Short-run book printing from 10 copies, printed, sewn and bound in our own Exeter bindery.
Short-run sits between two extremes. Below 10 copies is print on demand: one at a time, routed through retail fulfilment, and expensive per copy. Above 1,000 copies is offset litho: the lowest per-copy cost, and a heavy setup bill before the first sheet. Short-run is the middle, a dedicated digital run of 10 to roughly 500 copies with no setup fees, which is the right answer for most self-publishing authors, indie publishers, academic editions and businesses. Build the book below and the price updates as you go, paperback or hardback, thread-sewn from the first copy.
Every standard UK trim, or any height and width to the millimetre. Portrait, landscape or square.
Thread-sewn from the first copy, or glued if the budget says so. A laminated paperback cover, or a printed case or cloth on a hardback.
Uncoated book papers for text, coated for photographs and illustration, all from the calculator range up to 170gsm. The preview page shows the stock in its own shade.
Black and white, colour or a mix of the two. The slider follows the binding's page rules, so every count it offers is one we can bind.
Every run size from 10 copies (25 for hardbacks) is priced live, with no setup fee and a free digital proof on every order.
For hardback orders, the printed proof is a plain-cover paperback with a separate sample of your cover. About proofs.
Weighing short-run against print on demand? Read the print on demand comparison: short-run wins for almost any quantity above one.
DESIGN YOUR BOOK
Planning a short run of paperbacks? Make the cover your own with a template, your words and artwork, and a guide to help you get started.
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Every book here was printed and bound in our Exeter bindery for the person named, from 10 copies up. Under them, some of the people we printed for, with their copies. The reviews are pulled live from our Google listing, word for word.
It was my first time printing books with Imprint, and I had a really good experience. The books came out just as I expected, and they were packed really carefully for delivery. Happy with the service and the quality!
Brilliant company, which I highly recommend for any printing task, large or small.
I would give 10 stars if I could. This was my first foray into preparing a book myself for self publishing. In the past we have paid a designer a vast amount which wasn’t a cost effective option for this project. Riley at Imprint was endlessly helpful and patient and we have ended up with a very professional product at an incredibly reasonable price. What is even more outstanding is that I approved the final PDF on Wednesday and received the books on Friday!
I'm delighted with the whole printing experience with ImprintDigital. In a book with many colour photos and detailed technical illustrations, the printing quality is absolutely superb, with bright, true colours, sharp details and a high-quality glossy texture. The ordering process was simple and email responses were fast, friendly and professional..A delivery issue caused by another company was handled swiftly and elegantly. I highly recommend ImprintDigital.
Built by us for book work: every output is generated to your exact spec, not a static download.
A press-ready cover template built for your trim size, spine and cover material, in seconds.
Upload your PDF and we flag bleed, resolution and colour issues before anything reaches press, free.
Your exact spine width from paper, page count and binding, live, to the tenth of a millimetre.
Every UK trim size at actual size, with what each one is conventionally used for.
Debut novels at 50 to 250 copies, with an optional hardback gift edition alongside. Self-publishing book printing →
Small UK indie publishers running 100 to 500-copy launches, often across a list. Trade pricing and scheduling support.
University press editions, library deposits and dissertation publishing at 50 to 100 copies. Thesis printing →
Family histories, memoirs and gift editions at 25 to 100 copies. An ISBN is typically not needed.
Annual reports, internal manuals and training materials at 100 to 500 copies. Heavier coated paper, premium binding.
Books for launches, signings, conferences and trade fairs. Quick turnaround when the date is fixed.
