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Comic Book Printing

comic book printing service
comic book printing
Comic Books Printing
custom full color comic book printing
print comic books
Play Video about comic book printing service
comic book printing service
comic book printing
Comic Books Printing
custom full color comic book printing
print comic books
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100% satisfation Guaranteed
Let your imagination come alive with our world-class comic book printing services

Comics are fabulous. They’re a place you can do things that nobody has ever done before”

 — Neil Gaiman, writer and comic book creator

In comic books, literature and art collide. Exciting, intriguing, emotive, funny. Between their pages, we find adventure, imagination, comedy and tragedy. If Shakespeare was still writing now, he’d write comic books!

At QinPrinting, we believe comics merit the same high-quality production values as any art or literature. Our passion-together with an exceptional team, technological wizardry, and personalized customer care position us among the most successful independent comic book printers anywhere in the world.

I self-publish because it’s easiest. I want to make a book, I make the book, the book gets published.”

—Kyle Baker, award-winning comic creator

Instant Quote

Quantity
We are an offset printer, rather than a digital or print-on-demand service, so we must impose a minimum order quantity (MOQ). We’ve set ours as low as possible, at 100 units. But with offset printing, the higher the quantity you order in a single print run, the lower the cost-per-unit.
Size
Choose preset dimensions from the dropdown menu or click “CUSTOM SIZE” to enter your own custom dimensions.
Please use the format, width x height;

size

so, 5.5″ x 8.5″ would mean 5.5″ wide and 8.5″ high. The possible size range is 3.74″ to 12″ in width or 3.74″ to 13.5″ in height, allowing for portrait or landscape orientation.
Cover
The cover is composed of four pages. They are the front cover, the inside front cover, the inside back cover, and the back cover.
Full colour printing
Cover Paper
If you need special paper not shown in the dropdown menu, please contact us.

1 gsm ≈ 0.68 lb Cover Paper

Lamination
We laminate only the outside of the cover.
Surface
We offer a comprehensive selection of special surface finishes which we can apply to most covers, with a few limitations. For example, spot UV can only be applied to matte laminated and soft-touch laminated covers.
These options are only suitable for gold or silver foil stamping up to a 5.9″ x 1.18″ area; and embossing, debossing, or spot UV up to a 7.87″ x 1.96″ area. If the special finish area you need is larger than this, please contact us to get a quote.
Besides gold and silver foil, we can foil stamp designs in a range of colors. If you need a special color foil stamp or have specific surface requests, please contact us. We’ll be happy to help.
Inner
Full colour printing
Page Count
One sheet of paper is equal to two pages.

page-sheet

page-sheet

 

The total page count is a multiple of 4. When printing and binding your book, we fold sheets into “signatures”.
If your book is larger, say, 8.5″ x 11″ or A4 size, one signature will have 16 pages. So, the inner page amount should be divisible by 16. Making your page counts match signatures is the most economical solution.
Inner Paper
Please select your paper choice for your internal pages from the dropdown menu. If you have a special request not listed here, get in touch. We’ll do everything possible to satisfy your needs.
1 gsm ≈ 0.68 lb Text Paper
Binding
If your book has 48 pages or fewer, we recommend saddle stich as your binding option.
If you have more pages and choose fairly thin paper, such as 80 gsm /54 lb or 105 gsm / 71 lb text paper, we recommend perfect binding.
If your book has heavier interior paper or the page count exceeds 200 pages, sewn perfect binding will be your best choice.
Wire-O and spiral binding are other options and both of them open flat.
perfect binding
sewn perfect binding
wire-o binding
saddle stitch binding
spiral binding
To other countries, please contact us
Delivery from Shanghai, China to 90063, United State of American
EXW Shanghai Price
CAD 1000(Save 18%)  CAD 90900
Shipping Cost
Please enter zip code and click “Apply”
*Excluding duty and tax
Total
Calculating
*The price doesn’t include shipping costs.*
Estimated weight:
Back
Quantity
We are an offset printer, rather than a digital or print-on-demand service, so we must impose a minimum order quantity (MOQ). We’ve set ours as low as possible, at 100 units. But with offset printing, the higher the quantity you order in a single print run, the lower the cost-per-unit.
Size
Choose preset dimensions from the dropdown menu or click “CUSTOM SIZE” to enter your own custom dimensions.
Please use the format, width x height;

