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How to Get a Perfect Bound Book Quote with Bookvault

Bookvault's instant quote tool walks you through every decision that shapes your printed book — binding, lamination, size, paper, cover, page count, and finishing touches — then hands you a live price before you commit to anything. This walkthrough builds a Perfect Bound paperback title step by step and gets its quote.

 Step 1: Start Your Instant Quote

Head to Bookvault and click "Get Your Quote Now!" on the homepage. This launches the step-by-step title builder, which walks you through every printing option and updates your live preview and quote as you go.

Bookvault homepage with the Get Your Instant Quote Now heading and blue Get Your Quote Now button

 

Step 2: Choose How You Want to Start

Next, decide how you'd like to begin. Choose "Start from scratch" to select every option yourself one step at a time, or "Upload my interior PDF" and Bookvault will automatically read your file to fill in the size, page count, and colour pages for you to check. This guide follows the "Start from scratch" path.

How would you like to start screen with Start from scratch and Upload my interior PDF option cards

 

Step 3: Select Your Binding Type

Choose the binding style for your book: Perfect Bound (paperback), Case Bound in PPC or Cloth (hardcover), Saddle Stitch, Spiral Bound, or Wire-O Bound. Each card lists its cover style and print availability — some bindings only print in certain countries, and your choice here can unlock or limit bespoke finishing options later. This example selects Perfect Bound for a classic paperback.

Select Your Binding step showing six binding type cards with Perfect Bound selected and highlighted green

 

Step 4: Select Your Lamination Finish

Pick a Gloss (shiny) or Matt (non-reflective) finish for your cover. Keep an eye on the note here: foiling can only be applied over a matt lamination, so if you want a foiled cover later, choose Matt instead. This example sticks with Gloss.

Select Your Lamination step with Gloss and Matt options and a note about foiling requiring matt lamination

 

Step 5: Choose the Size of Your Title

Select a standard trim size in millimetres or inches — Novel, Standard, Demy, US Royal, A5, A4, and more — or enter custom height and width dimensions if your title doesn't match a preset. The live graph on the right shows your selected dimensions to scale as you choose.

Select The Size Of Your Title step with the Standard 132 x 197 size selected and a scale diagram of the dimensions

 

Step 6: Select Your Text (Interior) Stock

Choose the paper your interior pages will print on: Cream (easy on the eyes, ideal for novels and long reads), Bond (standard white paper for general and text-heavy books), or Coated (smooth and vibrant, best for images, comics, or illustrated books). Each option lists its GSM weight — higher GSM means thicker, more premium pages. This example selects 70gsm Cream, and the live preview updates to show the warmer page tone.

Select Your Text Stock step with 70gsm Cream selected and the book preview showing cream-coloured pages

 

Step 7: Select Your Cover Stock

For paperback (Perfect Bound) titles, Bookvault only offers Cover Board — a flexible 250gsm card, thicker than the interior pages, similar to the cover you'd find on a typical paperback in a bookshop. It's not a hardback or rigid cover, so this option is pre-selected for you automatically.

Select Your Cover Stock step with Cover Board selected and a description explaining it is a flexible 250gsm card

 

Step 8: Set Your Page Count and Print Colour

Enter the number of pages in your title, then choose whether they print in Black & White, Split, or Full Colour. If your book has very high ink coverage or solid dark backgrounds, you can enable Toner Printing — but this adds cost, so Bookvault recommends printing a proof first and enabling it later only if needed.

How Many Pages step with page count set to 50, Full Colour selected, and the Enable Toner Printing toggle visible

 

Step 9: Explore Bespoke Finishes

Depending on the binding and lamination you chose earlier, you may unlock bespoke options here. With Perfect Bound, paperback titles can only add Sprayed Edges — a splash of colour across the edges of your pages, in either a Solid Colour or a Custom Design. Foiling isn't available in this example since it requires a matt cover, and this title uses gloss.

Make It Bespoke step with Sprayed Edges expanded, Solid Colour selected, and a colour picker open below

 

Step 10: Review Your Quote

Your summary page shows the cost to print at different quantity tiers and by country, plus two ways to get your book to readers: "Sell yourself" (enter your destination and copy count to see shipping) or "Sell via Bookvault" (set your retail price to see your profit margin). Every option you selected is listed on the right — click any of them to jump back and amend it before you complete your order.

Your Quote summary page with cost-to-print table by country and quantity, plus Sell yourself and Sell via Bookvault panels

 

Step 11: Download Your Sizing Templates

Before placing your order, download the Text, Cover, and SprayedEdges sizing templates from the "Download Sizing Templates" button. These help make sure your interior and cover files are sized correctly the first time — note that bespoke templates, like ones for sprayed edges, can take up to a minute to generate.

Sizing Templates popup with Text, Cover, and SprayedEdges download rows and a note about bespoke templates taking up to a minute

 

Step 12: Claim Your First-Order Discount

New to Bookvault? A "Get 5% Off" prompt appears offering a discount on your first UK order — just enter your email to claim the code before you check out.

Get 5 percent off popup offering a first order discount with an email input field

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bookvault's instant quote tool free to use?

Yes. Building your title and getting an instant quote is free, with no account or payment required until you actually place an order.

Can I skip building step by step and just upload my file?

Yes. Choose "Upload my interior PDF" on the second screen and Bookvault will auto-fill your size, page count, and colour pages based on the file — you can still review and edit every field before finalizing your quote.

Why is Cover Board the only cover option for Perfect Bound titles?

Perfect Bound is a paperback binding, and Bookvault uses a flexible 250gsm Cover Board for all paperback covers — the same type of cover you'd find on a typical paperback in a bookshop. Hardback bindings like Case Bound offer different cover options.

Why can't I select foiling on this title?

Foil detailing can only be applied over a matt lamination. This example uses Gloss lamination, so only Sprayed Edges is available under Make It Bespoke — choose Matt in the lamination step if you want foiling instead.

Is toner printing required?

No, it's optional and only recommended if your book has very high ink coverage or solid dark backgrounds. Since it adds cost, Bookvault suggests printing a proof without it first and enabling it later only if necessary.

Are all binding types available in every country?

No. Some bindings — like Perfect Bound's Simplex Cover Printing options — are only available to print in specific countries (for example, UK only or US only), which is shown directly on each binding card.

Can I change an option after I've moved on to a later step?

Yes. On the final quote summary page, click any of the selections listed on the right-hand side to jump back to that step and amend it before completing your order.

How long do sizing templates take to generate?

Standard templates are typically instant, but bespoke templates — like ones for sprayed edges — can take up to a minute to generate.