Sharktooth PressSo many questions come up for authors who are considering self-publishing and when we have advice on the subject in a post, we file it under this tag. One of our recent posts that comes under this heading is titled “Print on Demand.” In it, we highlight the visible differences on several platforms: KDP vs Ingram. We cover these subjects that authors who are self-publishing may not understand: Paper, Binding, Ink, Register, Trim, and Shipping.
If you are someone who is considering self-publishing, here is the breakdown:
Paper: The paper on KDP is heavier than Ingram, resulting in a thicker book, larger spine and slightly more opaque page. It’s important to note that neither KDP nor Ingram bleed through. Binding: The binding on KDP is “looser” than Ingram and the glue appears to be less secure. Ink: The black ink on KDP for the type appears to be slightly less dense than Ingram. Neither KDP nor Ingram releases the lpi (lines per inch) specs on the inside pages, so it’s hard to gauge for certain. However, in comparison using a loupe glass, the “wings” and “tails” of serif type appear to be more pronounced on Ingram whereas they “disappear” on KDP.
Register: The register on the KDP color cover is less accurate and the dot gain appears to be slightly larger than Ingram. Ingram also appears to have a higher saturation of magenta, so your colors will appear more reddish. Trim: The “travel” or the placement of the content within the trim space on KDP appears to be looser, resulting in a header or footer line that appears higher or lower on the page than normal. This might be because the KDP press more than likely runs at a higher rate than Ingram because of the volume. I am merely speculating on this. Shipping: Shipping from KDP is usually next day or better if you have Prime. Shipping from Ingram takes a few days or more.
We hope our posts like this will help those who are self-publishing understand the in’s and out’s.
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