FAQ

We are always asked questions about who we are and the process we use to bring books to-life. Other questions pertain to costs, distribution and even the equipment we use, so we have compiled a list of questions most commonly asked. Should you have a question you don’t see in this guide, please feel free to contact our customers service representatives.

About Printorium Bookworks

Who is Printorium Bookworks?
Printorium Bookworks is the book printing division at Island Blue Print Co. Ltd. Operating under “Island Blue” the company has been in business since 1912. Today it operates 3 divisions; The Art Store, The Reprographics and Digital Print Centre, and Printorium Bookworks.

Where are you located?
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

How long have you been printing books?
We have been in the copying and printing business for many years; perfect bound book printing was added in 2003.

Is Printorium Bookworks a Publisher?
No, our expertise lies in the print services we offer to publishers and authors. As the publishing company or the individual author, you own the rights to the book. We’re here to simply print your books and ship them to you. After that, you become the marketing arm of your book.

Do I retain all the rights to my book?
By all means, as the publisher or author the book is yours in its entirety. The only part of the book we hold onto (with your permission) is the digital file for reordering additional books.

Will you print one book at a time as orders come in?
Certainly, we will print only what you have sold, but what you have to think about is the increased cost of freight on single book orders. We do prefer minimum orders of 25 to make it cost efficient on your freight bill.

Are there issues with shipping books across the border?
No problem. We work with a number of courier companies doing cross border shipping including Canada Post. We shop the most competitive rate for you, depending when you require the books at their final
destination(s).

Printorium Bookworks' Services

Does Printorium Bookworks issue ISBN’s?
ISBN’s have always been associated with the publisher of the book (you). Getting an ISBN is a painless process and all part of the fun of publishing.

Do I get to see a proof before my book is printed?
Yes, we send proofs on all book printing orders. All publishers and authors must sign off on the approval of their book before the final printing. The proof copy is exactly the same as the final copies you will receive.

What happens if I have changes to my book proof?
When you make changes in your native digital native file and save as another PDF file we charge you for another book proof. Should you ask us to fix or make changes to your original file, we charge by the hour for this service, and then charge for another proof. In this case we give you a quote before proceeding with any changes. Should there be production errors, we fix the problem at our expense.

How long does it take to produce my books?
This all depends on the type of files you send us and the time you take in proofing your book. With clean files, we ship a proof in approximately 4 working days. We recommend taking your time with the proof. Upon approval of your proof, the final order of up to 100 books is printed and shipped in 4 – 5 working days. Larger orders take an additional 24 hours per each 100 books.

How many books should I order?
Print only what you need or have sold. Remember you will need extra copies for family and friends. Should you want to market your book, you will need review copies, bookstore copies and even copies shipped to the media. Should you need an additional reprint, with our process we simply recall your digital file store with us, print and ship quickly only at your book cost, plus freight. No waiting or paying for another proof. Please note that delivery within 5% of the ordered quantity will be considered complete. Any overs/shortages will be charged/credited at per unit book price unless other arrangements have been made and confirmed in writing prior to commencement of work.

Printing Books in General

How does Printorium Bookworks print my books? Printorium utilizes a very high standard of print equipment from Xerox. For black & white printing, we use two Nuvera 120 black and white presses thus maintaining consistent quality in the type and photos. All our colour work for both covers and inside pages are produced through our iGEN3 digital color press. For laminated covers in both the gloss and matte finish, we use a lay-flat material recommended for this process. Our high-end Bourg perfect binder gives a nice square spine and the addition of a scored line within a ¼" of the spine on the cover.

Is there a difference between your digital print method and offset printing?
To a new author, no, but to an experienced publisher or someone with a trained eye, they can generally see a slight difference. With the vast improvement in digital print technology, it is often hard to tell the difference between the two. Each process has a natural fit in the book printing industry. Digital print allows for runs of up to 1,000 copies to be printed economically and for larger quantities, offset printing is the better buy. It all depends if you want to warehouse copies. As to turnaround times, digital printing offers a very quick print to market process over offset.

What is the best trim size for my book?
That is really up to you. How thick do I want my book to be, how much information will be on my cover and what will the graphics look like? Printorium will print any size of book up to a trim size of 8½" x 11". The cost difference between the different sizes is minimal.

