> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://brookevitale.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Hardcover Book End Sheets and How End Pages Impact Book Layout - URL: https://brookevitale.com/blog/what-are-end-sheets/ - Published: 2020-10-22T02:07:41.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T20:15:32.000Z - Description: Book end sheets, or book endpapers, are the end pages that hold the cover of a hardcover book to the interior pages. They are the first thing a reader sees when they open a book cover and can add an extra level of luxuriousness to a book. But what are book end pages, and when it comes to adding them - Author: Andrew Vitale - Tags: Design, Printing ## What are end pages? Hardcover book end sheets, or book endpapers, are the end pages that hold the hardcover book cover to the interior pages. Book end sheets consist of 8 pieces of paper that get sewn around the printed pages of a book (also known as the book block). Of these eight pages, 4 go at the front of a book and 4 go at the back. It is important to know that end pages are only used on hardcover books, as paperback covers get glued or sewn directly to the book block. The reason a hardcover book needs end pages is that often a book block is too heavy to glue straight to the cover. Book end sheets are usually a thicker stock that provide added stability to the structure of the hardcover book. ### What is pastedown? Page 1 of the end sheets is called pastedown. It is glued to the inside front cover of the book and cannot be seen. Similarly, page 8 of the end sheets is pasted down to the inside back cover. Attaching the end sheets to the book block AND gluing them to the hardcover case keeps all of the parts of the book together. ### End page pastedown example Below is an example of a pastedown end page from the picture book Yip! Snap! Yap written by Charles Fuge. This end pages example clearly shows that page 1 is glued (pasted-down) to the inside front cover and cannot be seen. ![Pastedown | Endpapers | Book End Sheets](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bb/ca/bbca9709-f64c-426c-94c5-41deebbf6557/content/images/2026/10/1080w-pastedown.jpg) ### Book End Sheet Example Below are the book end pages from [Slushy, Slurpy City Snow](https://shop.chargemommybooks.com/products/slushy-slurpy-city-snow?ref=brookevitale.com), a picture book published by [Charge Mommy Books](https://shop.chargemommybooks.com/?ref=brookevitale.com) and written by Brooke Vitale and illustrated by David Hillman. [Get Slushy, Slurpy City Snow, other picture books, early reader books, and decodable readers at my online shop](https://shop.chargemommybooks.com/?ref=brookevitale.com). ![Endpapers | Book End Sheets | Slushy Slurpy City Snow](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bb/ca/bbca9709-f64c-426c-94c5-41deebbf6557/content/images/2026/10/1080w-book-end-sheets-slushy-slurpy-city-snow.jpg) Art Copyright David Hillman End pages can be simple or ornate. It really depends on the book format and the plot. Since Slushy, Slurpy City Snow takes place in the city during the winter, I decided to have a snowy city skyline as the book end pages. So, what are the options for printing book end sheets? And how do end pages factor into page count and book layout? The answer to that question comes down to a choice: do you want to have a self-ended book, or one with separate ends. ## What is a self-ended picture book layout? In order to understand a self-ended picture book layout, it is important to first understand that books are printed in something called **signatures**. A signature is a set of 16 pages. This explains why most picture books are 32 pages long, the page count that comes from binding two signatures together. But not every picture book has 32 pages of content. A self-ended book uses part of the book block (the interior of the book) to glue the book to the cover. The pages that get used are pages 1 and 32\. (To see what that looks like, check out [How to Lay out a Children's Book](https://brookevitale.com/editorial-and-publishing-videos/childrens-book-layout-video-with-examples/) ) With two of your pages glued down, you are left with only 30 pages (pages 2-31) for book content. Self-ended picture books with designed ends use another 4-6 of the 32 pages as end pages (pages 2-3 or 2-4 and pages 30-31 or 29-31), leaving between 24 and 26 total pages for content. ### Self-ended 32 page picture book template ![Children's Book Layout | Picture Book Layout | Children's Book Template | 32 Page Picture Book Template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bb/ca/bbca9709-f64c-426c-94c5-41deebbf6557/content/images/2026/10/1080w-32-page-picture-book-template-self-ended.jpg) For a self-ended book, the book end sheets print in four-color, just like the interior of the book. Check out [A Template for Children's Book Layout and Pagination](https://brookevitale.com/blog/childrens-book-layout/) for a more detailed look at pagination. ## What are separate ends? Separate ends are exactly what they sound like: they are separate from your book block and do not count toward your page count. Separate ends also come in sets of 8 sheets, with pages 1 and 8 glued to the inside front and back cover of your book, respectively, and the other six pages glued to your book block to hold it in place. ### Separate ends picture book layout example ![Book End Sheets | Endpapers | Book End Sheets Template](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bb/ca/bbca9709-f64c-426c-94c5-41deebbf6557/content/images/2026/10/1080w-book-end-sheets-template.jpg) Of course, between pages 4 and 5 sits the entirety of your book! (Remember, while these pages are labeled 1-8, they do not actually count as 8 extra pages on your page count.) ## What are my design choices when it comes to separate ends? With separate ends, you are not tied to the paper stock used on the interior of the book. If you choose, you may print your book end sheets using the same stock as the interior, and may print a design on these pages. This is called **designed ends** or **printed ends**. However, there is another choice. If you do not want printed ends, you may choose to use **rainbow ends**. These are solid-color paper, usually in a heavier stock than that used on the interior of the book. Rainbow ends come in a variety of colors, often grouped into categories A, B, and C, with the price of the paper escalating as you move up in category. ## What kind of book gets end sheets? Because the purpose of end pages is to adhere the book block to the cover, end sheets are only available on hardcover books. A paperback book binds the cover straight to the book block, and therefore does not need extra sheets to stick it in place. ## Can a self-published book have end pages? Yes, but only if it is printed through an offset printer. For more information on what an offset printer is, check out my article: [Children's Book Printing | Hardcover Book Printing](https://brookevitale.com/blog/childrens-book-printing-and-offset-printing/) Books that are printed on demand use separate ends. That being said, the page opposite paste-down (the first page you see on the left when you open the book) cannot be printed on. It is always plain white, so to add designed ends that start after this white page would look strange. The actual usable book block for these books starts on the right and ends on the left. The same white sheet appears on the last page of the book on the right. Further, most print on demand services add a page at the end for their printing information, so pages designed as ends would actually fall BEFORE the last page of the book. If you are printing through an offset printer, reach out and ask them what their options are for end papers. And be sure to plan for self-ends v. separate ends from the start so that you don’t get caught off guard and lose pages you planned to have for content!