size

so, 5.5″ x 8.5″ would mean 5.5″ wide and 8.5″ high.
The possible size range is 3.74″ to 12.6″ in width and 3.74″ to 13.5″ in height, allowing for portrait or landscape orientation.
Binding
We use high-quality sewn hardcover binding which gives a “square” printable spine.
hardcover-binding
hardcover-wire-o-binding
Cover
A hardcover book’s cover is printed on one side only; the outer-facing side. The inside front cover and inside back cover are glued to the end sheets.
Full colour printing
Cover Paper
As standard, we wrap the grayboard casing in 157 gsm / 58 lb cover paper. If you need a special material or a solid color paper for the cover, please contact us first to discuss your options.
157 gsm

157 gsm ≈ 58.0 lb Cover Paper

Grey Board Thickness
Lamination
We laminate only the outside of the cover as the inside is glued to the end sheets.
Surface

We offer a comprehensive selection of special surface finishes which we can apply to most covers, with a few limitations. For example, spot UV can only be applied to matte laminated and soft-touch laminated covers.

These options are only suitable for gold or silver foil stamping up to a 5.9″ x 1.18″ area; and embossing, debossing, or spot UV up to a 7.87″ x 1.96″ area. If the special finish area you need is larger than this, please contact us to get a quote.

Besides gold and silver foil, we can foil stamp designs in a range of colors. If you need a special color foil stamp or have specific surface requests, please contact us. We’ll be happy to help.
End sheet
The end sheets connect the hardcover casing and the interior pages when binding the book. So, there are two end sheets, one at the front and one at the back and both glued to the grayboard cover.
blank end sheet
color end sheet
End Sheet Paper
If your book size is 8.5″ x 11″ or less with an interior page count of fewer than 320 pages, then a good option for the end sheets is 140 gsm / 95 lb offset paper.
If your book size is larger than 8.5″ x 11″, then 180 gsm / 122 lb offset paper would be better.
If your end sheets will be printed and your book’s interior uses gloss or matte art paper—say, for an art book or coffee table book—to make sure the colors match well, use 157gsm / 58 lb gloss or matte art paper for your end sheets.
1 gsm ≈ 0.68 lb Text Paper
Inner
Full colour printing
Page Count
One sheet of paper is equal to two pages.
page-sheet
page-sheet
 
The total page count is a multiple of 4. When printing and binding your book, we fold sheets into “signatures”.
If your book is larger, say, 8.5″ x 11″ or A4 size, one signature will have 16 pages. So, the inner page amount should be divisible by 16. Making your page counts match signatures is the most economical solution.
The maximum page count for a hardback book is 800 pages. If your book is more than 800 pages, please contact us for a tailor-made quote.
Inner Paper
Please select your paper choice for your internal pages from the dropdown menu. If you have a special request not listed here, get in touch. We’ll do everything possible to satisfy your needs.
1 gsm ≈ 0.68 lb Text Paper
Flap Width
inch
Full colour printing
Dust Jacket Paper
1 gsm ≈ 0.68 lb Text Paper
Lamination
Surface
We offer a comprehensive selection of special surface finishes which we can apply to most covers, with a few limitations. For example, spot UV can only be applied to matte laminated and soft-touch laminated covers.
Besides gold and silver foil, we can foil stamp designs in a range of colors. If you need a special color foil stamp or have specific surface requests, please contact us. We’ll be happy to help.
To other countries, please contact us
Delivery from Shanghai, China to 90063, United State of American
EXW Shanghai Price
CAD 1000(Save 18%)  CAD 90900
Shipping Cost
Please enter zip code and click “Apply”
*Excluding duty and tax
Total
Calculating
*The price doesn’t include shipping costs.*
Estimated weight:
Back

QinPrinting Rated Excellent on Trustpilot

Custom Comic Book Printing Costs

At QinPrinting, we work closely every day with self-published creators to print exceptionally beautiful comic books of outstanding calibre. But we fully understand that many talented independent creatives must still work within a restricted budget. That’s why we strive constantly to work as efficiently as we can to deliver comic books of unmatched quality at prices that you can’t beat.

