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Children's Book Printing

Children's Book Printing
hardcover children book printing
Custom children's books
print your own children's book
children book printing service
Children's Book Printing
hardcover children book printing
Custom children's books
print your own children's book
children book printing service
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100% satisfation Guaranteed
Watch your story spring to life with our world-class children's book printing services
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

–from I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! by Dr. Seuss

Books are vital in a child’s education, helping them to learn to read, explore ideas, use imagination, develop empathy and reasoning, and find the courage to live their best lives.

At QinPrinting we believe children deserve the most beautiful books possible. That commitment — coupled with 25 years of success in the industry, an expert team, the latest technology, and unrivalled customer service — sustains our first-class reputation among self-publishers of children’s books around the globe.

Let the wild rumpus start!

–from Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Instant Quote

hardcover-children-book-quote
Hardcover Children's Book
softcover-children-book-quote
Softcover Children's Book
Board Books
Self-Cover Board Book
Hardcover Board Books
Hardcover Board Book
MOQ: 100pcs
3.74"-12.6" 95-320 mm
3.74"-16.5" 95-420 mm
Binding
Inner (Full colour printing)
Page Count
 Pages
24
800
Inner Paper
1 gsm ≈ 0.68 lb Text Paper
Paper Cover (Full colour printing)
157 gsm / 58 lb Cover
Lamination
Cloth Type
5519-black
5403-navy-blue
5409-brown
5522-oatmeal
5531-wine
5529-grey
5206-orange
5135-forest-green
Leather Type
Texture 1:
Texture 2:
Texture 3:

* We have more leathers to choose from, let us know what you want

Surface (Multi-select available)
Grey Board Thickness
Spine styles
End sheet
End Sheet Paper
Offset / Uncoated Paper
1 gsm ≈ 0.68 lb Text Paper
Flap Width
inch
Dust Jacket Paper
1 gsm ≈ 0.68 lb Text Paper
Lamination
Surface (Multi-select available)
693-pale-gold
000-off-white
030-black
012-silver
252-hot-red
374-peacoat
847-turftan
589-hunter
275-wine
750-torrid-orange
MOQ: 100pcs
3.74"-12" 95-305 mm
3.74"-14.5" 95-370 mm
Binding
Inner Page Count
 Pages
32
800
Inner (Full colour printing)
1 gsm ≈ 0.68 lb Text Paper
Cover(Full colour printing)
Cover Paper
1 gsm ≈ 0.68 lb Text Paper
Lamination
Surface (Multi-select available)
MOQ: 100pcs
3.54"-11.22" 90-285 mm
3.54"-11.02" 90-280 mm
Cover and Inner (Full colour printing)
Page Count
 Pages
8
64
Paper
C1S paper
Cover and Inner Lamination
MOQ: 100pcs
3.54"-11.22" 90-285 mm
3.54"-11.02" 90-280 mm
Cover Paper
157 gsm / 58 lb Cover
Grey Board Thickness
Lamination
Cover Corners
Surface (Multi-select available)
Inner (Rounded Corners)
Page Count
 Pages
8
64
Inner Paper
C1S paper
Lamination
EXW Shanghai Price: CAD 00 save now C$000 Unit Price: C$0.00 The price doesn’t include shipping costs and duty. Estimated weight: 18kg
To other countries, please contact us
Delivery to 00000, United State of American
Please enter your zip code *Excluding duty and tax
Total
$00000 unit price:$0.0

Download Free Template
based on your choices

QinPrinting Reviews

Custom Children's Book Printing Costs

At QinPrinting, we help self-published authors print children’s books of unmatched quality every day. But we also understand the importance of fulfilling an order within your budget. That’s why we continually review our work processes to make sure we always deliver exceptional quality books at the most competitive prices you’ll find anywhere in the industry. And that’s a promise.

But don’t take our word for it. See for yourself! You can get an immediate estimate of how much it will cost to print your children’s book by checking out our at-a-glance pricing charts. Unlike most children’s book printing services — which have a minimum offset print order of 500 or even 1,000 books— we offer a minimum offset print run of just 100 units and still have a competitive price advantage. But as you’ll see from the charts, the more copies you order in a single run, the less you pay per copy.

Paperback Children's Book Printing Price Chart (8.5" x 11" or 8.5" x 8.5")

All prices listed in CAD

Quantity 100pcs 500pcs 1000pcs 2000pcs 5000pcs
Page count
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
32pp + 4pp
$4.57
$457
$1.32
$660
$0.84
$839
$0.65
$1,291
$0.56
$2,791
40pp + 4pp
$5.41
$541
$1.57
$783
$1.02
$1,020
$0.78
$1,553
$0.67
$3,352
48pp + 4pp
$6.04
$604
$1.75
$877
$1.14
$1,141
$0.88
$1,764
$0.76
$3,805
  • Please note that all prices are EXW our facility and do not include shipping costs.
  • Cover: 250 gsm / 92 lb coated cover paper with gloss lamination
  • Inner: 157 gsm / 106 lb coated text paper for interior
  • Cover and inner: full colour printing
  • Binding: perfect binding

Hardcover Children's Book Printing Price Chart (8.5" x 11" or 8.5" x 8.5")

All prices listed in CAD

Quantity 100pcs 500pcs 1000pcs 2000pcs 5000pcs
Page count
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
32pp
$9.56
$956
$2.71
$1,357
$2.08
$2,081
$1.86
$3,721
$1.67
$8,360
40pp
$10.68
$1,068
$3.01
$1,507
$2.29
$2,290
$2.01
$4,011
$1.78
$8,898
48pp
$11.49
$1,149
$3.24
$1,622
$2.43
$2,432
$2.12
$4,242
$1.87
$9,370
  • Please note that all prices are EXW our facility and do not include shipping costs.
  • Cover: 157 gsm / 58 lb coated cover paper with matte lamination wrapped on 2.5 mm thickness greybeard
  • End sheets: 157 gsm / 106 lb coated text paper, blank
  • Inner: 157 gsm / 106 lb art text paper for interior
  • Cover and inner: full colour printing

For a more detailed quote, try our easy and convenient online Printing Cost Calculator. Just drop in your information, and get an instant quote! If you have any questions, get in touch and one of our enthusiastic, knowledgeable, expert team members will be delighted to help.

Common Children's Book Sizes

The size of a children’s book typically depends on the target age group. Booksellers, teachers, and librarians divide juvenile readers’ book types into the following categories:

  • Board Books for preschoolers from 0 to 4 years old
  • Picture Books for 4- to 8-year-olds reading with support
  • Early Readers for 4- to 8-year-olds reading alone
  • Chapter Books for 6- to 9-year-olds
  • Middle Grade fiction for 9- to 12-year-olds
  • Smaller sizes are great for preschoolers and toddlers — think of a 6″ x 6″ board book — who respond to a book they can hold and whose pages they can enjoy turning even with tiny hands.
  • Picture books are often printed in landscape up to 12″ x 9″ to accommodate full page illustrations and more text.
  • Early readers are more popular in portrait sizes, ranging from 5.5″ x 8.5″ up to 9″ x 12″.
  • Most chapter books and middle grade fiction books are the same sizes as a standard paperback, so usually 5.5″ x 8.5″ to 8″ x 10″.
Square children book printing
Square
Portrait children book printing
Portrait
Landscape children book printing
Landscape

Check out our handy children’s book size chart to explore the possibilities and help you decide which size would best suit your children’s book.

Common Children's Book Size Chart

Square 6" x 6" 7" x 7" 8" x 8" 8.5" x 8.5" 9" x 9" 10" x 10"

Portrait

5.5″ x 8.5″
6″ x 9″
8″ x 10″
8.5″ x 10″
8.5″ x 11″
9″ x 12″

Landscape

8.5″ x 5.5″
9″ x 6″
10″ x 8″
10″ x 8.5″
11″ x 8.5″
12″ x 9″

Children's Book Paper Options

Most children’s books feature colourful illustrations, cartoons, or other artwork. So, we recommend printing on gloss or matte art paper to get the best results. Gloss and matte both have ideal surfaces for vibrant colour printing that will make your children’s book illustrations really ‘pop’. Gloss paper is often best for books with full-colour spreads and less text, whereas books with more text and fewer illustrations may benefit from matte paper. Matte paper will still give gorgeous colour reproduction while making the text easier to read.

For drawing, colouring, or activity books, we suggest an uncoated paper stock. On uncoated stock, the kids can scribble away to their hearts’ content with pencils, pens, felt tips, Sharpies, crayons, and paint. Gloss and matte papers are not absorbent enough to work for these “interactive” book styles. So, if the children need to write on the book or colour-in or paint the pages, uncoated paper is the best choice.

gloss art paper children book printing
Gloss Art Paper Book
matte art paper children book printing
Matte Art Paper Book
offset paper children book printing
Uncoated Paper Book

Interior Paper Stock for Children's Paperbacks

Paperback — also known as “perfect bound” — is a popular choice for chapter books and middle grade fiction. This binding style needs the spine to be at least 3 mm thick. With middle grade fiction, that shouldn’t be a problem. But to meet that threshold with the shorter books, if the interior page count is 32 or less, we recommend 200 gsm / 135 lb coated paper for the interior pages. Generally, 128 gsm / 86 lb, 157 gsm / 106 lb, or 200 gsm / 135 lb coated paper is ideal for children’s books. And remember that books for kids take a lot of knocks, so to resist the worst wear-and-tear, it’s a good idea to use sturdier, thicker paper that’s more durable and less easily damaged.

Children's Book Paper List

Paperback Cover Paper

Hardcover Paper

Interior Paper

Bindings for Children's Books

Several binding styles may suit your children’s book project. While each binding has its particular qualities, which may make it suited to one kind of book rather than another, they are all viable options and the choice in the end is a personal one. These are the best bindings for children’s books:

To make a hardcover, we prepare the pages in “signatures” which we then stitch together, collate, and fix into a hard outer casing or cover board, wrapped with a printed cover sheet. The hard case overhangs the interior pages slightly.

Perfect binding: For children’s books, we also prepare the pages in “signatures” which we then collate, stitch and sewn together signature by signature. Glue the signatures and a flexible printed cover at the binding edge. Then cut so that all the pages and the cover are “perfect”. We also call them sewn and perfect binding. This binding is sturdy.

It includes self-covered board book binding and hardcover board book binding. Self-covered board book binding is with the front and back faces wrapped with a printed sheet which also covers the spine. Hardcover board book binding is with a hardcover added after the interior front and back faces wrapped together.

With saddle stitching, we fold the pages and stack them inside each other, often with a separate cover sheet on the outside, and then staple or stitch them together.

In this binding method, we perforate the pages by drilling holes down one side and then bind them together using a coloured plastic coil. We might also add cover sheets or even soft vinyl covers.

While children’s books come in all shapes and sizes, the choice of binding is very important for reasons of appearance, durability, and even safety. Let’s look at the different kinds of children’s books and the binding styles which are most popular and suitable for each.

Board Book Printing

Board Books 

Board books are in a category of their own because they are not bound at all. The “pages” are glued together and a final sheet of printed paper is wrapped and glued around the faces of the first and last boards and over the “spine” to form the cover. That said, it’s possible to add a hardcover to a board book, which is another popular choice. Find out more about our board book printing services here.

Saddle-stitch book printing

Picture Books

These may be larger-sized board books. Another popular choice is a saddle-stitched binding with a glossy cover. This only works if the book has few pages. Saddle-stitched picture books must have pages in multiples of 4. Most have 12 to 32 pages with full-page artwork. But we recommend that the saddle-stitching is sewn rather than stapled. This avoids the potential danger if a staple comes loose through rough use. Sewn bindings are also very attractive and more durable. Top-of-the-range picture books are often bound in sewn hardcovers, too.

Early Readers Children Book 

Early Readers

Early readers may be bound in the same way as picture books. But the longer style with more text and fewer pictures may also be comfortably “perfect bound” as a paperback book.

Chapter Books  Children Book

Chapter Books

Given their length (typically 10,00 to 20,000 words), chapter books are almost always produced as paperbacks. On rare occasions, an author may choose a hardcover binding; for example, if it’s to be a “special edition” or a compendium of shorter stories.

Children's Book Printing

Middle Grade 

Fiction for this age group can be unillustrated and up to 45,000 words long. For this reason, middle grade books are usually treated in the same way as paperbacks intended for adults. So, you would choose a perfect binding in most cases. Hardcover binding is also an option.

Other bindings — such as sewn hardcover and sewn perfect bound or spiral bound — may interest you, but the options above are the most common for children’s books.

Children's Book Design and Artwork Tips

Artwork is a vital component of most children’s books. Even for a middle grade novel with a text-only interior, you’ll want a colourful, attention-grabbing cover. Whether you’re preparing your own artwork or commissioning a professional artist or graphic designer, it’s important to understand how to prepare the artwork for printing. You’ll need to allow for bleed zones, safety areas, trim lines, and borders, for example, and make sure that the resolution and the colour space are correct. 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 children’s 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 children’s 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.

A competent book designer should understand the technical details — including how to digitize any traditional artwork — and we’ll always manually check your files before going to press. However, the responsibility for sending “print ready” files is yours. But please don’t worry! We’ll be happy to “hold your hand” through the process, explain what’s needed, and liaise with your designer to make sure everything goes smoothly and you end up with a perfect print.

To learn more about preparing your art for printing, please check out our Prepress Artwork information page.

Have other questions for us? Contact!

The QinPrinting Eco-Friendly Promise

At QinPrinting, we are very conscious of our responsibility to develop our industry in a sustainable way that respects the life of the planet and of future generations. For that reason, we use paper stock that’s sourced from FSC-certified sustainable forestry whenever possible. We can provide recycled paper material on request. We also use environmentally friendly soy inks—based on harmless, biodegradable vegetable products—rather than toxic resins and solvents. Getting your book printed in batches with an offset printer — rather than one at a time with a print-on-demand service — is also significantly more energy efficient, saving both water and electricity.

When you order from us, we can include the FSC-certified logo and an environmental guarantee from the manufacturer of the soy inks.

FSC Marks

Let's Talk!

If you’re an indie author or a small press wanting to print a children’s 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 book the best ever!

Get in touch
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Max upload size: 50MB. For larger files, use WeTransfer or other platforms to send to [email protected]

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; so, 5.5″ x 8.5″ would mean 5.5″ wide and 8.5″ high. The possible size range is 3.74″ to 11.69″ in width or height, allowing for portrait or landscape orientation.

size guide

Hardcover Wire-O Binding

Hardcover Wire-O Binding uses a durable wire coil to securely bind pages, allowing the book to lay flat when open.

Please note, this binding type is not compatible with cloth or leather covers.

Multiple wire colors are available to complement your design.

Hardcover wire-o binding

Inner Page Count

You can adjust the page count by typing directly, clicking the plus or minus buttons, or dragging the horizontal slider.

Note: Inner pages do not include the cover, endpapers, dust jacket—only the internal content pages.

One sheet of paper is equal to two pages.

page sheet
page sheet

Inner Paper

Please select your paper choice for your book. If you have a special request not listed here, get in touch. 

gloss art Paper effect
Gloss Art Paper
A shiny, reflective surface that makes colors vibrant and images pop, perfect for illustrations, cartoons, and photographs. It delivers high-quality color reproduction, ideal for interior pages with rich visuals.
matte art Paper effect

Matte Art Paper
Provides a smooth, non-glossy finish that reduces glare and makes text easier to read. It offers excellent image reproduction while preserving a professional, subdued look for both graphics and text.

Offset Paper

Offset (Uncoated) Paper
A natural, uncoated paper that provides a smooth, absorbent surface, making it ideal for writing. It offers excellent opacity and brightness, ensuring text is crisp and clear. This paper is commonly used for books that emphasize readability and is often chosen for trade paperback novels, coloring books, etc.

Matte Lamination

A smooth, non-glossy finish that gives a sophisticated, soft appearance while reducing glare.

matte lamination

Gloss Lamination

Gloss lamination adds a shiny, smooth look that elevates the vibrancy and color of  printed surface.

Note: Spot UV is not available with this option.

gloss lamination

Soft Touch Lamination

Soft touch lamination is a relatively new technique. The result is similar to matte lamination, but the surface has a delightful, almost velvet feel which speaks of quality and luxury.

soft-touch lamination

Gold Foil Stamping

Gold foil stamping adds a luxurious metallic finish to text or design elements, making them stand out with a subtle shimmer.

Custom shapes and other foil colors are available upon request.

Note: This option supports foil areas up to 5.9″ × 1.18″. For larger sizes, please contact us.

gold foil stamping

Silver Foil Stamping

Silver foil stamping adds a sleek metallic finish to text or design elements, creating a polished, eye-catching effect.

Custom shapes and other foil colors are available upon request.

Note: This option supports foil areas up to 5.9″ × 1.18″. For larger sizes, please contact us.

silver foil stamping

Spot UV

Spot UV applies a clear, glossy coating to specific areas—such as titles, logos, or images—to enhance contrast and visual appeal.

Not suitable for surfaces with gloss lamination or varnish.

Note: This option supports foil areas up to 7.87″ × 1.96″. For larger sizes, please contact us.

spot uv

Deboss

Debossing presses text or design elements into the surface, creating a recessed effect for a subtle, sophisticated look.

Note: This option supports debossed areas up to 7.87″ × 1.96″. For larger sizes, please contact us.

deboss

Emboss

Embossing creates a raised effect on selected text or design elements, adding depth and a tactile dimension to your print.

Note: This option supports embossed areas up to 7.87″ × 1.96″. For larger sizes, please contact us.

emboss

Square Back

Square Back refers to a book spine with sharp, clean edges that create a flat, rectangular profile.

This style delivers a crisp, modern appearance and allows for clear, easy-to-read spine text.

hardcover Binding Square spine

Round Back

Round Back refers to a book spine with a rounded, curved shape designed specifically for very thick books, typically 320 pages or more.

This construction allows the book to open more fully and lie flatter, providing a comfortable reading experience for thick volumes.

hardcover Binding Round spine

Endsheet 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.

Dust Jacket

The dust jacket is the most common and practical cover for hardcover books. It can be used by itself as a removable cover, or placed over a hardcover that already has a printed image wrap, combining both for added protection and style.

It provides a total of ten printable surfaces—five on the outside and five on the inside. The two folded-in sections on each side are called flaps.

Dust Jacket

Sewing and perfect binding

A premium variation of perfect binding that includes sewn pages for enhanced durability and the ability to lay flat without breaking the spine. Recommended for books with heavier interior paper or more than 200 pages.

Sewing and perfect binding

Page Count Range: 32–800 pages

If you need more pages, please contact us.

Perfect binding

A widely used binding method for softcover books, where pages are glued to a heavier cover. Ideal for books with more than 48 pages and fairly thin paper (80 gsm / 54 lb or 105 gsm / 71 lb text paper). It offers a sleek, professional look and is an economical choice for various genres.
perfect binding

Page Count Range: 32–800 pages

If you need more pages, please contact us.

Saddle stitch binding

A cost-effective binding method using staples or thread along the spine, suitable for booklets, magazines, and workbooks with 48 pages or fewer.

saddle stitch binding

Page Count Range: 4–64 pages

If you need more pages, please contact us.

Wire-O binding

A strong, double-loop wire binding that allows pages to lie flat and turn easily. Ideal for textbooks, instructional guides, and manuals that require frequent handling. Available in various coil colors to match your design.

wire-o binding

Page Count Range: 4–800 pages

If you need more pages, please contact us.

Spiral Binding

Uses a plastic or metal coil to bind pages, allowing them to rotate 360 degrees. A durable and flexible choice for cookbooks, workbooks, and reference materials. Available in multiple coil colors for customized look.

spiral binding

Page Count Range: 4–800 pages

If you need more pages, please contact us.

Varnish

A light protective coating that adds subtle sheen and protection. 

Note: Spot UV is not available with this option.

varnish

Page Count

You can adjust the page count by typing directly, clicking the plus or minus buttons, or dragging the horizontal slider.

The covers are included in the page count.

One sheet of paper is equal to two pages.

page sheet
page sheet