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March 14, 2025
POD vs. Offset Printing: Making an Informed Decision
When it comes to publishing, especially for independent publishers and authors, the question of whether to switch from print-on-demand (POD) to offset printing often arises. The decision ultimately rests with the individual, but providing sufficient information is crucial for making an informed choice. Let’s delve into the differences between offset printing and POD and whether making the switch is feasible.
General Comparison
Offset printing operates on a distinct principle compared to POD, which excels in printing small quantities of books as needed. Offset printing is optimized for larger print runs. Here, we’ll outline the advantages of both printing methods:
Advantages of POD
- Low Initial Investment: POD eliminates the need for significant upfront investmen
- Flexible Ordering: POD allows for printing small quantities, even single copies, on demand. This flexibility is ideal for publishers that require small print runs or wish to test the market without committing to large quantities.
- Quick Turnaround: With POD, books can be printed and shipped relatively quickly, often within a few days. This rapid turnaround time enables publishers to bring their books to market swiftly and respond promptly to demand fluctuations.
- Reduced Risk: Since books are printed only when ordered, there is minimal risk of overprinting or ending up with excess inventory. Authors and publishers can mitigate the financial risks associated with unsold books sitting in warehouses.
- Seamlessness: POD is usually associated and used within some of the major marketplaces, making the entire process totally seamless. Just one click made by a reader turns on the entire process, from digital printing machine to the delivery to his or her home.
Advantages of Offset Printing
- Cost Efficiency at Scale: Offset printing becomes more cost-effective as the print quantity increases. With larger print runs, the per-unit cost decreases, making it ideal for bulk printing and distribution. Below, you’ll find a brief yet rather detailed research on costs and profitability at both offset and POD.
- Marketing Channels: Only offset-printed books have a chance to be sold through bookstores, book fairs, events, and libraries.
- High-Quality Results: Offset printing offers superior print quality compared to many digital printing methods, especially for large-scale production. The process allows for precise color reproduction, sharp text, and detailed images, resulting in professional-looking publications.
- Consistency: Offset printing ensures consistency in print quality and color accuracy across large print runs, maintaining brand integrity and delivering a polished final product to readers.
- Customization Options: Offset printing provides a wide range of customization options, including paper stock, finishes, and binding methods, enabling publishers to create unique, high-quality products tailored to their preferences and target audience.
- Technological Advancements: Offset printing offers various technological advances such as Smyth sewn, side sewn, layflat-bound options, as well as laminated or varnished interior pages, enhancing the book’s durability and reader-friendliness.
Talking Numbers
We’ve conducted a small study on the correlation of printing cost and profitability at various print runs to compare the results between offset and POD.
First of all, we selected seven titles (A to G) we’ve printed recently. In Figure 1, you can find their specs. As you see, almost every offset-printed book had various features unavailable at POD: spot UV, linen or satin textile covers, dust jacket, rounded spine, foil stamps, and soft-touch lamination. We decided to leave the costs as is with these features even though it plays for POD. Certain sizes are unavailable with POD, so we used for comparison the closest sizes available.
RETAIL PRICE is the estimated average price of similar titles. The similarity was based on the specifications, namely size, binding, and colorfulness.
COST POD represents the cost of POD based on the Amazon author’s copies, which was patiently calculated by amazing book expert Steve Kidd of Thriving Best Sellers (thrivingbestsellers.com).
Correlation Between Printing Cost and Quantity
It’s well known that the quantity drastically affects the per-copy cost in offset printing. As we see from the chart, the most significant cost decrease takes place when the print run reaches 1,000 copies, then from 1,000 to 2,500, and after 2,500, the cost decreases only slightly.
The POD cost is two to four times higher than offset at the print run of 1,000 copies. This gap increases to three to six times if printing 2,000 copies. Another trend we can observe is that the more sophisticated the book is (as sophisticated as a POD book can get), the more expensive it comes out comparing to the bulk print.
Correlation Between Profitability Rate and Quantity
When selling books on one of the two largest marketplaces, the two printing methods are quite different:
- POD: The author-publisher’s profit equals 50% of the retail price less printing cost
- Offset: The structure is more complicated, so we asked several of our clients who use the marketplace to share their experiences. According to their evidence, their profit equals roughly 55% of the retail price less printing cost. This is how we calculated it.
By looking at the profitability rate, we understand the ratio between the profit gained from the sale of the book to its normal retail price.
As we see from Figure 3, all the titles showed to be more profitable if selling through the marketplace books printed in bulk, especially if the print run is higher than 1,500 copies.
Talking Excellence
“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is great when used metaphorically. In the literal sense, the cover can significantly influence a reader’s decision to pick up or purchase a book. A well-designed cover can attract attention, convey the genre, and give a hint about the book’s content and quality. In this case, the cover does play a role in judgment, even if it doesn’t always reflect the book’s true value or content.
The design of a book cover has a significant impact on offline sales. Research and case studies reveal that a well-designed cover can make a book stand out on the shelves, capture potential buyers’ attention, and ultimately increase sales.
Increased Visibility and Sales
Professional cover designs can enhance a book’s marketability by up to 35% and increase click-through rates by as much as 122% in some cases. This translates to offline environments where visibility is key to attracting buyers.
Emotional and Visual Appeal
Book covers that evoke emotions and create a connection with the reader are more likely to be picked up. This connection can be established through a combination of compelling images, colors, special materials, shapes, and typography that align with the book’s content and genre.
Case Studies
The redesign of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo significantly contributed to its success by making the cover more visually appealing and relevant to its genre. Similarly, the Twilight series saw substantial popularity partly due to its iconic and recognizable cover design.
Material and Finishing
Enhanced cover features such as spot UV, foiling, and unique materials add to the perceived value of the book. These finishes not only make the book more attractive but also durable, helping it maintain its appeal through frequent handling in bookstores.
In summary, investing in a high-quality, visually appealing book is a strategic move that can significantly boost offline book sales. It increases visibility, creates an emotional connection with potential buyers, and enhances the perceived value of the book.
The following is a list of various cool features (some of them are rather essential for a high-quality book) offered by a good printer but unavailable with POD, illustrated by the pictures of some of the books printed by Arrow Globe:
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Talking Seamlessness
As mentioned earlier, POD attracts many customers, especially those who don’t have enough resources to deal with storage, fulfillment, and shipping, with its simplicity and seamlessness. However, the truth is it’s not unique only to POD! High-quality offset printers that are truly client-oriented offer the same kind of services, fully integrated with all the sale platforms you use. Moreover, it can be integrated with several marketplaces simultaneously.
For speakers or business trainers who sell books at various events, this can be a game-changer. Instead of lugging around suitcases full of books, they can have their books delivered directly to the event location. This not only saves time and effort but also ensures that the focus remains on engaging with the audience and boosting sales.
Participating in book expos, fairs, or roadshows? Store your stands, furniture, and other expo materials along with the books in your printer’s warehouse. This way, you can ship everything together: stands, furniture, devices, book samples, and books for sale. By synchronizing your shipments, you ensure nothing is forgotten. Focus on your event, and your printer will take care of the rest.
By highlighting these advantages, publishers and authors can better understand the strengths and suitability of each printing method for their specific needs and preferences, allowing them to make an educated decision. Our advice, backed up by the strong opinion of our clients, is the following:
- If you’re still starting, still trying, or still selling less than 1,000 copies of one title a year, enjoy the zero risk of POD.
- If you already outgrew or yet wish to outgrow this threshold, welcome to the world of printing and printers. Just choose the right one for yourself: trustworthy, well-equipped, and client-oriented, providing one-stop solutions.
