Book production services

Illustrated & complex books

Considered layouts for illustrated books, learning materials and workbooks, with room for the details that make your project different.

Words and images, in conversation.

Illustrated books need a layout shaped around their content. We review your images, tables and other elements, then agree how they will work together on the page.

What’s included

Image placement and caption hierarchy
Tables, callouts and learning elements
Review of image resolution at intended print size
A tailored sample before full production

Your quotation lists the exact deliverables, revision rounds, price and schedule before any work begins.

Start your project →Estimate the cost

Who this service suits

This service is for books in which the pictures, tables or learning elements shape the page as much as the words do. That includes picture books, illustrated nonfiction, devotionals with artwork and workbooks. We work from the manuscript and images you supply, considering reading order, captions and the space each element needs. A clear page map helps us understand what the reader should see at each turn.

What to send

Supply original image files with names that match your placement notes. Include captions, credits and any instructions about cropping. A picture pasted into a word-processing document is useful for reference, but the original file gives us a better basis for production. Tell us which images must remain uncropped.

Choose the intended trim size, binding, ink and printer. Indicate whether images reach the edge of the page or cross a spread. Send a representative table, exercise or diagram, not only the simplest page. This lets the quotation reflect the actual complexity of the book.

How we work through your book

We review the relationship between text and images before building the full interior. A sample establishes the treatment of headings, captions, full-page art and recurring elements. For a picture book, the page turn is part of the storytelling, so we discuss the sequence as well as individual pages.

Image resolution is checked at the intended print size. If an image is too small, we can discuss reducing its placement size or obtaining a better original. Enlarging the pixel dimensions alone does not restore detail. In the proof, review small text, cropping and anything near the binding with particular care.

Your finished files

You receive the production files listed in the quotation for the agreed print edition. A digital edition may require a separate layout decision: a print spread does not automatically become a comfortable phone reading experience. If you want both formats, include that in the initial brief so we can agree the deliverables together.

Schedule and quotation

Standard turnaround for this service is 2–3 business days from receipt of the final manuscript and images. Delivery within 24 hours (next day) is available with a 25% rush charge. Your quotation confirms the start, delivery time, scope and revision rounds before work begins.

The starting price above is a guide to the service, not a promise that every manuscript has the same production needs. The estimator uses your word count, images and selected services to help you plan. Send the brief when you are ready for a fixed quotation. There is no need to attach your manuscript to the first inquiry; project files can be supplied through your private Author Desk once the project is set up.

Questions about this service

Does the service include creating illustrations?

This layout service uses supplied artwork. Tell us if you need additional art work so its scope can be discussed separately rather than assumed.

Can images run across facing pages?

Yes, where the design calls for it. Important words and details should remain clear of the binding, and the finished spread needs review in a physical proof.

Can a low-resolution image be made print-ready?

We can assess the available file and intended size, but cannot promise to recover detail that is missing from the original.

Useful preparation

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