Print specifications: board books, card games and puzzles
Short answers to the technical questions we are asked most, with the measurements to build your file to. The templates draw all of it for your size and page count.
Ordering
What is the minimum order?
One copy. 1, 5 and 10 copies are flat-priced; from 25 copies the price per copy falls with the quantity, up to 1,000 board books, 1,000 puzzles or 150 card decks. Above that, ask for a custom quote: we print large runs offset as well, and delivery takes longer because a large run travels as freight. Every price includes delivery, import duties and taxes to all 32 countries we deliver to, and is the same for each of them.
How do I approve my design before it is printed?
By ordering it. In PrintedIn Studio you see the 3D preview and can download the proof PDF before you pay; the order is your approval, and there is no separate proof step. If you send a finished PDF instead, we check it by hand (one working day), tell you about anything that will not print well, and put the design in your account for you to order.
How long does it take?
About a week of printing from your order, then up to one week of delivery for up to 100 copies, or up to two weeks for more. Orders of 300 copies and more arrive in more than one shipment.
Board books
What sizes and page counts can I order?
Sizes: 12 × 12 cm, 15 × 15 cm, 15 × 21 cm, 21 × 15 cm and 20 × 20 cm. Page counts: 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 26. Other sizes and other even page counts can be priced on a custom quote.
Does the page count include the covers?
Yes. A “16 pages plus cover” book is 18 pages with us. The count is always even, because each board is printed on both sides, and the back cover is the last page of your file.
How thick are the pages?
About 0.8 mm per leaf: two 300 g boards laminated back to back. A 350 g board (about 0.9 mm) is available on a custom quote.
How wide is the spine?
The page count times 0.4 mm:
| Pages | Spine |
|---|---|
| 8 | 3.2 mm |
| 12 | 4.8 mm |
| 16 | 6.4 mm |
| 20 | 8 mm |
| 24 | 9.6 mm |
| 26 | 10.4 mm |
If you send a cover without a spine, we set it for you.
Can I put a title on the spine?
From 8 mm, that is from 20 pages. A narrower spine has no design of its own: extend the back cover and the front cover into it by half its width each, so that they meet in its middle. The template marks where.
What size should my files be?
Each page is the trim size plus 3 mm of bleed on every side. At 300 dpi:
| Size | One page with bleed | Two-page spread with bleed |
|---|---|---|
| 12 × 12 cm | 126 × 126 mm1488 × 1488 px | 246 × 126 mm2906 × 1488 px |
| 15 × 15 cm | 156 × 156 mm1843 × 1843 px | 306 × 156 mm3614 × 1843 px |
| 15 × 21 cm | 156 × 216 mm1843 × 2551 px | 306 × 216 mm3614 × 2551 px |
| 21 × 15 cm | 216 × 156 mm2551 × 1843 px | 426 × 156 mm5031 × 1843 px |
| 20 × 20 cm | 206 × 206 mm2433 × 2433 px | 406 × 206 mm4795 × 2433 px |
The cover is back cover, spine and front cover in one piece, plus 3 mm of bleed on the outer edges: for a 20 × 20 cm, 26-page book, 416.4 × 206 mm (4918 × 2433 px).
How should I handle a picture across two pages?
Send the spread as one piece if you can. Keep faces, text and anything that must be read at least 10 mm from the centre fold.
Which finishes are there?
Only the cover is laminated: matt or gloss, at the same price, or no lamination at all. Matt hides fingerprints; gloss makes colours richer. The lamination is a thin plastic (polypropylene) film: wipe a laminated cover with a damp cloth, do not put it in water.
What shape are the corners?
Rounded, about 4 mm, at no extra cost. Leave the corners of your file square: the die cuts the curve.
Card games
What card sizes are there, and what size should my files be?
Each card file is the card size plus 3 mm of bleed on every side. At 300 dpi:
| Card | With bleed | Pixels at 300 dpi | Corner radius |
|---|---|---|---|
| 59 × 92 mm | 65 × 98 mm | 768 × 1157 px | 3 mm |
| 65 × 100 mm | 71 × 106 mm | 839 × 1252 px | 3 mm |
| 80 × 120 mm | 86 × 126 mm | 1016 × 1488 px | 7 mm |
The corners are cut round, at no extra cost. Leave the corners of your file square: the die cuts the curve.
How many cards can a deck have?
From 25 to 100 cards, priced in ranges: 25–49, 50–74 and 75–100. A larger deck can be priced on a custom quote. Every card can have a different front at no extra cost.
What is the card made of?
350 g matt coated card, single ply, printed without lamination. We do not print black-core card stock.
Is there a box?
An order on the site comes in a box printed with your design. On a custom quote, the box is priced separately, and a deck can ship with no box, in a folding box or in a rigid box.
Puzzles
What sizes and piece counts are there, and what size should my file be?
The sheet plus 3 mm of bleed on every side. At 300 dpi:
| Size | Pieces | With bleed | Pixels at 300 dpi |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 (210 × 297 mm) | 24 and 48 | 216 × 303 mm | 2551 × 3579 px |
| A3 (297 × 420 mm) | 36 and 72 | 303 × 426 mm | 3579 × 5031 px |
What is the puzzle made of?
Your picture printed on 300 g matt coated paper, mounted on 1.5 mm board. The corners are square.
Files
What should my PDF look like?
One PDF for the whole job, pages in reading order, fonts embedded or converted to outlines, and the exact page count of your order: we cannot add or drop a page to make it fit.
What is bleed, and how much do you need?
3 mm on every outer edge. Extend the background into it; a white or empty bleed leaves a white line if the cut moves by a fraction of a millimetre. More than 3 mm does no harm: we trim it.
How far from the edge should text be?
At least 5 mm inside the trim, including the edge facing the spine. Inside a spine, 3 mm from each fold.
What resolution do pictures need?
At least 300 dpi at the size they print. A 300 dpi picture stretched to twice its width prints at 150. Text, lines and QR codes in a PDF stay vector and print sharp at any size.
RGB or CMYK?
CMYK (Coated FOGRA39) gives the result closest to what you see. We print in four colours, so RGB and spot colours are converted to CMYK; a few bright RGB colours have no printed equivalent and come out duller.
Do you have templates?
Yes, for every size and page count, with the trim, fold, bleed and safe area drawn: print templates. Hide or delete the guides before you export: whatever is in the file is printed.
Safety
Are the products safe for children?
Our materials are tested to EN 71, the European toy-safety standard, and we issue a Letter of Conformity under the EU Toy Safety Directive. The declaration and the material test reports are on our compliance page.
See your own total
Pick a size and a quantity in the editor and the exact total appears before you pay.
Start designingOr send us a file you already have