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Pop-Up Book Printing

Delight readers of all ages with magical, three-dimensional pop-up books using our expert pop-up book printing services. At QinPrinting, we combine 25+ years of experience, advanced technology, and exceptional customer service to bring your creative ideas to life with precision and care.

What Are Pop-Up Books?

Pop-up books have paper components that readers can control inside the pages. These books are often known as “mobile books”. Text, pictures, and features that can be folded, pasted, or pulled-tabbed may all be included in pop-up publications, resulting in an interactive experience for the reader. Children are the main target demographic for pop-up books, but they are also produced for older readers.

To efficiently design the moving paper components of a pop-up book, a competent paper engineer's skills are required. The paper engineer understands how to design and integrate dynamic parts into pop-up books whilst also making sure they will be economical to make and easily controlled. This engineer is a hybrid of a technician and a conceptual designer. The moving components are die cut and fitted according to instructions provided by the paper engineer.

These features require sophisticated die cutting. The mobile components are quite costly, as most need to be cut, folded, and glued manually.

Pop-Up Book Styles

At QinPrinting we focus on two approaches or styles to construct pop-up books. In the first, the pop-up elements are cut out of the interior pages, with two sheets of C1S (coated on one side) paper glued together based on board book printing. In the second case, we make the pop-up elements from thinner paper added to the interior pages. The second method is more time-consuming but needed for the most complex pop-ups so that they don't become too thick to fold and close properly.

Custom Pop-Up Book Printing & Pricing

Printing custom pop-up books is a complex and unique process which is different for each book. For this reason, all our custom pop-up books must be handmade.

For each page, we need to make pop-up die-cut molds and printing plates. Mold fees vary depending on the design and complexity of the pop-up parts. While you can get an online quote for a regular book if you know the size, paper stock, page count, binding, and so on, we can't offer online quotes for pop-up book prices as they vary dramatically according to the unique design of each book. Custom pop-up book printing costs can only be calculated based on each pop-up design and other specifications.

We specialize in offset printing. Like most offset printers, we have an MOQ (minimum order quantity) for books. Our minimum order quantity for custom pop-up book printing is 500 copies. However, the unit price becomes more cost-effective if you order over 1,000 copies.

Pop-Up Book Materials

We use different paper stocks and other materials depending on the style, size, design, and complexity of the pop-up book.

The interior pages are usually made from a few sheets of C1S (coated on one side) paper glued together. We may use 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 sheets depending on the structural and mechanical needs of the book design. The pop-up elements may be made from this, too, if they're not too complex. If they're more complicated in design, we'll make them from thinner paper glued onto the main page.

Weight and type options for interior paper include:

250 gsm C1S Paper
300 gsm C1S Paper
350 gsm C1S Paper

Pop-Up Dielines & Artwork Support

When designing your custom pop-up book with QinPrinting you'll need to know about “dielines” and how to prepare them. This is the most important aspect of pop-up book design and manufacture. Dielines are essential to show us the extent of your artwork for printing, and where to cut and fold the pop-up mobile elements. The term comes from the process we used to cut designs into paper and cardboard. A “die” in this context is a metal or resin mold which has shaped edges which make a precise, clean cut through the material. The dielines show where the cuts should be made.

While creating dielines for pop-up books can seem daunting, don't worry. If you don't know what to do, we'll help. Just send us your rough designs and artwork and our expert paper engineers will create dieline templates for you. We'll make a sample for you to examine and approve before we move on to the next stages of production.

Why Print Your Pop-Up Book at QinPrinting?

Our expert team, cutting-edge technology, and personalized customer service ensure your vision is transformed into a stunning, functional, and engaging pop-up book that delights readers of all ages.

Marketing promotion and brand building

25+ Years of Expertise

Over two decades of experience in printing high-quality children's books.

Build loyalty

Precision & Innovation

Our advanced technology guarantees precise cuts, folds, and movements.

Strict Color Control

Customizable Options

Choose from a variety of pop-up styles to match your vision.

