Member of UK book industry trade bodies
Short-run printing for local history societies, genealogy groups and civic trusts — faithful to your archives, durable enough to outlast the decade.
Local history books, parish records and society journals rarely need a print run in the thousands — they need the right few dozen or few hundred, produced with enough care that the old photographs, maps and handwritten documents they contain are reproduced faithfully rather than flattened into muddy halftones.
We work with volunteer editors and small committee teams as readily as with professional publishers. Whether you’re producing a commemorative centenary volume, reprinting an out-of-print local history, or keeping a long-running members’ journal consistent across its decades, we’ll match the spec to your readership, your budget, and the archive material you’re entrusting to print.
Illustrated histories of towns, villages, parishes and institutions. Mono or colour, with careful reproduction of old photographs, maps and archival documents that deserve better than a photocopy.
Ongoing periodical series printed to a consistent house spec, so every issue sits neatly alongside its predecessors on the membership’s shelf — year after year, decade after decade.
Centenary volumes, jubilee histories and special editions produced to a standard that reflects the occasion — durable binding, quality paper, a cover that announces the milestone.
Transcribed church registers, settlement records and members’ research. Archive reference copies that will be consulted repeatedly, and reprints of out-of-print local works that deserve a second life.
Build the spec, see the price live. No account required, no email gate — just an instant figure based on what you actually want.
We work from 50 copies for perfect-bound and thread-sewn books, and from smaller quantities for saddle-stitched newsletters and journals. If your society has 80 members and you need 100 copies of the annual history, that’s exactly what we’re set up for. Get a quote with your page count and quantity to see what’s realistic for your budget.
Yes — it’s one of the things heritage publishers ask about most. The key is providing us with the best available scan (300dpi or higher for photos, higher still for maps with fine detail), and choosing the right paper stock. We’ll advise on whether coated or uncoated paper better suits the mix of material in your book, and we run proofs so you can check image quality before we print the full run.
Yes. Send us a copy of an existing issue — or the original print spec if you have it — and we’ll match trim size, paper, binding and cover treatment so new issues sit consistently alongside the backlist. Many of the societies we work with have been printing their journal with us for years and continuity matters to them.
Absolutely. We work with volunteer editors regularly and we’re used to guiding people through file preparation, cover setup and binding choices. We do a free file check on every job and flag any issues before we go to press. If you’re unsure where to start, order a free sample pack to see the binding and paper options, then get a quote with your approximate spec.
Thread-sewn binding is the most durable option — pages are stitched into sections before the spine is glued, so the book can be opened flat repeatedly without the spine cracking or pages working loose. For commemorative volumes or reference copies intended for a library or archive shelf, we’d recommend thread-sewn or case-bound hardback. See our binding guide for a full comparison, or ask us which suits your specific project.
Can’t find your answer? See our 73-question book printing FAQ for detail on file prep, binding, paper, turnaround and shipping.
Get an instant quote in under a minute, or order a free sample pack to see and feel our work first.