Comic Book Printing
Let your imagination come alive with our world-class comic book printing services
In comic books, literature and art collide. Exciting, intriguing, emotive, funny — between their pages, we find adventure, imagination, comedy and tragedy. If Shakespeare were writing today, he might well be creating comics!
At QinPrinting, we believe comics deserve the same high production standards as any form of art or literature. Our passion — combined with an exceptional team, cutting-edge technology, and personalised customer care — has made us one of the most trusted independent comic book printers in the world.
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QinPrinting Rated Excellent
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 Comic Book Sizes
We can print your comic book in any size you like — though custom sizes may cost a little more than standard formats due to the extra work involved in plate-making and machine setup.
The most common comic book size is 168 mm × 260 mm (equivalent to 6.625″ × 10.25″). For many self-publishers, sticking with this standard format is a smart commercial choice — it’s cost-effective, meets reader expectations, and speeds up production turnaround.
That said, don’t be afraid to experiment. If your project calls for it, you could go for a larger tabloid-style comic at 185 mm × 280 mm, a compact pocket edition at 140 mm × 215 mm, or even flip the format into landscape orientation instead of portrait.
It’s all doable. The only real limits are your imagination — and, of course, how well your readers respond. Check out our handy comic book size chart for inspiration.
Common Comic Book Size Chart (mm)
| 168 mm × 260 mm | 178 mm × 264 mm | 127 mm × 191 mm | 152 mm × 229 mm |
| 185 mm × 280 mm | 140 mm × 216 mm | 203 mm × 254 mm | 216 mm × 279 mm |
Comic Book Paper Options
The paper you choose for your comic book affects its appearance, durability, and overall cost. Many commercially produced comics use lightweight uncoated paper for black-and-white interiors, and heavier coated stock for colour pages — a solid standard for most projects.
At QinPrinting, we typically recommend 105 gsm, 128 gsm, or 157 gsm coated paper, or 80 gsm, 100 gsm, or 120 gsm uncoated paper for comic interiors. These weights provide a crisp, vibrant finish for artwork while keeping text clear and preventing images from bleeding through to the reverse side.
The right interior paper also depends on the book’s size and thickness. As a general rule:
- For smaller comic books, thinner paper is better as it allows the pages to open more easily. Thick paper in a small book can make it harder to read.
- For larger formats (e.g. 216 mm × 279 mm or more), we recommend thicker paper such as 128 gsm or 157 gsm coated, or 100 gsm uncoated stock.
- If your comic has 32 pages or fewer and you want perfect binding, consider 200 gsm coated paper to meet the minimum spine width.
Paperback 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
Hardcover Paper
- 157 gsm coated cover paper wrapped on 2 mm greyboard
- 157 gsm coated cover paper wrapped on 2.5 mm greyboard
- 157 gsm coated cover paper wrapped on 3 mm greyboard
- Other paper options wrapped on greyboard
Interior Paper
- 128 gsm gloss text paper
- 157 gsm gloss text paper
- 200 gsm gloss text paper
- 128 gsm matte text paper
- 157 gsm matte text paper
- 200 gsm matte text paper
You can download a book cover template to check the spine thickness based on different paper types and page counts here.
The paper you choose for your comic book cover will depend on your selected binding style. Most comic covers are printed on heavier gloss art paper for durability and a polished finish. However, you can also use the same stock as the interior pages — this is known as a self-covered comic.
For a professional look and longer-lasting quality, saddle stitch, perfect binding, and hardcover are the best binding options for comic books.
Special Finish Options
Here are some popular surface finishes that can enhance both the appearance and durability of your comic 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 Comic Books
While many comics are self-covered, the best binding style depends on the genre, page count, reader expectations, and your budget.
The most popular choices for professional comic books are saddle stitching and perfect binding. Some creators also opt for hardcovers for special editions or collected volumes.
Saddle Stitch Binding
This method involves folding printed sheets and nesting them inside each other — often with an added cover sheet in gloss art paper — then stapling them along the folded spine. The term “saddle stitch” comes from the traditional method of sewing the pages with thread.
Saddle stitching only works with page counts that are divisible by four and is typically used for books with up to 64 pages. However, for the best finish and ease of use, we recommend a maximum of 48 pages for this binding style.
Perfect Binding (Sewn Perfect Binding)
Perfect binding is commonly used for paperback books. We collate the pages into a block, glue them together at the spine, and attach them to a heavier wrap-around cover made from art paper or lightweight card stock. This style offers a clean, professional look.
Hardcover Binding
For hardcover books, we arrange the pages into “signatures”, sew them together, and glue them into a rigid board case. The hard case is then wrapped in a printed cover sheet. This binding style is robust and ideal for premium editions.