Encouraging social interaction

Expert Support

Dedicated team offering assistance throughout the entire printing process.

QinPrinting Rated Excellent for Pop-Up Book Printing

FAQs

What is the MOQ for pop-up book printing?

The minimum order quantity is 500 copies.

Do you provide a document checking service?

Yes, we offer a free manual document-checking service to ensure your files are print-ready. Our team will review the document layout, bleed, resolution, and other technical details, allowing you to correct any issues before production begins.

What file formats are needed for printing?

Please provide high-resolution pdf files (300 dpi) in CMYK color mode with 3-mm bleed.

For detailed coffee table book printing, we recommend high-quality images to ensure vibrant color and clarity in the final product.

Can I see a sample before full production?

Yes, we provide both digital and physical proofs. Digital proofs help you review the layout on screen, while physical proofs allow you to check the material, color, and finish before mass printing. Visit our Proof Support Page or contact our team for help.

Let's Talk!

If you're an indie author or a small press wanting to print a pop-up book — and only the finest product, unmatched customer service, and unbeatable prices will do — we should talk. Get in touch today to chat through your needs or to ask for a no-obligation quote. We can't wait to help you make your next pop-up book the best!

Get in touch
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Rigid Box Surface

gold foil stamping effect
1-Color Foil Stamping
1-color fold stamping is gold foil stamping or silver foil stamping. Foil stamping adds a metallic effect to lettering or other design elements.
If you need other color foil stamping, please contact us.
This option is only suitable for gold foil stamping up to a 5.9" x 1.18" area. For larger area, please contact us.
spot uv effect
Spot UV
We apply a clear polymer coat to the specified area — which could be a title, a logo, or an pattern— which really makes it “pop” and catch the eye.
Suitable only for surfaces treated with matte or soft-touch lamination.
This option is only suitable for spot uv up to a 7.87" x 1.96" area. For larger area, please contact us.
deboss effect
Deboss
Like embossing, only the surface is pressed inward to creative a concave impression rather than standing out.
This option is only suitable for deboss up to a 7.87" x 1.96" area. For larger area, please contact us.
emboss effect
Emboss
Embossing is a process by which we raise the surface of an area of the box to make it literally stand out.
This option is only suitable for emboss up to a 7.87" x 1.96" area. For larger area, please contact us.

Rigid Box

For custom logo box, it doesn’t have offset printing on the box. It can be colored paper with foil stamping, spot UV or deboss etc.

Tuck End Box Finishes

If you need any specific box surface, for example foil stamping, spot UV, emboss etc, please contact us.

Gloss lamination Tuck End Box effect
Gloss Lamination
Gloss lamination adds a shiny, smooth look that elevates the vibrancy and color of your book's printed surface.
Note: Spot UV is not available with this option.
Matte lamination Tuck End Box effect
Matte lamination
A smooth, non-glossy finish that gives a sophisticated, soft appearance while reducing glare.
Varnish Tuck End Box
Varnish
A light protective coating that adds subtle sheen and protection. Note: Spot UV is not available with this option.
Note: Spot UV is not available with this option.

Card Surface Finishes

We offer a comprehensive selection of special surface finishes which we can apply to most cards.

spot uv effect
Spot UV
We apply a clear polymer coat to the specified area — which could be a title, a logo, or an image — which really makes it “pop” and catch the eye.
Can't suitable for surfaces treated with gloss lamination.
gold foil stamping effect
Gold Foil stamping
Foil stamping adds a metallic effect to lettering or other design elements.
Gold is the most popular choices, but we can use pigments to create a foil stamp in almost any color you'd like.
Silver foil stamping effect
Silver Foil stamping
Foil stamping adds a metallic effect to lettering or other design elements.
Silver is the most popular choices, but we can use pigments to create a foil stamp in almost any color you'd like.
emboss effect
Emboss
Embossing is a process by which we raise the surface of an area of the box to make it literally stand out.

