Helping Hand - Ex Why Zed Print & Design

Product Selection

What can we help you transform into print?

Select your creative solution. We have highlighted our seasonal bestsellers at the top or choose one from the larger list below.

Step 1 - Orientation & Size

What size and orientation is your product going to be?

Let us know what size of the product and its orientation. If you are unsure what you want, there is help on the right hand side. Still unsure pick any one, we can fine tune it later.

Step 2 - Pages and Paper

How many pages and what paper stock will you be needing?

Please let us know the amount of pages within your publication you require and what stock you will be needing for the cover and the inside pages.

Step 3 - Binding Options

What binding method would you like to use on your zine?

There are 3 main binding methods for printing. Since you are looking for 100 pages in your publication, we are displaying the best options for you. If no binding methods are available, please refer to the tips below and change the number of pages selected in the previous step.

Step 4 - Colour Options

You can print your work in full colour or in black & white.

You can print your publication in full colour or in black & white. Select both if you want a mixture of colour plus black & white. Good for when you want different photo styles.

Step 5 - Copies

How many copies of your amazing publication?

Please let us know how many copies you need printed. You can select up to 3 amounts below and we will quote you on all 3 options.

Step 6 - Your Details

Please fill in the details below.

Thank you for providing us with the requirements for your printed product. Supply your details and one of our printing experts will be in touch with a quote. If you have skipped to here, no problem, still complete the form and we will contact you.

Hints, tips and money saving ideas

Cost saving choices

If you are working to a budget then we recommend A4 portrait (297x210mm), 254x203mm (10x8”), A5 (148x210mm), A6 (148x105mm) or 210x210mm square. These are the cheapest sizes to print but be different and do choose a bespoke size if you prefer. The most eye-catching publications are often the ones that challenge convention.

Are you looking to print a landscape booklet?

When you open up a landscape book the width of the spread is a lot wider than it is on a portrait book. This is great for showcasing landscape photography and wide content but does dictate your publication will have to be printed on one of our larger presses with higher set up costs. We can print up to A4 landscape (210mm high and 297mm wide).

[COST SAVING TIP] If you are working to a tight budget, then stick to A5 Landscape or a size within A4 Portrait. Both of these options can go onto our top of the range Indigo digital machine which could save you hundreds.

Help / Resources

Paper Sizes & Measurements

A6 = 148mm x 105mm
A5 = 210mm x 148mm
A4 = 297mm x 210mm
A3 = 420mm x 297mm
B5 = 250x176mm
10”x8” = 254x203mm
US Letter = 279x216mm
Business Cards = 85x55mm
Postcards = A5 or A6

Orientation and Size Help

Generally, portrait books are cheaper to print than landscape because they fit it on a smaller press.

The largest portrait size we can print is an impressive A3 (420mm high x 297mm wide). Our maximum square size is 297x297mm. The maximum landscape size is A4 (210mm high x 297mm wide). 240x170mm and 254x203mm are dynamic, cost-effective sizes between A5 and A4.

Here is a helpful video guide to give you more ideas on what size to go for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfzEz8JCx0w&feature=youtu.be

Why can I not get an instant price?

If you just need a quick price for your project then great, there are a hundred companies online you can try out. If you are looking for a company who listens to your requirements, spends time working out a bespoke price, helps you prepare the artwork correctly and then prints your brilliant work at the best possible quality, then welcome to Ex Why Zed :)

Help / Resources

How many pages do I have?

For the purposes of our quoting, we call a page one side of content. So, a sheet of paper (or a leaf in the book) has two pages - a front and a back. If you put ’40’ in as the page amount, that will be a 4 page cover and 36 pages of content.

Why do you call it ‘text’ pages? Can I print images too?

Yes, ‘text’ pages is our common term for the inside pages of your publication. They can be filled with illustrations, photography, full colour artwork…or just text if it’s a poetry book.

What are the minimum number of pages for the different binding types?

The number of pages for a stapled (wire stitched) booklet has to be a multiple of four so 20,24,28 etc.

The number of pages for a perfect bound book has to be a minimum of 32 (but we prefer 40 or more).

Which paper should I choose:

The three basic types of paper finish are gloss, silk and uncoated. Gloss is shiny, silk has a slight sheen, uncoated is matt and more tactile but the colours look less vibrant. All 3 choices come in a range of weights. Gloss and silk are the same price, uncoated is fractionally more.

Here is a video guide on papers to help you visually decide: https://youtu.be/JTwAvIbm6pU

Still stuck? We’re more than happy to send out a paper sample pack.

FSC or Recycled papers

It is cheaper to print onto Uncoated FSC than it is Uncoated 100% Recycled. All of our papers are FSC Approved (Forest Stweardship Council). The FSC system allows businesses and consumers to identify, purchase and use wood, paper and other forest products made with materials from well-managed forests and/or recycled sources. These are arguably better than 100% recycled papers because there are less chemicals involved in making them.

We also use vegetable inks on our litho press to tick the Eco box.

Card Cover Help

300gsm is standard and the choice for 90% of the work we print.
350gsm for super thick and more rigid cover but, in turn, it will be harder to open.
200 or 250gsm for a more ergonomic, easier to open and thinner cover.
170gsm for a light weight cover.

For perfect bound books, the minimum cover weight is 170gsm because it has to be resilient enough for gluing.

What is the thickest cover you do?

We can bind a cover that is 350gsm. This is a very rigid card and feels very impressive. Any thicker and the reader simply wouldn’t be able to open it. We can, of course, print hardback books which involve a different binding process and are a solid 2mm thick.

Inside Pages Help

Your inside pages will be between 90gsm and 170gsm.
130gsm silk/gloss or 115gsm uncoated are the 'standard' weights.
Choose 170gsm for a premium, thicker feel.
90/100gsm are best for a lightweight, newsprint type feel.

The maximum weight for inside pages is 170gsm or it becomes too thick to turn.

Do you have any recycled papers?

All of our papers are FSC Approved. These are arguably better than 100% recycled papers because there are less chemicals involved in making them. We also use vegetable inks on our litho press to tick the Eco box.

Do I need lamination on my cover?

The short answer: when paper is printed, the ink sits on the surface. When it is then folded to make your cover the ink can crack. While you should never judge a book by it’s cover, this cracking will look unprofessional. Lamination is a thin layer of protection which prevents the ink cracking. Win win. It comes in matt, gloss, soft-touch or anti-scuff. Stick to matt for a soft, subtle finish or gloss for a shiny first impression.

Can the cover and inside pages be the same thickness?

Yes. A 'Self Cover' stapled booklet is where the inside pages and cover are onto the same weight. 100-170gsm works well.

Hints, tips and money saving ideas

Extra tips for choosing paper

• Choose silk or gloss inside pages for a brighter shinier print.
• Choose uncoated for a softer feel with more character.
• If colour accuracy is crucial then we strongly advise choosing silk or gloss.
• Reduce the inside pages to 100 or 115gsm to make them easier to turn and cheaper to print.

Paper suggestions for different publications

• Children's books look great on gloss.
• Photography is more colour accurate on silk or gloss.
• Uncoated is idea for notebooks and colouring book pages.
• Silk looks the most professional for annual reports and brochures.

Choose 'House' Papers

We have a carefully curated range of house papers which we keep on the shelf ready to go. Choose from a silk, gloss or uncoated finish. They have great printability, colour reproduction, come in a wide range of weights, are our ideal for our presses and are friendly on your budget. For big budget jobs or where a specific wow factor is needed, then we can also print onto all manner of specialist papers but do expect these to increase the costs sometimes by double or treble.

I only have 32 pages, can it be perfect bound?

If you increase the inside pages to 170gsm then that will get you to the 3mm spine we need to glue and perfect bind.

Why can I not get an instant price?

If you just need a quick price for printing your work then, great, there are a hundred companies online that do that. If you are looking for a company who listens to your requirements, spends time working out a bespoke price, helps you prepare the artwork correctly and then makes your work look brilliant in print, then welcome to Ex Why Zed :)

Need more inspiration?

Check out our informaion, helpful video guides. If you’re stuck with the design process or short on ideas for styling your publication then do spend some time watching our full length or snippet videos:

Help / Resources

Binding Choices

We have three binding choices: wire stitching (stapling), perfect binding and case binding (hardback).

Wire Stitching (Stapling)

Wire stitching is a little bit of print jargon for ‘stapling’. So, for example, if you have an A5 booklet then we print it onto A4 sheets, fold them in and put two staples along the left-hand edge to bind the sheet together. In some quarters, this is also known as ‘saddle stitching’. Let’s stick with stapling though if that’s easier :) Needs to be a multiple of four pages to work as a stapled booklet. Why? Because when you fold a printed sheet in half, you get four pages of content - try it there and you’ll see what we mean :)

This guide will give you further insight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJI06DSMfNQ&feature=youtu.be

Perfect Binding

You will be familiar with perfect binding binding style from most books and larger magazines. Perfect binding will give your publication a square spine and professional looking finish. We need an absolute minimum of 32 pages for this to work but 40 pages or more is more effective and you can go as thick as 400 pages plus for really a formidable, coffee table book.

I only have 32 pages, can it be perfect bound?

Yes, 32 is the minimum number of pages for perfect binding. If you increase the inside pages to 170gsm then that will get you to the 3mm spine we need to glue and perfect bind.

Case Binding (Hardback)

For case binding, go back a couple of steps to the Product choice and choose 'Case Bound book'. Case binding is the process of making a hardback book. Again we need an absolute minimum of 32 pages to make the text block thick enough to glue. A printed or material cover is wrapped around a greyboard ‘case', then the endpapers added and inside pages bound in. Here is a video guide to illustrate the process: https://youtu.be/Hpp9BvKOX7Q

Can you send me unbound sheets so I can bind the book here?

Many thanks for the enquiry. Unfortunately we don’t supply unbound sheets for external binding. Frustratingly there’s always a disconnect between the artwork people supply to us and how the binder needs the sheets. (Generally this is because the sheets have been trimmed or folded when they shouldn’t have been, the double page spreads don’t match up or some other funky variation on the page layout being in the wrong). We have said “Yes” in previous years and, honestly, it goes wrong every single time. EVERY TIME. If you would like us to print and bind your publication then we’re great at that and we would be more than happy to help! Best of luck with the project.

Can I send you pre-printed covers for you to bind on?

Good question but unfortunately we don’t take in pre-printed work. This is full of risk and the sheets never arrive how we expect them to. Frankly speaking, we would prefer not to take the risk of having to reprint your original work for you.

What is the thickest cover you do?

Hints, tips and money saving ideas

What affects the cost?

Size, number of pages and quantity are the factors that have the biggest impact on your price. Increasing or reducing these can stretch your budget. If our price is coming in a little high then printing less pages means less paper, ink and set up costs so will lower the price. Sometimes less is more, so edit your content and save.

Choose ‘house’ papers to keep the costs down.

Print more and save.

The more copies you print, the lower the unit price per book will be. If you need to hit a target price, for example £4 per book, then let us know in the comments at the end of our Project Builder and we can advise how many copies you would need to print to achieve that target price.

Are you looking to print a landscape book/booklet?

When you open up a landscape book the width of the spread is a lot wider than it is on a portrait book. This is great for showing landscape photography and wider content but does mean your publication will have to be printed on one of our larger presses which has higher set up costs. We can print up to A3 landscape (297mm high and 420mm wide) plus all bespoke sizes up to that size. [COST SAVING TIP] If you are working to a tight budget then make your project more cost effective and stick to A5 Landscape or a size within A4 Portrait. Both of these options can go onto our top of the range Indigo digital machine works out far cheaper.

Help / Resources

What is Full Colour printing?

Full colour or four colour printing is printing using four colour inks of cyan, magenta, yellow and black or CMYK for short. All the millions of colour can be created using precise mixes of the four inks. All commercial presses print in CMYK so at some stage your artwork has to be converted.

Black Printing

Your work will be printed using black ink only. Obviously we can use shades and tints of the black to print greys and subtle tones.

What is Blank & Unprinted?

This is your go-to choice for notebooks if you would like the inside pages to be completely empty for people to write, draw and doodle on. Obviously, this is the cheapest option because we don’t have to print anything :)

Most work will likely be both full colour and black printing.

Even full colour art catalogues or children's book (for example) have black text or graphics included too.

Hints, tips and money saving ideas

Will my images look like they do on screen?

Unfortunately what is seen on an RGB (red, green and blue), backlit screen is never going to be the same as it appears on paper in CMYK. It's just impossible to achieve that and no printer could. You will have to allow for some difference in the colours between the two mediums but having something tangible in your hands and seeing the images on paper gives the publication a charm that just sending out a pdf wont do.

Printing black and white photography.

Black/white images are always tricky. We prefer to only print b&w images if they have been saved as greyscale or in the black ink channel. If they are saved in CMYK then they might look black on screen but in print they will have a blue or green tinge. That always looks like a mistake but it isn't a print error - it is how they should print from the artwork but it's just never well received.

To achieve the closest reproduction to how your images appear on screen, we recommend printing onto silk or gloss for a sharp, crisp finish rather than uncoated (which tends soaks up the ink and flattens contrast). It is important you understand that unfortunately in print, b&w photography will never have that rich black tone and punch which you can achieve on screen. We'll be honest, a specialist fine art printer could get closer to the screen but they will be many multiples more expensive than our quote for Indigo digital or litho printing.

How can I check if my images are RGB or CMYK?

There is an easy way to check what is RGB at the moment and needs converting by following this:

Acrobat - Open Your File - Choose 'Advanced' menu - then 'Print Production' - then 'Preflight' - Choose 'Sheet Fed Offset (CMYK)'. This runs a check on the file and you want to get rid of all the items that are coming up in the list under 'Object Uses RGB' error. If you click the arrow to open up all the instances and 'Show in Snap' bottom left it will show you where they are. (Bit of a headache i know but it's best for you to change them over so you can check them on screen for any massive alterations in colour).

Help / Resources

No minimum order quantity

At Ex Why Zed you can print any quantity from 1 upwards and the exact number you need. If you'd like 71 zines then we'll print 71 zines!. If your publication is in its infancy then a long print run might be out of reach for Issue One.

Small print runs upto 500 copies

Our digital presses offer the perfect solution with low unit prices on small print runs.

Longer print runs of 500 copies or more

Our litho presses are more cost-effective on longer print runs as well as ensuring you the best possible print quality. Win win!

Not sure exactly how many copies to print?

That's ok, select three different quantities from the grid and we'll send over a range of prices shortly. (Once selected, the quantity will display with a green outline).

Hints, tips and money saving ideas

Print more and save

Why aren’t your prices online?

We don't advertise our prices online because we prefer to open up a conversation with you and find out a little bit about the project. Your artwork is unique and bespoke, so in turn, we will provide you a unique and bespoke print quote for your job. I am sure you will take no fun in looking at a boring spreadsheet with rows of bemusing numbers so we don't put you though that.

Please do also check your SPAM or JUNK mail.

We value your work and appreciate you taking the time to ask us for a print quote. If the quote has not arrived within 24 hours, do have a look in your junk because emails have a habit of hiding in there. We will definitely provide a response, so if it hasn't arrived, it will likely be in your spam or it has got caught by the web gremlins. If you're still waiting after 72 hours please do get in touch again. It might also help to add hello@exwhyzed.co.uk to your safe list. Here is how to do it in Gmail: https://bit.ly/30yDRzB