Journal Printing
We print clear, well-designed journals for scientific institutions, educational establishments, research organisations, businesses, and others, using only the latest offset printing technology.
Journals play a vital role in the dissemination of important information, sharing research, ideas, and new developments for assessment, critique, and peer review by professionals and academics with an interest in the field.
QinPrinting is your go-to printer for professional, scientific, and academic journals. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, an expert team who deeply understands your needs, state-of-the-art offset printing technology at our disposal, and a sincere commitment to customer service, we’re here to help.
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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 Journal Sizes
We can print your journal in any size or format you prefer, but remember that unusual custom prints are often unnecessary for most purposes and can cost more than standard sizes due to the extra pre-press work and setup required.
In Europe and Australia, the standard sizes are A4 (210 mm x 297 mm) and A5 (148 mm x 210 mm).
From a commercial perspective, it may be in your best interests to stick to these formats. They’re well-established, affordable, ideal for mailing, meet reader expectations, and reduce setup time, leading to a faster turnaround.
Journal Paper Options
The paper you choose for your journal printing impacts its appearance, quality, and the price you’ll pay. If you print the inside pages of your journal in black and white, you can opt for lightweight, uncoated paper. However, if you have a high number of photographs or other graphic elements—such as diagrams, charts, and graphs—then heavier, coated paper will give the best results. We’ll be happy to guide and advise you on the most appropriate paper choices for your journal, keeping your budget in mind.
While the specifications depend on your journal’s design, we typically recommend 80 gsm, 105 gsm, 128 gsm, 157 gsm coated paper or 80 gsm, 100 gsm uncoated paper for the inside pages. These provide a print that’s easy to read while also reproducing images, diagrams, graphs, and photos well.
We usually recommend thinner paper for the inside. However, if you print your journal in A4 size or larger, using thicker paper for the inside pages is a better choice. For example, 128 gsm, 157 gsm coated paper or 100 gsm uncoated paper.
If it’s a slim journal with 32 pages or fewer and you want perfect binding, then 200 gsm coated paper will be needed to reach the required minimum 3 mm spine width.
The binding style influences your journal’s cover paper. We use heavier gloss cover paper for journal covers. However, a more affordable option is to use the same paper as your interior. We refer to this as “self-covered.” Saddle-stitched or perfect bound bindings are the norm and give your journal a very professional look.
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 journal.
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 Journals
While we’ll make your journal in any shape and size you like, the choice of binding matters for both appearance and durability. Let’s take a look at the most common, professional-looking options. You can open all of the following bindings flat.
Perfect Binding
We use this binding style for standard paperback journals. We collate the interior pages into a block, glued together, and then glued into a wrap-around cover made of heavier art paper or lightweight cardstock. For journals with a higher page count, this is a great option.
Sewn Perfect Bound
This binding style is used for many of the journals we print. We collate the interior pages into sets called “signatures,” which are then sewn together and fixed into a wrap-around cover made of heavier art paper or lightweight cardstock. For journals with a moderate page count that need to lay flat, this is a great option.
Saddle Stitch Binding
To saddle stitch your journal, we fold the printed interior sheets and stack them inside the cover sheet before stapling them together down the curved edge. Saddle stitch is only possible with a page count divisible by four, up to a maximum of 64 pages. To ensure the journal is neat and lies flat, we recommend a limit of 48 pages or fewer for this style of binding.
Wire-O & Spiral Binding
This binding is another popular choice for journals that are destined to “do the rounds” and present examples of work to potential clients, for its practicality and flexibility. We punch or drill holes into the pages down one side and then bind them with a plastic coil that spirals through the holes. We crimp the coil at both ends to ensure the pages don’t come loose. You can turn the pages of a spiral-bound journal through 360° and also lay the open journal completely flat. We can laminate the pages to make them extra-resistant to UV light.
Hardcover Binding
In this binding, we organise the interior pages into signatures, which are then printed, cut, sewn, and glued into a hard casing covered by a printed sheet, which forms the cover. This binding is the most durable and high-end, especially if you add a dust jacket, endpapers, and a marker ribbon, for example.
