Choosing a Book Orientation: Portrait vs Landscape vs Square
![Examples of three Book Orientations - Portrait, Landscape, and Square](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/900x633/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_591170467.png)
What is the Orientation of a Book?
The Orientation of a book refers to the proportional relationship
between its width and height dimensions.
For example, a book's width could be shorter than its height
(portrait orientation), a book's height could be shorter than its width
(landscape orientation), or the width and height dimensions could be equal
(square orientation).
Choosing the Best Orientation for your Book
When choosing the best orientation, the decision ultimately
comes down to which format does a better job of presenting the subject matter to
your readers.
In other words, you'll want to choose the orientation that aligns
best with the flow of your book's content while providing the most user-friendly
interaction with the book.
Because the format of a book can significantly impact the
reading experience, it is important to choose an orientation that complements your
specific book. With that in mind, below is an explanation of each orientation type
to help you make an informed decision for your book project.
![An example of a book with a Portrait Orientation](https://transform.octanecdn.com/cdn/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_689065034.png)
Portrait Orientation
A portrait-oriented book is taller than it is wide. Hence,
the cover and pages are configured vertically. Common examples of portrait book
sizes are 5.5" W x 8.5" H, 6" W x 9" H, 8" W x 10" H, and 8.5" W x 11" H.
Because the portrait aspect provides an appealing look and
function, the vast majority of books are produced with this orientation. In
fact, the portrait orientation is widely considered to be the traditional
format for printed books.
The portrait orientation is immensely popular because it
offers many benefits. For example, it creates pages that have a narrower field of vision, which
increases concentration by making the lines of text shorter and easier to read. This makes the
portrait orientation a perfect fit for text-heavy books. This is why novels,
biographies, manuals, textbooks, poetry books and other narrative-driven books
are commonly printed with a portrait orientation.
Also, the vertical layout of a portrait book allows for a
more traditional reading experience, making it easier for readers to comfortably
hold the book with both hands or with only one hand. The relatively narrow
pages are also easier to navigate and flip through.
Another benefit of portrait-oriented books is that their
proportions allow them to fit neatly into bookcases or rest upon bookshelves.
Because portrait books have such widespread use, most of the
printing and binding equipment used to create books is heavily geared toward this
orientation. The grain direction and dimensions of most paper stocks are also
intended primarily for portrait work. As a result, portrait books are usually
more economical to produce than a landscape or square book.
By the way, you may be wondering why it is called a "Portrait"
orientation. The portrait orientation gets its name from the art of portraiture,
which is a painting, sculpture, photograph, or other artistic representation of
a person. Since portraits historically depict the head and torso of a person, or
even the full body, they are created with the same vertical posture as the person
and are thus taller than they are wide.
![An example of a book with a Landscape Orientation](https://transform.octanecdn.com/cdn/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_345181380.png)
Landscape Orientation
A landscape-oriented book is wider than it is tall. This means
the cover and pages will have a horizontal shape. Common examples of landscape
book sizes are 8.5" W x 5.5" H, 9" W x 6" H, 10" W x 8" H, and 11" W x 8.5" H.
While the portrait orientation remains the predominant
choice for most book projects, the wider pages of the landscape orientation
offer some distinct advantages for certain types of content and genres.
For example, landscape-oriented pages provide the expansive view
needed for books that rely heavily on images and visuals. This includes photography
books, illustrated children's books, picture-dense cookbooks, books that contain
lots of charts, graphs, or diagrams, and any other type of book designed to offer
a visually-engaging experience.
In addition to providing more room for creativity, the
horizontal layout of the pages tends to naturally guide the reader on an
explorative journey through the book. In addition, the larger images make it
easier for the reader to fully immerse themselves into the book's content without
feeling constrained by a narrow page layout. These features are particularly
beneficial to the art of storytelling.
Books with a landscape orientation can also be easily rested
on a table or across one's lap while they are being read. This makes them more
comfortable to hold and manipulate for small children, older adults, and
individuals with dexterity challenges.
Maybe you are curious why is it called a "Landscape" orientation.
A landscape refers to the visible features of an area of land or countryside,
whether we are viewing it with our own eyes or in the form of a painting or photograph.
Since a landscape spans across our view in a horizontal direction, we use the
term landscape orientation to refer to books that are wider
than they are tall.
