Children's Book Printing
Watch your story spring to life with our world-class children’s book printing services
Books are vital to a child’s education, helping them learn to read, explore ideas, use their imagination, develop empathy and reasoning, and find the courage to live their best lives.
At QinPrinting, we believe children deserve the most beautiful books possible. That commitment — along with 25 years of success in the industry, an expert team, the latest technology, and unrivalled customer service — supports our first-class reputation among self-publishers of children’s books around 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 Children's Book Sizes
The size of a children’s book typically depends on the target age group. Booksellers, teachers, and librarians usually divide juvenile readers’ book types into the following categories:
- Board Books for preschoolers aged 0 to 4 years
- Picture Books for 4- to 8-year-olds reading with support
- Early Readers for 4- to 8-year-olds reading independently
- Chapter Books for 6- to 9-year-olds
- Middle Grade Fiction for 9- to 12-year-olds
Smaller sizes work well for preschoolers and toddlers — think of a 150 mm × 150 mm board book — as they respond best to books they can hold and whose pages they can easily turn with little hands.
Picture books are often printed in landscape format up to 305 mm × 230 mm to accommodate full-page illustrations and more text.
Early readers tend to be more popular in portrait sizes, ranging from 140 mm × 216 mm up to 230 mm × 305 mm.
Most chapter books and middle grade fiction titles match standard paperback sizes, usually from 140 mm × 216 mm to 203 mm × 254 mm.
Common Children's Book Size Chart (mm)
| Square | 150 × 150 | 180 × 180 | 200 × 200 | 210 × 210 | 230 × 230 | 250 × 250 |
| Portrait | 140 × 216 | 152 × 229 | 178 × 254 | 210 × 280 | 210 × 297 | 230 × 305 |
| Landscape | 216 × 140 | 229 × 152 | 254 × 178 | 280 × 210 | 297 × 210 | 305 × 230 |
Children's Book Paper Options
Most children’s books feature colourful illustrations, cartoons, or other artwork. We recommend printing on gloss or matte art paper to achieve the best results. Both gloss and matte papers provide ideal surfaces for vibrant colour printing that will really make your children’s book illustrations ‘pop’. Gloss paper is often best suited for books with full-colour spreads and less text, while books with more text and fewer illustrations may benefit from matte paper. Matte paper still delivers gorgeous colour reproduction while making the text easier to read.
For drawing, colouring, or activity books, we suggest using uncoated paper stock. On uncoated stock, kids can scribble away to their heart’s content with pencils, pens, felt tips, Sharpies, crayons, and paint. Gloss and matte papers aren’t absorbent enough for these “interactive” book styles. So, if children need to write on the book, colour in, or paint the pages, uncoated paper is the best choice.
Interior Paper Stock for Children's Paperbacks
Paperback — also known as perfect bound — is a popular choice for chapter books and middle grade fiction. This binding style requires the spine to be at least 3 mm thick. With middle grade fiction, that usually isn’t an issue. However, for shorter books with 32 pages or fewer, we recommend using 200 gsm coated paper for the interior pages to meet that minimum spine thickness.
Generally, coated paper weights of 128 gsm, 157 gsm, or 200 gsm are ideal for children’s books. Keep in mind that books for kids take a lot of knocks, so to withstand wear and tear, it’s a good idea to use sturdier, thicker paper that is more durable and less easily damaged.
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
Special Finish Options
Here are some popular surface finishes that can enhance both the appearance and durability of your 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 Children's Books
Hardcover Binding
To create a hardcover book, the interior pages are arranged into folded sections called “signatures”, which are stitched together, collated, and fixed into a rigid cover made from greyboard. The cover is then wrapped with a printed sheet, giving it a professional finish. The hard case slightly overhangs the inner pages, offering excellent durability and a premium feel — ideal for picture books and keepsake editions.
Perfect Binding (Sewn Perfect Binding)
Perfect binding is a common method for paperback children’s books. The pages are prepared in signatures, sewn together for added strength, then glued to a flexible printed cover along the spine. Once assembled, the book is trimmed on all sides so that the pages and cover are neatly aligned — hence the name “perfect”. This method, especially when sewn, provides a sturdy, long-lasting finish ideal for chapter books and middle grade fiction.
Board Book Binding
Board books are designed for toddlers and babies, with thick, rounded pages that are easy to turn and tough to damage. There are two main types:
- Self-covered board books — the front, back, and spine are wrapped with a single printed sheet.