Don’t take that on trust. You can get an idea of your comic book printing costs with the simple price chart below. The exact cost of printing your comic book with us will depend on the paper you choose, the coating and finish for the cover and interior pages, and other factors. To get a precise, project-specific quote, use our Online Printing Cost Calculator. Unlike other offset printers who have an MOQ (minimum order quantity) of 500 or more copies, we’re happy to print as few as 100 in a single run.

Softcover Comic Book Printing Price Chart (6.7″ x 10.2″)

All prices listed in CAD

Quantity 100pcs 500pcs 1000pcs 2000pcs 5000pcs
Page count
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
48pp + 4pp
$5.68
$568
$1.57
$783
$0.96
$962
$0.71
$1,421
$0.58
$2,920
64pp + 4pp
$7.02
$702
$1.95
$974
$1.22
$1,216
$0.90
$1,799
$0.74
$3,683
96pp + 4pp
$9.71
$971
$2.71
$1,355
$1.72
$1,723
$1.28
$2,557
$1.05
$5,250
128pp + 4pp
$12.40
$1,240
$3.50
$1,750
$2.23
$2,229
$1.67
$3,348
$1.36
$6,778
  • Please note that all prices are EXW our facility and do not include shipping costs.
  • Cover: 200 gsm / 74 lb coated cover paper with gloss lamination
  • Inner: 105 gsm / 71 lb coated text paper for interior
  • Sewn and perfect binding
  • Cover and inner: full colour printing

And don’t forget that we’re real people at QinPrinting and we’re always willing to answer questions you may have. Just get in touch by whichever means you prefer — email, telephone, Skype, or our handy online contact form. One of our expert team members will be delighted to assist.

Common Comic Book Sizes

We can print any size comic book you want, although unusual custom prints will cost a little more than standard sizes because of the extra work involved in preparing the plates and setting up the machines. The most common size for a comic book is 6.625″ by 10.25″. From a commercial perspective, it’s often in the self-publisher’s interest to stick to this format. It’s effective and inexpensive, meets customer expectations, and cuts down on set-up time, leading to a faster turnaround.

On the other hand, why not experiment? If you have good reason to innovate, you could try a larger 7.3″ by 11″ tabloid size comic, a smaller 5.5″ by 8.5″ pocket edition, or switch things up with a landscape rather than portrait orientation. It’s all possible. The only limits are your imagination and how the comic-buying public will respond. Check out this handy comic book print-size chart.

Common Comic Book Size Chart

6.625” x 10.25” 7″ x 10.375″ 5” x 7.5” 6″ x 9″
7.3″ x 11″
5.5″ x 8.5″
8″ x 10″
8.5″ x 11″
Portrait comic book printing
Portrait
Landscape comic book printing
Landscape
custom size comic book printing
Custom Size

Comic Book Paper Options

The paper on which you choose to print your comic book changes its appearance, durability, and cost. Many commercially produced comic books use lightweight, uncoated paper stock for black-and-white interiors and heavier, coated paper for colour interiors. These standards are fine for most comics.

But at QinPrinting we recommend 105 gsm / 71 lb, 128 gsm / 86 lb, 157 gsm / 106 lb coated paper or 80 gsm / 54 lb, 100 gsm / 68 lb, 120 gsm / 81 lb uncoated paper for comic book interiors as they give a lovely crisp, vibrant finish to the artwork and make the text easy to read. It will also stop the artwork “bleeding through” to the other side of the page.

Choosing book interior paper depends on the book size and book thickness, too. As a general rule, we recommend thinner paper for the interior. Thinner paper can be opened flat easily which is best for a small size book. If the interior paper is too thick, smaller books can be harder to open. 

If the book is 8.5” x 11” or larger, we recommend thicker paper for the interior. For example, 128 gsm / 86 lb, 157 gsm / 106 lb coated paper or 100 gsm / 68 lb uncoated paper.

