Hardcover book endsheets (also known as endpapers or endleaves) are the pages at the beginning and end of a hardcover book. Endsheets are typically made from a separate, heavier stock then the stock used for the interior pages. An endsheet is a sheet of paper, folded in half; with one placed at the front of the book and the other placed in the back.
For the big picture, take a look at the parts of a hardcover book in the photo below.
Below shows the orientation of the front endsheet. Choosing printed endsheets? This illustration also shows what can be printed.
And below shows the orientation of the back endsheet. And again, if you are choosing a printed endsheet, this illustration shows what can be printed.
Here are the endsheet choices we offer at Bookmobile.
Plain Endsheets
For a hardcover, we’ll spec your endsheets to match the color of your interior paper stock as a default. So a poetry title printing on our 60-lb. cream stock will get cream endsheets, and an art book printing on our 80-lb. white stock will get white endsheets. All hardcover books at Bookmobile get endsheets—some printers do not offer them on low page counts, but we do (and our minimum page count is just 16 pages).
Rainbow (Solid Color) Endsheets
We also offer solid color Rainbow-brand endsheets. To see the color choices available at Bookmobile, see our paper stock list. Don’t see the color you want? If you’re ordering more than 100 copies with us, we can special order a Rainbow endsheet for you and all the Rainbow color choices are found here.
The book pictured below is a hardcover with a melon endsheet:
And the image below shows how a solid-color navy blue endsheet peaks out from the interior pages when the book is opened:
Printed Endsheets
Printed endsheets are a very fun option that we offer at Bookmobile. We typically print endsheets 4-color on 100-lb. uncoated white stock, but we have used other stocks when requested and possible. Keep in mind you can print on all three “pages” of the front and back endsheets: the page glued to the interior of the hardcover, and the front and back pages of the sheet facing that. The front endsheets and the back endsheets can also be different designs.
The book below has 4-color printed endsheets on 100-lb. white uncoated stock:
More Endsheet Options
Even more endsheet options are available—just ask! We’ve had publishers use a black end sheet at the front of their hardcover, then a white endsheet at the back.
We’ve also had publishers who’ve used a different stock for the two pages/one sheet that follow the glued-down page. The book below has black printing on cardinal red endsheet stock (lefthand side), then the next two pages/one sheet is our 80-lb. cream endsheet stock, with no printing (righthand side).
Print Files for Printed Endsheets
For printed endsheets, we want two files: one for the front endsheets and the other for the back endsheets. The endsheet files should also be separate from the cover file and interior file.
We’ll need 1/8″ bleed provided; the first and second page of the endsheet should be sent as a spread, and if the third page is going to have printing, it should be at the book’s final trim size (plus 1/8″ bleed).
If you have plain white, cream, or Rainbow color endsheets, we do not need a print file (or blank pages included in your file).
Any questions? Contact me!