- Hardcover board books — a rigid cover is added over the internal block, which is already wrapped.
This format is perfect for younger children who may be rougher on books.
Saddle Stitch Binding
Saddle stitching involves folding the printed sheets, nesting them together, and stapling them through the spine. A separate cover sheet is often added. This lightweight and cost-effective method is best suited for shorter children’s books, typically between 8 and 48 pages — such as colouring books, early readers, or promotional booklets.
Wire-O & Spiral Binding
In this method, small holes are punched along one edge of the pages, which are then bound together with a plastic or metal coil. This binding allows books to lay flat when open, making it ideal for activity books, colouring books, and educational workbooks. Optional extras like clear plastic or vinyl covers can be added for protection and durability.
How to choose the right binding for your children's book?
Binding Choices for Children's Books
Board Book Printing
Board books are in a category of their own because they are not bound in the traditional sense. The “pages” are glued together, and a final sheet of printed paper is wrapped and glued over the front and back boards and across the “spine” to form the cover. That said, it’s also possible to add a hardcover to a board book — another popular choice. Find out more about our board book printing services here.
Picture Books Printing
These may also take the form of larger-sized board books. Another common option is saddle-stitched binding with a glossy cover. This only works when the book has a small number of pages. Saddle-stitched books must have pages in multiples of four. Most contain 12 to 32 pages with full-page illustrations. We recommend sewing the saddle stitching rather than using metal staples. This avoids the potential danger of staples coming loose during rough use. Sewn bindings are also more attractive and more durable. High-end picture books are often bound in sewn hardcovers as well.
Early Readers Book Printing
Early readers may be bound in the same way as picture books. However, the longer format — with more text and fewer illustrations — is also well suited to perfect binding as a paperback.
Chapter Book Printing
Given their length — typically 10,000 to 20,000 words — chapter books are almost always produced as paperbacks. Occasionally, a hardcover may be chosen, for example for a special edition or a compendium of shorter stories.
Middle Grade Book Printing
Books for this age group can be unillustrated and up to 45,000 words in length. As a result, middle grade books are usually printed similarly to adult paperbacks. Perfect binding is the standard choice, though hardcover is also an option.
Other bindings — such as sewn hardcover, sewn perfect bound, or spiral bound — may also be suitable depending on the project. However, the options listed above are the most common choices for children’s books.
Children's Book Design and Artwork Tips
Artwork is a vital part of most children’s books. Even for a middle grade novel with a text-only interior, you’ll want a colourful, eye-catching cover. Whether you’re creating your own artwork or commissioning a professional artist or graphic designer, it’s important to understand how to prepare the artwork for printing.
You’ll need to allow for bleed areas, safe zones, trim lines, and borders, and ensure your files have the correct resolution and colour space. With that in mind, here are some useful tips to help you prepare your files correctly for the printer.
Export your files as vectors in PDF format for the best results. We recommend using professional design software such as Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator. These programs allow you to design in print-ready formats and convert your colour space from RGB to CMYK, which is required for offset printing.
If your artwork is not vector-based — for example, if you're exporting raster images from Photoshop — make sure the resolution is at least 300 DPI (dots per inch). This ensures crisp, clean printing. Vectors don't require a set resolution, but any bitmap or photographic images must be high-definition to avoid pixelation during resizing.
Add a 3 mm bleed area around each page. The bleed is the part of the design that extends beyond the final trim size. Once your pages are printed, we trim them to the required size, cutting off this outer bleed margin. It ensures that colour or images reach right to the edge of the page with no white borders. Bleed zones should be clearly marked, typically using red lines.
Inside the bleed zone, mark the trim line — this defines the final cut size of the printed page. All essential design elements, such as text and key graphics, should sit at least 10 mm inside the trim line, forming a safe zone. This prevents anything important from being cut off during the trimming process.
A competent book designer should understand the technical requirements — including how to digitise any traditional artwork — and we’ll always manually check your files before printing. However, it’s the client’s responsibility to supply print-ready files.
That said, there’s no need to stress. We’re more than happy to guide you through the process, explain what’s required, and work directly with your designer if needed. Our goal is to ensure everything goes smoothly and your book is printed to the highest standard.
Need Help Preparing Your Files? We Offer a Free File Checking Service
Can’t find what you want? Contact us!
