Portfolio Printing
Printed booklets are a cost-effective method to promote goods and services or convey information. At QinPrinting, we specialise in printing high-quality booklets for businesses, non-profits, and educational and health organisations.
You might wonder if booklets—those pocket-sized printed marketing materials—are still relevant and effective in the digital age. Well, the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” We print thousands of booklets for repeat customers every day. When designed well and targeted effectively, booklets can pack a promotional punch well above their weight and work hard for your business or organisation.
At QinPrinting, we believe that even a humble booklet should be a powerful advertisement for your brand and products. It should boost customer interest, spread the word, and deliver a return on your investment. With over 25 years of success in the industry, an expert team, state-of-the-art technology, and unparalleled customer service, we’re as proud of our first-class reputation as you are of your business. We strive to advance both.
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QinPrinting Rated Excellent
They produced an excellent product that was printed, shipped and arrived within the expected timescales.
Emails were responded to quickly by Susan.
The whole process was smooth and straightforward.
What a delight!
Whenever I have a creative idea, their team goes above and beyond to help bring it to life. I’ve printed four comic books with them, and each time, they’ve exceeded my expectations. If you’re considering a printer, take a chance on these friendly, reliable folks—they truly value your business. - Chad Townsend, Creator of The Black Phantom.
But working with Nelson was an absolute pleasure. He patiently addressed all my concerns, and my final printed book was just as I would hope it would be.
Common Portfolio Sizes
The size you choose for printing your portfolio depends on several factors, including the type of photographs or art reproductions, the number of images, text, layout, orientation, and so on. For example, a landscape-oriented portfolio showcasing full-colour art photography will generally be larger than one designed for a boutique artisan jeweller, which you might expect to have a smaller, more intimate format to reflect the craftsmanship of handmade works.
Common sizes for many of the portfolios we print include:
- 210 mm x 297 mm (A4)
- 148 mm x 210 mm (A5)
- 6″ x 9″
- 9″ x 6″
Smaller sizes are ideal if you need to mail out many copies. Larger sizes tend to make a stronger visual impact. However, you’re not limited to these sizes—at QinPrinting, we specialise in creating fully customised portfolios in any size or format that suits your work and goals. Just keep in mind that extensive customisation can lead to higher costs and potentially longer turnaround times due to the extra pre-press and setup work involved. But for many artists and creatives, investing in something truly unique and exceptional is well worth it. The choice is yours!
Portfolio Paper Options
When it comes to a portfolio, the focus is clearly on the images and photographs, even if you include some explanatory text. For the best reproduction of your artwork, we recommend printing your portfolio on gloss or matte art paper. Both gloss and matte papers offer surfaces that are ideal for vibrant colour or black-and-white printing, rendering artwork and photos with exceptional colour accuracy, crisp contrast, and fine detail. Gloss paper is essential for portfolios featuring full-colour spreads and primarily photographic images, while matte paper is often preferred for those with more text, as it makes the text easier to read while still providing eye-catching colour reproduction.
For your portfolio, you’ll need two paper specifications: one for the inside pages and another for the cover. If you’re aiming for a luxurious, high-end look with hardcover binding, consider adding end papers. These could match the interior paper or be a heavier, coloured, or textured paper for extra sophistication.
Paper Stock for Portfolios
Sewn perfect binding—a type of paperback binding that allows the pages to lie flat without breaking the spine—is a popular choice for high-quality portfolios. This binding style requires the spine to be at least 3 mm thick. Other binding options include standard perfect binding, saddle stitching, spiral binding, and hardcover binding. Clients often opt for hardcover binding for a professional, high-end look.
For the interior pages, we recommend a paper weight of 157 gsm or 200 gsm gloss art paper. It’s not only beautiful to look at and touch, but it also faithfully reproduces your photography and offers excellent durability.
Cover Paper
- 200 gsm gloss cover paper
- 250 gsm gloss cover paper
- 300 gsm gloss cover paper
- 350 gsm gloss cover paper
- 200 gsm matte cover paper
- 250 gsm matte cover paper
- 300 gsm matte cover paper
Interior Paper
- 80 gsm coated text paper
- 105 gsm coated text paper
- 128 gsm coated text paper
- 157 gsm coated text paper
- 200 gsm coated text paper
- 80 gsm uncoated text paper
- 100 gsm uncoated text paper
- 120 gsm uncoated text paper
Hardcover Paper
- 157 gsm coated cover paper wrapped on 2 mm grey board
- 157 gsm coated cover paper wrapped on 2.5 mm grey board
- 157 gsm coated cover paper wrapped on 3 mm grey board
- Other paper wrapped on grey board
Special Finish Options
Here are some popular surface finishes that can enhance both the appearance and durability of your portfolios.