Comic Book Design and Artwork Tips
The quality of your artwork reproduction is always important — but especially so when printing a comic book. Whether your comic is a light-hearted strip designed to raise a laugh, an exciting story for kids, or a complex narrative aimed at adults, your goal is for the artwork to leap off the page and spark the reader’s imagination.
With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips to guide you when preparing your files for print.
Export your files as vector-based PDFs for the best print results. We recommend using Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator for comic book layout. These programs also let you convert colours from RGB to CMYK — essential for offset printing.
If you're unable to provide vector files — for example, if you're exporting bitmaps from Photoshop — ensure your image resolution is at least 300 dpi. Vector graphics don't require resolution settings, but all bitmap images must be high definition to avoid blurring or pixelation when resized.
Add a 3 mm bleed to all sides of your pages. This is extra artwork that extends beyond the final trim size. Once printed, this area is trimmed away to ensure your artwork reaches the edge of the page without any white borders. Mark bleed zones clearly, usually with red guides.
Inside the trim line, leave a 10 mm safety zone. Keep all essential text and visual elements within this margin to prevent them being accidentally trimmed during cutting.
If you’re working with a professional designer, they’ll usually be familiar with these requirements. But if you’re preparing the artwork yourself, it’s essential to follow these key guidelines before submitting your files.
Don’t worry — our expert prepress team manually checks every file before printing. If anything’s off, we’ll let you know and help fix it. We won’t go to press until your files are fully print-ready and we’re confident they’ll produce excellent results.
Need Help Preparing Your Files? We Offer a Free File Checking Service
Can’t find what you want? Contact us!
Custom Comic Book Printing Costs
At QinPrinting, we work closely every day with self-published creators to produce exceptionally beautiful comic books of outstanding quality. We also understand that many talented independent creatives need to work within a limited budget. That’s why we constantly strive to be as efficient as possible, delivering top-quality comic books at prices you won’t find anywhere else.
Don’t just take our word for it — check out the simple price chart below to get an idea of your comic book printing costs. The exact price will depend on your choice of paper, cover and interior finishes, and other factors. For a precise, project-specific quote, try our Online Printing Cost Calculator.
Unlike many other offset printers with minimum order quantities of 500 or more, we’re happy to print runs as small as 100 copies.
How much does it cost to print a paperback comic book?
Softcover Comic Book Printing Price Chart (170 mm × 260 mm)
| Quantity | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1,000 copies | 2,000 copies | 5,000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48pp + 4pp | Unit: A$6.68 Total: A$668 |
Unit: A$1.84 Total: A$922 |
Unit: A$1.13 Total: A$1,130 |
Unit: A$0.83 Total: A$1,669 |
Unit: A$0.69 Total: A$3,425 |
| 64pp + 4pp | Unit: A$8.26 Total: A$826 |
Unit: A$2.29 Total: A$1,144 |
Unit: A$1.43 Total: A$1,427 |
Unit: A$1.06 Total: A$2,113 |
Unit: A$0.86 Total: A$4,322 |
| 96pp + 4pp | Unit: A$11.43 Total: A$1,143 |
Unit: A$3.19 Total: A$1,593 |
Unit: A$2.02 Total: A$2,024 |
Unit: A$1.50 Total: A$3,002 |
Unit: A$1.23 Total: A$6,160 |
| 128pp + 4pp | Unit: A$14.59 Total: A$1,459 |
Unit: A$4.12 Total: A$2,059 |
Unit: A$2.62 Total: A$2,619 |
Unit: A$1.97 Total: A$3,931 |
Unit: A$1.59 Total: A$7,951 |
- Please note all prices are EXW our facility and exclude shipping costs.
- Cover: 200 gsm coated cover paper with gloss lamination
- Inner: 105 gsm coated text paper for the interior
- Binding: sewn and perfect binding
- Cover and interior: full colour printing
And remember, at QinPrinting we’re real people ready to help with any questions you might have. Just get in touch by your preferred method — email, phone, or our easy online contact form. One of our expert team members will be happy to assist you.
Comic Books Crowdfunding
Unlike many other printing companies, we genuinely care about all our clients — not just the payment! We want to see you succeed. So if you’re running a crowdfunding campaign, such as on Kickstarter, get in touch with us first. We’re happy to support you with comic book design templates, free artwork checking, and special discounts on a range of tailored printing solutions.
Let's Talk!
If you’re an indie author or small press wanting to print a comic book — and only the finest quality and unbeatable customer service will do — we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch today to discuss your needs or request a no-obligation quote. We can’t wait to help make your next comic the best it can be!
