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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:
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.
25+ Years of Expertise
Over two decades of experience in printing high-quality children’s books.
Precision & Innovation
Our advanced technology guarantees precise cuts, folds, and movements.
Customizable Options
Choose from a variety of pop-up styles to match your vision.
Expert Support
Dedicated team offering assistance throughout the entire printing process.
QinPrinting Rated Excellent for Pop-Up Book Printing
From start to finish, Jane was incredibly informative and helpful.
Also great communication.
My books arrived, and are beautiful!
Jane was prompt and had GREAT attention to detail were exceptional. Most of my emails were answered within 24 hours, and Jane went above and beyond by sending pictures, samples, and clear explanations to help me understand all the technical aspects of book printing. She even reviewed my proofs thoroughly and pointed out a few important adjustments I needed to make to my PDF files.
Shipping was faster than expected, and when I compared the final copies from Qin Printing with those from IngramSpark, Qin’s quality was far superior. The materials looked more polished; paper is higher quality, and the print was crisper. Each book was carefully wrapped.
I ended up saving 75% of my printing budget, and communicating in English was no issue at all. It felt like Jane cared about the project as much as I did. I can’t recommend her and Qin Printing enough. Thank you so much for helping bring my book to life!
FAQs
The minimum order quantity is 500 copies.
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.
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.
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!
