The cover does two jobs the inner pages do not: it takes all the handling, and it is the only part visible when the book is on a shelf.
Ours are 300 GSM matte cardstock on a magazine, and hardcover on an album.
What 300 GSM cardstock is
About the weight of a postcard. Stiff enough to hold its shape when the book is picked up by one corner, thin enough to be part of a saddle-stitched magazine rather than a separate object.
What it survives: being handled, put in a bag, read repeatedly, left on a table.
What it does not: being stood upright on a shelf for years, having things stacked on it, or a decade of being taken out and put back. What GSM means →
What a hardcover is
A rigid board, wrapped and bound. It is not a heavier paper — it is a different construction, and that is why an album costs what it does.
It stands on a shelf. That single property is most of the case for an album, and it is the reason a hardcover is what gets inherited.
| 300 GSM cardstock | Hardcover | |
|---|---|---|
| Holds its shape | Yes, when handled | Yes, permanently |
| Stands on a shelf | Not for long | Indefinitely |
| Survives stacking | Corners go | Yes |
| Weight | Light | Real |
| On our products | Magazines | Albums |
Where a cover ages first
Every book, everywhere. The corners, then the spine, then the front face.
Corners go from being picked up. It is the first visible wear on any softcover.
The spine goes from being pulled off a shelf by the top edge. Pull from the middle.
The face picks up marks from whatever it sits under.
None of this is a defect. A book that shows handling has been handled, which is the point of it — but it is worth knowing which product survives which treatment before choosing.
What goes on it
A separate decision from what it is made of, and the one people spend longer on. Choosing an album cover →
What we do not offer
Foil, embossing or spot finishes. Genuinely not available, and worth saying plainly rather than leaving it to be discovered — a foiled title is a different production process and it is not one we run.
Leather, cloth or specialty wraps. Same.
⚠️ If a foiled or embossed cover is the point of the object, we are not the right supplier and you should look for a bindery that specialises in it.
Protecting a softcover
Two things that cost nothing:
Store it flat, not upright, if it is a magazine. Standing on a shelf is what bends a cardstock cover over time.
Do not stack heavy things on it in a humid month. Damp cardstock takes an impression and keeps it. Paper and humidity in India →
Frequently asked
What is a photo magazine cover made of? 300 GSM matte cardstock — about the weight of a postcard.
What is the difference between that and a hardcover? A hardcover is a rigid board rather than a heavier paper. It stands on a shelf indefinitely; a cardstock cover does not.
Do you offer foil or embossing? No. That is a different production process and we do not run it.
Which part of a cover wears first? The corners, then the spine, then the face. Pull a book off a shelf from the middle, not the top edge.
How should I store a softcover magazine? Flat rather than upright, and with nothing heavy on top of it.
Part of our guide to paper and printing. See also: album paper and magazine paper and choosing an album cover.
Cardstock or hardcover: Photo magazines from ₹499 · Hardcover albums from ₹1,299