Custom Children's Book Printing Costs
At QinPrinting, we help self-published authors print children’s books of unmatched quality every day. But we also understand how important it is to keep your project within budget. That’s why we constantly review our work processes to ensure we deliver exceptional-quality books at some of the most competitive prices in the industry. And that’s our promise.
But don’t just take our word for it—see for yourself! You can get an instant estimate of how much it will cost to print your children’s book by browsing our easy-to-read pricing charts. Unlike most children’s book printing services—which often require a minimum offset print order of 500 or even 1,000 books—we offer a minimum offset print run of just 100 copies, still with a competitive pricing edge. And as you’ll see from the charts, the more books you print in one run, the lower your cost per copy.
How much does it cost to print a paperback children's book?
Paperback Children's Book Printing Price Chart (210 mm × 297 mm)
| Quantity | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1,000 copies | 2,000 copies | 5,000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32pp + 4pp | Unit: A$5.43 Total: A$543 |
Unit: A$1.57 Total: A$786 |
Unit: A$1.00 Total: A$1,004 |
Unit: A$0.78 Total: A$1,553 |
Unit: A$0.67 Total: A$3,369 |
| 40pp + 4pp | Unit: A$6.45 Total: A$645 |
Unit: A$1.87 Total: A$935 |
Unit: A$1.22 Total: A$1,221 |
Unit: A$0.93 Total: A$1,869 |
Unit: A$0.81 Total: A$4,047 |
| 48pp + 4pp | Unit: A$7.18 Total: A$718 |
Unit: A$2.10 Total: A$1,049 |
Unit: A$1.37 Total: A$1,369 |
Unit: A$1.06 Total: A$2,122 |
Unit: A$0.92 Total: A$4,595 |
- Please note: All prices are EXW (Ex Works) from our facility and do not include shipping costs.
- Cover: 250 gsm coated cover paper with gloss lamination
- Inner pages: 157 gsm coated text paper
- Printing: Full colour on both cover and inner pages
- Binding: Perfect binding
How much does it cost to print a hardcover children's book?
Hardcover Children's Book Printing Price Chart (210 mm x 297 mm)
| Quantity | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1,000 copies | 2,000 copies | 5,000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32pp | Unit: A$11.30 Total: A$1,130 |
Unit: A$3.23 Total: A$1,613 |
Unit: A$2.48 Total: A$2,480 |
Unit: A$2.22 Total: A$4,440 |
Unit: A$2.00 Total: A$9,987 |
| 40pp | Unit: A$12.63 Total: A$1,263 |
Unit: A$3.59 Total: A$1,793 |
Unit: A$2.73 Total: A$2,732 |
Unit: A$2.39 Total: A$4,788 |
Unit: A$2.13 Total: A$10,636 |
| 48pp | Unit: A$13.58 Total: A$1,358 |
Unit: A$3.86 Total: A$1,929 |
Unit: A$2.90 Total: A$2,901 |
Unit: A$2.53 Total: A$5,067 |
Unit: A$2.24 Total: A$11,205 |
- Please note: All prices are EXW (Ex Works) from our facility and do not include shipping costs.
- Cover: 157 gsm coated cover paper with matte lamination, wrapped over 2.5 mm greyboard
- End sheets: 140 gsm uncoated text paper, blank
- Inner pages: 157 gsm art paper
- Printing: Full colour on both cover and inner pages
For a more detailed quote, try our easy and convenient online Printing Cost Calculator. Simply enter your information to receive an instant quote. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch — one of our friendly, knowledgeable team members will be happy to assist.
The QinPrinting Eco-Friendly Promise
At QinPrinting, we take our responsibility to develop the printing industry in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way seriously — for the well-being of the planet and future generations.
Wherever possible, we use paper stock sourced from FSC-certified sustainable forests. Recycled paper materials are also available on request. In addition, we print using environmentally friendly soy-based inks, made from biodegradable vegetable oils instead of petroleum-based resins or harmful solvents.
Printing your book in batches using offset printing, rather than individually through a print-on-demand service, is significantly more energy efficient. It reduces water and electricity consumption and helps minimise overall environmental impact.
When you print with us, we can include the FSC logo and an eco-certification statement from the manufacturer of the soy-based inks on your printed product, upon request.
Let's Talk!
If you’re an indie author or a small press wanting to print a children’s book — and only the finest product and unbeatable customer service will do — we should talk. Get in touch today to chat through your needs or to ask for a no-obligation quote. We can’t wait to help you make your next book the best ever!
