TODAY'S TOPIC:  Get Your Books Noticed with Unusual Trim Sizes

The next time you're in a bookstore, take a close look at what you see on the shelves. Most likely, the books you notice first are the ones that have an unusual size. For some book applications, getting noticed in retail environments is the primary design objective. While standard trim sizes such as 5.5" x 8. 5", 6" x 9" and 8.5" x 11" maximize production efficiencies, they don't necessarily attract attention.

Odd or unusual trim sizes are a great way to get your books noticed on store shelves.

Here are a couple examples of unusual trim sizes in action, along with tips on cost-effective book production:

To make their product stand out from the crowd, a recent Sentinel customer designed their books to trim as a 7" x 7" square to maximize interest at the point-of-purchase. The increased sales that resulted more than made up for the slightly higher production costs.

Retail applications aren't the only venue for unusual book sizes. A customer serving the construction industry wanted to create a reference manual that would be as easy as possible for contractors to consult. The result was a manual produced in a 3" x 5" format that was designed to fit easily in a man's pants pocket.

Planning Tip - Let Sentinel Printing help you with your layout. Standard trim sizes are economical to produce because they make the most of common sheet sizes or web press formats. On the other hand, unusual trim sizes may require additional paper or offline trimming, which can add to costs and turnaround times. These can often be minimized, however, with a little advance planning. The layout of an odd-sized book is critical to its production efficiency, so be sure to ask the experts at Sentinel Printing for layout advice well in advance of your target production date.

The Sentinel Advantage
At Sentinel Printing, we're more than happy to help our customers take advantage of unusual trim sizes for their retail book applications. Our equipment and scheduling flexibility, as well as our layout and production expertise, ensure that books of unusual trim sizes won't break your budget. Give us a call and let us help you plan your next distinctive book project today.