New for 2025: Interior Book Printing Services
High-Volume B&W Document Printing
While we primarily print our own book interiors, our service is a perfect fit for any multi-page black-and-white document that requires high quality and volume. This includes:
- Training Manuals & Reports
- Catalogs & Directories
- Academic Journals
- Course Packets
Just like our book work, this is a print-only service. We provide the high-quality loose sheets—on sizes ranging from 3.74" x 5.47" up to 12.76" x 19.02"—and you manage the finishing.
Our Story & Philosophy
As publishers ourselves, we moved our printing in-house in 2025 to gain direct, hands-on control over the quality of our own books. The difference was immediate. We believe fellow independent publishers should have access to that same level of quality without the immense overhead of owning and operating a press. Our goal isn't to be a trade printer; it's to offset our equipment costs and utilize our press's downtime to help our peers who, like us, are passionate about the final product.
Our Commitment to Quality
Grain Short Printing for a Better Book
All our book interiors are printed grain short. This means the paper grain runs parallel to the spine of the book. While this method costs slightly more in paper, it provides a superior finished product:
- Lays Flatter: Books open more easily and lay flatter without resistance.
- Greater Flexibility: The pages turn more smoothly and the spine is less rigid.
- Professional Feel: This is a hallmark of high-quality book manufacturing, and we consider it essential for our digitally printed titles.
Paper, Pricing & Production
Pricing Structure
Our pricing is simple and transparent: $0.02 per double-sided sheet (or $0.01 per side). This price does not include paper, and it remains the same regardless of the sheet size you use.
Printing Multiple Pages on One Sheet (Imposition)
To make printing more cost-effective, especially for standard book sizes, multiple pages of your document can be arranged to print on a single large sheet of paper. Our cost is based on the number of large sheets printed, so printing "2-up" or "4-up" can significantly lower the printing cost per book.
- 1-Up Layout: Prints 2 of your book's pages on one sheet (1 on the front, 1 on the back).
- 2-Up Layout: Prints 4 of your book's pages on one sheet (2 on the front, 2 on the back).
- 4-Up Layout: Prints 8 of your book's pages on one sheet (4 on the front, 4 on the back).
Printing Cost Estimator
Please Note:
- This estimate covers B&W printing costs only at $0.02 per double-sided sheet.
- Be sure to include any intentional blank pages in your total page count. Each side of a sheet that runs through the press is counted in the final cost.
- The price does not include the cost of paper. Customers are responsible for supplying paper.
- We recommend ordering 10-20% extra paper for setup and spoilage.
- This estimate does not include binding, shipping, or other finishing costs.
Sourcing Your Paper
Customers are responsible for providing their own paper stock, and you can supply it in any sheet size our press can handle.
Choosing your paper is a key strategic decision for your project, balancing cost, quality, and your timeline. There is no single "right" way, only what's best for your specific needs. Here are a few common paths:
- Standard Pre-Cut Sheets: For maximum speed and convenience, using readily available, standard-sized sheets is often an excellent choice.
- Cutting Down Larger Sheets: To optimize cost-per-page, you can source larger "parent" sheets. These can be cut to your press size by the paper distributor (for a fee) or by us. Please note that our in-house cutting is a limited, billable service.
- Custom Mill Orders: With advance planning (often requiring several weeks' lead time), ordering paper cut to a custom size directly from the mill can be the most cost-effective option for larger runs.
We encourage you to explore these options to find the best fit for your project's budget and schedule.
Is This Service Right For You?
Because we are book publishers, our workflow and pricing are optimized for volume. This service is designed for larger projects (typically involving thousands of printed sheets) and is not a fit for short-run or walk-in copy jobs of just a few hundred pages. This focus is what allows us to offer our highly competitive per-sheet pricing for the right kind of project.
Why You Need to Order Extra Paper (Overage)
To ensure perfect quality and exact counts, we require extra paper (typically 10-20%) for every job. This industry-standard practice is a crucial buffer against the physical variables of printing.
- Press Calibration & Quality Control: We use initial sheets for critical press alignment and pull random sheets during the run to guarantee consistent quality. These are essential for a perfect result but are not part of the final count.
- Material Imperfections & Handling: Paper is a natural material and can have minor imperfections like wrinkles or spots. Sheets can also be damaged during the mechanical processes of printing, cutting, and binding. Overage allows us to discard any imperfect sheets without compromising your order quantity.
- Cost & Schedule Insurance: Most importantly, providing an overage is your most cost-effective insurance policy. The cost of a few extra sheets is minimal compared to the significant expense and delay of running short. Re-ordering a small quantity often means losing the volume discount—we've seen this add more than $10 per thousand sheets to the paper cost and weeks to the project timeline. Having extra paper on hand prevents this entirely.
Our Production Partners
Our press is dedicated to producing our own high-quality books. We handle the black-and-white printing on-site and are happy to share that capability with others, while we collaborate with trusted local partners for finishing.
A Note on Finishing & Binding
We've learned that for our own book projects, planning the binding is one of the most critical steps. The variables involved often influence our page layouts and the final print quantity needed to hit a budget.
You may already have a trusted bindery and an established workflow. However, for those who are interested, we're happy to share who we use. We've had a great experience working with Universal Bookbindery, Inc. (UBI) and find their expertise invaluable to our process.
They are the ones who can provide optimized layouts and tiered pricing to help guide production decisions. If you'd like an introduction to our contact there, the button below can facilitate that.
View Bindery Partner InfoFor Color Covers & Specialty Printing
Finding reliable partners who deliver consistent quality can be one of the biggest challenges for an independent publisher. We've learned through trial and error how vital it is to work with vendors who treat every client, big or small, as a priority.
For our own color covers, we use a a local trade printer whose work has consistently impressed us. We are happy to share this trusted resource with fellow publishers—please contact us for details.
Ready to Start Your Project?
The best way to begin is to send us your project specifications. We'll review your needs and get back to you promptly.
Send Us Your SpecsYou can also call our office line at 713-527-8949 and leave a message.