PRINTING COMICS, MANGA AND GRAPHIC NOVELS
Comics, manga and graphic novels forgive nothing: solid areas, screens and colours have to be right, and to hold from one copy to the next.
These titles are at the heart of our expertise. We print them in conventional offset, LED-UV offset and digital, with fully integrated binding and finishing.
Colour, first of all
A page from an illustrated album combines solid areas, gradients and fine lines: demanding work that calls for real expertise and rigour.
Offset printing is usually the ideal solution for these books. It gives a faithful, consistent result page after page, from the first copy to the last.
For the most demanding albums, LED-UV offset printing brings superior density and depth. Blacks are deeper, colours more vivid. The final result looks noticeably more contrasted, sharper and more detailed — all the more so on uncoated papers.
Hardback or paperback
For comics, the hardback Franco-Belgian album remains the benchmark: sewn block, rounded or square spine, printed endpapers, laminated cover and, if wanted, a dust jacket.
More contemporary comics and graphic novels often prefer a soft binding, sewn and glued, possibly with flaps.
Manga too is most often perfect-bound, on a light paper that keeps the thickness under control.
Omnibus editions, deluxe runs, collector's editions and some series also call for specific finishes: spot varnish, hot foil stamping, debossing, embossing — all produced in our own workshops.
Printing comics at Sepec, in brief
- Hardback albums, paperback manga, graphic novels, omnibus editions.
- Black and four-colour printing in offset and digital, LED-UV offset for high densities and the most demanding books.
- More than 25 years of expertise: comics are at the heart of our business.
- Hardcover binding, perfect binding, sewn and glued, and many other options.
- A wide range of finishes: varnish, foil stamping, debossing, embossing, edge decoration.
- Printing and reprinting, short and medium runs.
Deluxe and limited editions
A deluxe run is produced as a special object: different paper, specific cover, numbering, a higher level of finishing, inserts, a slipcase. We produce these small series alongside the standard run, on the same schedule.
Which binding for which book?
| Franco-Belgian album, omnibus | Hardcover binding |
|---|---|
| Manga, graphic novel | Perfect binding |
| High-extent album, intensive use | Sewn and glued binding |
| Semi-rigid reissue | Integra binding |
Frequently asked questions
Hardback or paperback for a comic book?
Case binding remains the standard for the Franco-Belgian album and survives years of standing on a shelf.
Paperback — perfect binding or sewn and glued — is generally the norm for manga and graphic novels.
How is colour quality guaranteed on solid areas?
Our offset presses are dedicated to book printing and run on monitored colour profiles.
You approve a contract proof before printing: that proof is the reference used on press.
For the most demanding books, or if you are after greater depth, we recommend LED-UV offset printing.
What can be done for a collector’s edition?
Edge staining or edge printing, hot foil stamping, embossing, debossing, spot varnish, full or half-cloth cover, exposed sewing, metal corners: most of these finishes can be combined on the same book.
Which paper for a manga?
A light, opaque paper, often a bulky stock, which limits the weight of a high-extent volume while avoiding show-through on very black pages.
An illustrated album in the pipeline? We would be glad to talk it through with you.
Get in touch or request a quote online to receive a costing.