Coloring book printers since 1989

Coloring book printing

Custom coloring book printing for publishers, brands, nonprofits, and self publishers. We print on uncoated stock chosen for crayon, colored pencil, and marker, bind it saddle stitch, perfect bound, or spiral, and ship runs from 25 copies to 250,000.

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G7 Master certified color
ISO 9001:2015 quality
FSC certified paper available

Custom printed coloring books produced by Printing Partners, a coloring book printer in Indianapolis, Indiana

What coloring book printing involves

Coloring book printing takes your black line artwork, prints it on an uncoated paper that accepts crayon and marker without bleeding through, and binds it in a style that opens far enough to color. Trim size, page count, paper weight, and binding are the four decisions that set the price.

Printing Partners is a commercial coloring book printer in Indianapolis. We handle the whole run in house, from prepress file review through press, folding, binding, trimming, and shrink wrap. That matters on a coloring book more than on most books, because the paper and the binding have to survive being pressed flat and colored on, not just read.

We print for three kinds of customer, and the specification differs for each. Publishers and coloring book manufacturers order offset runs in the thousands and care about unit cost and consistency across reprints. Brands and nonprofits order a few hundred branded books as giveaways, event handouts, or fundraising items. Self publishers and artists order short digital runs to test a title before committing to a full print run.

Whichever group you are in, the file requirements are the same and our prepress team checks them before anything goes to press. Line art should be pure black at 600 dpi or higher, or supplied as vector. See our PDF export guide for print if you are building the file yourself.

Coloring book binding compared

Spiral and Wire-O binding is the only style that lets a coloring book lay completely flat, which is why adult coloring books use it. Saddle stitch is the cheapest option under 64 pages. Perfect binding gives you a printable spine for retail shelves but does not open flat.

Binding options for coloring books, Printing Partners, 2026.
Binding style	Page count	Lays flat	Printable spine	Best for
Saddle stitch	8 to 64 pages	No	No	Kids books, event giveaways, promotional handouts, the lowest cost per copy
Perfect bound	48 to 400 pages	No	Yes	Retail and bookstore titles that need a readable spine on the shelf
Spiral or Wire-O	16 to 300 pages	Yes	No	Adult coloring books, activity books, anything colored on a table
Case bound hardcover	32 to 400 pages	No	Yes	Premium gift and keepsake editions where the object matters

Page count on a saddle stitched book has to be divisible by four, because each sheet folds into four pages. If your artwork lands on 58 pages, we will either add pages or adjust the layout with you before quoting. Our binding guide covers every style we run, and the perfect bound spine calculator will give you the spine width for a given page count and paper weight.

8 to 64 pages

Saddle stitch

Folded sheets stapled through the spine. The most economical way to print coloring books, and the standard for kids titles and giveaways.

Quote a saddle stitched book →

48 to 400 pages

Perfect bound

Pages glued to a square, printable spine for a paperback look. The right choice when the book has to sit on a retail shelf.

Quote a perfect bound book →

Diagram of spiral bound binding, showing a coil threaded through punched holes so the book lays flat

16 to 300 pages

Spiral and Wire-O

A coil or double loop wire through punched holes. The book opens 360 degrees and stays flat, so nothing fights the colorist.

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Paper for coloring books

Coloring books must print on uncoated paper. A coated gloss or satin sheet rejects crayon and colored pencil, because the wax and pigment have nothing to grip. Weight is the second decision: 60 pound text is the economy option, 70 pound is the practical default, and 80 pound or heavier is what markers need.

Uncoated paper performance by coloring medium. Bleed through depends on the individual marker, so we recommend a press proof before a large run.
Paper stock	Crayon	Colored pencil	Marker	Typical use
60# uncoated text	Good	Good	Bleeds through	Highest volume kids books and giveaways where cost per copy leads
70# uncoated text	Very good	Very good	Slight show through	The practical default for most coloring books
80# uncoated text or cover	Excellent	Excellent	Minimal show through	Adult coloring books and premium editions
100# uncoated cover	Excellent	Excellent	Holds up to markers	Single sided art, tear out sheets, artist editions
Coated gloss or satin	Not suitable	Not suitable	Smears	Covers only, never interior coloring pages

Coated stock still has a place on a coloring book. We print the cover on a coated sheet with gloss or matte lamination so it resists handling, then run the interior on uncoated text. That combination is what most published coloring books use. If you want to compare finishes before deciding, read paper types explained and the detail page on matte paper.

FSC certified stock is available on any of these weights when your title needs a chain of custody claim. Printing Partners is FSC certified, so the label can be applied correctly on the printed piece.

Print on demand, short runs, and wholesale quantities

Digital printing is the better value up to roughly 500 copies, and offset takes over above that. We quote both so you can see where the crossover falls for your specific page count and trim size, rather than guessing at it.

If you want to test a title, a short digital run of 25 to 100 copies gets real books into real hands without committing to a full print run. This is the practical version of print on demand coloring books for a commercial printer: small quantities, printed properly, reordered when they sell.

When the title proves itself, the same file moves to our offset presses and the unit cost drops sharply. Wholesale coloring book printing in the thousands is where offset earns its setup, and G7 Master certification means the reprint matches the first run rather than drifting.

Coloring book publishing customers reorder on a schedule. We keep your files, specifications, and color targets on record so a reprint is a phone call, not a fresh setup.

