Custom magazine printing produces a bound, multi-page publication from your finished layout: a magazine, lookbook, member title, event program or similar. TBPB prints it from a print-ready PDF with no minimum order, and our price-beat guarantee applies if you bring a written quote for the same specs.
Saddle stitch or perfect bound
This is the first decision, and it comes down to page count and feel. Saddle stitching folds sheets together and fastens them with staples through the fold. It is cheap, lies flat and suits thinner titles. Perfect binding glues the pages into a squared spine, which gives a thicker magazine a flat spine that can carry printed text and shelf-ready presence. As a rough rule, small page counts stay saddle stitched, and thicker ones move to perfect bound, but the exact switch point depends on paper weight, so ask us to confirm for your stock. Either way, the page count must be a multiple of four.
Paper, cover and feel
Magazines usually print the cover on a heavier stock than the inside pages, which is what makes the cover feel like a cover. Inside stocks come in gloss, matte or uncoated. Gloss gives photographs more punch, matte reads calmer and is easier to read in long text, and uncoated feels like paper and suits editorial or zine-style work. If your issue is image-heavy, choose a coated stock. If it is mostly text, matte or uncoated reads better. A cover finish such as aqueous coating or soft-touch lamination protects the cover from scuffs in handling. Spot UV on the masthead is a popular detail.
Prepare the file correctly
Most reprints and delays come from file problems rather than printing problems. A few checks save time:
- Set the trim size first, and build every page to it
- Add about 1/8 inch of bleed on all sides where art runs to the edge
- Keep text and logos about 1/4 inch inside the trim, and further from the spine on perfect-bound titles
- Supply images at 300 dpi at final size, in CMYK, with fonts embedded or outlined
- Supply the cover as its own file, and for perfect binding ask us for the spine width once the page count and paper are set
Related print products
If you are producing something smaller or more informal, a zine may suit you better. For product lists, see catalog printing, and for short guides, booklet printing. Send your trim size, page count, paper preference and quantity, even if it is one copy, along with the PDF, and we quote it. A written quote from another printer for the same specs gets beaten.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum order for custom magazine printing?
No. TBPB has no minimum order. You can order one copy as a proof or a full print run. Send the trim size, page count, paper choice and quantity with your PDF, and we quote it.
Should I choose saddle stitch or perfect binding?
Saddle stitch suits thinner magazines. It lies flat and is economical. Perfect binding glues the pages into a squared spine and suits thicker titles. Page count and paper weight decide it, so send both and we confirm.
What page count can I print?
Page counts must be a multiple of four. The upper limit depends on the binding and paper weight. Tell us your page count and stock, and we advise whether saddle stitch or perfect binding is the right choice.
What file setup do I need?
Send a print-ready PDF built to trim size with about 1/8 inch of bleed, text kept about 1/4 inch inside the trim, CMYK images at 300 dpi and fonts embedded. Supply the cover as a separate file.
Which paper is best for a magazine?
Use a heavier stock for the cover than the inside pages. Coated gloss gives photographs punch, matte reads calmer for text, and uncoated suits editorial and zine looks. Ask for stock options for your content.
Do you match another printer’s quote?
If you send a written quote for the same size, page count, paper, binding and quantity, we will beat it.
More Custom Presentation Folders
See the full Custom Presentation Folders range, or explore related options with no minimum order and our best-price guarantee:
