Training manuals and workbooks
Course books for staff, trainees and students, often wiro bound and reprinted for each intake.
Book Printing Ireland: Short Run Books Printed in Dublin
Sooner Than Later prints books on its own presses in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, with next-day delivery nationwide or collection.
Get a quick quoteOr call 01 284 4777
Book Printing Ireland: Short Run Books Printed in Dublin
Sooner Than Later prints books on its own presses in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin: perfect bound, wiro or stitched, with a confirmed date and next-day delivery nationwide.
Get a quick quoteOr call 01 284 4777 · Mon to Fri 9:00 to 17:30
Reply within one working day · Files checked before print
Training manuals, workbooks, staff handbooks, yearbooks, catalogues and self-published books. We print digitally on a Xerox iGen 5 and a Xerox Iridesse and bind in house, so short runs are as straightforward as long ones.
Binding
Saddle stitched for slimmer books, PUR perfect binding (done in house) for a square spine that opens well, and wiro binding for manuals that need to lie flat. Casebound hardbacks are available too: ask us about your project. The binding guide is further down this page.
Paper and Covers
Uncoated text pages for books people write in, silk for books with photography, and a heavier cover board finished with gloss or matt lamination. FSC certified stocks are standard. Our Iridesse press can add gold, silver or white ink to a cover.
Artwork and Design
Send print ready PDFs for the text and the cover with 3mm bleed. We check page order, margins, bleed and spine width before anything prints, and tell you first if something needs fixing. Our studio can lay out a manual or design a cover if you need it.
Turnaround and Delivery
Bound work is scheduled when you order and the date is confirmed with your quote. Once printed, books go out with next-day delivery nationwide, or you can collect from us in Dún Laoghaire.
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Printed and bound on siteOn our own production floor in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
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Short runs welcomeDigital print, so 50 copies get the same care as 5,000.
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Next-day deliveryDelivered nationwide across Ireland, or collect in Dún Laoghaire.
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40 years, ISO 9001Family owned and certified to ISO 9001, 14001, 27001 and 45001.
Quick quote
Get a book printing quote
Tell us the size, number of pages, quantity, binding and when you need the books. We reply within one working day with a price, turnaround and delivery date.
- Printed and bound in Dún Laoghaire
- Files checked before print
- Next-day delivery nationwide or collection
- No obligation
Rather talk? Call 01 284 4777
At a glance
Book printing with Sooner Than Later: the short answer
The facts most people ask about before they order, in one place.
Where are the books printed? On our own presses at 24 Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, and bound in the same building.
Which bindings? Saddle stitched, PUR perfect bound and wiro bound. Casebound hardbacks: ask us.
How fast? Bound work gets a confirmed date with your quote, then next-day delivery nationwide or collection.
How many? Digital runs from 50 copies up to 50,000, so short run book printing is our everyday work.
What do people print? Training manuals, workbooks, staff handbooks, yearbooks and catalogues for organisations, plus self-published books.
Who are we? A family-owned Dublin printer with 40 years in business, certified to ISO 9001, 14001, 27001 and 45001.
Binding
Which binding should I choose for my book?
Choose by page count and by how the book will be used: read once, kept on a shelf, or open on a desk all day.
| Binding | What it is | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saddle stitched | Folded sheets stapled through the spine | Slimmer books, programmes, short workbooks | Page count must be a multiple of four |
| PUR perfect bound | Pages glued into a wraparound cover with a square spine | Handbooks, catalogues, yearbooks, self-published books | Done in house; PUR glue holds pages firmly and opens well |
| Wiro bound | Pages punched and bound with a wire coil | Training manuals, workbooks, reference guides | Lies flat and folds back on itself |
| Casebound | Hard cover boards with the text block bound inside | Commemorative books, premium yearbooks, gifts | Ask us about casebound projects |
Thinner than a book? See brochure and booklet printing. Printing a yearly report for a board or members? See annual report printing.
PUR binding
What are perfect bound books, and why PUR?
Perfect bound books have their pages glued into a cover with a flat, square spine, like most paperbacks; PUR is the stronger glue we use for it.
A square spine makes a book look finished on a shelf, and you can print the title on it. Standard hot-melt glue can crack when a book is opened wide; PUR (polyurethane reactive) glue stays flexible, grips coated papers well and lets the book open further without pages coming loose.
We do PUR perfect binding in house in Dún Laoghaire, so the job does not leave our building between print and bind. That keeps the schedule in our hands and lets us check the first bound copies before the full run is finished.
Many book printers Ireland wide send binding out to a specialist bindery. Keeping it in house is one less handover and one less delay.
Perfect bound books suit staff handbooks, product catalogues, yearbooks, anthologies and self-published novels and memoirs.
Wiro binding
When should a training manual be wiro bound?
When people will work from it on a desk: wiro bound books lie flat and fold back on themselves, so both hands stay free.
That makes wiro the usual choice when organisations come to us for training manuals printing: course workbooks, procedures and reference guides that are opened every day. A laminated cover protects a manual that gets heavy use.
Need tabbed dividers between sections or a clear protective front cover? Ask us and we will include them in your quote.
Who we print for
Book printing Ireland: what kinds of books do organisations print with us?
Most of our book printing Ireland customers are organisations: books that people use at work or in class, printed in the quantity they actually need.
Staff handbooks and policies
Induction packs, codes of conduct and procedures, printed to match your business stationery.
Yearbooks and anniversary books
For schools, clubs and companies marking a milestone, perfect bound or casebound.
Catalogues and product books
Product ranges and price books for sales teams, alongside your presentation folders.