Whichever binding style you choose, we make it easy for you to design your journal. You can use one of our ready-made design templates if you like. And please ask us for paper samples. We’ll be happy to send them to you in the mail. The samples are free, so you’ll only need to pay the mailing charges.
Journal Design and Artwork Tips
Are you preparing the design and layout of your journal yourself, or delegating it to a third-party graphic designer? Either way, it’s essential to understand how to prepare your files to make them “print-ready.” You’ll need to allow for bleed zones, safety areas, trim lines, and borders, for example, and ensure that the resolution and colour space are correct. With that in mind, here are several useful tips to help you prepare your files for printing.
Export your files as vectors in PDF format for the best results. Our recommended software options for journal design are Adobe Illustrator or Adobe InDesign. These will also allow you to convert your colour space from RGB to CMYK, which you will need to do for offset printing.
If you can't deliver vectors—say, if you're exporting bitmaps from Photoshop—make sure the resolution is at least 300 DPI. With vectors, you needn't worry about resolution, but all other images must be high definition to tolerate resizing without becoming blurry or "pixelated."
You'll need to add a "bleed zone" of 3 mm around all your pages. A bleed is an extended area at the periphery of your images that falls outside the area your finished page will cover. Once we've printed your pages, we'll cut them to the exact size needed for your chosen journal format. This "extra bit" gets trimmed off and ensures that the finished image fills the page with none of it being lost. You should mark bleed zones as red lines.
Inside your bleed zone, don't forget to mark the "trim lines." These will define the final dimensions of the finished page. Make sure that any important elements of your images are at least 10 mm away from the trim line.
If an image, diagram, or photo crosses over two pages in a "spread," make sure that nothing essential lies along the centre crease.
For a spiral-bound journal, leave an added margin of at least 15 mm on the edge that will be bound to allow for the holes.
If you have a professional designer, they should understand what’s needed to make everything “print-ready.” But if you’re choosing to take the “DIY” route, these are vital tips to remember before sending us your files. Our team of experts will always manually check all your files before we go to press. If we find any issues, we’ll let you know and help you resolve them. We won’t print your journal until we’re certain you’ll get a perfect result. That’s our cast-iron guarantee.
Need Help Preparing Your Files? We Offer a Free File Checking Service
Can’t find what you want? Contact us!
Journal Printing Costs
At QinPrinting, we collaborate with a variety of academies, institutions, and other bodies to print high-quality journals of exceptional calibre. However, we understand that many educational and scientific institutions must work within a limited budget for the publication of their journals. That’s why we continuously monitor, analyse, and streamline our work processes to ensure we always deliver excellent journals at a sensible price point.
To obtain an estimate of the cost of printing your journal, check out our at-a-glance price charts. The exact cost of printing your journal with us depends on your paper choices, cover and interior page specifications, the quantity you order in a single run, and other options. For a precise quotation, use our helpful Online Printing Cost Calculator. Unlike most offset printers who impose a minimum order quantity (MOQ) of 1,000 or more copies, we’ll print as few as 100 at a time. However, the more you print in one go, the cheaper it is per journal.
How much does it cost to print a paperback journal?
Paperback Journal Printing Price Chart (210mm x 297mm)
| Quantity | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1000 copies | 2000 copies | 5000 copies | 10000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96pp + 4pp | Unit: A$11.67 Total: A$1167 |
Unit: A$3.34 Total: A$1669 |
Unit: A$2.14 Total: A$2143 |
Unit: A$1.63 Total: A$3266 |
Unit: A$1.34 Total: A$6719 |
Unit: A$1.26 Total: A$12586 |
| 128pp + 4pp | Unit: A$14.91 Total: A$1491 |
Unit: A$4.3 Total: A$2152 |
Unit: A$2.77 Total: A$2765 |
Unit: A$2.10 Total: A$4206 |
Unit: A$1.74 Total: A$8683 |
Unit: A$1.63 Total: A$16258 |
| 160pp + 4pp | Unit: A$18.13 Total: A$1813 |
Unit: A$5.27 Total: A$2633 |
Unit: A$3.39 Total: A$3386 |
Unit: A$2.57 Total: A$5144 |
Unit: A$2.13 Total: A$10647 |
Unit: A$2.00 Total: A$19974 |
- Please note that 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, full-colour printing.
