Book printing services
in the UK.

What is short-run book printing?

Short-run book printing means producing small quantities — typically 10 to 500 copies — digitally, without the setup costs of a traditional offset run. It is the standard route for self-publishing authors, test editions and academic monographs. For the full picture — how it differs from print on demand, pricing behaviour at low quantities, and the questions to ask any printer — see our dedicated short-run book printing guide.

What is the minimum order for book printing?

Ten copies. There is no upper limit — we routinely print runs from 10 up to 10,000 copies, and per-copy pricing falls as quantity rises.

Where can I print my own book in the UK?

The choice that matters is between a print-on-demand platform, a broker who places your job with a third party, and a printer that owns its bindery. We are the third: your book is printed, sewn, cased and finished at our own works in Exeter, and delivered anywhere in the UK with carriage included in the price. Upload a press-ready PDF, approve a free digital proof, and your run is made here, from 10 copies up.

What file format do I need to supply?

Press-ready PDF, ideally CMYK at 300dpi. If you only have a Word document we can convert it to PDF for you and send it back for approval before printing — no charge for this.

How long does printing take?

Standard turnaround is 3 to 5 working days for paperbacks, 10 to 12 working days for hardbacks. Fast Track is available on most jobs for a 25% supplement and brings paperbacks down to 2 working days, hardbacks to 7.

Do you print eco-friendly?

Yes. We use responsibly sourced papers, and most of our work is printed on uncoated bookwove or opaque stocks rather than energy-intensive coated papers. Books are dispatched in cardboard rather than plastic packaging.

How much does it cost to print a book in the UK?

Cost depends on quantity, page count, paper, format, binding and finish. As a live guide from our calculator: a 200-page A5 paperback in 80gsm uncoated works out at £3.78 per copy at 50 copies, falling to £2.04 at 250 and £1.54 at 1,000. A 200-page A5 hardback (case-bound, thread-sewn, printed paper case) is £10.70 per copy at 50 copies, £4.63 at 250 and £3.06 at 1,000. All prices include UK delivery and a free digital proof. For your exact spec see our quote calculator or full UK book printing prices page.

What is the best book printing company in the UK?

There is no single "best" — it depends on quantity, binding type, turnaround and budget. Short-run hardback specialists (10–500 copies, thread-sewn binding, in-house finishing) differ from print-on-demand generalists who optimise for one-copy-at-a-time fulfilment, and again from offset houses who only quote competitively above 1,000 copies. We are a real UK book printer, not a print management company — see the five questions we recommend asking any UK book printer (in our short-run book printing guide) to spot the difference between a printer and a broker.

Can I print just one book?

Yes. We will happily print one or two copies as a proof or single-copy gift. Per-copy cost is significantly higher at single-copy quantities because the press setup is the same regardless of run length, but for a one-off it is straightforward. Most customers ordering a single copy are doing it as a proof before committing to a short run — a printed proof copy can be added to any standard order, and digital proofs are free. For genuine print-on-demand single-copy fulfilment routed direct to retail, dedicated POD partners are better suited than a commercial book printer.

Do I need an ISBN to print a book?

No — an ISBN is only required if you are listing your book for retail sale (Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell's, libraries). For private editions, family histories, corporate reports, internal academic editions, gift editions and any non-retail use, no ISBN is needed. We can print, bind and dispatch your book whether or not it has one. If you are self-publishing for retail, you will need an ISBN per format (one for paperback, a separate one for hardback) — ISBNs are issued by Nielsen UK.

Is there VAT on printed books?

No — printed books are zero-rated for VAT in the UK, so no VAT is added to a finished book run. The main exception is products designed to be written in (notebooks, journals, diaries and planners), which carry standard-rate VAT at 20%. If your project is borderline — a workbook with answer spaces, for example — we will confirm the VAT treatment at quote stage.

What is the cheapest way to print a book?

Five levers bring book printing cost down, in rough order of impact: (1) print mono rather than colour — colour pages cost several times more; (2) choose a smaller trim size such as A5 or B-format; (3) use a standard 80gsm uncoated stock rather than heavy coated paper; (4) choose perfect-bound paperback rather than hardback; and (5) order at a quantity break — per-copy price falls steeply between 10 and 250 copies. Above roughly 1,000 copies, offset litho becomes competitive with digital — we will tell you when your quantity crosses that line.

Can you print a book from a PDF?

Yes — a press-ready PDF is exactly what we print from. Upload your interior and cover PDFs, configure size, paper, binding and quantity in the quote calculator, and we take it from there: preflight checks, a free digital proof, then the run. If you only have a Word document, we convert it to a print-ready PDF for you at no charge and send it back for approval before anything is printed.

How much does it cost to print a 500-page book?

A 500-page book is routine work for us — we print and bind paperbacks and hardbacks up to around 1,000 pages, where many online printing services cap out at 300–500 pages. As a live guide from our calculator: a 500-page A5 paperback (mono, 80gsm opaque, perfect bound) is £6.66 per copy at 50 copies and £4.34 at 250 copies; the same book as a case-bound, thread-sewn hardback is £15.78 per copy at 50 and £7.31 at 250. Thick books are exactly where thread-sewn binding earns its keep — the thread carries the weight of the block rather than a line of glue — and a lighter paper stock keeps the spine width practical. We advise on both at quote stage. All prices include UK delivery and a free digital proof.