Reports and research
Research reports, conference proceedings and strategy documents for public bodies and universities.
Self-published books
Novels, memoirs, poetry and family histories, printed in a short run for launches and local shops.
Paper and covers
Which paper and cover finish should I choose?
Pick the text paper for how the book is read, and the cover for how it is handled.
| Part | Option | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Text pages | Uncoated | Manuals and workbooks people write in, novels and text-heavy books |
| Text pages | Silk | Catalogues, yearbooks and books with photography |
| Cover | Heavier board with gloss lamination | Bright, photographic covers that need to wipe clean |
| Cover | Heavier board with matt lamination | A softer, premium feel for handbooks and self-published books |
| Cover extras | Gold, silver or white ink on the Xerox Iridesse | Titles and logos that catch the light |
| All stocks | FSC certified as standard | Organisations with an environmental policy; carbon-balanced print is available |
For a cover that stands out, ask us about foiling, spot UV and embossing. See lamination for the difference between gloss and matt.
Turnaround
How long does book printing take?
It depends on the binding, page count and quantity, so we confirm the date with your quote. Here is how an order runs.
Send your details
Use the quick quote form or call 01 284 4777 with size, pages, quantity, binding and date. We reply within one working day.
We check your files
Page order, margins, bleed and spine width are checked, and you approve a proof before the run.
Printed and bound
Pages print on our Xerox presses and are stitched, wiro bound or PUR bound in the same building.
Delivered or collected
Next-day delivery nationwide once printed, or collection from 24 Kill Avenue.
Training on a fixed date or launching a book at an event? Tell us the date you need the books in hand and we work back from it. Because we print digitally, you can order a short run now and reprint when you need more, rather than storing boxes of books you may never use. We can also store stock for you and send it out as needed through our mailing and fulfilment team.
Short runs
How many copies do I need for short run book printing?
As many as you will use. Digital runs start from 50 copies, so you do not need to order thousands to get a well-made book.
Print to demand. Manuals and handbooks change. Printing for this year's intake, then reprinting with updates, avoids pulping out-of-date stock.
Test before you scale. Self-publishers can print a first run for a launch and local bookshops, then reorder from the same files.
Personalise each copy. Digital print can put a different name or number on each book, useful for numbered editions or named course books.
Very long runs. We print digitally, which suits short and medium runs best. If you are planning a very large run, ask us and we will talk you through it.
Artwork specs
How should I set up artwork for book printing?
Supply the text and cover as separate PDFs and we do the rest. Not sure? Send what you have and we will check it.
| Setting | What we need | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Text file | One PDF, single pages in reading order, at the finished size | Pages are imposed and bound in the right order |
| Cover file | A separate PDF: back cover, spine and front cover as one spread | The cover wraps the book correctly |
| Spine width | Ask us once the page count and paper are chosen | Spine width depends on page count and stock |
| Bleed | 3mm on every edge | No white line when the books are trimmed |
| Inner margin | Extra space on the binding edge, more for thicker books | Text does not disappear into the spine |
| Resolution and colour | 300 dpi images, CMYK (or send RGB and we convert) | Sharp images and predictable colour |
No designer? Our graphic design studio can lay out your manual or design your cover from your text and images, and you approve a proof before anything prints.
Goes well with books
More print from the same team
Books are often part of a course, a launch or a conference. Print the rest with us so it all matches.
Brochures and booklets
Stitched booklets for shorter documents.
ExploreAnnual reports
Reports for boards, members and stakeholders.
Explore
Presentation folders
Hold a course book and handouts together.
Explore
Flyers and leaflets
Launch flyers and course handouts.
Explore
Posters
Launch and bookshop posters to match your cover.
Explore
Pull up banners
For the launch, the conference or the training room.
Explore
Envelopes
For posting books and course packs.
Explore
FAQs
Book printing Ireland FAQs
How much does book printing cost?
It depends on size, page count, paper, binding and quantity, so we quote each job rather than list fixed prices. Send your details through the quick quote form and we reply within one working day.
What is the minimum order for book printing?
Digital runs start from 50 copies and go up to 50,000. Short runs are everyday work for us.
How long does book printing take?
We confirm the date with your quote, because it depends on binding, page count and quantity. Once printed, books go out with next-day delivery nationwide or are ready to collect.
Which bindings do you offer?
Saddle stitched, PUR perfect bound and wiro bound, all done in house. For casebound hardbacks, ask us about your project.
What is the best binding for a training manual?
Wiro binding is usually best, because the manual lies flat on a desk and folds back on itself. Perfect binding suits handbooks that are read rather than worked from.
Do you print self-published books?
Yes. We print novels, memoirs, poetry and family histories in short runs, perfect bound with a laminated cover, and you can reorder from the same files.
Can you print gold or silver on the cover?
Yes. Our Xerox Iridesse prints gold, silver, white and clear inks alongside full colour, and we also offer foiling and spot UV.
How should I supply my files?
Send the text as one PDF of single pages in order and the cover as a separate spread with the spine, both with 3mm bleed. We tell you the spine width once the page count and paper are set.
Can you design or lay out my book?
Yes. Our in-house studio can lay out a manual or design a cover from your text and images, and you approve a proof before anything prints.
Where are your books printed?
Every book is printed and bound at Sooner Than Later's own production facility in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, on FSC certified stocks. We have been printing for 40 years and are certified to ISO 9001, 14001, 27001 and 45001.
Need books printed?
Send us the size, pages, quantity and date. We reply within one working day, print and bind on site in Dún Laoghaire and deliver nationwide.