- Binding: Perfect binding.
How much does it cost to print a spiral binding journal?
Spiral Binding Journal Printing Price Chart (148mm x 210mm)
| Quantity | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1000 copies | 2000 copies | 5000 copies | 10000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80pp + 4pp | Unit: A$6.75 Total: A$675 |
Unit: A$2.48 Total: A$1242 |
Unit: A$1.94 Total: A$1940 |
Unit: A$1.73 Total: A$3451 |
Unit: A$1.73 Total: A$8648 |
Unit: A$1.64 Total: A$16416 |
| 160pp + 4pp | Unit: A$10.70 Total: A$1070 |
Unit: A$3.72 Total: A$1862 |
Unit: A$2.75 Total: A$2753 |
Unit: A$2.37 Total: A$4740 |
Unit: A$2.29 Total: A$11441 |
Unit: A$2.18 Total: A$21832 |
| 240pp + 4pp | Unit: A$14.84 Total: A$1484 |
Unit: A$5.01 Total: A$2506 |
Unit: A$3.62 Total: A$3624 |
Unit: A$3.06 Total: A$6119 |
Unit: A$2.87 Total: A$14347 |
Unit: A$2.72 Total: A$27248 |
- Please note that all prices are EXW our facility and do not include shipping costs.
- Cover: 300 gsm coated cover paper with matte lamination.
- Interior: 100 gsm uncoated text paper, full-colour printing.
How much does it cost to print a hardcover journal?
Hardcover Journal Printing Price Chart (203mm x 254mm)
| Quantity | 100 copies | 500 copies | 1000 copies | 2000 copies | 5000 copies | 10000 copies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96pp | Unit: A$19.31 Total: A$1931 |
Unit: A$5.28 Total: A$2642 |
Unit: A$3.78 Total: A$3784 |
Unit: A$3.11 Total: A$6220 |
Unit: A$2.60 Total: A$13002 |
Unit: A$2.48 Total: A$24790 |
| 160pp | Unit: A$27.71 Total: A$2771 |
Unit: A$7.59 Total: A$3796 |
Unit: A$5.2 Total: A$5204 |
Unit: A$4.12 Total: A$8245 |
Unit: A$3.33 Total: A$16642 |
Unit: A$3.17 Total: A$31702 |
| 240pp | Unit: A$38.24 Total: A$3824 |
Unit: A$10.47 Total: A$5237 |
Unit: A$6.98 Total: A$6978 |
Unit: A$5.41 Total: A$10818 |
Unit: A$4.24 Total: A$21223 |
Unit: A$4.03 Total: A$40314 |
- 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 thickness greyboard.
- End Sheets: 140 gsm uncoated text paper, blank.
- Inner Pages: 100 gsm uncoated text paper for the interior.
- Printing: Full-colour printing.
And don’t forget that we’re real people at QinPrinting—not robots or exhausted call centre operatives—so we’re always here to help with any questions you have. Just contact us by telephone, email, Skype, or through our helpful online contact form. One of our printing experts will be happy to assist.
Journal Dispatch and Delivery Services
In addition to assisting with the design and printing of your journal, we also offer a comprehensive mailing service to handle the dispatch and delivery of your journals to recipients. Using this service saves you time and costs by avoiding the need to have journals delivered to your storage facility only to send them on. Why go through that when we can deliver them directly?
Once you’ve given the green light to the proof, the fastest standard delivery time we guarantee is 72 hours. If you have an urgent order, get in touch, and we’ll do everything we can to ensure your journals arrive on time.
Let's Talk!
If you’re ready to design and print your journal, or you want to switch to a better printer who offers high-quality products and superb customer service at unbeatable prices — we should talk. Get in touch today to discuss your needs or request a no-obligation quote. We can’t wait to help you create your professional journal!
