Book Printing Process - Hard Cover & Soft Cover Books | UBuildABook
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Hard cover & soft cover book printing

Book Printing Process

  • Hard cover or soft cover, printed in the U.S.A.
  • 7 to 10 business days to print
  • Our best pricing and service start at 50 books, however we can still print you a single copy if desired
Use our FREE Book Design Pro Software →

Price your book

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50+ booksOur best pricing and service
FREEBook Design Pro Software
Personal ServiceReal people at our end
7-10 daysTypical turnaround, business days

Print your book with UBuildABook

At a glance

UBuildABook is a U.S. book printer. We print hard cover and soft cover books in standard sizes from 5.5x8.5 to 12x12, with more sizes on orders of 50 or more. Printing takes 7 to 10 business days and every file is checked by a real person. There is no minimum order, and our best pricing starts at 50 books.

As a digital printing specialist, UBuildABook can print the book you have in mind even if you only need a few. Whether it is a yearbook, a children's book, an art book or a family history, you send us print-ready PDF files, or build the book with our FREE Book Design Pro Software, and we print, bind and ship it.

Book printing specs

Standard sizes8.5x11, 8x10, 5.5x8.5 and 6x9 portrait; 11x8.5 and 9x6 landscape; 8.5x8.5 and 12x12 square
More sizes on 50+9x12, 12x9 and custom sizes up to 12x12
BindingHard cover or soft cover, both in one order if you like. Dust jackets available
QuantityNo minimum. Best pricing from 50 books
Custom options on 50+Additional paper types, laminates, endsheets, proofs, guidance through the ISBN number and barcode process and more
Turnaround7 to 10 business days to print, plus shipping
ShippingU.S. and Canada, to you or on to Amazon or any other distributor
FilesFREE Book Design Pro Software, or a print-ready PDF
File checkEvery file reviewed by a real person before printing

Printing 50 or more?

That is where our pricing gets sharpest and where the custom options open up. Orders of 50+ books get our best per-book price, a custom quote turned around by a real person, the full range of custom options, and a free shareable flipbook of your book.

Printing fewer than 50 is still completely fine - there is no minimum and no extra charge to re-order later.

How it works

Our book printing process, in six steps

No account needed to start, and no cost until you approve a price.

1

Get your pricing

Price 1-49 books right here, or send us page count, trim size, cover type and quantity for a custom quote. Quoting 50 or more gets you our best price.

2

Build the book

Drag your photos and artwork onto pages in our FREE Book Design Pro Software, add your text, design the cover. Or work in your own software.

3

Send us your files

Upload straight from the software, or send a print-ready PDF. No disc, no mailing, no file size limit to work around.

4

We check your files

We review every file sent to us. A real person checks for print problems before anything goes on press, and contacts you if something looks off.

5

Proof Approval

For 50+ books, you get a Proof for your approval, before we send to print.

6

We print and ship

Printed and bound in the U.S.A. in 7 to 10 business days, plus shipping.

Options

Book sizes, covers and printing options

Standard sizes, covers, custom options and delivery.

Sizes

  • 8.5x11, 8x10, 5.5x8.5, 6x9 portrait
  • 11x8.5, 9x6 landscape
  • 8.5x8.5, 12x12 square
  • On 50+: 9x12, 12x9 and custom sizes up to 12x12

Covers & binding

  • Hard cover and soft cover
  • Mix both bindings in a single order
  • Dust jackets

Custom options on 50+

  • Additional paper type choices
  • Laminate options
  • Endsheet options
  • Proof options
  • Guidance through the ISBN number and barcode process
  • And more - ask when you request pricing

Quantity & delivery

  • 50+ books gets our best pricing, a custom quote and custom options available
  • No minimum - we will print a single copy, with no extra charge on re-orders
  • FREE Book Design Pro Software, or your own print-ready PDF
  • 7 to 10 business days to print
  • Ship to you, or on to Amazon or any other distributor
Before you print

Binding, file setup, templates and ISBNs

Book binding

  • Hard cover vs soft cover
  • How each is made
  • Which to choose

Book binding options →

Layout & file setup

  • Margins, bleed and safe zone
  • Cover and spine setup
  • PDF file checklist

Book layout guide →

Free templates

  • Cover templates by size and spine
  • Inside page templates
  • Word, InDesign, Photoshop, Canva and PDF

Book templates →

ISBN & barcodes

  • What an ISBN is
  • How to get one, and the cost
  • Our guidance on 50+ book orders

ISBN numbers and barcodes →

Questions

Book printing FAQ

How much does it cost to print a book?

The price depends on four things: page count, trim size, hard or soft cover, and how many copies you print. The per-book price drops as the quantity goes up, and 50 or more books gets our best pricing.

For 1 to 49 books, use the price card at the top of this page or our instant pricing. For 50 or more, request a custom quote and a real person will send it, normally within 1 business day.

How many copies should I print?

Fifty or more is where our pricing and service are at their best. Orders of 50+ books get our lowest per-book price, a custom quote from a real person, a free shareable flipbook, and the full range of custom options - extra paper types, laminates, endsheets and proofs.

That said, there is no minimum. We will print a single copy, and there is no extra charge if you come back later and re-order more.

What book sizes can you print?

Our standard sizes are 8.5x11 and 8x10 portrait, 11x8.5 landscape, 5.5x8.5 and 6x9 portrait, 9x6 landscape, and 8.5x8.5 and 12x12 square. On orders of 50 or more books we also print 9x12, 12x9 and custom sizes up to 12x12. See all book sizes.

Should I choose hard cover or soft cover?

Hard cover is sturdier and feels like a gift or library book. Soft cover costs less per copy and is lighter to ship. You can mix both bindings in a single order, and dust jackets are available. Compare hard vs soft cover pricing.

How long does book printing take?

Printing runs 7 to 10 business days once your files are approved, plus shipping time. If you have a hard date, tell us when you request pricing and we will confirm it before you commit.

What files do you need to print my book?

Either build the book in our FREE Book Design Pro Software and send it straight from there, or send a print-ready PDF from InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Word or similar. Pages with images that run to the edge need bleed - see full bleed page layout.

Do you check my files before printing?

Yes. We review every file sent to us. A real person checks for print problems before anything goes on press, and contacts you if something looks off. For 50+ books, you get a Proof for your approval, before we send to print.

Where do you ship, and can you send books to Amazon?

We ship within the United States and Canada. Books can go directly to you, or we can ship part of the run on to Amazon or any other distributor if you plan to sell. See shipping.

Let's find out what your book costs.

No account, no software install, no obligation. Price 1-49 books at the top of this page - and if you are printing 50 or more, that is where our best pricing and our full range of custom options kick in.