How do i create a bleed cover for a book? [Archive]

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wcohan

04-09-2009, 04:29 PM

I have a book I created in adobe framemaker, it is a 250 page manual, 7.5 x 9. I am now due to send it to the commercial printer and they want me to send a cover for a 'Perfect Bound' type binding. Is there a specific program I should be using to create this? Should the width be double the page width (18in) so that it can wrap around? Any help you may provide is greatly appreciated.

Learning a lot

04-09-2009, 05:03 PM

im not sure if i understand exactly what ur asking...but the bleed should really be at least 1/4" all the way around, i'd say, to ensure it doesn't get cropped wrong. [if there is a bleed at all...] also, are you familiar with perfect binding? it is simply when they will glue the cover to the spine so that the book/manual can lay flat.

Virgo Nightingale

04-09-2009, 05:11 PM

To wrap around a book, the cover for a perfect bound book should be twice as wide as the cover, plus the spine. The thickness of the spine depends on the number of pages, the weight of the paper and the type of perfect binding. Your printer should be able to tell you how much you need to add for the spine, but here's an online spine width calculator (http://www.selfpublishing.com/design/production-center/spine-width-calculator/) that can get you started.

This does not include bleed, which should extend at least 1/8" around the piece.

As far as what program to use, this forum is full of professional designers and will likely point you to expensive professional software like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, etc. For a fraction of the cost (not to mention time spent learning the software) you can hire a designer to take care of the cover for you.

garricks

04-09-2009, 05:23 PM

Virgo, OP is using FrameMaker, can't a cover be designed with that? (I've never used it...I went straight from Ventura Publisher to Quark to InDesign)

(Edit: I didn't realize until recently that Adobe still sells FrameMaker...they just aren't doing development any more...)

Virgo Nightingale

04-09-2009, 05:30 PM

I don't know anything about FrameMaker, I assumed he was asking for other options because he couldn't use it for the cover for some reason. I'm guessing it's a layout program of some sort, perhaps it's only suited for text? :confused:

garricks

04-09-2009, 05:57 PM

I was wrong...they're asking for feedback, so FrameMaker must still be in development.

http://www.adobe.com/products/framemaker/

wcohan, as Virgo said, I would suggest InDesign or Illustrator for the cover if you can't do it in FrameMaker...

eugenetyson

04-09-2009, 06:22 PM