“The way I lay out my book can have an impact on my final printing cost?” In a one-word answer: Yes!

For example, most offset printers use 32-page signatures. This means that you will want to keep your page count divisible by 8, 16, or 32. A 130-page book can cost a fair amount more to print than a 128-page book, so it’s worth trying to figure out how to get rid of those two extra pages, if at all possible.

So what are some of the tricks to adjust the number of pages? First of all, see if you can adjust your margins slightly. Slight changes probably are not noticeable to most readers, but the price difference will definitely be noticeable to you.

Another easy change to make is to adjust the line spacing or leading. Here, too, a small adjustment can have a major impact on the page count. Don’t go overboard - if you look at your adjustment and it looks too squished, it might not be worth it. Get a second or third opinion to make sure your book remains readable.

Note: There are a couple exceptions to the 32-page signature rule. Digital printers don’t print with signatures, so page counts only need to be divisible by 2. Also, every once in a while you’ll run into a sheetfed printer that uses 12-page signatures. Be sure to always ask your printer if there is a more economical page count that might save you money.

Finally, check with your printer regarding the size of your book. If you are printing a non-standard-sized book, the printer probably has some paper waste on the press. That paper waste equals extra cost for you.

Don’t assume that the trim size you are using for your book will work just fine. Ask your printer’s sales rep for recommendations for your trim size. Maybe they will recommend that you drop your size by just 1/8″ or 1/4″. Wouldn’t it be worth it to do that to save money on the print run? Almost certainly!