How to Choose Paper for Your Print Book

If you’re self-publishing, all decisions ultimately rest with you, including what paper your book will be printed on. 

Paper selection may not seem like a big deal at first. After all, how different can two sheets of paper be? In reality, the paper (and ink) you use can play a large role in how well your text and images print. This directly affects reader enjoyment.

Don’t forget to choose your trim size and binding style. These considerations are interrelated with your paper selection, and all impact your print cost. You must also consider whether you will use color or black-and-white printing. Your ink and paper choices are closely intertwined, so we’ll explore both below.

Color vs. Black-and-White Printing

Before design begins, it’s important to know whether you’ll be printing in color or black-and-white. This will affect interior design decisions.

The choice is a matter of your budget, goals, and preferences. You should also keep buyers’ expectations and competitors’ practices in mind. Review other books in your genre. If most books in your genre have color interiors (cookbooks, for example), printing in black-and-white may make your book appear to be lower quality and less engaging than your competitors’ books.

Color printing is best for books where vibrant imagery is necessary to convey information or engage the reader. However, it’s more expensive and will require a higher retail price to cover your print costs. Most authors cringe at this, but people usually expect to pay more for full-color interiors. Higher price points often hint at higher quality.

Black-and-white printing is best for books that are all or mostly text or books with only black-and-white images or tables. This option is significantly cheaper than color printing. 

If color printing raises your retail price above a range you’re comfortable with, you can explore other options, such as printing in black-and-white and offering only an eBook in color.

Paper Selection

When it comes time to complete your full cover (this should be done after your interior—and, thus, your page count—is final), you’ll need to decide what paper your book will be printed on. Paper varies in thickness, which will impact your spine width, so consider your options before full cover design begins.

In general, there are two broad categories of paper: bright white and off-white:

• Bright white paper is more common for nonfiction books that have many tables, images, etc. Photos pop more on bright white paper, and text tends to have a higher contrast and stand out more.
• Off-white paper has less glare and is typically easier on the eyes for extended reading periods. This is a popular option for books that have few or no images, especially fiction and poetry. Off-white paper usually has more bulk than white paper.

If you’re not sure which to choose, you should review other books in your genre to get a feel for which may be best for you and what buyers expect.

Most publishing companies who purport to print on demand go through IngramSpark or KDP, and since these are the primary printers/distributors in the self-publishing space, we’ll focus on their offerings.

IngramSpark

IngramSpark offers a variety of printing options, though not all are available for every trim size and binding style. Below are IngramSpark’s current print offerings, though as the company continues to expand, their options might, as well, so check their website regularly to stay up-to-date.

Black-and-White Printing

38-lb Groundwood

Though lighter-weight, groundwood is thicker than creme or white paper, so it can add more bulk to smaller books without increasing the weight, keeping shipping costs lower. Groundwood paper has the added benefit of being higher opacity than creme or white paper, which creates less transparency and prevents text from bleeding through as much. The appearance of this paper is gray, comparable to paperback books you’d find in the grocery store.

50-lb Creme

Creme is another off-white selection that’s ideal for text-heavy, black-and-white interiors. Creme is available for a wide range of trim sizes and bindings. Like groundwood, this option adds a bit more bulk, but because it’s heavier than groundwood, it may raise shipping costs. Shipping costs become more of a concern as the trim size and page count increase, however.

50-lb White

This is a good, budget-friendly option for books with no images, few images, softer images, or line art.

70-lb White

Thicker than 50-lb paper, this more expensive option is ideal for interiors with many images. Be aware that the shipping cost, not just the print cost, will increase due to the weight.

Color Printing

50-lb Standard

This is the cheapest color option. While standard color offers decent quality, the 50-lb paper is not thick enough to handle high-saturation images without wrinkling.

70-lb Standard

Again, standard color provides adequate quality. 70-lb paper, while more expensive, will prevent any bleed-through and wrinkling of pages.

70-lb Premium

Premium allows for sharper color printing and more vibrant images, but it’s also more expensive. Some authors claim there isn’t enough of a quality increase from 70-lb standard to premium to justify the increase in print cost per unit, but we recommend this option for photo books where image clarity is pivotal.

Ultra Premium

Ultra Premium is the top of the line. Ink is laser-printed on the page, unlike the other options, which use inkjet technology. This selection allows for the most vibrant colors, but it’s pricier. Ultra Premium is best for high-end photography books, special editions, and coffee table books. 

KDP

Unlike IngramSpark, KDP’s paper weights are a bit trickier to pin down. Paper weight will vary depending on which facility the book is printed at, and books are printed at the facility nearest the buyer.

As of the date of this article, paper type doesn’t impact print cost at KDP, only ink type (black, standard color, or premium color). KDP is more limited in their offerings, but many authors prefer this simplicity. To learn more about KDP’s paper options, click here.

Black-and-White Printing

KDP offers both “cream” and white paper for their black-and-white books. Both have the same weight range of 50 to 61 lb. Please see above for more information on whether off-white or white paper is better for you.

Color Printing

KDP color books are printed on white paper that ranges between 50 to 61 lb for Standard Color and 60 to 71 lb for Premium Color. Premium is the only color option for hardcover books, and though it’s more expensive than Standard, it’s best for image-heavy interiors where sharpness and clarity are important.

Conclusion

Of course, KDP and IngramSpark are not your only options. Other printers may provide higher-quality paper, such as many offset printers. Shop around to learn more about your options before making a final decision, and be wary of scams.

If all this is making your head spin, you’re not alone. Authors come to us all the time with questions about which paper selection is right, whether color or black-and-white printing is better, etc. Hand-holding is included with any service ordered, but we also offer author coaching a la carte for anyone looking for in-depth guidance.

If you want any help along your publishing journey, contact us today to learn more about our offerings.