Answers to FAQs about Publisher's Choice™

Is Publisher's Choice™ a print on demand service?

If Print on Demand is defined as single copy production then this is not what Publisher’s Choice™ offers.

What it does offer is a unique way of maintaining much lower stock levels which can respond quickly and flexibly to your publishing demands.

If my title was printed litho last time, will it look the same printed digitally?

We use the same range of papers on our litho and digital presses ensuring consistency of quality and appearance throughout the life-cycle of a book whether it is printed litho or digitally. Additionally all the books that we print are finished through the same binding line.

Can I produce hardbacks under Publisher’s Choice™?

Yes, Biddles is quite unique in that we are able to offer digital production of slotted hardbacks with all the usual finishing choices and at unit prices that you would expect when printing higher quantities under litho production.

What are the paper choices?

We offer three paper choices:

• 80gsm Vancouver Opaque Vol. 13.2
• 80gsm Vancouver White Bookwove Vol. 18
• 80gsm Vancouver Cream Bookwove Vol. 18

Are there are any extra charges?

For the first printing there is a digital file set up charge which includes a printed cover proof (or electronic soft proof if preferred) and life-time storage of your files in our digital archive. An overnight courier delivery service to one UK mainland address is included in the unit cost price (deliveries outside this area and any additional deliveries to other addresses will cost extra). Other extras include scanning pages from an existing book, plate sections and blocking to the front on a hardback (blocking on the spine is included as standard).

Are there any restrictions?

Our Nipson Varypress 600 dpi digital press is not ideally suited to producing books with integrated halftones although line artwork, graphs, mathematical formulae etc. are not a problem. If you have a book with photographs that you think would suit Publisher’s Choice™ then an option is to produce the photographs as a separate section. The section would be produced in either full colour or black and white on our Xerox iGen3 2400 dpi digital colour press.

Alternatively if you are looking to produce a higher quality book with a number of colour or black and white pictures within it then we can print the entire book for you on one of our Xerox iGen presses. Given the high quality produced on this press there is a premium for this service. For further information click here.

Click on the images below to see the stunning colour and black and white reproduction that can be achieved.

English Heritage were delighted with the high quality of the promotional copies of A Glimpse of Heaven which we produced on our Xerox iGen 2400 dpi colour digital press.

The entire run of Jane's World Railway, a title which used to be printed on our litho presses, is now printed on our Xerox iGen3 2400 dpi colour digital press.

The minimum quantity that can be manufactured using Publisher's Choice™ is 100 copies (first and subsequent printings) with the economic maximum usually around 750 copies.

Our digital web press prints in 16 page sections so the total number of pages should ideally be divisible by 16. However, if necessary, blank pages can be added at the back of the book but please note that we are not able to remove these as part of the production process. If blank pages are required then these can be used to advertise forthcoming publications.

Please note that the minimum number of pages that we can bind is 64 with the maximum around 800.

Publisher's Choice sounds like the perfect option for us to rejuvenate our backlist. How do I find out more?

If you are interested in finding out more about Publisher's Choice™ then please either complete the Publisher's Choice™ contact form or ring us on 01553 764728 or e-mail: pubchoice@biddles.co.uk