In this paper, I will map the speculative production history of Freak: A Semi-Demi-Quasi-Pseudo Autobiography, a hardback trade title. I will describe prepress (manuscript development and make-ready), press and post-press, in detail. I chose this title, on which I have never worked, because it is the most creatively designed one-colour autobiography I have ever seen. Additionally, I was interested in learning about hardback binding, endpapers, foil stamping and spot varnishing.

Between the submission of the first manuscript and the clanking of presses lies a long obstacle course. The manuscript was probably submitted saved in standard word-processing software (Word or WordPerfect). The author appears also to have supplied a handful of photographs of himself as a child, to be used for the front cover of the dustjacket. The front cover photo is professional in quality, indicating that a photo shoot was commissioned.

At this stage, the text is edited, divided into unnumbered chapters and draft prelims. The next task is to create (a) sample design(s), to convey a specific image: trendy, upbeat, energetic and satiric. The design usually requires the approval of the author, editorial and marketing staff, before typesetting can proceed.

Each chapter is separated by a completely black divider page, with reversed out text or a photo of the author, followed by a white page containing spiralling text, of the first few lines of the chapter, functioning as a pull-quote (Appendix 1). The first page of each chapter (in 16 point on 29) with a drop cap, reverts to the main body text font (9.8 point on 17) on the subsequent page, justified left and right throughout. Drop caps feature throughout and text reserved ordinarily for the running head or running foot is positioned unusually in the margins, (the author’s name, together with the folio, recto and the title in the margin, verso). (See Appendix 2.) Although this design is risky, a rigorously consistent application of it and wide margins (creating generous white space) made it highly effective. The book designer probably used PhotoShop to create the spiralling text of each chapter divider. The body text font (Grotesque) is a standard font, but the drop caps and folio numbers font (Rough House) is a little more adventurous. On close examination, it appears to be a handwriting font.

The fully edited manuscript is then typeset in QuarkXPress. The choice of visuals, in this case photographs, should be finalised. Relevant decision-makers select the photo to be used throughout on the chapter dividers and it is scanned high-resolution, even though it is later reproduced greyscale at a lower resolution, creating a deliberately blurred effect. The book designer should anticipate dot gain of 30 to 40% on uncoated paper. The choice of a low dpi, large-dot is fashionable, slightly alternative and fits the image of the book. This image works well on the given stock. The paper is a creamy-coloured ‘Sebago", of 55 pound stock. It is matte (and therefore absorbent), fairly textured and relatively low in brightness, so has almost no glare.

Concurrently, the jacket designer selects one main, suitable jacket photo, to be repeated on the title page (Appendix 3). The cover image, a colour photograph, needs first to be scanned as a high-res, CMYK image (bearing in mind an offset dotgain of about 18%). Then the book designer reduces its resolution, converts it to greyscale and touches up the image, creating the blurred shadow and illusion of movement. Ideally, the same font is used for the dust jacket and the title page. The fact that this did not happen indicates that the book and dust jacket designers were different individuals. The cover design requires image manipulation, to shadow the central photo, flip the title face vertically, and alter the resolution of the photos within it. The bar code is generated from the ISBN, according to the specifications of the publisher’s warehouse. (See the dust jacket enclosed.)

Assuming the typeset pages have been proofread and approved, the preliminary pages must be finalised, via stretching or shrinking the extent to a multiple of 16 (16 prelims plus 128 body text = 144, i.e. 9 signatures of 16 pages each). When extent and imposition are planned well in advance, no such manipulation is necessary. In this case, however, the extent was probably stretched, as the prelims are extremely generous and the last two body text pages are entirely superfluous. The publisher may have needed an extent of 144 (instead of 128), to justify book’s hardback status.

A critical stage prepress stage is a discussion of the envisioned process between publisher and printer. The printer needs to know that the lightly-inked text pages alternate with heavily-inked chapter dividers, which bleed on all four sides of the page. The printer may require heavily-inked pages to be imposed accordingly. On the press, the ink fonts will certainly need to be monitored, to avoid over-inking on the text pages or under-inking on the chapter dividers. The paper must also be of a high opacity, to avoid show-through of the heavily-inked pages.

The printer recommends paper suitable for the dust jacket: paper that shows off high-res colour (a glossy, coated paper), that handles spot varnishing well (low absorption), that is flexible, but durable and resistant to fingerprints, cracking or abrasion. The printer should also advise on options and availability of headbands and board stock suitable for foil stamping. Assuming the final pages and the final book jacket are ready simultaneously, the dust jacket can be measured against a dummy of the book. This enables the publisher to check the spine width and adjust spine text accordingly.

