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Services · Law review printing

Law review printing for law schools.

Western Publishing has printed in Indianapolis since 1865, and law reviews are the center of our work today. Our law review printing services cover every issue of the volume, from the first number to the symposium issue to the bound copies for the library.

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What we print

The whole volume

A law review is not a one-off print job. It is a volume with a masthead, a numbering system, a spine and a board that changes every year. We print it that way, issue after issue, so the shelf looks like one volume.

  • Regular issuesPerfect-bound issues printed to your journal's trim size, paper and cover.
  • Symposium issuesSpecial numbers built around a symposium, printed to match the rest of the volume.
  • Hardcover bound volumesCase-bound copies for the law library, the dean's office or the board's own shelf.
  • Law school book printingOther perfect-bound and hardcover books for the law school and the university.

How an issue moves

Files to finished issue

  1. Estimate

    Send the page count, trim size, quantity, cover and binding. If you have last year's specs, send those too.

  2. Files

    Send print-ready PDFs of the interior and cover. We check them for print problems, such as missing fonts or low-resolution images.

  3. Proofs

    You review proofs of the issue. Editing and cite-checking stay with your board, and your board decides when it is right.

  4. Approval

    Once you approve the proofs, the issue moves to press.

  5. Print and bind

    We print and bind the run, then ship it where you tell us.

Before you send files

A short checklist

Most delays in a law review issue happen before the files reach the printer. A few checks on your side keep the issue moving.

  • Final page countLock the order of materials and the page count before you build the cover. The spine width depends on it.
  • Fonts and imagesEmbed every font in the PDF, and use images that are sharp at the printed size.
  • One file per partSend the interior as one PDF in page order and the cover as a separate PDF.
  • Ask firstNot sure about spine width, margins or cover size? Call us before the board signs off on the layout.

New board?

You inherited the printer

Every spring a new managing editor takes over a printer relationship they did not choose and a schedule they did not set. That is normal, and we are used to it. Call us before your first issue and we will walk through how the last board worked with us: specs, file handoff, proofs and delivery.

If you are not sure what your journal's specs are, send us a copy of a recent issue. We will read the trim size, page count and binding from it and quote from there.

Changing printers?

Keep the volume consistent

Switching printers in the middle of a volume is easier than most boards expect. Send us a recent issue and the estimate from your current printer. We will quote the same trim size, paper and binding so the new issues sit beside the old ones on the shelf.

We are an independent printer in Indianapolis, and law review book printing is what we do every day. Florida Law Review is one of the journals we print.

Questions

Law review printing FAQ

What do you need for a law review printing estimate?
The page count, trim size, quantity, cover style, binding and the date the issue needs to be in hand. A copy of a recent issue helps if you are new to the board.
Do you print hardcover bound volumes?
Yes. Along with perfect-bound issues, we print hardcover books, including bound volumes of a law review.
Do you edit or proofread the articles?
No. Your editors own the text, the citations and the final read. We print the issue exactly as your board approves it in the proofs.
Do you work with law schools outside Indiana?
Yes. We are based in Indianapolis and print for law reviews in other states, including Florida Law Review.
How long does printing take?
It depends on the page count, quantity and binding. Give us your date when you ask for an estimate and we will plan the schedule with you.
Who do I contact?
Call (317) 636-4122 or email quotes@westernpub.com, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm Eastern.

Next issue?

Tell us the journal, the issue and when it needs to arrive. Or call (317) 636-4122. See all services or read about Western.

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