Book printing services
Books printed to your size, page count and binding, with a live price calculator.
- Minimum order: 1 book
- 1 to 2 days once your artwork is correct and approved
- Sizes: A6, A5, A4 or a custom size up to A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)
- Binding options: Perfect bound, thread-sewn perfect bound, softcover spiral O-wire, hardcover spiral O-wire, hardcover or saddle-stitched
- Inside pages: Black and white or colour, printed double-sided, in multiples of 4 pages
- Paper options: White 80gsm, cream 80gsm or white 100gsm
- Cover finish: Laminating
- Typical jobs: Novels, textbooks, hymn books, handbooks, manuals and cookbooks
- Collection: Collect from our office on Moi Avenue, Nairobi
What is book printing and how much does it cost in Kenya?
Book printing is the production of bound copies of a book from your finished files, in the size, page count and binding you choose. Print Lion prints novels, textbooks, hymn books, handbooks, manuals and cookbooks in A6, A5, A4 or a custom size up to A4, with a choice of six bindings and cover finishes such as laminating.
Your price is the inside pages, the cover and the binding added together. Inside pages are printed double-sided and charged per A4 side across your whole order, so the price per page falls as your order grows. Black and white is Ksh 2.50 per A4 side at 500 sides, dropping to Ksh 2 from 2,500 sides. Colour is Ksh 4 per A4 side from 500 sides. An A6 book fits four pages on each A4 side and an A5 book fits two. Pages always print in multiples of 4. Cream 80gsm paper adds Ksh 0.60 per A4 side and white 100gsm adds Ksh 0.50.
Cover and binding are charged per book, and each has a minimum for the order. For example, 100 A5 perfect bound books of 100 black and white pages on white 80gsm paper come to Ksh 190 per book, Ksh 19,000 in total. The minimum order is one book, and orders are ready in 1 to 2 days once your artwork is correct and approved. We deliver to all counties in Kenya, and you can also collect from our office on Moi Avenue, Nairobi.
A larger saddle-stitched run is cheaper per book: 50 or more A5 saddle-stitched books of 100 black and white pages come to Ksh 150 per book. A single copy is possible too. Each order has a binding minimum of Ksh 500 for saddle-stitched books and Ksh 2,000 for perfect bound books, which is why one book costs more than a book in a run.
See your price straight away
Choose your size, pages, colour, paper, binding and number of copies in the calculator and the total and price per book update as you go. Send it to us on WhatsApp when you are ready to order.
Low minimum order
Order as few as one book. That suits an author checking a first copy or a church printing a small run of hymn books.
Six binding choices
Pick perfect binding for a spine like a bought novel, thread-sewn perfect binding where the pages are also sewn, softcover or hardcover spiral O-wire for books that open flat, hardcover for a rigid cover, or saddle stitching for slimmer books.
Ready in 1 to 2 days
Once your artwork is correct and approved, your books are ready in 1 to 2 days. That helps when a launch, a school term or an event is close.
Delivery across Kenya
We deliver to all counties in Kenya. You can also collect from our office on the 2nd Floor, Tumaini House, Moi Avenue, Nairobi.
Proof before printing
We send a proof and printing starts only after you approve it, so you see what you are getting before the run begins.
What customers say about Print Lion
Getting your artwork ready
We accept PDF, high-resolution TIFF, JPEG, PSD, and AI or other vector files. We cannot accept Word, PowerPoint, Excel or Publisher files, or Canva or Google Docs links. Artwork should be at least 150 DPI at final print size. CMYK and RGB are both fine, though printed colour can look different from your screen, so ask for a physical sample if exact colour matters to you. Allow 2 mm of bleed beyond the trim edge, and keep text and graphics at least 10 mm inside the trim edge. Send your full inside pages as a single PDF in page order. The cover can be a separate file. You can send files by email, WhatsApp or a shareable link. We send a proof, and printing starts only after you approve it. We do not offer design services, but we can point you to a professional designer if your file needs work.
Common questions
Which bindings can I choose for my book?
You can choose perfect bound, thread-sewn perfect bound, softcover spiral O-wire, hardcover spiral O-wire, hardcover or saddle-stitched. Saddle-stitched books can have up to 120 pages. Perfect bound, thread-sewn perfect bound and hardcover books need at least 80 pages. You can also add a cover finish such as laminating.
How much do the cover and binding cost?
Covers are charged per book. Saddle-stitched card covers are Ksh 30, 40 or 60 for A6, A5 or A4. Perfect bound and thread-sewn card covers are Ksh 40, 60 or 80. Softcover spiral O-wire covers are Ksh 40, 60 or 100. Hardcover spiral O-wire covers are Ksh 150, 200 or 300, and hardcover covers are Ksh 200 at any size. Binding is Ksh 10 per book for saddle-stitched and Ksh 30 per book for perfect bound and thread-sewn. Thread sewing, used on thread-sewn perfect bound and hardcover books, adds Ksh 20 per 32-page section per book.
What is the minimum order and how much does it cost?
You can order as few as one book. Inside pages have a minimum of Ksh 200 per order. Each binding also has a minimum for the order: Ksh 500 for saddle-stitched binding, Ksh 1,000 for softcover spiral O-wire covers, and Ksh 2,000 for perfect bound and thread-sewn binding and for hardcover spiral O-wire and hardcover covers. The calculator adds it all up for you.
What sizes can I print?
A6 (105 x 148 mm), A5 (148 x 210 mm), A4 (210 x 297 mm) or a custom size up to A4. A custom size is priced as the smallest standard size it fits in. For anything larger than A4, send us a message on WhatsApp.
Why do book pages come in multiples of 4?
A sheet folded once makes four pages, so book pages always print in multiples of 4. If you enter another number, the calculator rounds up to the next multiple of 4.
What paper can I choose for the inside pages?
White 80gsm is the standard paper. Cream 80gsm adds Ksh 0.60 per A4 side and white 100gsm adds Ksh 0.50 per A4 side.
What kinds of books can you print?
We print novels, textbooks, hymn books, handbooks, manuals and cookbooks. Authors, publishers, schools, churches, companies and other organisations order from us.
How fast can I get my books?
Orders are ready in 1 to 2 days, once your artwork is correct and approved. Asking for a physical colour sample, or fixing problems in your files, can add time.
Do you deliver outside Nairobi?
Yes. We deliver to all counties in Kenya, and you can also collect from our office on Moi Avenue, Nairobi.
Which file types should I send?
Send PDF, high-resolution TIFF, JPEG, PSD, or AI and other vector files, at least 150 DPI at final print size. We cannot accept Word, PowerPoint, Excel or Publisher files, or Canva or Google Docs links.
Book printing calculator
Pages always print in multiples of 4. Print-ready files only — we don't offer typing, editing or typesetting.
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