When you need something printed, your mind probably goes to the first place you can think of, that just so happens to also be down the street: FedEx®, Office Depot® or Staples®. They’re pretty much everywhere and feel like the obvious choice. But if you’ve ever actually gone in or looked up their booklet printing prices online, you’ll realize that something doesn’t add up… So, we saved you a trip and checked so you don’t have to!

We tested their online pricing tools using the same common booklet specs across all three. Here’s everything we found, plus what actually drives the booklet printing prices, and how to make sure you’re not overpaying on your next order.

How Much Does Booklet Printing Cost at The Major Chains vs an Online Printer?

Here’s the short answer: for 100 copies of an 8.5” x 11”, 16-page, 80 lb text, full-color saddle-stitch booklet, FedEx® came in at $1,315. Staples® came in at $1417.70. Office Depot® quoted $1,293.00. PrintingCenterUSA comes in at $296.14 This is the same specs across the board. 

At 100 copies, all three chains came in at more than 4x our price. The experience of getting these quotes was…. well, its own story.

FedEx®

FedEx® doesn’t have a dedicated booklet printing page. The closest options are Presentations and Manual & Handbook printing. The page allows you to choose what you want beforehand, but there isn’t any explanation on any of the choices, so you’re unsure what you’re getting or how it compares to anything else. The biggest source of confusion and annoyance was no page count selector, so you’d think it’s limited to basic single-sheet documents.To move forward you have to upload your file first. Pricing shows $2.65 which looks like a GREAT deal, until you realize that’s essentially a per-page price before you’ve uploaded anything.

Once we uploaded the 16-page PDF, the pricing jumped to $20.99. Here’s what 100 copies actually cost:

Bulk discounting does not kick in until about 50 copies.

Staples®

Staples®, has a dedicated booklet page. Clicking through, takes you to their general document printing page. From there, you have to upload your file before you can see real specs or pricing.

Here’s what we get for the same 16-page specs:

The cost per unit barely moved until you get to larger quantities, and even at 100 copies, you’re paying over $10 per booklet.

Office Depot®

Office Depot® does have a dedicated booklet page, and its the most put together option out of the three. That said, it follows the same flow where you upload your file first, then pick your specs.

Here’s what a 16-page booklet came to:

The price per booklet only changes by few a cents when upping the quantity.

PrintingCenterUSA

Our pricing tool is straightforward with an easy process. You pick your specs, you see your price, then upload a file and checkout. No mystery involved.

Here’s what printing a 16 page booklet with PrintingCenterUSA costs:

The price per booklet drops as the quantity goes up, and you can see what you’re paying before getting too far in the process and committing to anything.

PrintingCenterUSA Has the Best Booklet Prices

At a side-by-side printing price comparison, PrintingCenterUSA leads the way.

At small quantities, FedEx® is the most expensive. Staples starts out cheaper than FedEx® but scales worse. Office Depot® is the most consistent out of three, but consistently expensive with the unit costs staying almost exactly the same no matter how many you order. The biggest winner is PrintingCenterUSA, where the booklet pricing is affordable and rewards you meaningfully for ordering more. The best printing prices are built around volume.

Have a project in mind? Get an instant quote now.

Why is Printing So Expensive at FedEx, Staples, and Office Depot?

In the big chains, print services exist in their store as an add on. Printing just isn’t their thing, their expertise revolves around other focuses. FedEx® is ultimately a shipping company. Staples® and Office Depot® are office supply retailers.

When you go to them, you’re working with a staff who handles dozens of different services and products all day. They aren’t print specialists. They haven’t invested in the presses, the processes, or expertise to do it efficiently, and they don’t have to, because its not what pays their bills.

The printing presses, prepress workflows, and automation needed to run large quantities skillfully costs millions of dollars to bring in and maintain. There isn’t a true incentive to make the investment when they’re already profitable selling office supplies, ink cartridges, and shipping services. Getting serious about printing is not something they need. For you, that means limited options, pricing and tools.

At PrintingCenterUSA, we’ve specialized printing only for over 50 years. We specialize in booklets, books, calendars, and brochures at both short run digital and large run offset quantities. This focus is what makes the price difference possible.

At the end of the day, when working with FedEx®, Staples®, and Office Depot®t= you’re paying a lot more for the name and convenience without the expertise.

What Drives the Cost of Booklet Printing? How Can you get the Best Price?

As you just learned, booklet printing prices are going to vary printer to printer. It’s important to always get multiple quotes and shop around before moving forward with the first option you find. But, nothing will be faster and more cost-effective than online printing. You’ll find better pricing and options. There will never be a one-size fits all, but what you choose like page count, size, paper stock, binding type, and quantity will drive the cost.

