Cookbook Printing
Bring recipes to life with high-quality cookbook printing built for everyday use and lasting presentation.
At 4edge, we professionally print cookbooks for authors, publishers, chefs, restaurants, food brands and organisations. Choose from hardback, perfect bound, staple bound or wiro bound formats, with a wide range of sizes, paper stocks, cover options and finishes to showcase recipes, photography and food content clearly.
With expert artwork support, cost-effective digital printing and reliable UK production, we make it easy to create cookbooks for publishing, gifts, brand projects, recipe collections and limited editions.
The Benefits of Online Cookbook Printing
Cost-effective digital printing
High-quality image reproduction
Expert artwork checking
Personal customer support
Printed in Hockley, Essex
Cookbook Specifications
Cookbook sizes
| Size | Width (mm) | Height (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| A6 | 105 | 148 |
| A5 | 148 | 210 |
| A4 | 210 | 297 |
| A3 | 297 | 420 |
| Square | 210 | 210 |
- Custom sizes
Paper types
- Silk: 115-170 gsm
- Gloss: 115-170 gsm
- Uncoated: 70-170 gsm
- Offset: 80-120 gsm
- White Bookwove: 80 gsm
- Cream Bookwove: 70 gsm
Binding options
- Hardback / casebound
- Perfect bound (PUR)
- Staple bound / saddle stitched
- Wiro bound
Cover options
- Self cover
- 230 gsm cover stock
- 300 gsm cover stock
- 350 gsm cover stock
- Printed case covers
- Wibalin covers
- Faux leather covers
- Dust jackets
Finishes & Special Options
- Matt lamination
- Gloss lamination
- Soft-touch lamination
- Foil blocking
- Ribbon markers for hardback cookbooks
- Head and tail bands for hardback cookbooks
- Custom endpapers for hardback cookbooks
How to Print Your Cookbooks
The files you need to supply depend on the binding option you choose.
Staple bound cookbooks
Supply one print-ready PDF containing all pages in reading order as single pages, not spreads. The cover pages should be included in the same PDF and the total page count must be in multiples of four.
Wiro bound cookbooks
Supply one print-ready PDF containing all pages in reading order as single pages, not spreads. Keep important content clear of the binding edge to allow space for punching and the wire.
Perfect bound cookbooks
Please provide two print-ready PDF files:
- Cover PDF – outer and inner cover spreads, including the spine
- Inner pages PDF – all pages supplied in reading order as single pages, not spreads
The correct spine width depends on the number of pages and chosen paper stock. The 4edge team can confirm the required dimensions before you supply final artwork.
Do not provide the spine as a separate file.
Hardback cookbooks
Please provide two print-ready PDF files:
- Cover PDF – back cover, spine and front cover supplied as one continuous outer spread
- Inner pages PDF – all pages supplied in reading order as single pages, not spreads
The correct spine width depends on the number of pages and chosen paper stock. The 4edge team can confirm the required dimensions before you supply final artwork.
Do not provide the spine as a separate file.
Colour and image quality
For the best print results:
- Set artwork to CMYK colour
- Use images at 300 dpi
- Set black text to 100% black
- Convert greyscale artwork to greyscale before supplying it
RGB artwork can be converted to CMYK, but some colours may change during conversion.
Bleed and quiet areas
Where artwork runs to the edge of the page, add 3 mm bleed around the outer edges.
Keep important content at least 3 mm inside all trim edges.
Additional quiet areas are required for the following:
- Perfect bound cookbooks – 5 mm on the binding edge of inner pages
- Wiro bound cookbooks – 12 mm on the punched binding edge
- Hardback cookbook inner pages – 8 mm on the binding edge
- Hardback cookbook covers – 8 mm around the finished cover edges, hinges and spine
Hardback covers also require 20 mm bleed around the outer edges and 5 mm hinges either side of the spine.
Keep recipe text, measurements, page numbers and important image details outside these areas.
Lamination
Where lamination is selected, it is applied to the outer cover surface.
Before Supplying Your Artwork
Please check that:
- The artwork matches the quoted finished size
- The correct file setup has been used for the chosen binding
- Pages are supplied as single pages in reading order
- Staple bound page counts are in multiples of four
- All fonts are embedded
- Images are supplied at suitable resolution
- Bleed and quiet areas have been included
- Any required blank pages are present
Please review your proof carefully before approving your cookbook for print.
Need help?
Call 01702 200243 to speak to the 4edge customer service team.
Email: admin@4edge.co.uk
Cookbook Printers in Essex
4edge provides professional cookbook printing for authors, publishers, chefs, restaurants, food brands and organisations across the UK.
Based in Hockley, Essex, we print and finish cookbooks in the UK using digital production and a choice of hardback, perfect bound, staple bound and wiro bound formats. Our team can support your project from artwork preparation and proofing through to printing, finishing and delivery.
Print-ready files can be retained to make future reorders straightforward, whether you are producing a published recipe book, restaurant collection, brand project or limited-edition cookbook.
What binding options are available for cookbooks?
4edge offers hardback / casebound, perfect bound (PUR), staple bound / saddle stitched and wiro bound cookbooks.
What size should a cookbook be?
A4 and A5 are popular choices for cookbooks, while square formats work well for image-led recipe books. The best size depends on the amount of content, photography and how the finished book will be used.
Can I choose a custom cookbook size?
Yes. 4edge can produce custom sizes by cutting down from standard industry sizes, such as A4, depending on your chosen specification.
What paper is best for a cookbook?
Silk and gloss papers are popular for cookbooks because they reproduce food photography and colour clearly, while uncoated papers provide a softer, more natural finish.
Which cookbook binding opens flat?
Wiro bound cookbooks open flat and can fold back on themselves, making them a practical choice when recipes need to stay open while cooking.
Should I supply single pages or spreads?
Please supply pages as individual pages in reading order, not spreads. Staple bound and wiro bound cookbooks are supplied as one print-ready PDF. Perfect bound and hardback cookbooks require a separate cover PDF and inner pages PDF.
How is the spine width calculated?
For perfect bound and hardback cookbooks, the spine width depends on the number of pages and the thickness of your chosen paper stock. The 4edge team can calculate the correct spine width and provide the dimensions needed for your cover artwork. Staple bound and wiro bound cookbooks do not require a printed spine.
Can photographs run to the edge of the page?
Yes. Where artwork runs to the edge, add 3 mm bleed around the outer edges. Hardback cover artwork requires 20 mm bleed to allow the printed cover to wrap around the case.
Can I check my cookbook before printing?
Yes. Please review your proof carefully before production, checking recipe text, measurements, image quality, page order, cover artwork and, where applicable, the spine.
Is VAT charged on printed cookbooks?
Printed cookbooks are normally zero-rated for VAT in the UK where they meet the relevant requirements.