Colouring Book Printing
Immerse your mind in a blend of colours for gentle fun, soothing relaxation, and improved well-being.
Since ancient times, people have used colour to change moods, boost focus, or ease the stresses of life. Recent scientific studies show colouring reduces stress — so colouring books have become hugely popular.
At QinPrinting, we’re always inspired by the creativity and innovation in the colouring books our clients ask us to print. Print your colouring books with us and benefit from 25 years of industry experience, personalised service, and a beautifully finished product.
Colouring Book Printing Instant Quote
based on your choices
QinPrinting Rated Excellent
The sample kit they have available is a must-order for your project. It has every type of paper and finish with a bunch of sample products they've worked on, which helped me make an informed decision about how I wanted my game to look and feel.
The final product(s) arrived within their estimated window and in excellent condition. It still feels surreal to hold it in my hands, and it feels like a legitimate game—because it is!! All thanks to this incredibly talented and professional team.
I feel relieved to have a trusted manufacturer to continue printing my products as sales come in. They're truly worth every penny. Thank you, QinPrinting!!!
I went with Qin Printing as I had specific printing requests that could not be met by many Australian printing service providers, especially not at a competitive price point.
The quality and finishing of the conversation cards is outstanding and the entire process was seamless from start to end. The team at Qin Printing were prompt to reply to my questions and queries and also very helpful with troubleshooting.
I got regular updates on the status of the printing job and shipping period, including pictures and videos of the product.
Thank you everyone at Qin Printing!
The board books I had printed turned out great. Vibrant colors, quality bindings and individually shrink wrapped. All very professional.
Pricing, delivery, communication and quality were all exactly as advertised. No surprises.
Common Colouring Book Sizes
The most common standard size for a colouring book — whether for children or adults — is a portrait-oriented 216 mm by 279 mm format. The same dimensions in landscape orientation — 279 mm by 216 mm — also work well.
That said, we’ve seen colouring books as large as 432 mm by 559 mm, filled with intricate mandala-like designs that would keep even the most avid colouring enthusiast busy for weeks!
You can also print your colouring books in custom sizes to suit your needs. However, customisation usually costs a bit more than standard sizes due to the extra work involved. And if you want to sell your books for profit, meeting consumer expectations often works better than trying to “stand out” with an unusual size.
If you’re publishing for the first time or have a limited budget, we recommend starting with a straightforward 216 mm by 279 mm colouring book.
Colouring Book Paper Options
The paper you choose for your colouring book affects both the price and the finished product’s quality. You’ll need two different paper types:
One kind — plain white stock with an absorbent surface — for the interior pages where your colouring designs will be printed;
Another — thicker, stiffer stock with a coated surface — for the cover.
It’s important that the line drawings inside your book are clear. We usually print them in black on white, although you can choose another colour for the line drawings if you wish. The key quality for interior paper is absorbency so it takes colour well from felt-tip markers. If the paper is too smooth, the ink won’t stick. If it’s too fibrous, the colour will bleed and soak through.
At QinPrinting, we recommend white offset paper for colouring books. Offset paper — also called uncoated wood-free (UWF) paper — has the lignin removed during pulping. This results in a natural-looking, absorbent white paper with good strength, opacity, and brightness, ideal for colouring in.
We measure paper thickness by weight in gsm. For colouring books, paper should be at least 100 gsm, but 120 gsm or even 140 gsm is better to avoid colours bleeding through — a common issue in cheaper children’s colouring books.
For the cover, we suggest coated art paper. If you’re printing only on the outside, one side coating is sufficient. If you want printing on both inside and outside covers, you’ll need paper coated on both sides. Coated paper is more durable and protective than offset paper and makes cover designs bolder and more attractive. We recommend 250 to 300 gsm gloss or matte coated art paper for colouring book covers.
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
- 100 gsm uncoated text paper
- 120 gsm uncoated text paper
- 140 gsm uncoated text paper
Special Finish Options
Here are some popular surface finishes that can enhance both the appearance and durability of your colouring 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 Colouring Books
To bind your colouring book, you can choose from several options. Saddle-stitched and perfect bound are the most popular choices, but we also offer spiral coil binding and even hardcovers. Your choice will depend on your budget, book length, target market, and other factors.
Saddle Stitch Binding
Saddle-stitching means folding the printed interior sheets and stacking them inside the cover sheet before stapling along the fold (the spine). We may also sew the pages together with special binding thread. This style only works if the page count is divisible by four. To keep the book neat and lying flat, we recommend a maximum of 48 pages for saddle stitch binding.
Wire-O & Spiral Binding
Spiral binding is less common for colouring books but can be useful. Holes are punched or drilled along one side of the pages, then bound with a plastic coil spiralling through the holes. The coil ends are crimped to prevent pages from coming loose. Spiral-bound books can be opened flat and the pages turned through 360°.