![An example of a book with a Square Orientation](https://transform.octanecdn.com/cdn/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_328135733.png)
Square Orientation
A book with a Square orientation means its width dimension is
the same as its height dimension. In other words, all four sides of the book
are equal in length. Common examples of square book sizes are 6" W x 6" H, 7" W
x 7" H, and 8.5" W x 8.5" H.
Of the three book orientations, the Square format is used
the least. However, this just adds to the uniqueness of a square book and helps
it stand out. As a result, it is gaining in popularity for art books,
photography books, graphic novels and other creative works.
The square orientation strikes a balance between its two
rectangular cousins, portrait and landscape. As a result, the square shape gives
it a sophisticated and contemporary edge, allowing it to capture attention and stand
out against books with a more conventional appearance.
Also, the symmetrical pages work equally well for displaying
text and images. Because the book's flow appears as neither vertical or
horizontal, the reader's eyes are drawn to the center of each page, thus capturing
attention that is highly focused.
Unlike the Portrait and Landscape orientations, the Square orientation
needs no explanation as to how its name was derived. It is simply called "Square"
because all four sides of the book are equal in length.
Do you need help with a Book Project?
Color Vision has been in the commercial printing
business for four decades. Whichever orientation, size, or binding style
you prefer for your book project, we can create it for you.
Best of all, our printing, finishing, and bindery services
are extremely affordable. So, if you have an upcoming project and would like a
quote, simply fill out our Quote Request form and will email a quote
to you.
Or, if you prefer to discuss your project by phone, just
give us a call at 800-543-6299 and we will be happy to help.
As always, we hope to hear from you soon and
look forward to assisting with your next print project!
Related Articles
![Colorful Wire-O binding spines and Colorful Spiral binding spines](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_514748069.png)
What is the Difference Between Wire-O and Spiral Binding?
Read This Article
![Page spread of a graphic novel](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_695027516.png)
5 Frequently Asked Questions about Graphic Novels
Read This Article
![A stack of custom printed booklets](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_290861925.png)
Custom Booklet Printing: What are Common Booklet Sizes?
Read This Article
![Stacks of page blocks in a print facility ready to be Perfect Bound](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_871098779.png)
Custom Book Printing: Can I Print a Book without Publishing?
Read This Article
![A print shop worker binding a short run of books](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_634926339.png)
Short Run Book Printing: The Gateway to Self-Publishing
Read This Article
![Softcover books moving on a conveyor belt in a book manufacturing facility](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_747208499.png)
The Cost of Book Printing: Which Factors affect it the Most?
Read This Article
![A man reading a field guide in the woods](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_572337526.png)
Tips for Printing Outdoor Field Guides and Field Manuals
Read This Article
![The gutter area of a book](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_768925941.png)
What is the Gutter of a Book?
Read This Article
![Young female student writes in a workbook](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_360596683.png)
Student Workbook Printing: Choosing the Best Binding Style
Read This Article
![A press operator working in a printing factory](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_661281107.png)
Self-Publishing a Book: How to Choose a Printing Company
Read This Article
![A man holding an open book over two stacks of books](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_783626863.png)
Perfect Bound Book Printing: 7 Reasons to Bind with PUR Glue
Read This Article
![A stack of colorful Comic Books](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_736335967.png)
Comic Book Binding: Exploring the Two Most Popular Methods
Read This Article
![A spelling error being circled in red while Proofreading a document](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_403033029.png)
Avoid Costly Mistakes: Follow These 10 Tips for Proofreading
Read This Article
![Examples of three Book Orientations - Portrait, Landscape, and Square](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_950882539.png)
Choosing a Book Orientation: Portrait vs Landscape vs Square
Read This Article
![Four Spiral Bound books in a stack](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_940757847.png)
The Practical Advantages of Spiral Bound Book Printing
Read This Article
![Pages of a Book with Colorful Identifiers for each Section](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_478602339.png)
Consider this clever alternative to traditional Index Tabs
Read This Article
![A book's pages bound with a white Wire-O spine](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_905816922.png)
Custom Book Printing: What is Wire-O Binding?