The printers then receive the final, hard copy proofs of all components of the job (body text, dust jacket, foil stamping templates or dies) together with corresponding files (supplied on CD or optical disks). Files should be supplied as PostScript (including all fonts and graphics), unless further editing is needed, in which case open files need to be supplied. The dust jacket may be supplied as a TIFF, which can save CMYK separations in one file and is importable into PostScript. The printers also receive a colour laser proof, with an overlay, indicating where exactly spot varnishing is required.

The printer then plays out film (lithopositives) for the book and for the dust jacket. (As this book was printed in 1997, computer-to-plate technology was not an option.) Ideally film is played out imposed, to avoid stripping. Dyelines and film are then checked for the ordering of signatures, the aligning of folios, the resolution and placing of images, the register, bleeds and trim size. The publisher requests a colour dustjacket proof, from which to check the brightness of colour, the generation of the bar code and the exact sizing of the dust jacket. Spot varnishing can be checked via a right-reading film positive, indicating where varnish is to be applied.

Printers typically expect contract proofs to be signed and returned, indicating permission to start the presses. If corrections are needed, they are marked up on the proofs. Once the dyelines are approved, the plates are generated from the film. The plates are then put onto the press, during make ready. At the same time, the ink, varnish, paper and presses are prepared. Paper is checked, to ensure that it is not damaged, warped or moist owing to changes in temperature or humidity.

This book’s initial print run was 17,500. It was printed offset, in nine signatures of 16 pages each. The body text was printed on a webfed printer, as a one-colour job. During printing, sheets are pulled off at regular intervals and examined against the contract proofs, to check for ink consistency, hickeys, paper jamming and general print quality. In fact, picking and hickeys did occur, such that the first, paper, a fluffier stock, was changed to the final stock mid-press. Scumming, to be avoided, did occur in a couple of instances (Appendix 4). The plates and blankets should be monitored for damage. Printed signatures are then folded and collected, in anticipation of binding and trimming.

The dust jacket is printed on a six-colour, sheet fed press, while four plates were used initially. The inking of each plate should be carefully monitored via swopping (regulating the inking of all four plates and ensuring that the combined inking is no higher than 300%). Given the intensity of red on the cover, the magenta and yellow plates require the heaviest inking and the cyan and black plates should be correspondingly less heavily inked. After the four-colour ink job is completely dry, a fifth print process takes place: spot varnishing. A stencil, created from a right-reading film positive, exposes the parts of the image that require varnish. A ‘squeegee’ sponges varnish over the stencil onto exposed sections of the already inked paper. Printers must monitor registration closely, to ensure the stencil and printed image align exactly as desired. The varnished sheets are conveyed on a belt to a UV light source, which sets the varnish instantaneously. Advance covers are sent to the publishers for marketing and promotional purposes, for distribution with press kits. The following stages refer to postpress activity.

Before binding, the ‘three-piece’ case is assembled. The case consists of two boards for the front and back cover and the backbone, green paper, which creates a hinge between the two boards. The pre-assembled cases are then ready for foil stamping. (See Appendix 5.) Two pre-manufactured copper dies (one with text for the spine and the other for the front cover) stamp the foil ribbon directly into the paper’s surface. The sheer force of the stamp indents the paper and releases the foil pigments. The die edges should be bevelled, enabling it to indent, but not cut, the surface. Accordingly, because the bevelled edges reduce the stamped text’s size, the die must be prepared slightly larger than required. The foil flexibility enables it to be stretched into and across the said indentations. Foil stamped text should not be too crowded, as the foil must pull off non-stamped areas between text. Particular care must be paid to the fine, reversed out foil stamping on the spine of this book.

As this title is perfect bound, the signatures are collated, aligned and roughened or scored, which enables them to adhere better to the crash. Endpapers are tipped onto the folded and gathered signatures, in preparation for trimming, a highly automated process. During trimming, samples must be checked, to ensure that no live text is trimmed away. The blocks are rounded, to create a convex binding edge. The headbands and crash are glued to the spine and the foil-stamped cases adhere to the spine of the book block. Once the glue has dried, the books are ready for shipping!

Shipping concludes the print process and takes the final product out into the world, where it faces the next set of hurdles, damage-free shipping and the challenges of sell-in and sell-through, only some of which will be influenced by the print quality.

[Appendices attached to hard copy only.]

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