Book Printing in Nepal: Binding, Paper, Page Count and Quotes

Quick answer: Use saddle stitch (staples through the fold) for booklets up to a small page count, perfect binding (glued spine) for most paperback books and reports, and hardcover for premium or long-life books. The printer needs trim size, page count, inner paper and GSM, cover paper and finish, binding type and quantity to price the job.

Book jobs involve more decisions than a flyer. This guide puts them in the order a printer asks for them.

Choose the binding

Binding	How it works	Good for	Limits
Saddle stitch	Folded sheets stapled through the spine	Booklets, magazines, programmes	Page count is limited and the spine is flat
Perfect binding	Pages glued into a wraparound cover	Paperbacks, reports, manuals, novels	Lies less flat; page count must be thick enough
Spiral or wire-o	Coil or wire through punched holes	Workbooks, planners, manuals	Looks less like a finished book
Hardcover (case bound)	Sewn or glued pages in a board case	Gift books, yearbooks, long-life volumes	Highest cost and longer production

Page count must suit the binding. Saddle stitch needs the total pages in multiples of four. Perfect binding needs enough pages to form a spine.

Video: How to choose the right binding for booklets and books, by George Dawn (third-party demonstration)

Paper, size and cover

Inner pages: 70 to 100 GSM uncoated for text-heavy books; 100 to 150 GSM coated for image-heavy books. See the paper GSM guide.
Cover: 250 to 300 GSM card, often laminated matte or gloss. See lamination finishes.
Trim size: A5 (148 × 210 mm) and A4 (210 × 297 mm) follow ISO 216 and avoid waste; other sizes are possible but can cost more paper.

Digital or offset for books

Short runs of a few copies suit digital printing. Larger runs usually move to offset, where setup is spread over more copies. There is no fixed quantity at which one becomes cheaper, so ask for the same specification quoted both ways. See digital vs offset printing.

What to send for a book quote

Trim size (width × height)
Number of inner pages and cover pages
Inner paper name and GSM; colour or black and white
Cover paper, GSM and finish
Binding type
Quantity, with a second quantity to compare
Print-ready PDF or a clear files plan
Delivery location and needed date

Prepare your files

Supply a single PDF in page order with 3 mm bleed.
Put the cover as a separate file; the printer will give the spine width once page count and paper are fixed.
Embed fonts, including Devanagari fonts, and keep images at 300 dpi. See artwork file prep.
Approve a proof before printing.

Page count, signatures and why it matters

Books are printed on large sheets that are folded into groups of pages called signatures. A signature is normally 8, 16 or 32 pages. That is why page counts are often rounded to a multiple of 4, 8 or 16 and why a book with a few extra pages can cost noticeably more: it can add a whole extra signature.

Binding	Page count rule
Saddle stitch	Total pages in multiples of 4 (cover included in the count)
Perfect binding	Enough pages to form a spine; the printer will confirm the minimum for your paper
Hardcover	Usually in multiples of 8 or 16 for sewn books
Spiral and wire-o	Any page count; the thickness limit depends on the binding size

Ask the printer to confirm the page count that suits the binding before you finish the layout. Adding a blank page is cheaper than reprinting a signature.

Spine width and cover files

The spine width depends on the page count and the paper thickness. Ask the printer for the exact spine width once the inner paper is fixed. Prepare the cover as one flat file: back cover, spine and front cover side by side, with 3 mm bleed on the outside edges. For a hardcover book, the printer will give extra wrap allowances.

Paper choices for books

Book type	Inner paper	Cover
Novel or text book	70 to 90 GSM uncoated	250 to 300 GSM card, matte laminated
Textbook with images	90 to 120 GSM uncoated or matte art	250 to 300 GSM card
Photo book or catalogue	130 to 170 GSM coated art	250 to 350 GSM card
Workbook or manual	70 to 100 GSM uncoated	250 GSM card or heavier

See the paper GSM guide. Uncoated paper is easier to read for long text, and coated paper shows photos better.

Typography and Nepali text

Long Nepali text needs a Unicode Devanagari font that supports conjuncts and is readable at body size, normally 10 to 12 pt for printed books. Use consistent line spacing, and check that matras and conjuncts print correctly on the proof. If the text was typed in Preeti, convert it to Unicode before layout. See artwork file prep and wedding card printing for the Preeti and Unicode explanation.

ISBN, barcode and legal pages

If the book will be sold or catalogued, the publisher is responsible for the ISBN and the barcode. Provide them to the printer in vector format for the back cover. Include the copyright page, the publisher name and address, the printer's name and the year of publication, following the practice for your book type.

A step-by-step production plan

Finalise the manuscript and the page layout.
Choose trim size, paper and binding.
Request quotes at two quantities. See how to request a printing quotation.
Approve a proof of cover and sample pages.
Approve the printed sample if colour and paper matter.
Print, bind and trim.
Check a sample from the finished run before the full delivery is accepted.

Common mistakes

Setting margins too narrow on the spine side, so text disappears into the binding.
Choosing paper by the pound of weight rather than by feel and opacity; thin paper shows text from the other side.
Forgetting blank pages and page numbering on the first pages.
Changing the text after the proof is approved.
Printing the full run before checking a bound sample.