Mixam: Dust Jackets (2024)

Here's how to wrap readers up in your story with dust jackets for books.

Dust Jacket Design

A book dust jacket is a detachable outer cover with folded flaps. The folded flaps wrap around the front and back of the book covers to prevent dirt and damage, maintaining a book's appearance and durability.

Dust jackets preserved cloth-coveredHardcover Booksin the 1800s. Today, dust jackets are a great way to enhance the presentation of your book. We print dust jackets on 80 lb. satinpaper stockwith gloss or mattelamination.

Dust jackets are a great way to make your book eye-catching and have great creative potential. The flaps (or panels) that wrap around your book are perfect for displaying information about the author, reviews and social media profiles.

Ready to order dust jackets? Visitthis pagefor more information.

Mixam: Dust Jackets (1)

Dust Jacket Setup Guide

As we will print your dust jacket as a single sheet and then wrap it around the outside of your book, please supply your dust jacket design as a single spread design.

When you upload your dust jacket file, you should clearly label it so our system can identify and print it to the correct dimensions. Acceptable file names can include keywords likedustjacket, dust-jacket or dust_jacket.

From the finished internal book size, add:

  1. 0.275” to the front and back cover width
  2. 0.275” to the front and back cover height
  3. Add your spine width
  4. Add the required flap sizes to each side
  5. Add 0.125” bleed to all external sides
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Size and OrientationWidth x HeightFlap Width
Digest Portrait5.5” x 8.5”2.5”
Digest Landscape8.5” x 5.5”2.5”
US Trade Portrait6” x 9”2.5”
US Trade Landscape9” x 6”2.5”
Letter Portrait8.5” x 11”2.5”
Letter Landscape11” x 8.5”2.5”
8.5” Square8.5” x 8.5”2.5”
7.5” Small Square7.5” x 7.5”2.5”
7.25” x 9.5” Portrait7.25” x 9.5”2.5”
7.25” x 9.5” Landscape9.5” x 7.25”2.5”
7” x 9” Portrait7” x 9”2.5”
7” x 9” Landscape9” x 7”2.5”
Pocket Book Portrait4.25” x 6.87”2.5”
Pocket Book Landscape6.87” x 4.25”2.5”
Royal Portrait6.14” x 9.21”2.5”
Royal Landscape9.21” x 6.14”2.5”
Executive Portrait7” x 10”2.5”
Executive Landscape10” x 7”2.5”
Crown Quarto Portrait7.44” x 9.68”2.5”
Crown Quarto Landscape9.68” x 7.44”2.5”
A5 Portrait5.8” x 8.3”2.5”
A5 Landscape8.3” x 5.8”2.5”
A4 Portrait8.3” x 11.7”2.5”
A4 Landscape11.7” x 8.3”2.5”

Example Dust Jacket Artwork Dimensions

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Dust Jacket Special Options

If you have selectedfoilingorSpot UVfor your dust jacket, you must create a new file for this layer in your design. Pleaseemailour team for a custom quote and include your order number if you have one.

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Mixam: Dust Jackets (2024)

FAQs

Are dust jackets valuable? ›

Without their jackets, most books are visually dull. Dust jackets are so important that sometimes an essentially worthless book can be valuable because of its dust jacket. There are poorly written books which have beautiful dust jackets and are collectible solely because of the jacket.

Why are dust jackets so expensive? ›

Books with dust jackets are definitely worth more, especially with an older book. Dust jackets are thinner and much more fragile so the better condition the jacket is in, the higher the value. Some books like Little House on the Prairie had original dust jacket art that differs from later artwork.

What is the difference between a case wrap and a dust jacket? ›

Hardcover Casewrap: A hardcover in color. This print is laminated with a glossy finish. Hardcover Dust Jacket: A hardcover lined with black fabric and wrapped with a paper cover in color.

What paper do you use to print dust jackets? ›

Dust jackets are typically printed on C1S or C2S stock in the 80-lb. to 100-lb. basis weight range.

Do you throw away dust jackets? ›

Some readers remove their dust jackets—or even use them as bookmarks! But when it comes to rare books or collectible books, dust jackets should be treated with significant care as they often add significant value to the book.

What is the rarest jacket in the world? ›

1 Diamond Jacket - $10 Million

The Diamond Jacket is the most expensive jacket ever sold. This magnificent jacket is crafted from black python skin and adorned with many diamonds. The cost of python skin is far higher than that of cow leather or other animal products.

How do you clean an old dust jacket? ›

Vaseline is petrolatum, (petroleum jelly), and it can be useful. A dab of it on a soft, clean cloth can often get rid of smudges on dust jackets. Wipe it on and wipe it off with a cleaning agent like a Document Cleaning Pad.

What does a clipped dust jacket mean? ›

When a book is described as price-clipped, it indicates that the portion of the dust jacket flap that has the publisher's suggested retail price has been cut off.

What fabric is best for a dust cover? ›

The most common type of fabric is canvas, which is durable and inexpensive but can be heavy and difficult to clean. Polyester is another popular choice, as it is lightweight and easy to clean but not as durable as canvas. Finally, vinyl is the most durable fabric option but can be expensive and difficult to sew.

What is the best material for a dust cover? ›

Durable plastic is also a common choice, as it is easy to clean and maintain. Nylon is another material that is often used for turntable dust covers due to its strength and resistance to tears and punctures. PVC is a flexible material that can provide good clarity, but may not be as durable as other materials.

What is a French fold dust jacket? ›

A French Fold dust jacket has the top and bottom portion (about 2") folded instead of cut, making the dust jacket very strong.

What do you put on dust jacket flaps? ›

Front Flap/Back Cover/Back Flap

Additional details about the author: The dust jacket may include additional information about the author, such as a brief author biography, a list of their other works, a photograph and links to their social media accounts/website.

What is a digital foil dust jacket? ›

Hardcover 10 x 10": +$16 for digital foil on the dust jacket. What is the difference between digital foil and foil stamping? Digital foil is adhered to the printed text directly on the cover paper in gold, silver, and copper colors. A UV Gloss layer is then applied to give the foil a textured, embossed effect.

What is a facsimile dust jacket? ›

The facsimile jackets are printed on archival paper using archival, 70-year inks. Plus, they come in a Mylar jacket, so they will protect your older, collectible editions that no longer have the dust jacket. The “Facsimile Dust Jackets LLC” logo appears on each one, to discourage fraudulent use.

Are leather jackets worth the money? ›

Being durable also means that leather jackets give a pretty good resale value. If we assume that the jacket you are buying is made from real leather, it will age and look even better with time. Go for 100% real cowhide or sheepskin leather (preferably full grain) if you want tough, enduring outerwear.

Are leather jackets worth the investment? ›

Investing in a leather jacket is a wise investment. Leather jackets only get better with age, and they retain their value over time. So if you take care of your jacket, it will last you for many years to come. And because leather jackets never go out of style, you'll be able to wear it for years to come.

Why keep dust jackets? ›

The dust jacket protects the book covers from damage. However, since it is itself relatively fragile, and since dust jackets have practical, aesthetic, and sometimes financial value, the jacket may in turn be wrapped in another jacket, usually transparent, especially if the book is a library volume.

Why do hardcover books have dust jackets? ›

What is the purpose of a Dust Jacket? As the name implies, a dust jacket will indeed help keep dust off the cover of a book. But more importantly, it protects the book from damaging scuffs, spills and grime. As such, a gloss or matte laminate is often added to a dust jacket to increase durability and stain resistance.

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