Comic Book Printing

Want to Create a Comic Book That Actually Hooks Readers? Start Here.

Ever wondered what separates a good comic from one that sticks with readers long after the last panel? This deep dive into comic book fundamentals—covering everything from character arcs to panel layouts—cracks open the craft behind visual storytelling that packs a punch.

25 Comic Book Ideas That’ll Actually Spark Your Next Big Story

If your sketchbook is full but your brain feels blank, this guide is the creative jumpstart you need. Packed with 25 genre-spanning comic book ideas—from superhero origin flips to cosmic dream manipulation—this post isn’t just a list, it’s a blueprint for storytelling greatness.

So, You Want to Make a Comic? Here's How to Actually Do It Right

From crafting compelling characters and writing dialogue that snaps, to sketching, inking, colouring and—yes—finally printing your masterpiece, this article is a one-stop blueprint for comic creators at any level.

Does Size Matter in Comics? Absolutely—Here’s Why

Whether you’re going digest-sized for a zine-style vibe or stretching into a bold magazine format, the trim size affects everything from layout to visual pacing to shelf appeal. This in-depth guide explores the most common comic sizes—from Golden Age classics (7.75" x 10.5") to compact digest formats (5.5" x 8.5")—and shows how creators can use dimensions as a deliberate storytelling tool.

Ready to place an order? Brilliant, you’ll need to upload the files using www.wetransfer.com sending them to hello@exwhyzed.com and in the comments box let us know the number of copies you’re going for and the best address for delivery. We’ll then give your artwork a free preflight check to highlight any potential issues and will email with any advice or recommendations before going to production.

Once we receive your print ready artwork, we’ll aim to deliver in 3-5 working days. If you are working to a crucial deadline PLEASE allow more time – there’s no harm in getting the artwork to us early so we can deliver a few days before your launch ?

https://www.exwhyzed.com/resources/setting-3mm-bleed-on-artwork-for-print/

We will need 3mm bleed on all the edges, you'll notice at the moment that the artwork stops at the crop marks - it needs to extend 3mm beyond this to avoid any chance of a white border.

This page includes illustrated and video guides on how to set up bleed correctly.

You might have set this up correctly in InDesign but when you export to PDF just make sure that in the 'Marks and Bleeds' menu you not only tick 'Crop Marks' but you also add '3mm' in to the four bleed boxes - top, bottom, inside and outside. This will add the bleed to the exported PDF.

BLEED FIX

It's one of two things:

Have you dragged the background image out 3mm beyond the black line on your Indesign file into the bleed area?  Try that then export again.

OR you have done the above but then when you're exporting you need to click the Marks and Bleeds menu, then type '3mm' into the four bleed boxes.  This will add the bleed to the pdf.

Stapled zines and booklets are with you in 3 working days, perfect bound books in 5 and hardbacks in 7, counted from approval of your print-ready artwork, with free tracked UK delivery. Lead times depend on run length and print spec — longer litho runs and premium cover finishes take longer — so if you're working to a hard deadline, tell us the date and we'll confirm we can hit it before you commit. On runs of 1–20 stapled or perfect bound copies we check your artwork thoroughly and send it straight to print; 21 copies and over, and every hardback, get a PDF proof to approve first.

The old print industry maxim is that it is possible to have two of these when you send a job to print. Stop Press! At Ex Why Zed we have changed the rulebook and are confident we can now offer all three! The highest quality printing, for the best prices and delivered when you need it.

They are — for the specs people ask about most. Every product page shows real prices from real jobs, and our instant calculator prices 1–20 copies on the spot. Everything else is bespoke: size, page count, paper and quantity all move the price, so we quote it properly rather than guess — usually the same working day. Send us your spec and we'll come straight back.

Yes! Check out this case study for A Dream for Two by Katie Handley.

If you are looking to print a book featuring images that appear black & white or monochrome on screen but are actually in full colour then this is a crucial video for you to watch, absorb and act on. It can be extremely hard to effectively print black-and-white images in digital print. Thankfully, this isn't our first rodeo so in the video below we take a deep dive into how to get around this and why it is so difficult. This is an issue that you will encounter at every printer but at Ex Why Zed we are keen to point it out and help before going ahead.

Battle of printing black and white video.

If you're based in the UK or the US and looking to print a custom comic book, welcome to Ex Why Zed. We are proud to offer high-quality comic printing services, with a wide range of paper and printing options, and deliver right to your doorstep.

Ready to place an order? Well done on getting your artwork ready for print! Now go ahead and upload the file/s using WeTransfer.com

It is super easy, free and you don’t need an account. Add hello@exwhyzed.com in the 'Email to' box. In the message area, tell us your print spec, number of copies you would like to print and the best address for delivery. We then get a download link with your files, simple as that!

Comic book sizes can vary depending on your personal preference. Choose a simple A6, A5 or A4 for ease or push the boundaries with an off-kilter custom size that catches the eye. We print manga size comics, standard UK comic book size and classic US comic book size. Got an idea of your own?  We're all ears!

There are various paper options you can choose from, including but not limited to silk, gloss and uncoated paper. Each type has different characteristics that can affect the look and feel of your project. All of our papers are FSC Certified for sustainable comic book printing and many are also 100% Recycled.

Jump on our Project Builder to choose your options or send us an email directly on hello@exwhyzed.com and we will come back to you asap with a quote. Not quite instant, but usually within a few minutes if it's a week day. We're keen to print your work and move the project forward so our team will be in touch asap.

An added bonus is that delivery within the UK is Free, we also delivery worldwide by tracked courier. Comics, graphic novels and booklets are all vat free so there are no cheeky add-ons with our quotes, we will be transparent and give you the total price from the off.

Yes, we can print any custom size from A6 to A3 portrait or from A5 to A5 landscape. Choose any bespoke size within these parameters to make your artwork stand out.

Check out our guide on the Best Design Software where you'll find an in-depth comparison between Adobe InDesign and it's rivals. Ultimately, all we need from you to print a comic is a pdf format file.

You can save it in CMYK or we can convert it to that format in one click here to save you time.

There are several types of book binding options available when it comes to online comic book printing. Popular options include perfect binding, saddle stitch binding. Saddle Stitching is a little bit of print jargon but in layman's terms is 'stapling' or 'wire stitching'. Simply put, we'll fold the printed sheets in half and they are bound with two staples down the spine - exactly as you'd expect for a comic 🙂

Absolutely! Any questions, do give us a shout, remember we are here to help on email, phone and live chat. Once you send the PDF print file, we will give it a thorough free file-check and come back to you with a digital proof to your important content for any last errors before we go ahead to print.

Hi! Welcome to Ex Why Zed ?

There are plenty of online printing services, but at Ex Why Zed we print your work the professional way and deliver in rapid time. We don't ask you to chuck a set of JPGs at your screen like the other online companies. We print from industry standard PDF artwork to ensure your finished work is the best it possibly can be.

Our Comic Book team are thorough, patient and will ensure everything looks correct before we go anywhere near the big green Print button. So it's worth researching, getting quotes, and perhaps ordering a few sample prints to ascertain the quality.