Art Book Printing
A well-curated art book showcases your work in a format that’s as practical as it is visually striking. It should be a work of art in its own right.
Art books are portable galleries. Presenting your artwork within the covers of a premium-quality book elevates its status, attracts public recognition, and can draw attention from curators, collectors, and buyers alike.
At QinPrinting, we produce high-end art books for curators, galleries, and individual artists. With over 25 successful years in the industry, a dedicated team, world-class technology, and outstanding customer service have built our global reputation as one of the finest independent art book publishers in the world.
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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 Art Book Sizes
Art books are showcases for your best work. They should draw the viewer into what we think of as a “virtual gallery experience”. A large-format edition combined with faithful reproduction gives your art the best chance to make an impact. While the exact dimensions depend on your artwork, the number of images, the length of the text, and the layout and orientation, we typically print most art books on premium art paper, bound in hardcovers, and ranging from approximately 210 mm × 297 mm (A4) up to 240 mm × 320 mm or larger. A landscape-oriented collection of black-and-white or full-colour art reproductions may be larger than a touring exhibition catalogue; a souvenir edition may be smaller still.
But you’re not limited to these size suggestions. At QinPrinting, we specialise in custom art book printing in any size or format to best suit your individual needs. Just keep in mind that extensive customisation can incur higher costs and longer turnaround times due to additional pre-press and setup. However, for your dream project, a high-end portfolio, or as a complement to an important exhibition, the extra investment could be well worth it. The choice is always yours.
Custom Art Book Paper Options
As with gallery or museum exhibitions, art books require careful curation. Quality and presentation are vital to the statement you want to make. We recommend printing on premium-quality gloss or matte art paper to achieve the most lifelike and pleasing results. Both gloss and matte papers have coated surfaces, ideal for stunning printing that reproduces your photographs and artwork with faithful colour, perfect contrast, and fine-grained detail. Gloss paper is often best suited for books with full-colour spreads and less text, whereas books with more text may benefit from matte paper. Matte paper still provides rich colour or black-and-white art reproduction while making the text easier to read.
You’ll need to specify at least two types of paper for your custom art book: one for the interior pages and one for the cover. You may also wish to include endpapers, which could be the same paper as the interior, or you can choose something different; a heavier, coloured, or textured paper, for example, may be an excellent choice. Endpapers not only elevate the quality of your book at negligible extra cost but also provide an ideal space for autographing and adding personal dedications to copies of your book.
Paper for Art Books
Hardcover binding is the most popular option for art books, especially for a high-end, impressive appearance, perhaps with luxury additions such as embossed titles or metallic foil stamping. Sewn perfect binding — a style of high-end softcover that can lay flat when open without damaging the spine — is an excellent choice for striking art books requiring a more informal style, or for exhibition catalogues and souvenirs.
We recommend using 157 gsm gloss art paper for the interior pages in both cases. It looks beautiful, has a luxurious feel, and faithfully reproduces fine art photography.
Sewn Perfect Binding Cover Paper
- 200 gsm gloss art cover paper
- 250 gsm gloss art cover paper
- 300 gsm gloss art cover paper
- 350 gsm gloss art cover paper
- 200 gsm matte art cover paper
- 250 gsm matte art cover paper
- 300 gsm matte art cover paper
Hardcover Casing 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
Interior Paper
- 128 gsm coated text paper
- 157 gsm coated text paper
- 200 gsm coated text paper
End Sheet Paper
- 140 gsm uncoated text paper
- 157 gsm matte text paper
- 157 gsm gloss text paper
Slipcase
- 157 gsm coated text paper wrapped on 3 mm grey board
- Other paper wrapped on grey board
Cover Material Options
Cloth Covers
At QinPrinting, we offer traditional cloth covers in a wide range of colours.
Imitation Leather and Padded Imitation Leather Covers
We also provide imitation leather and padded imitation leather covers for books requiring a traditional, premium, and luxurious finish.
Special Finish Options
Here are some popular surface finishes that can enhance both the appearance and durability of your art book.
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 Art Books
Sewn Perfect Binding
We often use this binding style for art books. We collate and print the interior pages in sets called signatures, which are then sewn together and fixed into a wrap-around cover made of heavier art paper or lightweight card stock. This option gives you a truly beautiful book at a minimal cost.
Hardcover Binding
In this binding, the interior pages are organised into signatures, which are then printed, trimmed, sewn, and glued into a hard casing covered by a printed sheet forming the cover. This binding is the most durable and professional-looking, especially when enhanced with special treatments such as embossed or debossed titles, soft-touch lamination, gilded edges in gold, black, or other colours, metallic foil stamping, a custom-made printed dust jacket, slipcase, marker ribbons, and sewn decorative headbands.
Whichever binding style you choose, we make it easy for you to design your art book. You can use one of our ready-made design templates if you wish. Plus, ask us for paper and treatment samples — we’ll post them to you. The samples are free; you only need to cover the postage.
Art Book Design and Layout Tips
Printed photographic art reproduction is the core component of all art books, along with beautifully formatted typography, decorative dividers, and other flourishes if you include text. Whether you’re preparing your own layouts or commissioning a professional designer to handle the technical work, it’s important to understand how to prepare finished digital files for high-quality offset printing. You must account for bleed zones, safety margins, trim lines, and borders, for example, and ensure the resolution and colour space are set correctly.
