How I Printed a 544-Page Art Collector’s Edition Book Without a Publisher
As the Inside44 books are arriving, they are immediately receiving praise for their print quality and design.
People are calling it a premium collector’s edition, full of incredible art, story, and detail. As readers dive deeper into the Inside44 universe, I wanted to share a post about the printing process, so other creators can learn from my experience.
Since I am based in Serbia and some of you have followed my journey on the documentary I faced huge challenges due to bureaucracy. Printing a book locally was nearly impossible. Nobody wanted to print a 544-page collector’s edition. Prices were astronomical, and most printers said their maximum capacity was 420 pages. On top of that, the bureaucracy in Serbia meant that if the book were printed locally, I would face double taxation when selling internationally. Shipment rates were another nightmare.
Another issue was cost. Keeping books in an e-fulfillment center outside Serbia was necessary, but expensive, and I had zero control over what happened there. Printing 50–100 copies was already costly, and I planned to print 200+ books.
This is a premium book, not a standard one. High-quality paper, high-end printing, 544 pages, it’s naturally expensive. And this isn’t mass-produced; it’s a collector’s edition, meaning it’s for people who truly love the subject.
My problems in Serbia pushed me to explore alternatives, which led me to POD - Print on Demand.
What is POD?
POD allows you to print a single book and ship it directly. One book can be expensive, but it’s scalable. I explored Blurb and KDP—Blurb, for example, would cost around $140 for one copy and offered no discount for multiple copies. Page restrictions were another headache: most services maxed out at 400–475 pages, which was frustrating.
Then I found something every artist should know about: MIXAM (https://mixam.com/).
MIXAM POD
Mixam is a Print on Demand (POD) service with an incredible range of options from book sizes and materials to paper types and covers.
Mixam operates on multiple continents and offers POD, but they also ship the books for you. When I discovered this, I was ecstatic it felt too good to be true.
I carefully checked their services and found that they can print books up to 820 pages, guarantee collector-quality printing, and offer various sizes. I had bad experiences with other PODs before: colors were off, books broke, but Mixam felt different.
I ordered my book, and when I saw the price, I was shocked, it was incredibly reasonable. The book arrived via DHL Express, and when I opened it, I knew this was it. From colors to print to covers, the book looked premium.
Real life photos - no 3D
Here are some things to consider:
Mixam’s original hub is in the UK, and they are the only ones who ship worldwide. Other PODs usually ship only within their country or continent.
They now offer automated POD services buyers can order directly, and the system handles everything. Unfortunately, due to Serbian bureaucracy and no Stripe support, I can’t use this fully, but for others, it’s perfect.
They can ship to multiple addresses you just provide a CSV or enter manually, and their system validates each address.
Prices rise with non-standard sizes, but there are enough options to make it worthwhile.
Once my campaign started, I printed multiple books with Mixam, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Books shipped with DHL and FedEx, reaching customers worldwide in just 1–3 days—even as far as Australia!
I wanted to share this so every artist knows: finding a reliable printing partner doesn’t have to take months of trial and error. Mixam is a fantastic partner you won’t regret choosing them for your printing needs.
And one more thing - Inside44 is officially back on the market.
The collector’s edition is priced at $250 for a 544-page premium book, shipped to 60+ countries.
But here’s something special: every March 18th we’ll run a campaign where prices drop back to the regular edition rates:
$199.44 (FREE SHIPPING) – USA, UK, EU, Canada
$235.44 – Rest of the World
That comes out to just $0.36 per page—cheaper than a coffee, but it’s a story that will stay with you for life.
If you prefer digital, the Inside44 eBook is available for $44.44 a great way to support this decade-long project.
