Who This Checklist Is For
This is for anyone who's received a PDF proof, a physical sample, or a production batch from a POD manufacturer—and needs to confirm it's right before signing off. Maybe that's a publisher's production manager, a self-published author doing their own QC, or a partner working with Ingram's network.
I review deliverables for a publisher that uses Lightning Source for a large chunk of our print-on-demand runs. We're not talking about the occasional proof copy—we're processing a significant volume annually. Over the years, I've developed a verification checklist that catches the issues that are easy to miss. I'm sharing it here because an informed author or publisher asks better questions and saves themselves costly reprints.
This covers the key steps I follow when a POD project lands on my desk, broken down into four main checks.
Step 1: Verify the Dimensions & Trim
First thing I do is match the physical book against the file specs. If you submitted a 6x9 inch file, pull out a ruler. It sounds basic, but I've rejected a batch of 200 books where the trim was 5.9 x 8.9 inches—a full tenth of an inch short on each side. The vendor claimed it was 'within industry standard.' We rejected it.
The standard tolerance for trim is usually around +/- 1/32 of an inch. No more. Anything wider is a problem, especially for a series where books sit on a shelf together.
Also check the spine width. If the page count changed in a later revision and you didn't update the spine calculations, the cover might not wrap correctly. The spine should be centered, and the front/back panels should align with the file. I check this by laying the cover flat on a table and measuring.
Catch the Gutters
This is a common issue. Open the book to a spread near the middle. Is the text running too close to the spine? For a book over 300 pages (which, if I remember correctly, is around 1.5 inches of spine width for a standard trade paperback), you need to account for the creep. The inner margins should be wider than the outer margins—typically around 0.75 inches for the gutter vs. 0.5 inches for the fore-edge. If they're the same, the text will disappear into the binding.
Step 2: Scrutinize the Paper & Opacity
Paper choice dictates the feel of the book and its readability. If you ordered 60 lb cream paper (which is approximately 90 gsm), verify it against the specification. Don't rely on the invoice. Run your hand over it. If it feels slick and glossy when you expected uncoated, it's the wrong stock.
Opacity test: Hold a page up to a light source. Can you see the text from the other side? If the show-through is significant (i.e., you can read the words on the reverse), the paper is too thin or the ink density is too high. This is a huge red flag for a textbook or a novel with dense text. I once rejected a run of a children's book because the illustrations bled through the pages and made both sides unreadable.
Here's a quick reference for paper weight equivalents:
- 20 lb bond = 75 gsm (standard copy paper)
- 24 lb bond = 90 gsm (premium letterhead)
- 60 lb text = 90 gsm (a common book paper)
- 70 lb text = 105 gsm (a thicker novel paper)
- 100 lb text = 150 gsm (premium art book or higher-end novel)
I'm not 100% sure on the exact GSM for every weight variant, but those conversions are generally accurate for standard book papers.
Step 3: Inspect the Binding & Block
Run a stress test on the binding. Open the book to the middle and press it flat. Does the spine crack? Do pages pull away from the glue? For a perfect-bound book (the standard for POD), the glue should be flexible, not brittle. A stiff, cracking spine is a manufacturing defect that won't hold up to a single reading. When we upgraded our specifications to require a different glue type, our customer complaints about books falling apart dropped by a significant margin—I want to say 34%.
Look at the block alignment. Stack the pages and check the head and foot. Is the text block perfectly square, or is it skewed? A skewed block means the trimming was off. I've seen a book where the bottom margin was non-existent on one page and half an inch on the other. It was $1,200—no, $1,400, I'm mixing it up with another project at a different vendor. It was a $1,400 reprint because of a bad trim.
Don't forget the endpapers. For a hardcover, are they securely attached? I've seen a $22,000 order of case-bound books where the endpapers were lifting from the boards after a month in storage. That's not on the author; that's a manufacturing failure.
Step 4: Check the Color & Cover
The cover is the first thing a reader sees. If you're using Pantone colors for your branding, verify them. Industry standard color tolerance is Delta E < 2 for brand-critical colors. Delta E of 2-4 is noticeable; above 4 is visible to most people. You can't do a perfect visual match with a phone screen, but you can compare against a physical Pantone swatch. If the blue is more purple than you expected, flag it.
Also check the cover finish. Did you order matte lamination and receive a gloss? That changes the entire feel of the book. I ran a blind test with our marketing team: same book with matte vs gloss covers. 80% identified the matte as 'more professional' without knowing the difference. The cost increase was negligible per unit—on a run of 5,000 copies, it was worth the upgrade.
Finally, scan the barcode. Does it read correctly? A misprinted barcode is a non-issue for a single proof, but for a print run destined for physical retail or warehousing, a bad barcode means the book doesn't scan at checkout. That's a problem.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping the proof: Don't rely on a digital PDF. Order a physical proof. The color, paper, and binding feel are only real when you hold it.
- Assuming two runs are identical: POD books from different press runs won't be perfect matches. I learned this the hard way after rejecting a second batch that didn't match the first. Always get a proof for new runs.
- Ignoring the packaging: If you're ordering a bulk quantity for a distributor, check the packaging. Are the books shrink-wrapped? Is the case robust enough for shipping? I once saw an order of 500 books arrive with dented corners because they were packed loosely.
An informed customer is the best customer. Using a consistent verification checklist saves time, money, and frustration. Don't take it on faith that everything is to spec—verify it.
