BOOK SPECIFICATION
Format · Extent · Binding · Orientation
230 × 280 mm · 224 pages + 8 pages endpapers · Section-sewn square-spine hardcover · Portrait
COVER
Material · GSM · Board · Printing · Finishing
Material: Beige book cloth · Board: 3 mm greyboard · Printing: Black offset printing · Finishing: Oil-based matte varnish, debossed printed lettering
TEXT BLOCK
Paper · GSM · Color · Printing Method
Paper: Matte coated art paper · GSM: 157 gsm · Color: CMYK · Printing Method: Sheet-fed offset printing
ENDPAPERS
Material · GSM · Printing · Attachment
Material: Uncoated paper · GSM: 140 gsm · Printing: Spot red with oil-based matte varnish · Attachment: Glued endpapers
OTHER COMPONENTS
Dust Jacket · Slipcase · Inserts · Edges
Headbands: Burgundy fabric · Packaging: Interleaved with protective paper, bulk wrapped in kraft paper and packed in cartons
PRODUCTION NOTES
Challenge 1: Risk of Ink Smudging and Set-off on Uncoated Interior Sheets
The Challenge
The interior 157g matt art paper pages are printed without a protective varnish layer to preserve the natural paper tactile feel. Handling wet ink on high-density color pages across 224 pages creates a significant risk of ink transfer, scuffing, or set-off during handling and flipping.
Our Solution
Implemented a strict drying interval protocol, requiring sheets to thoroughly dry naturally before reversing pages or proceeding to folding and gathering. Printed an initial test signatures set to confirm ink stability prior to full-run batch printing.
Challenge 2: Precision Control for Cover Blind Debossing and Board Registration
The Challenge
The hardcover exterior features custom printed cover paper wrapped over a dense 3.0mm grayboard. Executing multi-level blind debossing directly onto the printed typography requires precise depth control to avoid cracking the paper fibers while maintaining sharp, readable blind-embossed text contours.
Our Solution
Custom die-cut plates were created, followed by precision-calibrated pressure testing on full-scale paper cases. Die-cutting and casing-in machinery were strictly aligned to guarantee seamless registration between the debossing dies and printed typography.
Challenge 3: Maintaining Color Fidelity and Varnish Consistency Across Specialty Spot Colors
The Challenge
The endpapers utilize custom spot red ink covered by an oil-based matt varnish. Specialty inks and matt varnishes often undergo shifting during the curing phase, making exact color matching to target proofs difficult across the 1,250-copy run.
Our Solution
Used custom color curves (AC2020-Fusion) and strictly color-matched the spot red print against wet proofs under calibrated pressroom lighting. Continuous visual inspection and densitometer monitoring were maintained throughout the entire press run.