We’re answering the most common questions we receive on social media.
After you place an order at our website and upload your files, you will be assigned a pre-press technician who will prepare a PDF proof of your book. Once you approve the PDF proof and pay in full, your books go to print.
You also have the option to order a printed proof, which is one copy of your book that we will print and ship to you to view before your full run prints. A printed proof is an additional $40. You must approve the PDF proof before we print the printed proof. Depending on when you approve the PDF proof, we may be able to overnight ship the printed proof to cause minimal delays on the overall printing process. We especially recommend printed proofs if you have critical color matching.
Our pricing is dependent on the specifications of your book, so pricing varies depending on page count, binding style, quantity, etc.
You can get an instant quote any time using our price calculator. If you order 100 books or more, you get 25 free books with your order, effectively lowering the per book cost.
You can also call us at 800-231-0521 to receive a quote over the phone!
Our Ultimate Guide to a 48 Hour Book is a free sample book that takes you through all the important steps to publishing a book, answers your questions and gives you insight into the entire process of printing your book with 48 Hour Books. It also contains samples of our paper and cover options and includes our Diamond 3D Printing on the cover. There is a PDF version available, or you can order a free copy standard mail.
You can also email us at info@48hrbooks.com to request specific samples to mail to you. For example, if you are looking to print a hardcover children’s book, we would gather a few books we have on hand that we have printed and mail them to you.
You can request an ISBN and barcode on our online order form. Once you place your order and upload your files, we will email you the ISBN application to fill out for us to submit to Bowker. We will generate the barcode using the ISBN. Please provide the price of the book before we generate the barcode.
If I get my ISBN from you, do I own it?
Yes, unlike printing with Amazon, you own the ISBN that is assigned to you. Learn more about the process of obtaining an ISBN.
At 48 Hour Books, one of our new special edition options is Edge Printing. Unlike sprayed edges, our edge printing machine prints color and designs directly on the cut edges of your book – no painting involved!
If you would like to use our Edge Printing Service, you can provide the edge design with your other files, or you can collaborate with your pre-press technician to achieve the desired color or design you want. Let us know in the “customer comments” section if you would like to discuss this with your tech, or you can contact us ahead of time and speak with a designer.
Yes, we have two options for foil covers:
Diamond 3D Foil: Gives text and design elements a shiny, raised metallic highlight that glimmers in the light. Diamond 3D Foil is available in gold, silver, rose gold, red, blue, green, purple, and teal. We have plans to add hot pink soon!
Foil Stamping: We use a hot foil pressing process to bond metallic foil to your cover. Our hot foil stamping is available for hardcover books made of cloth or leather and is available in gold, silver, red metallic, blue metallic, white gloss, and black gloss.
Yes, we have hardcover binding (case binding). You can print hardcover books in cloth or leather, but our standard, hardcover books include a full-color cover available in Gloss or Silk (matte) Laminate. We also print dust jackets.
We are based in Twinsburg, Ohio, where we operate every step of the process in-house. We also have a production facility in Las Vegas, NV to serve our west coast clients. This makes us within 2 days UPS Ground shipping from most US locations. We also ship to Canada.
View our addresses and shipping schedule.
We offer two options for cover design:
Create-A-Cover: With our Create-a-Cover service, you get access to our team of graphic designers at an affordable price. Simply choose one of our cover design templates to suit your book, and have our professional graphic artists customize it using your text and images. You can add the Create-a-Cover option during checkout for $100.
Custom Cover Design: For a completely unique design, choose our Custom Cover design service. You'll work closely with our experts to create the perfect cover design for your book from scratch. Contact us to request a quote.
You can also download one of our free book cover templates, available in standard book sizes, if you need help formatting your cover. These templates open InDesign. Dust Jacket templates are also available. Simply visit our Book Templates page and scroll down to fill out the form to download.
We require PDF files of your inside pages and cover to print your book. Once your files are ready, visit our website to place an order. Once your order is placed, you will be prompted to upload your PDF files. When the order is placed, you will be assigned a customer service rep who handles your order and is free to answer any questions you have. You are also assigned a pre-press technician to make sure your files are print-ready and prepare a PDF proof. Once you approve the proofs and pay in full, your books go to print! Keep an eye on your email for any questions or updates to not delay the process or miss communication from us!
View a step-by-step guide of our printing process
View a step-by-step guide of the self-publishing process
We cannot register your book for copyright. You must register it with the Library of Congress at loc.gov. Learn more about applying for copyright.
Yes, we print children’s books in multiple binding types:
For hardcover books, children’s books must be at least 16 pages. If your page count is on the lower side and you want it to be hardcover, we recommend ordering a printed proof to check the binding before the full run goes to print.
For paperback books, children’s books must be at least 16 pages. Saddle-stitch (stapled) binding is also available for books 36 pages or less.
Learn more about printing a children’s book
Read this blog to learn the print materials we recommend for printing a magazine.
Read this blog to learn the print materials we recommend for printing a graphic novel.
Have a question for us? We’re happy to assist you through every step of the printing and self-publishing process. Contact us today to get started!
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