Most people assume this is a choice they make at the start. It is not — the digital book comes first either way, and print is an add-on you can take now or later.
That changes the question from which one to do I also want a physical copy, and when.
What each format is good at
The digital book (PDF) is what you preview page by page before paying, and it arrives immediately. It can be opened on a phone at a dinner table, read on a laptop, kept indefinitely, and re-downloaded. It cannot be wrapped.
The printed paperback is 6×9 inches, full colour, saddle-stitch bound. It is the object — the thing that sits on a shelf and gets handed over. It takes time to produce and ship, and the cost depends on where it is going.
Neither replaces the other. A surprising number of people buy both deliberately: the PDF for the moment of giving, the print for keeping.
The timing question
This is usually what actually decides it.
The digital book is instant. Finish the book, pay, download. If the occasion is tomorrow, or tonight, this is the answer.
Print takes as long as printing and shipping take, and that depends on the destination — production happens in facilities in Australia, Canada, France, India, the UK, and the US, and the one used depends on your delivery address. Print and shipping costs are quoted at checkout for that reason rather than being a fixed price.
If you need the physical book in hand on a specific date, order with real margin. Nobody can promise a delivery window in advance, and treating a print order as same-week is how gifts arrive late.
You can decide later
Worth saying plainly, because it removes most of the pressure: you can buy the PDF now and order a printed copy afterwards. The book stays in your account.
So the low-risk path is:
- Make the book, preview it, buy the PDF.
- Give the digital version if the occasion is close.
- Order the print when you know you want it.
The only reason to decide print up front is if the physical copy is the gift itself and the date is fixed.
What print adds that digital does not
- It can be wrapped, which matters more than it sounds for an occasion gift.
- It gets picked up. A PDF is opened once with the person who gave it; a book on a shelf gets shown to other people.
- It survives phone changes. Not really a practical concern, but it feels different.
What digital does that print does not
- It arrives now.
- It can be shared by link, if you enable sharing.
- It costs nothing extra to keep.
- It works for long distance. If you are in different countries, a PDF crosses the distance instantly and a parcel does not.
Page count and print
One constraint worth knowing before you finish the book: saddle-stitch binding takes roughly 4 to 48 interior pages. Most books fit comfortably — the typical book lands between 10 and 20 pages — but if you are planning something long and definitely want it printed, that is your ceiling.
Deciding this before you finish is easier than restructuring afterwards. See how many pages a love book should have for choosing a length.
Which to choose, briefly
Choose digital only if: the occasion is soon, you are far apart, or you are not sure yet whether you want the object.
Add print if: the gift needs to be handed over physically, it is for an occasion where opening something matters, or you want it to live in the house rather than on a device.
Do both if: you want to give it now and keep it properly. This is what most people end up doing, in that order.
Then start your book — the format decision can wait until you have something worth printing.
FAQ
Do I have to choose print before I finish the book?
No. The digital PDF comes first, and you can order a printed copy at checkout or later from your account.
How much does printing cost?
It is quoted at checkout, because it depends on the destination and the page count. There is no fixed public price.
How long does printing and delivery take?
It depends on where it is going — production happens in facilities across Australia, Canada, France, India, the UK and the US. Order with margin if you need it by a specific date rather than assuming a window.
Is there a page limit for printed books?
Saddle-stitch binding takes roughly 4 to 48 interior pages. Most books are well inside that.
What if we are long distance?
Digital is the practical choice for the moment itself — it crosses any distance instantly. A printed copy can follow.