Printing Archives -

Cover Formats

Standard Cover

Standard wrap around cover for saddle stitched (stapled) scores and books. Can be printed with or without bleed. If you would like color to extend to the edge of the paper, your file will need to add 0.125 inches for bleed margins.

Folio Cover (Wrap Cover)

The folio cover is used house the parts and/or score for the music. The spine of the folio cover should be wide enough to hold the parts and/or score. If you are not sure how wide the spine should be, email us at support@songburdmusic.com and we can help.

Covers for Coil Bound

Covers with coil bound are similar to standard covers except that they will not wrap around at the spine. Instead you will need to upload two separate files: a Front Cover and a Back Cover.

Need templates to help you format your cover? Download cover templates here.

Want to create a cover with bleed? Read our article Creating a Cover With Bleed.

Score Formats

Saddle Stitched

Saddle stitched scores are stapled at the spine to keep the cover and score content together. This is the default for standard sized scores (8.5 x 11 in & 9 x 12 in) or scores/booklets with less than 60 pages.

Coil Bound

Coil Bound scores use a plastic coil to bind the cover and score content together. This is the default for oversized scores (11 x 17 inches) or scores with 60 or more pages.

Additional binding formats such as perfect bound or lay flat are available for short run printing only.

Part Formats

Default (Printer Recommended)

This option means you want the printer to choose the most common and cost effective way to produce the part. Below are the formats that we consider default based on the type of part/page count.

2 Pages – Folded part with content printed on the outside (pages 4 and 1)

3 to 4 pages – Folded part with content printed in page order (pages 1, 2, 3 and/or 4).

5 or more pages – Printed in page order and stapled. If you do not want your part stapled then you should specify “Folded (not stapled)” from the “Print Specifications” dropdown.

Stapled

Parts with 5 or more pages will be stapled at the fold line. If you select “Default (Printer Recommended),” your parts will print automatically with this format.

Folded (Not Stapled)

This option is available for parts with 2 or more pages. This is the default for parts with 2-4 pages. For parts with 5 or more pages, you will need to select this option form the dropdown.

Taped

Parts with 3 or more pages can have the option to be taped between pages 2 and 3, or between pages 4 and 5.

The invention of the printing press by Johannes Guttenburg in the 1400s revolutionized the world of publishing. Suddenly, mass-producing information became affordable and accessible, creating a new gateway to communicate with the world. Today, we have an even more versatile innovation in printing and publishing – print-on-demand!

Print-on-demand is a method of digital printing that enables you to print only the required amounts of a score or book, even a single copy. Previously, publishers or authors had to produce larger quantities, but with print-on-demand, a score is produced only when a customer places an order.

Here are four key things you should know about print on demand:

Cost Efficiency

Although the cost to print a single copy can be slightly higher than for a short print run, print-on-demand eliminates the need for investing all your money upfront with the hope that composition is a major hit. Editions are only printed when the order is placed.

Reduces Waste

Prior to print-on-demand, publishers would have to estimate the interest in a book, score, or product and produce a run based on sales projections. Because of the upfront costs associated with publishing (artists, legal, editing), publishers need to recoup as much of their investment as possible to make a profit. However, if a work fails to sell, money and paper are wasted. Print-on-demand allows you to produce a single copy only when a customer places an order. This way, you can gauge the success of the work over time before printing a short run of copies to reduce printing costs.

Eliminates Inventory or Warehousing

With print runs, you need to store the inventory until it is sold. However, if you are not set up to keep inventory in a clean, controlled environment, this can be a costly investment. Since print-on-demand allows for shipping directly from the manufacturer, you no longer need to warehouse any inventory.

Flexibility to Make Changes

If you discover a glaring error in your symphony or book, you can make changes without having to live with misprints or editorial errors when orchestras or readers purchase your work in the future. Since print-on-demand doesn’t require producing a large number of copies upfront, you have the flexibility to make corrections when you find them. However, we still recommend hiring an editor and engraver for all your projects. This way, you can ensure that your work has less errors and is of the highest quality before going to print.

Does Songburd offer print-on-demand?

Yes! We offer print-on-demand for most common formats and sizes. Check out our different print options.

Print Specifications

What is Print-on-Demand?

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