Lightning Source (LSI) is best known for their POD printing and is at the head of the pack for POD for savvy self-publishers as well as small presses who can't take the financial risk of a large print run. They have facilities and bases of operation in both the United States and the United Kingdom and offer distribution channels for major wholesalers to both the retail and library markets. They also offer many online distribution options such as Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk and BarnesandNoble.com.
LSI also offers offset printing. Should you need larger quantities at one time, LSI can seamlessly move you to offset printing within their system. LSI will work with self-publishing authors provided the author has set up a business name (book imprint) and has bought her own ISBN numbers.
If you plan to use offset printing exclusively and have no interest in a POD printer (offset is the best option for hardcover, books with many images or mass market paperback), Bookmasters is consistently one of the highest ranked and most dependable offset printers, especially among small presses and self-publishers.
They offer a wide variety of trim sizes (industry speak for book measurements) as well as many binding options: perfect binding, case binding and saddle stitch being the most common. BookMasters offers full-color book printing for those printing books with a lot of color pictures or illustrations.
In addition to printing services they provide editing services, cover design and ebook conversion. Bookmasters also has distribution services for both print and ebook, a boon to the self-publisher or small publisher who may find it difficult to form independent distribution deals with established book distributors and wholesalers.
Sentinel is another great book printer for offset printing needs. They've been around since 1854 and have a nationally established presence. They feature a shipping, fulfillment and custom mailing department to get your books where they need to go at an affordable price. Sentinel offers both softcover and hardcover book printing options. In softcover they offer a wide variety of trim sizes, and in hardcover they offer special customizations such as real or imitation leather, as well as cloth covers. If you're looking to make a high-quality special edition, Sentinel is a printer to consider.
Sentinel also offers many helpful tips and articles on their website, including “How to Communicate with Your Printer,” “Building Your Book,” “Font Basics,” and “Get Your Books Noticed With Unusual Trim Sizes.” They also offer tips for publishers working on a tight budget. These articles will help get you up to speed on industry basics and lingo no matter which printer you ultimately go with.