Shiny and reflective, perfect for vibrant graphics and photos.
Glossy highlights on specific areas for a striking contrast.
Smooth and non-reflective for a simple yet professional design.
Similar to matte lamination, but the resulting surface has a delightful, almost velvet feel.
A glossy finish applied to specific areas for a bold and distinct look.
Metallic or pigmented foil for a shiny, eye-catching effect.
Raised designs for added texture and elegance.
A recessed design that creates a tactile impression on the cover, adding texture and sophistication.
Cut a shape out of the paper material
Thin metallic foil—usually gold, silver, or bronze—is applied to the trimmed edges of your book's pages.
Custom patterns and images are sprayed on the edges for a truly unique appearance.
Print your design on a special paper that reflects light in a rainbow-like pattern.
Wrap your book in a durable synthetic leather material.
Cover your book with woven linen or cotton fabric.
Bindings for Portfolios
While we’ll produce your portfolio to any specifications you choose—whether it’s any shape, size, or format—the binding you select is important, as it influences both the appearance and durability of your finished product. Below are the most common and professional-looking binding options, all of which allow your portfolio to open flat.
Perfect Binding
We use this binding style for standard paperback portfolios. The interior pages are collated into a block, glued together, and then glued into a wrap-around cover made from heavier art paper or lightweight card stock. This is an excellent option for portfolios with a higher page count.
Sewn Perfect Bound
This binding style is often used for the portfolios we print. We collate the interior pages into sets called signatures, which are then sewn together and affixed into a wrap-around cover made from heavier art paper or lightweight card stock. This option is perfect for portfolios with a moderate page count that need to lay flat.
Saddle Stitch Binding
To saddle stitch your portfolio, we fold the printed interior sheets, stack them inside the cover sheet, and staple them together along the curved edge. Saddle stitching is only possible with a page count divisible by four, up to a maximum of 64 pages. To ensure the portfolio lies flat and looks neat, we recommend limiting it to 48 pages or fewer with this binding style.
Wire-O & Spiral Binding
This binding is a popular choice for portfolios that will be circulated to potential clients, thanks to its practicality and flexibility. We punch or drill holes down one side of the pages and bind them with a plastic coil that spirals through the holes. The coil is crimped at both ends to prevent pages from coming loose. You can turn the pages of a spiral-bound portfolio 360° and lay the open portfolio completely flat. We also offer laminating options to make your pages extra-resistant to UV light.
Hardcover Binding
In this binding style, the interior pages are organised into signatures, printed, cut, sewn, and then glued into a hard casing that’s covered by a printed sheet to form the cover. This binding is the most durable and high-end option, especially if you add extra features such as a dust jacket, end papers, or a marker ribbon.
Whichever binding style you choose, we aim to make it easy for you to design your portfolio. You can use one of our ready-made design templates, if you prefer. And if you’d like to check out some paper options, feel free to ask for paper samples. We’ll be happy to send them to you at no additional cost.
Portfolio Design and Artwork Tips
Whether you’re designing your portfolio yourself or working with a professional graphic designer, it’s important to understand how to get your files “print-ready”. You’ll need at least a basic understanding of bleed zones, safety areas, trim lines, and borders, and ensure that your image resolution and colour space are correct. Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when preparing your portfolio for printing:
Export your files as vectors in PDF format for the best results. Our recommended software options for portfolio design are Adobe Illustrator or Adobe InDesign. These programs will also allow you to convert your colour space from RGB to CMYK, which is necessary for offset printing.
If you can't provide vectors—for instance, if you're exporting bitmaps from Photoshop—make sure the resolution is at least 300 DPI. While vectors don't require resolution, all other images must have a high enough definition to withstand resizing without becoming blurry or pixelated.
Add a "bleed zone" of 3 mm around all your pages. A bleed is an extended area beyond the finished page size. Once your pages are printed, we will trim them to the exact size for your portfolio format. This "extra bit" gets cut off to ensure the finished image fills the page without any unintentional borders.
Inside your bleed zone, remember to mark the "trim lines". These will indicate the final dimensions of the finished page. Ensure that no essential elements of your images—such as text or key design elements—extend beyond 10 mm from the trim line.
If a photo or artwork spans across two pages (a "spread"), make sure no essential elements—such as faces or other critical details—are positioned along the centre crease.
For spiral-bound portfolios, leave an additional margin of at least 15 mm along the edge that will be bound to accommodate the holes.
