Publishing Like a Pro
Manga printing is a specific art form. Unlike American comics, which favor glossy paper and color, Manga relies on texture and black-and-white contrast. To create an authentic product that fits on a collector's shelf, you should follow these specs.
Standard Dimensions
Avoid 8.5" x 11". It screams "amateur zine". Use standard trade sizes:
- Standard Manga: 5" x 7.5" or 5.5" x 7.75". This is the size of most Shonen Jump volumes on US shelves.
- Doujinshi (B5): 6.93" x 9.84". This is the ISO B5 size used in Japan for fan comics. It is wider and shorter than US Letter. We have these sizes populated under the Doujinshi products on our website.
Paper Selection
The "Manga Feel" comes from the paper.
- Interior: You'll want a 60lb or 80lb Opaque if you're printing for Black and White. If there's fewer pages, like in a Doujin, you might want to up it to 100lb Opaque to provide more sturdiness to the book. If it's a full color based doujin or Manga, you'll want to print on either 80lb or 100lb Silk or Gloss.
- Cover: Use a 12pt or 14pt C1S stock, unless you have inner-cover printing. In that case, use 100lb or 111lb Silk Cover. Gloss cover tends to provide a weaker binding between the internals and the cover, but you can always laminate it with Gloss.
- Lamination:
- Gloss: High energy, action, bright colors. Standard for Shonen.
- Soft Touch Matte: Premium, smooth, emotional. Standard for Art-heavy Doujinshi or Drama.
Right-to-Left (RTL) Setup
Don't force your readers to read backwards. Design your book in RTL format.
In our Book Builder or Template Generator, ensure you toggle the "Reading Direction" to RTL. This ensures that:
- The "Front Cover" is on what English readers would consider the "Back".
- Page 1 is on the left side of the spread, not the right.
- The spine text orientation is calculated correctly.