Trim

Trim area is related to the final process of a printed book. After the book pages are bound to the book cover (for a paperback book) the book is trimmed on 3 sides to exactly the required size. It is the finished or completed size of the book.

PUBLISHING TIP Authors need to ask questions about what size their book should be. Book design isn’t about designing ‘flat’ cover artwork that might appear online e.g. as a ’tile’ on Amazon. Book design is akin to packaging design in that the height width and depth of the book should be considered. A skilled book designer thinks in 3D – three dimensions. If the spine is too thin the book might look underweight or insubstantial. If the page count is small, a smaller book size may give the book more bulk. If the photography is good, then exploit that with a larger trim size giving more ‘real estate’ to the images. For the very best result you should know it is part of the book designer’s job to recommend the books dimensions and it is best left in their hands as a single integrated design exercise exercise.

Here are some Fox Merit book examples with ideas or suggestions for trim sizes: