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Custom Fine Art Photography Book Printing

Softcover Photography Book Printing
world-class fine art photography book printing services
Photography Book Printing
Fine Art Photography Book Printing
Custom Fine Art Photography Book Printing
Softcover Photography Book Printing
world-class fine art photography book printing services
Photography Book Printing
Fine Art Photography Book Printing
Custom Fine Art Photography Book Printing
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Create a stunning and stylish book of your fine-art photography with our custom offset printing services

Fine art photography is a form of creative expression which inspires us to look again, with refreshed vision, to see the world anew and recall what it means to wonder. Like any language, the grammar and syntax of light and shade, image and shadow, can reveal the poetry of a moment, tell a story, or bring attention to the unseen.

At QinPrinting we’re proud to be able to help fine-art photographers showcase their work in beautifully crafted print editions. We’ve built our world class reputation in the field of fine art and photographic reproduction on 25 years of success in the industry, an expert team, cutting edge technology, and personalized customer care.

Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.

Marc Riboud, famous French photographer

Photography Book Printing Instant Quote

Hardcover Books
Hardcover Photography Book Quote
Softcover Books
Softcover Photography Book Quote
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)
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 Fine-Art Photography Book Printing Costs

Every day, QinPrinting assists fine art photographers in printing photo books of remarkable quality. However, we recognize that not everyone has the financial resources of a major publishing house such as Phaidon or Laurence King. With this in mind, we strive to provide outstanding books at the most affordable rates in the marketplace. If you’re a professional fine-art potographer looking to print an exemplary portfolio of your work, we make our expertise available to you at a price you can afford.

However, don’t take us at our word. You can get a quick estimate what it will cost to produce your unique fine art photography book by consulting our pricing tables. In contrast to the majority of offset book printing solutions, which require an obligatory print order of 500 or perhaps 1,000 books, we offer a minimal order quantity, or MOQ, of only 100 copies at a competitive rate. However, as shown in the graphs, the greater the quantity of book copies ordered in a single batch, the lower the unit cost.

Hardcover Photography Book Printing Price Chart (8.5" x 11")

All prices listed in CAD

Quantity 100pcs 500pcs 1000pcs 2000pcs 5000pcs 10000pcs
Page count
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
80pp
$15.33
$1,533
$4.31
$2,154
$3.17
$3,169
$2.66
$5,320
$2.27
$11,349
$2.17
$21,700
112pp
$19.16
$1,916
$5.41
$2,705
$3.87
$3,873
$3.18
$6,362
$2.67
$13,331
$2.55
$25,470
192pp
$28.76
$2,876
$8.16
$4,080
$5.63
$5,628
$4.50
$9,002
$3.65
$18,268
$3.49
$34,861
  • 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: 140 gsm / 95 lb uncoated text paper, blank
  • Inner: 157 gsm / 106 lb coated text paper
  • Cover and inner: full color printing

Paperback Photography Book Printing Price Chart (8.5" x 11")

All prices listed in CAD

Quantity 100pcs 500pcs 1000pcs 2000pcs 5000pcs 10000pcs
Page count
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
Unit
Total
72pp + 4pp
$8.23
$823
$2.35
$1,174
$1.52
$1,523
$1.15
$2,309
$0.98
$4,884
$0.91
$9,062
96pp + 4pp
$10.24
$1,024
$2.95
$1,473
$1.92
$1,918
$1.47
$2,935
$1.25
$6,227
$1.17
$11,673
128pp + 4pp
$13.06
$1,306
$3.80
$1,901
$2.48
$2,481
$1.92
$3,832
$1.61
$8,074
$1.52
$15,179
  • Please note that all prices are EXW our facility and do not include shipping costs.
  • Cover: 250 gsm / 92 lb coated cover paper with matte lamination outside
  • Interior: 128 gsm / 86 lb coated text paper, full color printing
  • Cover and inner: full color printing
  • Binding: perfect binding

For a more precise and personalized estimate, take advantage of our convenient online Printing Cost Calculator. If you have questions, get in touch and one of our expert team members — not a chatbot or an inexperienced call center operator! — will be more than happy to help.

Custom Fine-Art Photography Book Sizes

In general, the size of a fine art photography book is determined by the photographs, number of images, formatting, and the book’s orientation. A presentation portfolio of fine art photography with a landscape orientation will be larger, for instance, than a standard coffee table book. Here is a list of the most common layouts for various types of fine art photography books to help you choose the best solution for your needs.

  • Portrait portfolio: 8.5″ x 11″
  • Landscape portfolio: 11″ x 8.5″
  • Presentation book: 11″ x 11″, 12″ x 12″, 12″ x 9″
  • Oversized: 12″ x 17″ and 11″ x 17″ 

Whether you choose landscape or portrait orientation, we offer both at the same price; unlike most other printing companies who charge added fees for landscape oriented books. As a rule of thumb, we recommend that you print your fine art photography book as large as possible and practical. Assuming that you’re using high resolution images, you’ll get a more impressive result which shows off all the details of your work.

If you’re self-publishing and you need to dispatch a large number of copies, it may be more practical to choose a smaller size. Larger proportions have a greater impact visually but attract higher costs. But you aren’t restricted to the recommendations above. We are delighted to develop custom fine art photography books in any size or format. Remember that complete customization involves extra expenses and longer processing times due to the increased amount of pre-press and preparatory work required. For certain initiatives, however, the additional expense may be worthwhile. Only you can choose.

Portrait Photography Book Printing
Portrait
Landscape Photography Book Printing
Landscape
Large Size Photography Book Printing
Large Size

Fine Art Photography Book Paper Options

While a fine art photography book usually contains some text, its photographs are the focal point. For optimal results, we advise printing on glossy or matte art paper. Glossy and matte surfaces are both perfect for vivid printing that will faithfully reflect your photographs’ colors, contrast, and intricate detail. Gloss paper is ideal for publications with full-color or black-and-white layouts with limited text, while matte paper is possibly preferable for books that include more text. Text printed on matte paper is simpler to read without sacrificing the quality of color or black-and-white rendering. Matte can also give your book a more subdued and elegant feel while gloss is shiny and vibrant.

For your fine art photography book, you will need a minimum of two paper types: one for the inner pages and one for the outside cover. You could also include end papers, which can be made from identical paper as the rest of the interior or something else, such as a denser, colored, or textural paper. A dust jacket and a slipcase are also options worth considering.

Paper Stock for Fine Art Photography Books

Popular among publishers of high-quality fine art photography books is sewn perfect binding, a type of paperback that can lie flat with the pages exposed without splitting the spine. This binding technique requires a spine thickness of at least 3 mm. A hardcover binding is a common alternative, particularly for an upscale, high-end appearance and feel. In both instances, we recommend 200 gsm / 135 lb gloss art paper for the inner pages if the size of the book is over 8.5 inches by 11 inches. It is aesthetically pleasing, faithfully recreates your original photography, and is durable. At QinPrinting, unless you ask us to do otherwise, we always use the superior sewn bindings, whether softback or hardcover, for fine art photography books and catalogs.

Hardcover Paper

  • 157 gsm / 106 lb cover paper wrapped on 2mm grayboard
  • 157 gsm / 106 lb cover paper wrapped on 2.5mm grayboard
  • 157 gsm / 106 lb cover paper wrapped on 3mm grayboard
  • Other paper, cloth, imitation leather or padded imitation leather wrapped on grayboard (see the example color swatches below)

Cloth Covers Swatches

Fabric-5119
Fabric-5119
Fabric-5403
Fabric-5403
Fabric-5409
Fabric-5409
Fabric-5531
Fabric-5531
Fabric-5529
Fabric-5529
Fabric-5411
Fabric-5411
Fabric-5402
Fabric-5402
Fabric-5135
Fabric-5135
Fabric-5111
Fabric-5111
Fabric-5413
Fabric-5413
Fabric-5103
Fabric-5103
Fabric-5206
Fabric-5206
Fabric-5425
Fabric-5425
Fabric-5219
Fabric-5219
Fabric-5515
Fabric-5515
Fabric-5139
Fabric-5139
Fabric-5213
Fabric-5213
Fabric-5522
Fabric-5522
Fabric-5104
Fabric-5104
Fabric-5526
Fabric-5526

Imitation Leather Swatches

PH-16 cream grey
PH-16 cream grey
PH-21 brown
PH-21 brown
PH-22 forest green
PH-22 forest green
PH-23 dark rose
PH-23 dark rose
PH-24 black
PH-24 black
PH-28 wine
PH-28 wine
T301-5 dark rose
T301-5 dark rose
T301-8 egyptian blue
T301-8 egyptian blue
T301-10 saddle brown
T301-10 saddle brown
T301-11 wine
T301-11 wine
T301-12 grey
T301-12 grey
T301-13-black
T301-13-black
T302-1 grey
T302-1 grey
T302-2 brown
T302-2 brown
T302-4 dark green
T302-4 dark green
T302-5 dark rose
T302-5 dark rose
T302-6 navy
T302-6 navy
T302-7 black
T302-7 black
T302-8 orange
T302-8 orange
T302-9 red
T302-9 red

Interior Paper

Perfect Bound Cover Paper

Bindings for Photography Books

While photo books come in all shapes and sizes, the choice of binding is very important for reasons of appearance, durability, and purpose. Let’s look at the three most common, professional-looking options. You can open all the following bindings flat.

We use this binding style for most photo books we print. We collate the interior pages into sets called signatures, which are then sewn together and fixed into a wrap-around cover made of heavier art paper or lightweight card stock. For photo books with a moderate page count, this is a great option.

In this binding, we organize the interior pages into signatures which are then printed, cut, and sewn, and glued into a hard casing covered by a printed sheet which forms the cover. This binding is the most durable and professional-looking, especially if you add a dust jacket, end papers, and a marker ribbon, for example.

Dust jacket covers

Dust Jacket

A “dust jacket” is a common and practical method of preserving hardcover books. It adds five printable regions to your book, including the front, back, spine, as well as two inside flaps, lending an elegant accent to your publication. For enhanced effects, we are able to print it in all-over color, gloss varnish it, matte varnish it, emboss, deboss, laminate, and foil stamp it. According to the dimensions of your book, dust jacket flaps are typically between 4 and 8 inches wide, providing ample room for an excerpt or introductory paragraph on the front flap and an author biography on the rear flap, for example.

Slip cases are uncommon, but for a sophisticated product, they are an effective way to give your hardcover fine art photography books an upscale appearance and additional protection. We construct them from printed paper folded on grayboard in the shape of a five-sided case, but with the front left uncovered so that when the book is put inside, only the spine is visible. They can accommodate one or more volumes. Depending on your preference, we may wrap the grayboard with printed material, textiles, vinyl, or leatherette. The case may be printed, embossed, debossed, as well as highlighted with spot UV and foil stamped. If you have a series of themed volumes—the four seasons, for example—you can collect them in a slip case to great effect.

Both sewn perfect binding and sewn hardcover solutions allow readers to open the pages flat to give a better viewing experience without damaging the spine as might be the case with standard glue-only bindings. And if you have foldout spreads we can help you with the design so that they are positioned correctly within the signature folds. Whichever binding style you choose, we like to make it easy for you to design your photo book. So, you can use one of our ready-made design templates if you wish. And ask us for paper samples. We’ll be happy to drop them to you in the mail.

Fine Art Photography Book Design and Artwork Tips

Whether you are designing your own fine art photography book or hiring an expert designer for the job, it is essential to know how to go about preparing the files for printing. You will need to account for bleed zones, safety areas, trim lines, and borders, as well as ensure that the resolution is right and the color space is correct. Keeping this in mind, here are a few helpful strategies for preparing your files for the printer.

PDF

Export your files as vectors in PDF format for the best results. Our recommended software options for photo book design are Adobe Illustrator or Adobe InDesign. These will also allow you to convert your color 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 photo, 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 photo 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.

along the center crease

If a photo crosses over two pages in a “spread” make sure that nothing essential—like the subject’s face or other important details—lie along the center crease.

If you’re working with an expert graphic designer to generate your files, they ought to be aware of the requirements to make every detail “print ready.” But if you’ve never used design software before, these are the most important things to consider before submitting your files. You are responsible for sending “print-ready” files. However, do not fear! We will gladly “hold your hand” throughout the process, explain what’s required, communicate with your designer, and personally inspect everything to ensure everything proceeds smoothly and you receive a flawless print edition of your photography book.

To learn more about preparing your photographs, text, and layout for printing, please check out our Pre-press Artwork information page.

Hard Proofs and Samples

A photography book is a large undertaking. To ensure that the printing quality meets your expectations, we recommend that you create a set of hard proofs and 4-16 page offset printing samples. Why? The hard proof color and the final book printing color are approximately 95% same. The final colors are represented by the offset printing sample. Color differences between hard proof and offset printing can be compared. You’ll see how they look in the finished book.

Let's Talk!

If you’re a professional fine art photographer wanting to print a stunning portfolio of unrivalled quality and at an unbeatable price, 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 fine art photography book a work of art in its own right!

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