have passed the preflight test, we make a proof. Your proof will be a booked-up black and white text proof, cut to size, with all the pages in place. The cover proof will be a separate, flat, full-color sheet and will come with the text proof. It will be the correct size, but will not be wrapped around the text like the final product will.

By randomly selecting six color pages, we allow you to see what the pages will look like while also keeping your printing costs down. You may request specific pages for this purpose. Let your Account Executive know.

Manufacturing - Offset
Offset books are printed in signatures. 6" x 9” and smaller are printed in 32 page signatures. 7" x 11” and larger are printed in 16 page signatures. That means for a 32 page signature, each sheet of paper through our offset press has 16 fronts and 16 backs. The printed signatures are then folded to become a 32 consecutive-page section of the book. The folded signatures are then collated in order, bound with the cover, and finish-trimmed to become the final product.

Manufacturing - Digital
Advances in digital short-run books have improved dramatically. Short runs from 25-500 copies can be manufactured within 5-10 days. Color House Graphics digital short run printing is a great option for galleys, special events or to fill reprint orders from your backlist. The same quality text and cover materials are used in the digital short run manufacturing process. Providing print-ready PDF files is essential in this workflow. Please contact us if you need assistance or need more information on our digital short run services.


Project Completion
Your Account Executive will keep you posted on the progress of your book, and will let you know when your project is complete. We will prepare an invoice and ship your books once we receive final payment. We can ship to multiple locations and will air express the books if you need them in a hurry.