Short-Run Book Printing on Coated Paper: A New Option

Many of our customers want more flexibility in how they print and manage their titles. Instead of committing to a large quantity all at once, many want to print smaller runs, respond to actual demand, and replenish inventory as needed.

Publishers have long relied on coated paper for books where photography, illustrations, and color reproduction are central. Art books, children's books, educational materials, and high-end corporate publications often look better on a coated sheet.

The challenge has been quantity. When a publisher needs only 50, 100, or 250 books, producing the project on the same coated stocks traditionally used for offset printing hasn't always been economical. Conventional offset printing delivers exceptional results on coated paper, but the setup makes it best suited to larger production runs.

New digital inkjet technology is changing book printing

With the new addition of the AccurioJet KM-1e UV LED digital press, Hatteras can now produce short-run books on a wider variety of stocks, including coated papers, while delivering the color quality expected from high-end printed books. For publishers, that creates more possibilities.

Why Coated Paper Matters

Coated paper offers a smoother surface that helps create sharper images, greater detail, and brighter colors. Hatteras recently invested in an AccurioJet KM-1e UV LED digital press, in part because it can print on a broad range of standard offset stocks, including both coated and uncoated papers.

This matters for short-run book production because publishers don't necessarily have to redesign a book around the limitations of digital printing or move away from the coated paper that gives the publication its intended appearance.

A book originally designed with a gloss, silk, or matte coated sheet in mind may now be a candidate for digital production at much smaller quantities- think 100, 50, or even 25 books.

The KM-1's UV LED inks cure immediately on the surface of the sheet rather than relying on the paper to absorb the ink. This allows the press to reproduce sharp images, fine details, and rich color on coated stocks, qualities that are particularly important for image-heavy books like children’s books. 

Our new KM-1 press gives publishers another production option: 

• Print Closer to Actual Demand

One of the biggest advantages of short-run book production isn't simply ordering fewer books. It's the ability to make better inventory decisions. Printing too many books than needed is costly.  

With shorter digital production runs, publishers can take a different approach: print closer to demand and reprint as inventory is needed. Instead of automatically producing several thousand books, it may make sense to print a smaller initial quantity, closer to 100 books, evaluate demand, and then do additional runs.

Educational materials may need curriculum updates. Training manuals can change when procedures or regulations change. Corporate books may require updated product, employee, or branding information. Catalog-style publications may contain products, pricing, or information that eventually becomes outdated.

Traditionally, you had to choose between the economics of digital printing and the quality of offset printing. Modern UV inkjet technology is changing that. 

We Now Have More Choices

At Hatteras, our investment in the KM-1 reflects a change we're seeing across the print market: customers increasingly want high-quality print on coated and uncoated papers without committing to high quantities. 

This can mean less inventory, greater flexibility, and the freedom to print the number of books they need when they actually need them. We would love the opportunity to tour our facility and show you our new press.  If you are interested, send me an email at bzbozen@4hatteras.com