Inking a Better Cover

Whether through unique substrates, sizes, shapes, or finishing processes such as foil stamping or embossing, publishers need to create distinctive covers that stand out in a competitive marketplace.

Today's book buyers, including those in the educational market, see unique effects as the norm, not the exception. Book covers need to be remarkable enough for customers to pay attention.

But buyers don't want to pay more to get more. With trade book buyers pinching pennies, and school districts cutting budgets, publishers must deliver these dazzling cover looks for less cost and effort.

Publishers are forced to find inexpensive ways to produce unmatched effects. Several innovative printing options, such as stochastic, hexachrome, and UV (ultraviolet) coatings, allow publishers to produce unique, high-end book covers at lower cost.

Stochastic screening is all about print quality. This type of screen produces a far more detailed image, and larger color range. Stochastic printing means the finished product is cleaner, and provides a sharper, crisper image.

Hexachrome is an ultra-high-fidelity, six-color production process that, by adding green and orange to the traditional CMYK ink set, moves the printing process closer to the much larger RGB color space. It works on standard UV or traditional offset printing presses.

Hexachrome printing provides brighter, more vibrant colors. It also results in greatly improved detail, compared to traditional four-color CMYK printing. The hexachrome process virtually eliminates PMS (Pantone Matching System) colors.

Hexachrome's broader palette allows designers to get creative with color. This can result in terrific covers that look radiant when compared to 4-color printed products.

Ultraviolet (UV) coatings involve applying a clear finish to printed surfaces, which is dried using ultraviolet light. The slick UV coating makes the printed piece shine and shimmer, and is an increasingly popular option for book covers and jackets. This makes for an effective lower-cost alternative to lamination.