Hardcover Board Book Bnding

This binding method adds a hardcover to a standard board book for extra durability and a premium feel. Like traditional board books, the pages are glued together rather than bound, with a printed sheet wrapped over the first and last boards and across the spine. The difference is that a hardcover is then applied, enhancing protection and making it a popular choice for high-quality board books.

The interior pages will have rounded outer corners. The corners of the cover are not normally rounded. If you need round corners for your cover, please contact us.

Inner Lamination

We laminate all the interior pages.

hardcover board book with gloss lamination inner effect
Gloss Lamination
Gloss lamination adds a shiny, smooth look that elevates the vibrancy and color of your book's printed surface.
hardcover board book with matte lamination inner effect
Matte lamination
A smooth, non-glossy finish that gives a sophisticated, soft appearance while reducing glare.

Hardcover Board Book Page Count

The page count does not include the covers.

One sheet of paper is equal to two pages.

page-sheet
page-sheet

Book Cover Paper

As standard, we wrap the grayboard casing in 157 gsm / 58 lb cover paper. If you need a special paper or a solid color paper for the cover, please contact us first to discuss your options.

Cover Lamination

We laminate only the outside of the hardcover board book cover.

hardcover board book with gloss lamination cover effect
Gloss Lamination
Gloss lamination adds a shiny, smooth look that elevates the vibrancy and color of your book's printed surface.
Note: Spot UV is not available with this option.
hardcover board book with matte lamination cover effect
Matte lamination
A smooth, non-glossy finish that gives a sophisticated, soft appearance while reducing glare.

Hardcover Board Book Cover

A hardcover book’s cover is printed on one side only; the outer-facing side. 

hardcover cover

Lamination

We laminate all the pages. If you’d like different laminates for the interior and the cover, please get in touch.

SSelf-Cover Board Book with gloss lamination effect
Gloss Lamination
Gloss lamination adds a shiny, smooth look that elevates the vibrancy and color of your book's printed surface.
Self-Cover Board Book with matte lamination effect
Matte lamination
A smooth, non-glossy finish that gives a sophisticated, soft appearance while reducing glare.

Self-Cover Board Book Page Count

The covers are included in the page count.

One sheet of paper is equal to two pages.

page-sheet
page-sheet

Paper

Board books are made of the same paper throughout, so there’s no difference between the cover and the interior pages.

Most board books feature colorful illustrations, cartoons, or other artwork. So, we recommend printing on C1S paper to get the best results.

coated one side (C1S) paper

C1S paper—also called “coated one side” paper—is paper that has been treated with a special coating on only one side, while the other side is left uncoated. The coated side has a brighter, smoother surface, making it ideal for vibrant, full-color printing of the artwork and text of your story. The uncoated side has a more natural, rougher texture, but in board book printing, this rough side is not visible because two sheets are glued together, with the uncoated sides facing inward. This way, only the smooth, coated sides are exposed, ensuring a high-quality finish for your book’s pages.

Dust Jacket

The so-called “dust jacket” is the most common and practical way of covering a hardcover book. Used alone or combined with image-wrapping, it finishes your book with a professional touch while adding five printable surfaces—front, back, spine, and two inside flaps. We can print it in full colour, gloss coat it, matte coat it; emboss, deboss, laminate, and foil stamp it, too, for added effects.

Hardcover Book Dust Jacket

Endsheet Paper

  • If your book size is 8.5″ x 11″ or less with an interior page count of fewer than 320 pages, then a good option for the end sheets is 140 gsm / 95 lb offset paper.
  • If your book size is larger than 8.5″ x 11″, then 180 gsm / 122 lb offset paper would be better.
  • If your endsheets will be printed and your book’s interior uses gloss or matte art paper—say, for an art book or coffee table book—to make sure the colors match well, use 157gsm / 58 lb gloss or matte art paper for your end sheets.
gloss art paper effect
Gloss Art Paper
A shiny, reflective surface that makes colors vibrant and images pop, perfect for illustrations, cartoons, and photographs. It delivers high-quality color reproduction, ideal for interior pages with rich visuals.
matte art paper effect
Matte Art Paper
Provides a smooth, non-glossy finish that reduces glare and makes text easier to read. It offers excellent image reproduction while preserving a professional, subdued look for both graphics and text.
Offset Paper effect
Offset Paper
A natural, uncoated paper that provides a smooth, absorbent surface, making it ideal for writing. It offers excellent opacity and brightness, ensuring text is crisp and clear. This paper is commonly used for books that emphasize readability and is often chosen for trade paperback novels, coloring books, etc.