Get pricing at your quantity

Coloring book printing service run at Printing Partners in Indianapolis, showing printed and bound coloring books

Specifications and finishing

Standard coloring book trim sizes are 8.5 by 11 inches, 8 by 10 inches, and 6 by 9 inches, but we print any size the press and bindery can hold. Foil stamping, embossing, die cutting, and lamination are all available on covers.

Trim size

8.5 x 11, 8 x 10, 6 x 9, and square formats. Custom sizes quoted on request.

Page count

8 pages to 400. Saddle stitch counts must divide by four.

Quantity

25 copies to 250,000. Digital for short runs, offset for volume.

Cover finishing

Gloss or matte lamination, soft touch, spot UV, foil stamping, embossing, die cutting.

Interior color

Black line art, or full color pages where the design calls for it.

Packaging

Shrink wrap in bundles, boxed and labeled to your count, palletized for freight.

26 million pieces in 60 days

The largest single production commitment Printing Partners has delivered, run through our own presses and bindery in Indianapolis. It is the reason a coloring book run in the hundreds of thousands is a scheduling question here, not a capacity question.

Printing Partners production record, verified 2026.

Why publishers choose Printing Partners

Certified color, one accountable team, and a bindery under the same roof as the presses.

G7 Master certified colorCovers and full color interiors match across the run and across reprints, verified by Idealliance.
ISO 9001:2015 qualityDocumented quality management, with prepress checking every file before it reaches press.
Bindery in houseSaddle stitch, perfect binding, spiral, and Wire-O all run here, so nothing ships out and comes back late.
Any quantity25 copies on a digital press or 250,000 on offset, quoted both ways so you can see the crossover.
FSC certified stockChain of custody certified paper when your title carries a sustainability claim.
Prepress that catches problemsWe check line weight, resolution, bleed, and margins before printing, and call you if the art needs work.

Coloring book printing questions

What is the minimum quantity for custom coloring book printing?

Twenty five copies. Short runs print on our digital presses, which have no plate setup, so a small quantity is genuinely affordable rather than technically possible. Above roughly 500 copies, offset printing becomes the better value and the unit cost falls quickly from there. We quote both methods so you can see where the crossover falls for your page count and trim size.

What paper should a coloring book be printed on?

Uncoated text stock, usually 60 to 80 pound. Uncoated paper has a slight tooth that crayon wax and colored pencil pigment can grip. Coated gloss and satin sheets are too slick, so color smears instead of laying down. If your audience uses markers, go to 80 pound or heavier, or design the book with art on one side of the sheet only.

Which binding keeps a coloring book flat while someone colors?

Spiral or Wire-O. Both thread through punched holes, so the book opens a full 360 degrees and lies completely flat on a table with no spine pushing back. This is why most adult coloring books use it. Saddle stitch opens reasonably flat on thin books, and perfect binding does not open flat at all, which is a real drawback for a book people are meant to color in.

How much does it cost to print a coloring book?

Price is driven by four variables: quantity, page count, trim size, and binding. A 24 page saddle stitched book at 500 copies and a 96 page spiral bound book at 5,000 copies are different projects with very different unit costs. Send us those four numbers and we return itemized pricing, usually within one business day, with digital and offset priced separately where both are viable.

What file format do you need for coloring book artwork?

A press quality PDF with fonts embedded, built at final trim size with 0.125 inch bleed on any element that runs off the edge. Line art should be pure black rather than a mix of process inks, at 600 dpi or higher if raster, or supplied as vector. Our prepress team reviews every file for resolution, line weight, and margin safety before printing and contacts you if anything needs adjusting.

Can you print a coloring book with full color pages?

Yes. Many titles mix black line art pages with full color sections, an illustrated cover, a color reference gallery, or branded pages. We print both in the same book. On uncoated stock, full color images look softer than they do on a coated sheet because the paper absorbs more ink, so we can supply a proof on the actual stock before the run if the color pages carry the book.

Do you print for coloring book publishers and manufacturers?

Yes. Publishers and coloring book manufacturers are a core part of this work. We keep your files, specifications, paper, and color targets on record, so reorders and reprints match the original run rather than starting over. G7 Master certification is what makes that repeatable across print dates. For multi title programs we also handle warehousing conversations and staged delivery.

Can I print my own coloring book if I am self publishing?

Yes, and you do not need a publisher behind you. Self published artists and authors are a growing share of what we print. Send us the interior art and a cover, and we handle prepress, printing, binding, and packaging. Start with a short digital run to test the title, then move the same file to offset once it sells. If you need help preparing files, our team will walk through what to fix.

Do you work with clients outside Indiana?

Yes. We print and ship nationwide, and international customers searching for colouring book printers find us as well. Files arrive electronically and finished books ship by ground freight or parcel depending on the quantity. Local customers in Indianapolis can pick up at 929 W 16th Street, and press approvals in person are welcome when the color matters enough to stand at the press.

How long does coloring book printing take?

Plan on 7 to 12 business days from approved artwork for a typical bound run, with binding style and quantity driving the difference. Spiral and Wire-O add a day over saddle stitch. Rush schedules are often possible, so tell us your in hand date when you request a quote and we will confirm what is achievable before you commit.

Request your coloring book quote

Send us four numbers, quantity, page count, trim size, and binding style, and we return itemized pricing by email. Attach the artwork if you have it, or describe the project and we will follow up with the questions that matter.

Prefer email? Reach us at News@PrintingPartners.net or call 317-635-2282.
Printing Partners, 929 W 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202.

Last updated: July 29, 2026. Reviewed by the Printing Partners prepress and bindery team.

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Coloring book printing

What coloring book printing involves