If you’re working with a professional designer, they should know what’s required to prepare “print-ready” files. However, if you’re working on it yourself using design software for the first time, these tips are essential to ensure your files are set up correctly before sending them to us. The responsibility for submitting “print-ready” files lies with you, but don’t worry! We’re here to help every step of the way—whether that means explaining the requirements, liaising with your designer, or manually checking everything to ensure your portfolio comes out perfect.
Need Help Preparing Your Files? We Offer a Free File Checking Service
Can’t find what you want? Contact us!
Custom Portfolio Printing Costs
At QinPrinting, we assist creatives across all disciplines in producing portfolios of the highest professional quality. We understand that many emerging artists and creatives often have limited budgets. That’s why we work hard to offer exceptional portfolio printing at prices that fit every budget. Whether you’re an independent artist printing a portfolio for self-promotion, or an established professional aiming to take your work to the next level, we’re here to help you achieve your goals without breaking the bank.
You can get an overview of the cost of printing a custom portfolio by referring to our at-a-glance price charts. While most offset printing services have a minimum order quantity (MOQ) of 500 or even 1,000 units, we know that this can exclude many deserving creatives. That’s why we offer a minimum order quantity of just 100 copies, all while keeping the price competitive. Of course, the more copies you order in one run, the less you pay per unit.
How much does it cost to print a paperback portfolio?
Paperback Portfolio Printing Price Chart (210mm x 297mm)
| Quantity | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1000 copies | 2000 copies | 5000 copies | 10000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96pp + 4pp | Unit: A$12.16 Total: A$1216 |
Unit: A$3.51 Total: A$1756 |
Unit: A$2.3 Total: A$2295 |
Unit: A$1.76 Total: A$3526 |
Unit: A$1.5 Total: A$7517 |
Unit: A$1.41 Total: A$14105 |
| 160pp + 4pp | Unit: A$18.84 Total: A$1884 |
Unit: A$5.55 Total: A$2776 |
Unit: A$3.64 Total: A$3641 |
Unit: A$2.82 Total: A$5642 |
Unit: A$2.39 Total: A$11933 |
Unit: A$2.25 Total: A$22534 |
| 240pp + 4pp | Unit: A$27.2 Total: A$2720 |
Unit: A$8.1 Total: A$4052 |
Unit: A$5.36 Total: A$5357 |
Unit: A$4.14 Total: A$8278 |
Unit: A$3.5 Total: A$17486 |
Unit: A$3.3 Total: A$33038 |
- Please note that all prices are EXW (Ex Works) our facility and do not include shipping costs.
- Cover: 250 gsm coated cover paper with matte lamination
- Interior: 128 gsm coated text paper, full-colour printing
- Binding: Sewing and perfect binding
How much does it cost to print a hardcover portfolio?
Hardcover Portfolio Printing Price Chart (210mm x 297mm)
| Quantity | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1000 copies | 2000 copies | 5000 copies | 10000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64pp + 4pp | Unit: A$15.86 Total: A$1586 |
Unit: A$4.49 Total: A$2247 |
Unit: A$3.32 Total: A$3323 |
Unit: A$2.85 Total: A$5694 |
Unit: A$2.48 Total: A$12379 |
Unit: A$2.37 Total: A$23729 |
| 96pp + 4pp | Unit: A$20.43 Total: A$2043 |
Unit: A$5.79 Total: A$2895 |
Unit: A$4.2 Total: A$4204 |
Unit: A$3.49 Total: A$6988 |
Unit: A$2.95 Total: A$14773 |
Unit: A$2.82 Total: A$28242 |
| 128pp + 4pp | Unit: A$24.98 Total: A$2498 |
Unit: A$7.1 Total: A$3551 |
Unit: A$5.05 Total: A$5045 |
Unit: A$4.12 Total: A$8241 |
Unit: A$3.43 Total: A$17163 |
Unit: A$3.28 Total: A$32796 |
- Please note that all prices are EXW (Ex Works) our facility and do not include shipping costs.
- Cover: 157 gsm coated cover paper with matte lamination, wrapped on 2.5 mm thickness greyboard
- End sheets: 140 gsm uncoated text paper, blank
- Inner pages: 157 gsm coated text paper
- Printing: Full-colour printing
Let's Talk!
If you’re an independent creative professional or work for an agency or corporation and you want to print a stunning portfolio of exceptional quality at a surprisingly affordable price, we should talk. Get in touch today to discuss your needs or request a no-obligation quote. We can’t wait to help you turn your portfolio into a masterpiece!