Endsheet

The endsheets connect the hardcover casing and the interior pages when binding the book. So, there are two endsheets, one at the front and one at the back and both glued to the grayboard cover.

Cover Surface

We offer a comprehensive selection of special surface finishes that we can apply to most covers.

spot uv effect
Spot UV
We apply a clear polymer coat to the specified area — which could be a title, a logo, or an image — which really makes it “pop” and catch the eye.
Suitable only for surfaces treated with matte or soft-touch lamination.
This option is only suitable for spot uv up to a 7.87" x 1.96" area. For larger area, please contact us.
gold foil stamping effect
Gold Foil stamping
Foil stamping adds a metallic effect to lettering or other design elements.
Gold is the most popular choices, but we can use pigments to create a foil stamp in almost any color you'd like.
This option is only suitable for gold foil stamping up to a 5.9" x 1.18" area. For larger area, please contact us.
Silver foil stamping effect
Silver Foil stamping
Foil stamping adds a metallic effect to lettering or other design elements.
Silver is the most popular choices, but we can use pigments to create a foil stamp in almost any color you'd like.
This option is only suitable for silver foil stamping up to a 5.9" x 1.18" area. For larger area, please contact us.
deboss effect
Deboss
Like embossing, only the surface is pressed inward to creative a concave impression rather than standing out.
This option is only suitable for deboss up to a 7.87" x 1.96" area. For larger area, please contact us.
emboss effect
Emboss
Embossing is a process by which we raise the surface of an area of the cover to make it literally stand out.
This option is only suitable for emboss up to a 7.87" x 1.96" area. For larger area, please contact us.

Cover Lamination

We laminate only the outside of the hardcover cover.

hardcover book with gloss lamination cover effect
Gloss Lamination
Gloss lamination adds a shiny, smooth look that elevates the vibrancy and color of your book's printed surface.
Note: Spot UV is not available with this option.
hardcover book with matte lamination cover effect
Matte lamination
A smooth, non-glossy finish that gives a sophisticated, soft appearance while reducing glare.
hardcover book with Soft touch lamination cover effect
Soft touch lamination
Soft touch lamination is a relatively new technique. The result is similar to matte lamination, but the surface has a delightful, almost velvet feel which speaks of quality and luxury.

Hardcover Cover

A hardcover book’s cover is printed on one side only; the outer-facing side. The inside front cover and inside back cover are glued to the end sheets.

hardcover cover

Holes Drilled

If you need holes drilled on the binding side of your book, please select this option.

You can choose one hole drilled, two holes drilled, three holes drilled, or five holes drilled.

hole-drilled catalog

Binding

  • If your book has 48 pages or fewer, we recommend saddle stitch.
  • For books with more pages and thinner paper, perfect binding is ideal.
  • If your book has heavier paper or more than 200 pages, sewn perfect binding is the best choice.
  • Wire-o and spiral binding are also available, and both allow the book to lay flat.
sewn and perfect binding effect
Sewing and Perfect Binding
A premium variation of perfect binding that includes sewn pages for enhanced durability and the ability to lay flat without breaking the spine. Recommended for books with heavier interior paper or more than 200 pages.
Perfect Binding effect
Perfect Binding
A widely used binding method for softcover books, where pages are glued to a heavier cover. Ideal for books with more than 48 pages and fairly thin paper (80 gsm / 54 lb or 105 gsm / 71 lb text paper). It offers a sleek, professional look and is an economical choice for various genres.
Wire-O Binding effect
Wire-O Binding
A strong, double-loop wire binding that allows pages to lie flat and turn easily. Ideal for textbooks, instructional guides, and manuals that require frequent handling. Available in various coil colors to match your design.
Saddle Stitch effect
Saddle Stitch
A cost-effective binding method using staples or thread along the spine, suitable for booklets, magazines, and workbooks with 48 pages or fewer.
Spiral Binding effect
Spiral Binding
Uses a plastic or metal coil to bind pages, allowing them to rotate 360 degrees. A durable and flexible choice for cookbooks, workbooks, and reference materials. Available in multiple coil colors for a customized look.

