Authors
Direct to Print
Direct-to-print is for customers who design their own books. The cover and interior files must be submitted in press ready PDF format and submitted by e-mail to info@catawbapublishing.com, your assigned sales representative (if you have one), or a file transfer utility.
How to Submit Files
- Authors should submit PDF files via e-mail, CD or FTP. Documents will only be accepted in PDF format. Please use the “press quality setting” and ensure that all fonts, images and colors are properly embedded. Please perform a preflight check before submitting.
- Catawba Publishing will not make any changes or modifications to your documents; books will be printed as they are received. Please review our Page Guide and Cover Templates for recommended margins.
- Files received in Word .DOC format are subject to a $25 PDF conversion fee
- Any time a book is reprinted with new files (cover or interior) a $25 file resubmission fee is incurred.
- Please ensure that your spine thickness is correct.
Spine thickness = (total page count x paper thickness) / divided by 2.
Our standard paper stocks have the following thickness:
- 60# White .0046
- 70# White .0052
For example, if your book is 160 pages printed on 60# paper, your calculation would be:
(160x.0046) / 2 = .368 inches
- Specialty stocks available. Please contact us so we can help you make an accurate spine calculation.
How to Submit Covers and Images
- Submit images and covers by e-mail, file transfer, CD by mail, or in person.
- Do not use paper clips on photographs to organize your book. The paperclip can bend and scratch the image before we get it scanned.
- Do not print an image at home and give to us to scan. Instead, simply send us the digital file.
- Do not submit web images. Their resolution is very low, and will produce a low quality image.
- Do not submit copyrighted images without written consent from the owner of the rights to the images.
Bleeds
A bleed is needed when someone wants to print right to the edge of the paper. If there is a bleed on each edge, it must extend past the trim size by .125”.
To Set Up for a Bleed: Add .25” to the width and height of your document. This will leave a .125” bleed on each side. After it is printed anything inside the .125” bleed will be trimmed off to ensure that the color will go right to the edge of the page.
Let’s say you want a 4” x 6” postcard:
- Your image should be sized at 4.25” x 6.25”.
- The margins should be set to .125 on all four sides. This is just to show you where your document will be trimmed.
- Be sure no type or any important elements are within your margin because it could be trimmed.
Resources
You can find PDF and .DOC guides for the following sizes here.