Coffee table books are in a class of their own. Diverse and eclectic, they are an elite style of book made for show, flair and a high visibility factor. Coffee Table books are generally large format books made to impress with their stunning images and are often designed to add texture and space to your table setting. Coffee Table books can be found in living rooms and dens, as well as business lobbies and executive offices.

Coffee Table books are intended to help entertain guests or those waiting for a meeting, and as such are usually visually-oriented with large images suitable for multiple readers. Generally non-fiction in nature, these books often contain a disproportionate amount of images to text, distilling their topics into the critical highlights and facts. Most books in this classification contain easy to digest segments for casual perusal. Coffee Table books should be entertaining and follow a level of clarity that allows the user to begin at any random point in the book.

If you are considering creating a Coffee Table book, here are a few factors to consider. Has anyone created a book on the same topic with an approach similar to your vision? While this can be a difficult fact to ascertain, remember to make use of your local bookstores and libraries to determine if such a book exists. Your book should be unique in topic matter, interpretation, and of course, presentation, so if someone else has already done it, then consider choosing a different topic. Another important factor is your source of photographs and images. Unless you already have high quality images that you own the rights to you should carefully consider both the source and pricing of all the images you would need. While most images are now available via stock photo sites, many of the photos you will want for a Coffee Table book will fall into the Rights Managed category (not royalty free) and will be priced at a much higher rate.

Finding a printer for your project is an important last step in production. Be sure your printer has experience with printing large format hard-cover books, and can show you examples of with crystal clear photographs, fold-outs and unusual covers. Because Coffee Table books are such an image rich medium they often require a more diligent press check procedure, with color and contrast being the main concerns in producing consistent photographic results. Because they are usually large and heavy books, be sure to factor in your shipping costs as they will be significant. As with any large print job, be sure to discuss all the important factors with your printer, including color proofs, press checks and delivery times and options.