The right printer depends on your specification, quantity and deadline. Use these points to compare quotes on the same basis.
| Aspect | What to check | Imprint Digital |
|---|---|---|
| Production | Where are printing and binding carried out? | Our books are printed and bound at our Exeter works. |
| Minimum quantity | What is the minimum for paperback and hardback? | Paperbacks from 10 copies and hardbacks from 25. Compare quantities in the calculator. |
| Binding | Can you choose the binding, and is the quoted price for that choice? | Premium thread-sewn binding is available from 10 paperbacks or 25 hardbacks. Glued binding is the lower-cost option. |
| Production time | When does the production period start, and is delivery additional? | 5 to 7 working days for paperbacks and 3 to 4 weeks for hardbacks, from proof approval. Delivery is additional. |
| Proofs | Which proof options are available and what will they show? | Digital proof available free with your order; printed proofs are optional extras. A hardback printed proof is a plain-cover paperback with a separate cover sample. |
| Support | Who can help with the specification, files and any production query? | Contact our Exeter team before ordering to discuss the details of your book. |
A clear specification and a few practical questions help you choose the service that suits your book. Ask the same questions of each supplier so you can compare their answers fairly.
Ask to compare samples and confirm the exact stock, binding and finish in the quote.
Check file preparation, proofs, special finishes, delivery and any applicable VAT.
Find out what the digital or printed proof shows and how corrections affect the price and schedule.
Confirm when production starts, what needs to be approved first and how long delivery is expected to take.
Check how to supply revised files, confirm the specification and obtain a fresh price.
We are happy to talk through these points for your project. Get a quote for your book →
Short-run book printing means a dedicated print job from 10 copies up to roughly 500 copies, run on a digital press in one go. Below 10 is single-copy print on demand territory; above 1,000 starts to make sense on offset. Short-run sits in the middle and is the standard route for self-publishing authors, indie publishers and businesses producing limited editions.
Cost depends on the book specification and the number of copies in the run. Setup is spread across the order, so compare quantities you can realistically sell or use to judge the per-copy saving. Use the calculator above for your exact specification, or compare UK book printing prices.
Compare current quotes for the same specification and the number of copies you expect to use. POD can suit single-copy retail fulfilment without holding stock; a short run can suit launches, events and direct sales. Include delivery, fulfilment and storage in the total. See our print on demand comparison.
For runs below roughly 1,000 copies. Offset has a lower per-copy cost at high quantities but charges substantial setup (plates, makeready) that only amortises over long runs. Below 1,000 the setup cost makes per-copy higher than digital short-run. Above 1,000 offset starts to win on per-copy economics, and we offer trade binding for offset-printed sheets if you go that route.
We hold 19 paper stocks in-house, from 70gsm to 170gsm in uncoated bookwove, opaque, silk and gloss finishes. The standard for novels is 80gsm uncoated bookwove. Photo books typically use 130 to 150gsm coated silk. Every stock is short-run suitable and priced in the calculator above.
Standard production takes 5 to 7 working days for paperbacks and 3 to 4 weeks for hardbacks, from proof approval. Delivery is additional. If you have a deadline, tell us before ordering so we can confirm what is achievable.
Only if you are selling for retail. ISBNs are required for Amazon, Waterstones, libraries and bookshops. For private editions, family histories, corporate reports, internal academic editions and gift editions, no ISBN is needed. We can print, bind and dispatch your book whether or not it has one. ISBNs are issued by Nielsen UK.
Most "UK book printers" online are print management companies that route the work to a third-party bindery, sometimes overseas. Real short-run UK book printers own the equipment, hold the paper and bind on-site. The five-question diagnostic on this page tells you how to spot the difference. Imprint Digital is in the second category, in-house at our Exeter facility since the 1990s.
Build the spec above, size, pages, paper, quantity, and the price updates as you go.
Print-ready PDF preferred: the free file check flags resolution, colour and bleed issues.
Free digital proof of cover and interior: we never print your run without your approval.
Covers and interiors printed in Exeter on presses profiled for accurate colour.
Thread-sewn or perfect bound in-house, then trimmed, laminated and cased where the spec calls for it.
Wrapped, boxed and dispatched via DPD or pallet courier, UK and overseas.
Get an instant quote in under a minute, or order a free sample pack to see and feel our work first.