If the book has 32 pages or less and you want to use perfect binding, we recommend 200 gsm / 135 lb coated paper to reach the required spine width.

Paperback Cover Paper

Hardcover Paper

Interior Paper

You can download a book cover template to check the book spine thickness according to different paper types and page amounts here.

Paper for the cover of your comic depends on your choice of bindings. Typically, we make comic book covers of heavier, gloss art paper. But you can also use the same paper as your interior, in which case we refer to this as “self-covered”. Saddle stitched, perfect bound, or hardcovers are the best options for comic books you want to last and look truly professional.

Bindings for Comic Books

While many comic books are “self-covered”, the style of binding you choose depends on the genre, length, reader expectations, and your budget. The most popular options for professional comic books are “saddle stitching” and “perfect binding”. Comic book creators may also choose hardcovers for special editions or series collections. 

This means that we make the comic of folded sheets stacked inside each other, often with an added cover sheet of glossy art paper, and then stapled together down the curved edge. The name comes from the original process of sewing the pages together with binding thread. Saddle stitch is only possible with a page count divisible by four, up to a maximum of 64 pages. But to make sure the book is neat and lays flat, we recommend a limit of 48 pages or fewer for this style of binding.

This is the binding used for standard paperback books. We collate the interior pages into a block, glued together, and then glued into a wrap-around cover made of heavier art paper or lightweight card stock.

In this binding, we organize the interior pages in “signatures” which are then sewn and glued into a hard cardboard casing covered with a printed sheet to form the cover.

Self-covers are the most inexpensive option and hardcovers are the costliest, with perfect bound edition falling somewhere in-between. The final cost always depends on the materials, size, length, and number of copies printed in a single run.

Comic Book Design and Artwork Tips

The quality of your artwork reproduction is always important, but never more so than when printing a comic book. Whether your comic is a series of short cartoon strips designed to raise a laugh, an exciting story for children, or a complex narrative for adults, you want your artwork to “leap off the page” into the reader’s imagination. With that in mind, here are a few useful tips to help you when you’re preparing your files for the printer.

PDF

Export your files as vectors in PDF format for the best results. Our recommended software options for comic book design are Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator. These will also allow you to convert your colour space from RGB to CMYK which you will need to do for offset printing

300dpi

If you can’t deliver vectors — say, if you’re exporting bitmaps from Photoshop — then make sure the resolution is at least 300 DPI. With vectors, you needn’t worry about resolution, but all other images must have a high definition to tolerate resizing without becoming fuzzy and “pixilated”

3 mm bleed zone

You’ll need to add a “bleed zone” of 3 mm around all your pages. A bleed is an extended zone at the periphery of your artwork, which falls outside the area that your finished page will cover. Once we’ve printed your pages, we’ll cut them to the exact size needed for your comic book format. This “bit extra” gets cut off and makes sure that the finished image fills the page with none of it being lost. You should mark bleed zones as red lines

trim line 10mm

Inside your bleed zone, don’t forget to mark the “trim lines”. These will define the final dimensions of the finished page. Make sure that any necessary elements of your images stop at least 10 mm short of the trim line

If you’re working with a professional designer to create your files, they should understand what’s needed to make everything “print ready”. But if you’re working with design software yourself for the first time, these are the vital tips to remember before you submit your files. Still, our team of experts will always manually check all your files before we go to press. If we find any issues, we’ll let you know and help you resolve them. We won’t print your comic until we’re sure we’ll get a perfect result.

Have other questions? Contact us!

Comic Books Crowdfunding

Unlike several other printing companies, we genuinely care about all our clients — not just the check! We genuinely want you to succeed. So, if you’re running a crowdfunding campaign, say on Kickstarter, talk to us first. We’ll be happy to help you with comic book design templates, free artwork checking, and special discounts on a range of optimal printing solutions.
kickstarter

Let’s Talk!

If you’re an indie author or a small press wanting to print a comic book — and only the finest product and unbeatable customer service will do — we should talk. Get in touch today to chat through your needs or to ask for a no-obligation quote. We can’t wait to help you make your next comic the best!

Get in touch