Who owns my digital files?
You created the files, so they’re your files. We do hold on to your file in our digital book library to simplify the reprint process. Simply contact your customer service rep and place a new order. At any time you wish us to remove your file, send written instructions or an email stating your request.

Will Printorium Bookworks look after my distribution to various locations?
Yes, we work with you in getting your books to your required destinations. Why have Printorium send the entire order to you, whereby you unpack and have to repackage and pay a courier again? Why pay double? If we do the distribution, you’re only responsible for the shipping costs.

How do my books get shipped?
All proofs are shipped Xpress Post. All book orders depending on quantity are shipped via Canada Post or DHL courier. We always check for the most economical way to ship or find the courier who will meet your deadline. If required, during the quoting process we can give you a very close shipping cost.

What happens if there is a quality issue with my books?
Printorium Bookworks always stands behind their finished product. If you are unhappy with the quality of any book or marketing material printed by Printorium Bookworks, please contact your customer service representative with the details of the problem and we will work with you to fix the problem.

Book Pricing & Costs

How much will my books cost?
Below are examples of our prices (prices are subject to change without notice) for assorted soft cover book sizes for black and white books or full colour picture books. All our pricing includes a full colour cover with laminate, and perfect binding. Our black and white inside pages are printed on 60lb Husky Offset while the inside pages for our colour picture books are printed on 80lb Luna Matte. All book covers are printed on Cornwall 10 point, coated one side, cover stock. We also charge a setup/proofing/storage fee based on the type of book and type of digital file supplied. For example, black and white books prepared using digital PDF files are $39.95 each, while a book from a native digital file is $69.95. Colour books prepared using digital PDF files are $59.95 each, while a book from native digital file is $89.95. Once your title is in our system and you require additional copies of your book, you are charged only for the cost of the book.

	B/W Books			Color Photo Books
Book Size	<---- Number of Pages ---->
	100	200	300	24	40	60
4" x 6"	$5.46	$7.28	$9.09	$6.85	$8.99	$11.66
6" x 9"	$5.62	$7.60	$9.59	$6.85	$8.99	$11.66
8.5" x 11"	$7.55	$11.46	$15.37	$7.90	$10.74	$14.29

(Price discounts are available for volume printing) For prices on hard cover books, please contact one of our sales representatives.

Do illustrations, graphics or photographs affect my price?
Your book printing price is not affected at all. Our pricing to you is determined strictly on the total number of pages in your book and not content. The only effect illustrations and photo have on a book is the file size.

How does Printorium Bookworks handle payment?
We accept payment of cash, cheque, Debit Card, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Before proceeding with any book printing order, we require a 50% deposit to be made at the time of order. The balance (50% + shipping costs) is due prior to shipping the books to you. For established publishing companies in Canada doing business for over ten years we do offer credit terms upon applying for terms.

What price should I set for my book?
That all depends on your market and what the market will bear. Visit local bookstores to see what a book of your genre is selling for.

Marketing, Distribution And Sales

Will Printorium Bookworks sell my books?
No. Selling your book will always be best handled by you, who has a vested interest in its success. We do showcase some books we print at trade shows and book fairs, and should someone be interested in purchasing your book, we would have them contact you.

Does Printorium Bookworks have worldwide shipping capabilities?
Yes, Printorium Bookworks can ship books worldwide via a number of courier companies.

Can Printorium produce other marketing materials for my book?
Yes, from supplied digital files we can produce, bookmarks, business cards, postcards, sell sheets, and posters. See Marketing Materials for more details and pricing.

Print Related Questions

Do you print books in colour?
Yes, we print full-colour picture books, children’s books, art books, photography books, cook books, comic books and graphic novels.

Do you print books where there is a mix of colour and black &white inside pages?
Yes, we can handle the printing of your book requiring a few, or many, colour pages inserted either together or spread throughout your book. Simply give us a separate file for the colour pages.

What type of laminate finishes do you offer?
Printorium Bookworks offers both gloss and matte laminate on covers.

What binding options are available?
Most books are perfect bound. Where you need a book to lay flat on a desk or counter, we recommend a cerlox, spiro or twin loop wire binding.

Is there specific paper stocks Printorium Bookworks uses?
Yes, we have specific paper and card stocks we use to produce your book. Because we buy in bulk, we are able to pass the savings on to you. We feel these stocks give us a quality product.

What format do you want my print ready files supplied?
We require PDF files. Supplying us with poor PDF files or native files simply increases your proofing fee.