Read This Article
![A Saddle Stitched booklet lying open on a counter](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_709998503.png)
Booklet Printing: 7 Fast Facts about Saddle Stitch Booklets
Read This Article
![Two comb bound books pictured above four spiral bound books](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_583194276.png)
Book Printing: Comb Binding vs Spiral Binding
Read This Article
![A young woman reading a Product Assembly Manual](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_404955493.png)
10 Ways to Reduce Printing Costs for Instruction Booklets
Read This Article
![A person holding open a Perfect Bound book](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_201192439.png)
Book Printing: How the Margins of a Book enhance Readability
Read This Article
![A young woman reading a Perfect Bound book](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_983296242.png)
Perfect Bound Book Printing: Tips for getting the Best Value
Read This Article
![An ISBN number and barcode printed on a blue and red background](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_988097505.png)
Self-Published Books: What is an ISBN number? Do I need one?
Read This Article
![A Spiral Bound book, a Comb Bound book, and a Wire-O Bound book](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_238855560.png)
The Most Popular “Punch and Bind” Methods for Creating Books
Read This Article
![A Perfect Bound book made with PUR adhesive](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_221296267.png)
Custom Book Printing: What is PUR Binding?
Read This Article
![Three Comb Bound books with red, blue, and yellow spines](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_203071684.png)
10 Frequently Asked Questions about Comb Binding
Read This Article
![A variety of Saddle Stitched books arranged on a table](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_599729622.png)
What is Saddle Stitch Binding?
Read This Article
![A person reading a Perfect Bound book about food](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_829714912.png)
Custom Book Printing: What is Perfect Binding?
Read This Article
![A person reading through a large book with yellow pages](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_725926279.png)
Requesting a Book Quote: What info will your Printer need?
Read This Article
![An open magazine with a Crossover Image of a fisherman spanning both pages](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_588745725.png)
Book Printing: What are Crossover Images?
Read This Article
![A variety of softcover books aligned in a stack](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_854412213.png)
What is the Spine of a Book?
Read This Article
![A man holding a Self Cover booklet](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_239921700.png)
What is a Self Cover Booklet?
Read This Article
![A stack of Spiral Bound books](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_879184807.png)
10 Frequently Asked Questions about Spiral Binding
Read This Article
![Different Book Binding Types placed in a stack](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_937230071.png)
The 5 Most Affordable Types of Book Binding
Read This Article
![A stack of Saddle Stitched books](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_830848807.png)
10 Frequently Asked Questions about Saddle Stitching
Read This Article
![Pages of a book being flipped to show the Page Numbering](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_107510915.png)
Book Printing: Helpful Advice for Page Numbering
Read This Article
![A stack of four books with Perfect Binding](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_804553792.png)
10 Frequently Asked Questions about Perfect Binding
Read This Article
![A diagram illustrating the concept of Saddle Stitch Page Creep](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_575256683.png)
Saddle Stitch Binding: What is Creep?
Read This Article
![A book with Wire-O binding](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_737899897.png)
10 Frequently Asked Questions about Wire-O Binding
Read This Article
![An open book depicting the concept of verso and recto](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_759260051.png)
Printing Terminology: Recto and Verso
Read This Article
![Book pages printed with images and text](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_219754934.png)
Book Printing: How to Provide an Accurate Page Count
Read This Article
![A stack of Perfect Bound and Saddle Stitched Books](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_959568095.png)
Book Printing: Perfect Binding vs Saddle Stitch
Read This Article
![A tall stack of Perfect Bound Books](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_734449637.jpeg)
Book Printing: 9 Advantages of Perfect Binding
Read This Article
![A person reading a Comic Book](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_859159559.png)
Comic Book Printing: Is there a Standard Comic Book Size?
Read This Article
![A woman reading an Instruction Manual](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_715348956.jpg)
Why is a “Self Cover” Booklet more Economical?
Read This Article
![plastic comb book open](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_918121585.jpeg)
Plastic Comb Books: What does the "Comb" refer to?
Read This Article
![an example of flexible PUR binding](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_476382951.jpeg)
The Benefits of PUR Binding
Read This Article
![examples of Saddle Stitch Binding](https://transform.octanecdn.com/crop/300x300/https://octanecdn.com/colorvisionprintingcom/colorvisionprintingcom_925457180.jpeg)
What is the Best Page Count for Saddle Stitch Binding?
Read This Article