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What can we help you with today?
Hello and welcome
to Ex Why Zed!
Whether you are launching a new creative zine, self-publishing an art hardback or children’s book, or maybe you are a student and require a one off final major project or a catalogue to promote the end of year show, we care about your printing and take a keen interest in your job from the outset. Ex Why Zed has built a reputation for providing our customers with a level of customer service that is second to none.
Friendly, expert advice.
We provide helpful, expert advice before your job goes to press, a competitive quote to stretch your budget and an eye catching standard of printing delivered within days.
We have a commitment to continuous improvement in our printing technology and are constantly striving to provide our customers with an ever growing choice of products; we are specialists in bound publications like books and booklets but offer a full range of printed products to help grow your business from an acorn to an oak tree – brochures, business cards, letterheads, compliments slips, leaflets, posters, and stickers.
What can we print for you today?
Zines are born at Ex Why Zed! Our presses have helped release many a new title in to the wild. If you have just designed your first zine or maybe you currently produce a Zine but are looking for a better price then visit our Zine printing page for inspiration, ideas and a print quote at great prices.
Self Publishing
It has never been easier to self-publish your book at Ex Why Zed! We have a wide range of papers which suit children’s books, coffee table art publications and family history titles right through to photobooks. There is no minimum quantity and we provide expert help and advice to help get your book into print.
Children’s Books
We have 41 years of experience with children’s books. They were all we used to read at school and now we print them! There are a gazillion options for printing a brilliant illustrated book about everything from dancing frogs to magical trees. Have a read through our dedicated page then ping us a quote form or ask for a sample pack.
Brochure and Booklet Printing
We specialise in beautiful bespoke booklets for illustrators, designers and photographers, final major project and portfolio printing for the future graduate talent, degree show catalogues and yearbooks for the top art colleges, right through to premium promotional brochures for London and UK creative businesses.
Go ahead and get your print quote today!
The coalface of creativity
We are large enough to offer huge savings but small enough to give your job a refreshing level of individual attention.
At Ex Why Zed, we don’t believe you should have to settle for the bare minimum from your print company so from our first point of contact we provide a wealth of information, advice and friendly help to guide you through the (somewhat confusing) process of getting your work into print.
Printing isn’t a daunting process. You have done the hard work and come up with a great idea for your project, now we’ll help you transform your ideas into print. We will assist you methodically until the point where a big smile fills your face as you excitedly open a box full of your printed work!
Our digital printing department offers fast turnaround print on small to medium booklet, book and postcard runs at outstanding prices. Our HP Indigo presses are the market leading digital machines and offer litho-like results making digital printing a speedy and really cost effective alternative to litho. For total peace of mind there is always the option of a hard copy proof so you can check the quality and paper before the final run. In many cases we can deliver within 4 days on digital jobs.
Your print will arrive within a few days
Our highly spec’d litho printing department offers maximum flexibility. for longer print runs – generally for 700 copies or more. We are acutely aware that you need the best price possible. The right choice of press minimises wastage and in turn saves our clients hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds.
Free UK delivery by courier
We deliver overnight to London and throughout the UK. With our fast lead times your printing will arrive before your deadline so there is no need to think “I need a print shop near me”. We also ship a lot of work to the States and Europe by Fedex and UPS.
Enjoy our print portfolio!
New video guides for 2020
Frequently Asked Questions to help start your journey
What do I need to send you to print my work?
We need a high res pdf file with crop marks and 3mm bleed on each edge. The easiest program to use for setting up print-ready artwork is Adobe Indesign. This is the industry standard for page layout. Don’t worry if you haven’t got it though, Adobe offer a one week free trial to get you up and running. Pssst…we’ll even show how to prepare your artwork for print. You’ll become a genius with our illustrated step-by-step guides.
How long does it take for my printing to arrive?
This depends on the specific print spec and quantity, but we tend to deliver most jobs in 3-5 working days. So, usually, if you send us the artwork on a Monday, you will have the finished printing by the end of the week.
How much does it cost to print a children’s book, zine, art book or photobook?
There are a zillion different variables and as your artwork is bespoke and unique, we provide a bespoke and unique quote for each job. We are sure you have spent hours, weeks and months preparing your stunning artwork so why would you now give it to a printer where you can get an instant quote, upload a pdf, then the files disappear and you have to keep your fingers crossed that what turns up is what you expected? Our process is quick and efficient but we like to add extra value by starting a conversation with you first.
Do you send out paper sample packs?
Absolutely! If you are not sure which paper to choose for your next project then ping us an email and we’ll send you out a photographic sample pack to help you decide. Once you’ve picked which paper will work best, you’ve got 15 free A5 posters of New York for your wall. Win win, right?!
Can I print one copy first as a test?
Yes. We understand that you might want to see how images print before committing to a longer print run so no matter what the size or print spec you can print one copy first then make changes to the artwork before going ahead with the longer print run.
Will you check my artwork before you print it?
When you send us your files they are thoroughly checked and preflighted. We always come back to you with recommendations for improvement if something doesn’t look right.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes! We regularly send printing to all parts of the United States and throughout Europe. We will just charge you our cost price from Fedex or UPS for shipping and the printing usually arrives the day after it leaves us. No need to look for a “print shop near me”.
Is there a minimum print run?
We can print any quantity from one upwards. We are keen to avoid wasting paper so if you need 38 copies, we’ll print you 38 copies. If would like 177 then we’ll print you 177. You get the idea 🙂
Can I choose a bespoke size?
Yes, please do choose any size from A6 (148x105mm) up to A3 (420x297mm). At Ex Why Zed we do not charge extra for bespoke sizes because want you to be as creative as possible. 270x210mm or 240x170mm are eye-catching sizes between A5 and A4. Or how about 148x148mm for a square size a bit smaller than A5?
Where can I get some ideas for my next print project?
Take five minutes to look through our Print Portfolio and check out who we have been working with. The case studies feature a huge range of our recent work and if there is a project you like the look of, note down the spec and we’ll be happy to quote on a like-for-like print run for you.