Here are a few helpful tips to guide you when preparing your digital files for the printing press:
Export your files as vectors in PDF format for the best results. Our recommended software options for art book design are Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator. These also allow you to convert your colour space from RGB to CMYK, which is required for offset printing.
If you cannot deliver vectors — for example, exporting bitmaps from Photoshop — ensure the resolution is at least 300 dpi. With vectors, resolution isn't a concern, but all other images must be high definition to tolerate resizing without becoming fuzzy or pixelated.
Add a 3 mm bleed zone around all your image pages. A bleed is an extended area beyond the edge of your photo, outside the final page size. After printing, pages will be trimmed to the exact size of your book format. This "extra" area ensures the finished image fills the page with no unwanted borders. Mark bleed zones with red lines.
Inside your bleed zone, mark the trim lines to define the final page dimensions. Make sure any important image elements stop at least 10 mm inside the trim line.
If a photograph or artwork spans two pages in a spread, ensure nothing essential — such as a subject's face or key details — lies along the centre crease.
If you’re working with a professional designer, they should prepare “print-ready” files. If you’re designing for the first time by yourself, keep these crucial points in mind before submitting your digital files. The responsibility for sending print-ready files rests with you. But don’t worry! We’re happy to guide you through the process, explain requirements step-by-step, liaise with your designer if needed, and manually check everything to ensure a perfect print of your custom art book.
If we find any errors, we’ll notify you, explain the issues, and help you fix them. We won’t start printing until everything is perfect and you are 100% satisfied.
Need Help Preparing Your Files? We Offer a Free File Checking Service
Can’t find what you want? Contact us!
Custom Art Book Printing Costs
How much does it cost to print a softcover art book?
Paperback Art Book Printing Price Chart (210 mm × 297 mm)
| Quantity | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1,000 copies | 2,000 copies | 5,000 copies | 10,000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80pp + 4pp | Unit: A$10.76 Total: A$1,076 |
Unit: A$3.19 Total: A$1,596 |
Unit: A$2.12 Total: A$2,115 |
Unit: A$1.67 Total: A$3,336 |
Unit: A$1.43 Total: A$7,169 |
Unit: A$1.35 Total: A$13,513 |
| 128pp + 4pp | Unit: A$15.99 Total: A$1,599 |
Unit: A$4.82 Total: A$2,409 |
Unit: A$3.21 Total: A$3,205 |
Unit: A$2.52 Total: A$5,047 |
Unit: A$2.18 Total: A$10,893 |
Unit: A$2.06 Total: A$20,608 |
| 256pp + 4pp | Unit: A$29.93 Total: A$2,993 |
Unit: A$9.15 Total: A$4,575 |
Unit: A$6.14 Total: A$6,144 |
Unit: A$4.82 Total: A$9,649 |
Unit: A$4.18 Total: A$20,882 |
Unit: A$3.96 Total: A$39,601 |
- Please note that all prices are EXW our facility and do not include shipping costs.
- Cover: 300 gsm coated cover paper with matte lamination on the outside
- Interior: 157 gsm coated text paper, full-colour printing
- Cover and interior: full-colour printing
- Binding: perfect binding
How much does it cost to print a hardcover art book?
Hardcover Art Book Printing Price Chart (210 mm × 297 mm)
| Quantity | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1,000 copies | 2,000 copies | 5,000 copies | 10,000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80pp | Unit: A$18.14 Total: A$1,814 |
Unit: A$5.13 Total: A$2,566 |
Unit: A$3.74 Total: A$3,743 |
Unit: A$3.16 Total: A$6,320 |
Unit: A$2.71 Total: A$13,555 |
Unit: A$2.60 Total: A$25,965 |
| 128pp | Unit: A$24.98 Total: A$2,498 |
Unit: A$7.10 Total: A$3,551 |
Unit: A$5.05 Total: A$5,045 |
Unit: A$4.12 Total: A$8,241 |
Unit: A$3.43 Total: A$17,163 |
Unit: A$3.28 Total: A$32,796 |
| 256pp | Unit: A$43.23 Total: A$4,323 |
Unit: A$12.35 Total: A$6,177 |
Unit: A$8.41 Total: A$8,413 |
Unit: A$6.65 Total: A$13,294 |
Unit: A$5.34 Total: A$26,692 |
Unit: A$5.10 Total: A$50,975 |
- Please note that all prices are EXW our facility and do not include shipping costs.
- Cover: 157 gsm coated cover paper with matte lamination, wrapped on 2.5 mm thick grey board
- End sheets: 140 gsm uncoated text paper, blank
- Inner: 157 gsm coated text paper
- Cover and inner: full-colour printing
For a more detailed estimate, try our easy and convenient online Printing Cost Calculator. Simply follow the link, enter your details, and receive an instant quote! If you have any questions, get in touch — one of our keen, attentive in-house printing experts will be happy to assist you.
Let's Talk!
Designing and printing your own high-end art book — whether as a premium portfolio, catalogue of works, or for distribution and sale — is always as challenging as it is rewarding to complete. At QinPrinting, we pride ourselves on our customer service and helpfulness just as much as our deep knowledge of every aspect of printing technology. Get in touch today to discuss your individual needs or to request a no-obligation quote. We can’t wait to help you create your most breathtaking custom art book yet!
