People have become familiar with the concept of landscape orientation (width is greater than height) and portrait orientation (height is greater than width) via the use of smartphones and tablets, both of which allow you to change orientation at will.
In book design, the same concepts apply: will your book be wider than it is tall? That would be landscape orientation or horizontal. Is it taller than it is wide? That’s portrait or vertical. Is width and height equal? That would be square. Unless you’re designing a book with an unusual, non-standard shape, your book is going use one of these three basic shapes: landscape, portrait or square.
Choosing Between Landscape or Portrait Orientation, or Square
Portrait (vertical rectangle) is the most common shape / orientation used for books. In printing they are also referred to as “long side or long edge bind” as the book is bound on one of the longer edges.
Of course the portrait book is familiar to us in every format and in a wide range of sizes. They’re easiest to hold and carry and readily fit on bookshelves.
The landscape (horizontal rectangle) and also referred to as “short side or short edge bind) is used less frequently but it works especially well for children’s books with full-page illustrations, and books that are photograph-heavy. Art-related books are often designed in landscape orientation to enable larger prints of art works. Such books are often referred to as coffee-table books, intended to be displayed as decorative in and of themselves, and also because they often don’t fit comfortably on bookshelves.
Square books are the least typical but they’re out there. “One-a-day” desk calendars are often square. Books featuring square photographs are often designed in the square shape.
If your book is heavy on photography, you can take a cue from the shapes of the photographs when selecting the book’s shape. If the majority of your photos are vertical, a portrait shape is recommended. If the photos are mostly horizontal, landscape is better. If you have a mix of shapes, the square design can handle both.
If you have any questions about the best orientation for your book design give us a call at 330-597-8560. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