Hardcover Binding
For hardcover binding, interior pages are arranged in “signatures,” which are printed, cut, sewn, and glued into a rigid casing covered with a printed sheet to form the cover.
For children’s colouring books, we recommend sewn and perfect binding or perfect binding. Stapled bindings may be hazardous if staples loosen. For adult colouring books, any of these binding options are suitable.
Can’t find what you want? Contact us!
Colouring Book Design and Artwork Tips
Export your files as vectors in PDF format for the best results. Our recommended software options are Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator. These 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 example, if you're exporting bitmaps from Photoshop—make sure the resolution is at least 300 dpi. With vectors, resolution isn't an issue, but all other images must have high enough definition to avoid becoming fuzzy or pixellated when resized.
You need to add a 3 mm bleed zone around all pages. A bleed is an extended area beyond the edge of your artwork that will be trimmed off after printing. This ensures your final image fills the page with no unwanted white edges. Mark bleed zones as red lines.
Inside the bleed zone, mark the trim lines that define the final page size. Keep any important elements at least 10 mm inside the trim line to avoid them being cut off.
Since your pages are for colouring, we recommend a 15 mm (about half an inch) inner margin on each interior page. Keep all colouring images within this limit to ensure the spine area is easy to colour.
If you choose spiral binding, leave an extra 15 mm margin on the bound edge for the holes.
If you’re working with a professional designer, they should know what’s required to create “print ready” files. But if you’re using design software yourself for the first time, these vital tips will help you prepare your files correctly before submission. Our team of experts will always manually check your files before printing. If any issues arise, we’ll notify you and assist in resolving them. At QinPrinting, you can rest assured we won’t print your colouring book until we’re confident the result will be perfect.
Need Help Preparing Your Files? We Offer a Free File Checking Service
Custom Colouring Book Printing Costs
At QinPrinting, we believe colouring books should look beautiful even before you pick up your pens. They need to intrigue and inspire potential customers. But we also understand that self-publishers don’t have the resources of big companies. That’s why we do everything possible to keep our costs among the lowest in the industry — without compromising on quality or service.
So, how much does it cost to print colouring books with QinPrinting? While the final price depends on details like paper, format, binding, and more, you can get a good idea by checking our simple at-a-glance chart. Most offset printers won’t start production unless you order at least 500 or even 1,000 copies in a single print run. But we know that’s often too many for independent publishers, so we’ve set our minimum order quantity (MOQ) at just 100 copies. And as always, the more you order, the lower the price per unit.
How much does it cost to print a colouring book?
Softcover Colouring Book Printing Price Chart (210 mm x 297 mm)
| Page count | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1,000 copies | 2,000 copies | 5,000 copies | 10,000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16pp + 4pp | Unit: A$3.39 Total: A$339 |
Unit: A$0.94 Total: A$471 |
Unit: A$0.59 Total: A$584 |
Unit: A$0.44 Total: A$882 |
Unit: A$0.37 Total: A$1,842 |
Unit: A$0.34 Total: A$3,357 |
| 20pp + 4pp | Unit: A$4.23 Total: A$423 |
Unit: A$1.17 Total: A$585 |
Unit: A$0.72 Total: A$715 |
Unit: A$0.52 Total: A$1,030 |
Unit: A$0.43 Total: A$2,165 |
Unit: A$0.38 Total: A$3,836 |
| 28pp + 4pp | Unit: A$5.14 Total: A$514 |
Unit: A$1.43 Total: A$715 |
Unit: A$0.90 Total: A$904 |
Unit: A$0.65 Total: A$1,301 |
Unit: A$0.55 Total: A$2,299 |
Unit: A$0.48 Total: A$4,006 |
| 32pp + 4pp | Unit: A$5.01 Total: A$501 |
Unit: A$1.41 Total: A$706 |
Unit: A$0.90 Total: A$895 |
Unit: A$0.68 Total: A$1,350 |
Unit: A$0.57 Total: A$2,847 |
Unit: A$0.52 Total: A$4,776 |
- Please note all prices are EXW our facility and do not include shipping costs.
- Cover: 250 gsm coated cover paper with matte lamination
- Interior: 100 gsm uncoated text paper
- Saddle stitch binding
- Cover and interior: full colour printing
If you already know your colouring book printing specifications and want an accurate quote, simply enter the details into our easy-to-use Online Print Cost Calculator for an instant price. Otherwise, feel free to get in touch by email, phone, or via our contact form. We’re always happy to help.
Talk to Us!
If you’re eager to print a beautiful, high-quality colouring book — and value personalised customer service as much as a world-class product — then we should talk. Get in touch today to discuss your needs or request a no-obligation quote. We look forward to helping you create the colouring book of your dreams!
