Book printing: hardcover, paperback and print on demand
We print books from a single copy up to full production runs, in hardcover and paperback, with the interior in black and white or full colour. What a book costs to print depends on five things: page count, trim size, binding, interior colour, and how many copies you order.
Below is how each of those decisions affects the price, what the different formats are for, and how to work out which route suits your title.
Quick rule of thumb. Under about 500 copies, digital printing is almost always the better route, because there are no plates to make. From roughly 500 copies upward, offset printing becomes cheaper per copy and the unit price drops sharply. If your book has a colour interior, colour is the single largest driver of the price per page.
The five things that decide your printing price
- Page count. More pages means more paper and more impressions. A 60-page book and a 400-page book at the same quantity are different jobs with different prices.
- Trim size. A larger trim uses more paper per copy. Standard sizes such as 5.5 x 8.5 in and 6 x 9 in are the most economical, and any custom size needs cutting to fit.
- Binding. Perfect binding is standard for softcover. Case binding adds the hardcover board, cloth and case-making, which raises the unit cost but produces a substantially more durable book.
- Interior colour. Black-and-white interiors print on text stock. Colour interiors print on art paper with four-colour impressions and cost significantly more per page.
- Quantity. Setup and plates are fixed costs. The more copies you print, the less of that fixed cost each book carries, which is why the unit price falls steeply as the run grows.
Printing formats
Paperback (perfect bound)
The standard softcover book. Pages are gathered and glued into a laminated cover with a square spine. Best value for most titles and the format most retailers expect. Works from about 24 pages upward.
Hardcover (case bound)
Boards covered in cloth or printed paper, with the pages sewn or glued into a rigid case. Optionally with a printed dust jacket. The premium format for gifts, launches and reference titles.
Print on demand
Copies printed as they are ordered, with no stock held. The unit price is higher than a bulk run, but there is no upfront inventory cost and no storage. Useful for keeping a backlist alive, or for testing demand before committing to a run.
Choosing a trim size and paper
The trim size should follow the kind of book you are printing:
| Trim size | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 5 x 8 in | Novellas, short novels, poetry |
| 5.5 x 8.5 in | Novels, memoirs, general non-fiction |
| 6 x 9 in | Business, self-help, academic, most non-fiction |
| 7 x 10 in | Workbooks, manuals, illustrated guides |
| 8.5 x 8.5 in | Square children's books and picture books |
Text stock is usually cream or white, at 60lb to 80lb for black-and-white interiors and up to 100lb for heavier colour pages. Cream reads longer without glare and is the usual choice for novels and memoirs. White suits non-fiction, workbooks and anything with images.
Decide the trim size and paper before layout.Changing the trim after the interior has been typeset means redoing the page layout, and it is the most common avoidable cost in a book project.
Print files and the barcode
Whatever you print, the files need to be correct before the press starts. For supplied files we check for:
- Correct trim size and page dimensions, with bleed where the artwork runs to the edge
- Fonts embedded or outlined, so nothing substitutes at the printer
- CMYK colour, not RGB — including any small decorative elements
- Sufficient resolution for print, generally 300DPI at final size
- A barcode block on the back cover if the book carries an ISBN — pure black on white, with a clear quiet zone
- Spine width calculated from your actual page count, paper stock and trim — not estimated
The spine measurement is the one worth checking twice. Book cover templates are generated from the final page count and the stock, and a spine even a millimetre off will show as a misaligned wrap once bound.
Estimate your print cost
Choose your trim size, page count, binding, interior colour and quantity for an instant figure based on the same rates we quote from.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to print a book?
Printing is priced per copy and depends on page count, trim size, binding, whether the interior is black and white or colour, and how many copies you order. The unit price falls as the run grows, because setup and plates are spread across more books. Use the estimator on this page for an instant figure at your specification.
Can I print just one copy?
Yes. Single-copy and short-run printing is available, and it is the usual way to check a proof in your hands before committing to a larger run. The per-copy price is highest at this quantity because the setup cost sits on one book.
Is digital or offset printing better for my book?
Short runs are printed digitally, with no plates. Offset printing becomes more economical from roughly 500 copies upward, because the plate and setup cost is spread across a much larger quantity and the running cost per copy is lower. Below that, digital is usually cheaper overall.
What trim size should I choose?
Common choices are 5.5 x 8.5 in for a standard novel or memoir, 6 x 9 in for most non-fiction, and 8.5 x 11 in for workbooks and manuals. Larger trims use more paper per copy. Choose the size before layout, because changing it afterwards means reformatting the interior.
Can I have a colour interior?
Yes. Black-and-white interiors print on text stock and cost less per page. Colour interiors print on art paper with four-colour impressions and cost more per page, so a colour interior is usually reserved for picture books, cookbooks, art titles and children's books.
What paper stocks are available?
Text stock is available in cream or white, typically 60lb to 80lb, with heavier stocks such as 100lb for colour interiors. Covers are printed on card stock, usually with a matt, gloss or soft-touch laminated finish.
How long does printing take?
Short digital runs are typically completed within a few working days. Offset runs take longer because of plate making and press scheduling, commonly ten to fourteen working days after the final files are approved.
Do you print books with an ISBN and barcode?
Yes. If your book needs to be sold in shops or by distributors, it needs an ISBN and a printed barcode block on the back cover. If you are publishing an eBook only, an ASIN is sufficient and no ISBN is required.
Can I supply my own print-ready files?
Yes, provided they meet the technical specification: correct trim and page size, bleed where required, embedded fonts, CMYK colour, and a barcode block if the book carries an ISBN. We check supplied files before printing and tell you what needs changing.
Where do you deliver?
We deliver within Nigeria and internationally. Delivery is priced by destination, weight and speed, and we confirm the cost before dispatch rather than estimating it afterwards.