Trim size
Tablo offers a range of different sizes for your book. Here are the most popular trim sizes (width × height) and their format options.
Paperback | Dust Jacket, Hardcover | Case Wrap, Hardcover | |
4.37×7 11.1 × 17.8 cm | B&W Standard Color | Not Available | Not Available |
5×8 12.7 × 20.3 cm | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | B&W Standard Color |
5.5×8.5 14 × 21.6 cm | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | B&W Standard Color |
6×9 15.2 × 22.9 cm | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | B&W Standard Color |
6.625×10.25 16.8 cm × 26 cm | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | Not Available | B&W |
7×10 17.8 × 25.4 cm | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | Not Available | B&W Standard Color Premium Color |
7.5×9.25 19.1 × 23.5 cm | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | Not Available | B&W Standard Color Premium Color |
8×8 20.3 × 20.3 cm | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | Not Available | B&W Standard Color Premium Color |
8×10 20.3 × 25.4 cm | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | Not Available | B&W Standard Color Premium Color |
8.5×8.5 21.6 × 21.6 cm | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | Not Available | B&W Standard Color Premium Color |
8.5×11 21.6 × 28 cm | B&W Standard Color Premium Color | Not Available | B&W Standard Color Premium Color |
Bindings
Paperback. Perfect binding. The pages and cover are glued to the spine.
Dust jacket, hardcover. The cover design is printed onto a removable dust jacket and a digital image with the look and feel of cloth is printed onto the cover.
Case wrap, hardcover. The cover design is pasted directly onto the cover boards.
Ink and paper
Black & White. Tablo's most economical print method. 50lb white or cream paper.
Premium Color. Ideal for children’s books or graphic novels where rich color is key to the experience. Paper is white, 70lb.
Standard Color. An efficient method of full color printing. Colors are printed at higher speeds, which reduces costs. Ideal for books with occasional images. Paper is white, 70lb.
Bleed
Bleed is a printing term. It refers to printing that goes beyond the trim edge of a page.
Do I need a bleed? If one or more pages in your book has content that reaches to the edge of the page, you must add a bleed on all your pages.
Why have a bleed? A bleed avoids unwanted white marks.
Printing right to the edge of a page is very difficult. A workaround is used instead. This involves printing to large sheets of white paper, and cutting them to the correct shape.
A bleed gives a printer some extra area to make the cut. Paper can shift very slightly as it’s being trimmed. This is normal and unavoidable. And invisible, if you use a bleed.
Below are two examples of finished artwork for a poster. The dotted line in each is the trim line. This shows the printer where to cut.
No bleed. The artwork is the same size as the final poster. White marks may appear on the sides of this design after it is cut.
Bleed. The artwork extends to the edge of the bleed. The printed and cut poster will have a solid fill of color, and no white marks.
How do I add a bleed? Add a bleed to your pages in two steps:
Increase your page size. Add 0.25" (6 mm) to the height, and 0.125" (3 mm) to the width of every page.
Resize your content. Enlarge any full-width content so that it reaches your new page edges.
On the left is a page with a full-width image. The image has been sized so it fills the bleed area. On the right is the same page after it is cut.
Use this table to find your page size with bleed for the most common trim sizes.
Page size without bleed | Page size with bleed |
4.37×7 11.1 × 17.8 cm | 4.5×7.25 11.4 × 18.4 cm |
5×8 12.7 × 20.3 cm | 5.125×8.25 13 × 20.9 cm |
5.5×8.5 14 × 21.6 cm | 5.626×8.75 14.3 × 22.9 cm |
6×9 15.2 × 22.9 cm | 6.125×9.25 15.5 × 23.5 cm |
6.625×10.25 16.8 × 26 cm | 6.75×10.5 17.1 × 26.3 cm |
7×10 17.8 cm × 25.4 cm | 7.125×10.25 18.1 × 26 cm |
7.5×9.25 19.1 × 23.5 cm | 7.625×9.5 19.4 × 24.1 cm |
8×8 20.3 × 20.3 cm | 8.125×8.25 20.6 × 20.9 cm |
8×10 20.3 × 25.4 cm | 8.125×10.25 20.6 × 26 cm |
8.5×8.5 21.6 × 21.6 cm | 8.625×8.75 21.9 × 22.2 cm |
8.5×11 21.6 × 28 cm | 8.625×11.25 21.9×28.3 cm |
Margins
Margins are an area of space between the edge of a page and its main content.
This novel has margins that are larger at the bottom, and smallest on the outer sides. The block of text sits above and away from the center.
There are two reasons for this.
Space for the reader's hands. Novels encourage reading in long sittings. An ample bottom margin lets your reader hold your book open comfortably.
Flat paper versus curved books. Most books don't sit flat when open, but have pages that curve away from the spine, leaving an indentation down the center.