• Quantity: With a good printer, the more you order the less you should be paying per booklet. The big chains don’t really have that factored in. If you have any wiggle room in your quantity, its almost always worth running the numbers at a higher quantity to see what it comes out to. The jump is usually a lot smaller than you’d think and having extra never hurts.
• Page Count: More pages means more materials and press time, so yes, it usually costs more.
• Paper stock: Not all paper is created equally, so pay attention to the coating, thickness, and purpose
• Binding Type: Saddle-stitch has two staples through the spine. (The typical people magazine binding) The most affordable and common option for booklets up to 92 pages.
• Size: Stick to standard sizes like 8.5 x 11 and 5.5 x 8.5
• Color vs Black and White Printing: Black and white will cut your costs down

Why the Cheapest Booklet Printing Price isn’t Always the Best

Price is one piece of the puzzle and the cheapest printer is rarely the right answer and the most expensive isn’t automatically better. You need to find the best value for your specific booklet and situation. Compare properly by getting quotes, reading reviews, and ordering a sample copy before committing to a large run.

Do they proof your files before anything goes to press? A printer worth anything will check your files the basics aka bleed, resolution, color mode, margins and flag anything that looks off before it becomes your problem.

Lets flip the mindset around customer service and ask what happens when something goes wrong. We always focus on the ordering experience which is just as important but what do you do if something goes wrong and how they handle it? If 100 booklets show up damaged or misprinted, are you getting someone on the phone quickly? Are they going to make it right without a fight? That’s where reviews tell you everything. Consistent, positive feedback from real customers is one of the strongest indicators of whether you or not a printer is trustworthy and can actually help you when something goes wrong.

Look for transparent pricing upfront and customization options that can accommodate your project. You should not leave their website or store feeling more confused than when you arrived.

PrintingCenterUSA addresses every single one of those things. Every order includes three free PDF proofs, a CSR and prepress team who reviews your files, and a satisfaction guarantee that means if something goers wrong, we’ll work with you to correct it. When you call us, you reach a real person who is trained to properly help you.

We believe you should have high quality printing, great customer service and an easy ordering experience, so you can walk away thinking, that was so easy and my prints look great!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to print booklets online or locally? Almost always online and the price comparison above proves it. Online printers like PrintingCenterUSA operate without the retail overhead of a chain store, which means lower prices, more options, and better bulk pricing. The chains are convenient, but you’re paying a significant premium for that convenience.

Should I use an online printer or local print shop for booklets? It depends on your needs, but for most booklet orders, online is the better choice. You get more customization options, transparent pricing upfront, and a proofing process that protects your order. Local print shops and chains can work for a single copy you need in a pinch but for anything beyond that, the value just isn’t there.

Is online booklet printing better than going to a store? For quality, price, and options online booklet printing is better. Online print specialists have the equipment, expertise, and processes that retail chains simply don’t invest in. You also get a proof before anything prints, which is something most in-store experiences don’t offer.

Can I trust an online printer for booklet printing? As long as you’re working with an established printer with real reviews. PrintingCenterUSA has been printing for over 50 years with hundreds of five-star reviews. Every order goes through a proof approval process, so nothing prints until you’ve signed off on it.

What are the benefits of printing booklets online? Better pricing, more customization options, transparent quotes upfront, bulk discounts that actually scale, a proofing process to catch errors before they print, and nationwide shipping straight to your door. You’re not limited to whatever specs a retail counter can handle.

Why is PrintingCenterUSA cheaper than Staples®, FedEx®, and Office Depot®? Because printing is all we do. We’ve spent over 50 years building our entire operation around one thing. The chains run print as a side service , we don’t.

What is the cheapest way to print booklets? Ordering online through a print specialist like PrintingCenterUSA is almost always going to be cheaper than a retail chain. Beyond that, sticking to standard sizes, ordering in higher quantities, and choosing standard turnaround are the easiest ways to keep your cost down.

How do I choose the best booklet printing company? Look for a printer that’s transparent about pricing upfront, offers a proofing process before anything goes to press, has real customer reviews, and specializes in print rather than treating it as a side service. Turnaround options, paper and binding choices, and accessible customer service are also worth paying attention to. A printer that lets you see your full cost, including shipping, before you commit to an order is always a good sign.

Where Should You Order Booklets Online?

Order your booklets online with PrintingCenterUSA.

You’ve seen the printing costs from Staples®, FedEx®, and Office Depot®, and understand why they are so expensive. PrintingCenterUSA is the best online booklet printing service that has cost transparency, is affordable, trusted, and reliable with 50 years of experience to back it up. Choose a high quality printing company that specializes in booklets and cares about you and your project. Check out our reviews, our customers say it better than we can.

Still not sure? Order a free sample pack and feel the difference yourself before you commit. You can also upload your file for a free file review and our team will help you make the right call.

*Our prices, as well as our competitors’ fluctuate throughout the year. Pricing mentioned above was accurate at time of testing and publication.

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