Book Printing Cost Calculator
Choose your trim size, cover, paper, page count and number of copies, then tell us where to deliver, and see what your print run will cost: printing, delivery and your total. You see one price for your exact choices, straight away, and it changes as you change them. For very large runs or specifications we cannot price instantly, you send us the details and we quote it.
Which trim size fits your book?
Pocket Book 4.25 x 6.87 in
The small mass-market paperback size. Light, cheap to post and easy to carry.
Options
Instant prices cover up to 10,000 copies for most black-and-white paperbacks and up to 1,000 for everything else; beyond that, request a quote.
Books are printed in multiples of 4 pages.
Quote
Make your choices to see a price.
Questions about your print run? Message us on WhatsApp
Ask about packages, printing or your book, and we'll reply on WhatsApp.
How the price is worked out
You see one price for the complete print run, broken into printing and delivery, with the sales tax for your delivery ZIP as its own line, the total and the price per copy. It is a single price, not a range. The printing price depends on your trim size, cover, finish, paper, black-and-white or colour interior, page count and number of copies, and the price per copy falls as the run grows. Change any choice and the price updates with it. Pages are counted in fours, so a page count that is not a multiple of four is rounded up and the price is for the rounded count. Delivery is free for orders up to 150 lb and shown as its own freight line, at our carrier cost, above that. Runs above 1,000 copies that are not black-and-white softcovers in the common sizes, and other specifications we cannot price instantly, are quoted individually.
Choosing a trim size
Trim size is the finished size of the page. We print nineteen sizes, from a pocket book of 4.25 by 6.87 inches through digest (5.5 by 8.5), US trade (6 by 9) and Royal (6.14 by 9.21) to square formats such as 7.5 by 7.5, 8.5 by 8.5 and 10 by 10, and landscape formats. US trade at 6 by 9 inches is a familiar choice for novels and non-fiction, while square and landscape sizes suit picture books, workbooks and photography. Landscape formats have a lower maximum page count than portrait sizes, so check the limit beside the pages box. Our guide to book trim sizes explains how to choose.
Paperback or hardcover
Paperback books use perfect binding: the pages are glued into a flexible card cover. Hardcovers are case bound, with a rigid board case, and can be finished with a dust jacket. Hardcovers cost more per copy than paperbacks of the same size and length, and they take longer to produce. You can also choose the cover finish: gloss, matte or soft touch. Read more about paperback printing, hardcover printing and binding types.
Choosing paper
Six interior papers are available: 60lb Natural, 60lb Opaque, 80lb Gloss, 80lb Satin, 100lb Gloss and 100lb Matte. The 60lb Natural stock is an uncoated cream paper that reads comfortably and is a common choice for text-heavy books. The gloss and satin stocks are coated papers that reproduce colour images sharply, which is why they are often chosen for illustrated books. A higher weight means a thicker, more opaque sheet, and the two 100lb papers allow fewer pages than the others. Colour interior printing costs more than black and white, so it pays to print in colour only where the book needs it.
Page count
Most trim, cover and paper combinations can be printed from 24 to 840 pages. The 100lb papers go up to 700 pages, and landscape formats up to 620. The calculator shows the range for your choices and tells you if your page count falls outside it. Books are printed in multiples of four pages, so if your interior is not a multiple of four the calculator rounds it up to the next multiple and tells you (350 pages is printed as 352, and the price is for 352). Count every page of the interior as it will print, including any blank pages, title pages and appendices.
Quantity, and when a bigger order costs less
You can order a single copy or a run of thousands. The price per copy falls as the quantity rises, because setting up a print run costs about the same whether you print a few books or many. Printing prices also step down at particular quantities. Occasionally the price just below a step is higher than the price at the step itself, so a slightly larger order costs less in total. If your quantity is in that position, the calculator says so and shows the cheaper total, so you never pay more than you need to.
What is not included
The price covers printing and delivery to a United States address. Sales tax for your delivery state is its own line once you enter your ZIP, passed through at cost. It does not include editing, interior formatting, cover design or an ISBN. If you would like help with any of these, or want printing as part of a complete package, see our self-publishing packages.
Preparing your files
Send your interior and cover as PDF files. A PDF/X-4 export preset is recommended. Add a bleed of one eighth of an inch (0.125 inch) where artwork runs to the edge of the page, and keep text away from the edges: margins of at least seven eighths of an inch on the left and right suit most trim sizes. Images should be at least 300 dpi, black and white images should use grayscale colour mode, and all fonts must be embedded. Cover artwork needs to match the spine width, which depends on the trim size, page count, paper and cover style, so confirm the spine width before you finalise the cover. For a print-on-demand approach to smaller runs, see our print on demand page, and for the full range of services visit book printing.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the calculator sometimes ask me to request a quote?
Instant prices cover print runs of up to 1,000 copies in every trim size, cover, finish, paper and page count the calculator offers, and up to 10,000 copies for black-and-white softcovers in the common book sizes. For a larger or more unusual run, for a hardcover with a dust jacket, or for delivery outside the United States, we price the job individually: send us the details and we will quote it.
How is delivery priced?
You choose a delivery speed (Economy, 2nd Day or Next Day) for a United States address, and the cost of delivering the whole run is shown as its own line in your summary. If you need books delivered outside the United States, request a quote and we will price it separately.
Does my book need a page count that is a multiple of four?
Yes. Books are printed in multiples of 4 pages (4, 8, 12 and so on). If your interior is not a multiple of 4, the calculator rounds it up to the next multiple and tells you, for example 350 pages is printed as 352, and the price is for 352 pages. Your interior file should have the same number of pages as you order, so add blank pages at the end if you need to. The limits that also matter are the minimum and maximum for your trim size, cover and paper, which the calculator shows next to the pages box.
Is the price per copy or for the whole order?
The large number is the total for your print run. The calculator also shows the price per copy, with delivery included, underneath.
What is the smallest order I can place?
You can order a single copy. The calculator accepts quantities from 1 to 10,000, and instant prices are shown up to 1,000 copies for every option and up to 10,000 for black-and-white softcovers in the common book sizes. For anything else, request a quote.
Is sales tax included?
Yes, once you enter your delivery ZIP code. The calculator shows a separate line, Sales tax (your state): the sales tax charged on your delivery address, passed through at cost with nothing added by us. Before you enter a ZIP it shows printing only, and the tax for your delivery state is added when you do.
Why would ordering more copies sometimes cost less?
Printing prices step down at certain quantities. Just below one of those steps, a slightly larger order can cost less in total than the smaller one. When the calculator sees this for your book, it tells you.
How long does printing take?
It depends on the number of copies, the paper and the cover, and hardcovers take longer than paperbacks. We confirm the date when you place your order.