How to Print Hardback Book Covers Without Breaking the Bank

Following on from our last tip about printing the insides of a case-bound book, we’re now heading outside—to the printed covers of hardback books.
Whether you’re producing short runs on a digital press or medium-to-large batches offset, this guide will help you get it right, save costs, and avoid surprises in finishing.

Printing a Hardback Book Cover: The Essentials

If your hardback book requires a printed cover, there’s no need for heavy stock. All we require is a 150gsm sheet, laminated (gloss or matt), printed grain head-to-tail. We’ll take care of the rest—gluing and wrapping the sheet over our traditional hardback boards, which overhang the trimmed book block by 3mm on all outer sides (head, tail, and fore-edge).

We’ll supply a detailed layout to make this easy for you. It includes:

• Exact dimensions
• Spine width
• Hinge/joint locations
• Overhang zones (the “wrap-around”)
• What’s partially visible on the inside once the endpapers are attached (more on those in a future tip)

A Real-World Example: A4 Portrait Book

Let’s say your book has A4 portrait pages.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the sheet size needed for a full printed wrap:

• Board height: 304mm
• Add 3mm overhang at top and bottom: +6mm
• Add 17mm turn-ins at top and bottom: +34mm
• Total sheet height: 344mm

Now for the width:

• 215mm (cover width)
• 10mm (spine allowance – we’ll confirm the exact spec)
• 3mm + 17mm turn-in on the fore-edge
• 3mm + 17mm turn-in on the spine side
• Total sheet width: approx. 480mm

So your cover wrap size = 480mm x 344mm, short grain.

What If Your Digital Press Can’t Handle That Size?

Good news—there are options.

• SRA3 Max Size?
  • If your digital press is limited to SRA3, the largest page size you can accommodate (with a 10mm spine) is 273mm x 195mm (Each additional 2mm of spine width reduces the page width by 1mm.)
    
• Printing at Larger Sizes?
  • Medium runs are usually printed:
    • 2-up on long grain B2 sheets, or
    • 1-up on short grain SRA2 or B3 sheets
      
• Split-Cover Option for SRA3 Printers
  • On strictly SRA3 setups (there might be some SRA3 Litho presses around), here’s a clever workaround:
    • Print the front and back covers separately at 220mm x 344mm
    • We wrap the spine and hinge area with your choice of real or imitation cloth (in any colour you like)
    • We then apply your printed front and back sheets to the rest of the boards
      
• Need branding on the spine?
  • We can foil block the fabric spine
  • Or glue on a separately printed spine strip—for a consistent, polished look

Summary: Your Cover, Your Way

Whether you’re producing A4 books or something more custom, Maltby’s has ways to help you:

• Maximise what you can do with your existing press
• Offer premium binding options
• Avoid costly equipment upgrades