PodBuchdruck

PodBuchdruck is a German book printer that specializes in small runs, from a single test copy up to 250 books. Its site is in German, its contact address is in Trier, and it has been printing since 2008. Authors, self-publishers, publishers, agencies and companies upload a finished print PDF, configure the book online and get a live price, and the company prints and ships it in a matter of days. The headline on its home page sums it up: "Der Spezialist für 1–250 Bücher," the specialist for 1 to 250 books.

What a customer gets

The ordering flow has three steps, in the company's words: upload the PDF, choose the specification, order. You upload a print-ready PDF, pick format, paper and binding while "Der Preis wird live berechnet" (the price is calculated live), and order. The FAQ says the file should be a print-ready PDF with embedded fonts and that files are checked automatically on upload, with any problems reported back to you. The price calculator shows the final price "inklusive Druck und Mehrwertsteuer," including printing and VAT.

There is no minimum order. The FAQ answers the question directly: "wir drucken ab 1 Exemplar," we print from a single copy. From 10 copies, tiered discounts apply and are shown automatically in the calculator, and the home page advertises "Bis zu 50% Rabatt ab 10 Exemplaren," up to 50% off from 10 copies. A separate section of the site is aimed at runs of 10 to 250 copies, and another at business customers: publishers, agencies and companies.

The book types the site names show the range: novels, photo books, children's books, cookbooks, nonfiction and academic theses. It gives a starting specification for each. A novel is DIN A5 in softcover or hardcover on 90 g/m² matte paper; nonfiction is 170×240 mm hardcover on 100 g/m²; a photo book is 210×210 mm hardcover on 150 g/m² gloss; a children's book is A4 landscape hardcover on sturdy paper; a thesis is DIN A4 hardcover with a sewn binding; and a cookbook is DIN A4 or square in color. Cover finishing and a choice of paper grades are listed among the print options.

Formats and bindings

The FAQ lists its standard formats: A6 portrait (105 × 148 mm) for small paperbacks and notebooks, A6 landscape (148 × 105 mm), Pocket (125 × 190 mm) for novels and compact paperbacks, Pocketbook (135 × 205 mm), A5 portrait (148 × 210 mm), which it calls the most used format for novels and nonfiction, A5 landscape (210 × 148 mm) for picture books and photo books, a "Wissenschaft" or academic format (170 × 240 mm) for dissertations and specialist books, square (210 × 210 mm) for photo books and coffee-table books, A4 portrait (210 × 297 mm), A4 landscape (297 × 210 mm) for panoramic picture books and brochures, and an illustrated format (300 × 294 mm) for art books and portfolios. Every format can be combined with the bindings.

There are four bindings: softcover, hardcover, softcover with thread sewing and hardcover with thread sewing. The home page puts it simply: softcover or hardcover, "jeweils geklebt oder genäht," each glued or sewn. Softcover is the cheaper, flexible choice for novels and guides; hardcover is more durable and more representative, suited to photo books, gifts or biographies. The FAQ says sewn books cost a little more but last noticeably longer and turn more pleasantly. A spine width calculator on the site works out the cover width from page count, paper weight and binding.

Prices and turnaround

The home page prints a worked example for a 100-page DIN A5 softcover in black and white: 5 copies "ab 5,66 €," 20 copies "ab 5,06 €/St." and 100 copies "ab 4,17 €/St.," marked as example prices including VAT, as of 09/2026. The FAQ on the same page gives a second figure, a 100-page paperback in black and white from about 3,78 € per copy at 100 copies. The price for any other specification comes from the calculator.

On timing, the FAQ gives "Produktion: 3–7 Werktage" and "Versand: 1–3 Werktage," production in 3 to 7 working days and shipping in 1 to 3, with express available on request and the exact delivery time shown when you order. The home page repeats the 3 to 7 day figure for sending a book out.

The test copy and the guarantee

The company's pitch rests on its quality guarantee, and it lays out the process in three steps. You order one test copy to check paper, print and binding. You take your time to examine it, and only order the full run once you are satisfied. Then, in the site's words, "Ihre Großauflage wird exakt wie das Testexemplar produziert. Weicht die Qualität ab? Dann Neuproduktion oder Geld zurück!" Your full run will be produced exactly like the test copy; if the quality differs, it is reprinted or you get your money back. The guarantee section adds that the company stands "zu 100%" behind its print quality and will reprint free of charge or refund the full amount.

Four further promises sit under that heading, all on the company's own page: a color guarantee based on calibrated presses, a binding guarantee for binding that holds up to frequent use, a paper guarantee of premium papers from well-known manufacturers, and personal advice from a fixed contact person.

Service and reputation

Personal service is the other half of the pitch. "Sie haben einen festen Ansprechpartner, der Ihr Projekt kennt. Kein Callcenter," the home page says: you have a fixed contact person who knows your project, and no call center. The home page introduces its team, headed by the person who runs production, alongside customer and order management, marketing and sales, graphics and web, content, and customer service, and says it has supported authors, publishers and companies with book printing for more than 15 years. It shows ratings of 4.9 on Google and 4.7 on Trustpilot. The site also names climate-neutral production ("Klimaneutrale Produktion") as one of its features, and has a sustainability page and a partner program in its menu.

The FAQ doubles as a short guide to print on demand. It sets out who the model suits (self-publishers, small and mid-sized publishers, companies producing handbooks or marketing material, academics, photographers and artists) and notes that the break-even point against offset printing usually falls between 300 and 500 copies, depending on the book and the supplier. That frames the company's own ceiling of 250 books.

Who it suits

PodBuchdruck suits German-speaking authors and small publishers who want a small, carefully checked run: a novel or nonfiction title in a few dozen copies, a photo book, a thesis in sewn hardcover, or a company handbook. The single-copy minimum and the test-copy guarantee make a first order low risk, and the discounts from 10 copies reward a modest run.

It fits less well for runs well beyond 250 copies, where the company's own FAQ points toward offset printing. The site is written in German, so an English-speaking customer should expect to work in German.