Paper

Please select your paper choice for your book. If you have a special request not listed here, get in touch. We’ll do everything possible to satisfy your needs.

gloss art paper effect
Gloss Art Paper
A shiny, reflective surface that makes colors vibrant and images pop, perfect for illustrations, cartoons, and photographs. It delivers high-quality color reproduction, ideal for interior pages with rich visuals.
matte art paper effect
Matte Art Paper
Provides a smooth, non-glossy finish that reduces glare and makes text easier to read. It offers excellent image reproduction while preserving a professional, subdued look for both graphics and text.
Offset Paper effect
Offset Paper
A natural, uncoated paper that provides a smooth, absorbent surface, making it ideal for writing. It offers excellent opacity and brightness, ensuring text is crisp and clear. This paper is commonly used for books that emphasize readability and is often chosen for trade paperback novels, coloring books, etc.

Page Count

One sheet of paper is equal to two pages.

The total page count is a multiple of 4. When printing and binding your book, we fold sheets into “signatures”.

The maximum page count here is 800 pages. If you need more pages, please contact us.

page-sheet
page-sheet

If your book is larger, say, 8.5″ x 11″ or A4 size, one signature will have 16 pages. So, the inner page amount should be divisible by 16. Making your page counts match signatures is the most economical solution.

Cover Surface

We offer a comprehensive selection of special surface finishes that we can apply to most covers.

spot uv effect
Spot UV
We apply a clear polymer coat to the specified area — which could be a title, a logo, or an image — which really makes it “pop” and catch the eye.
Suitable only for surfaces treated with matte or soft-touch lamination.
This option is only suitable for spot uv up to a 7.87" x 1.96" area. For larger area, please contact us.
gold foil stamping effect
Gold Foil stamping
Foil stamping adds a metallic effect to lettering or other design elements.
Gold is the most popular choices, but we can use pigments to create a foil stamp in almost any color you'd like.
This option is only suitable for gold foil stamping up to a 5.9" x 1.18" area. For larger area, please contact us.
Silver foil stamping effect
Silver Foil stamping
Foil stamping adds a metallic effect to lettering or other design elements.
Silver is the most popular choices, but we can use pigments to create a foil stamp in almost any color you'd like.
This option is only suitable for silver foil stamping up to a 5.9" x 1.18" area. For larger area, please contact us.
emboss effect
Emboss
Embossing is a process by which we raise the surface of an area of the box to make it literally stand out.
This option is only suitable for emboss up to a 7.87" x 1.96" area. For larger area, please contact us.

Cover Printing

The cover is composed of four pages. They are the front cover, the inside front cover, the inside back cover, and the back cover.
softcover book cover

Cover Lamination / Varnish

We laminate or varnish only the outside of the cover.

Softcover book with gloss lamination cover effect
Gloss Lamination
Gloss lamination adds a shiny, smooth look that elevates the vibrancy and color of your book's printed surface.
Note: Spot UV is not available with this option.
Softcover book with matte lamination cover effect
Matte lamination
A smooth, non-glossy finish that gives a sophisticated, soft appearance while reducing glare.
Softcover book with Soft touch lamination cover effect
Soft touch lamination
Soft touch lamination is a relatively new technique. The result is similar to matte lamination, but the surface has a delightful, almost velvet feel which speaks of quality and luxury.
Softcover book with varnish cover effect
Varnish
A light protective coating that adds subtle sheen and protection. Note: Spot UV is not available with this option.
Note: Spot UV is not available with this option.