A Zine is usually a magazine or publication that is dedicated to a unique topic. A Zine doesn’t tend to have the large budget of a traditional publishing company and so tends to be a bit quirky and a bit different, often homemade. They are usually a lot more charismatic than a typical publication as the content is not dictated by the advertising inside.

Like our other books, we are able to print and bind your Zine at any size between A6 (148x105mm) and A4 landscape (210x297mm). Standard sizes for Zine printing will be A6 (148x105mm) A5 (210x148mm) and A4 (297x210mm). 

If you fancy something a bit different from the regular sizes then a good compromise between size and price would be Royal (234x156mm) or B5 (250x175mm).

We have a vast range of paper types to choose from depending on the content of your book. Our most popular paper types are below;

80gsm Opaque - Good for nonfiction books and good for keeping the costs low. Opaque 80gsm is our cheapest paper and helps with cheap book printing if you are on a budget.

100gsm Opaque - Also good for non-fiction books. As it is a heavier paper than the opaque 80gsm it is better for colour images as there will be less show through. It is more expensive than the opaque 80gsm but only by a little.

80gsm Munken Bookwove White - This is the standard paper for novels and fiction titles. It is a slightly off-white paper with a slightly rough/textured feel. It is also good for ‘bulking’ up the book as it is slightly thicker than the 80gsm and 100gsm opaque papers.

80gsm Munken Bookwove Cream - This is the same paper as the Bookwove White but as the name suggests, this is the cream version. Again this paper is mostly used for novels and for making the spine of your book bigger.

100gsm Recycled - A popular paper for non-fiction titles. This is our recycled paper which is a white similar to the 100gsm Opaque but has a slightly rougher feel but is smoother than the Bookwove papers.

We also offer a range of coated papers from 115gsm to 170gsm which are good for printing photographs and high-quality images. We are able to print any number of pages in a plate section on the coated papers and then insert them into the book. This is a great option if you want to have the text printed on the nice Bookwove paper and have some colour images on 130gsm coated paper.

If you are struggling to decide on the paper you want please visit our blog post on paper types or get in contact with us directly to discuss your options. If the paper you want is not listed above or on our website, we may be able to order it in.

Our normal paperback books use a 240gsm cover which does work well for our Zines. However, we do have other lighter-weight options, 150gsm or 170gsm coated stock. This will give your Zine a more traditional feel. If you are wanting something completely different, we can order in alternate papers such as coloured or textured paper.

Zine printing and binding follows the same manufacturing process as our traditional paperback printing and so you can use our instant price calculator to get an exact measurement for your zine. In order to be perfect bound it will need to have a minimum page count of; 48pp (printed pages) for opaque 80gsm, 52pp for 115gsm coated paper and 38pp for 150gsm coated paper.

We only use PUR (Polyurethane Reactive) for our Zines as this glue is the strongest available and is necessary for any book that is printed on a coated paper or a book which has printing going into the spine.

We have multiple extras that can be added to your paperback book;

Foiling
Embossing and Debossing
Cover Flaps
Spot UV

If you are looking for something very unique it may be worth thinking about getting your book printed as a hardback book.