Key points at a glance
- Doctoral regulations set the required quantity and specification.
- Library, examination and personal copies may serve different purposes.
- Price the approved complete PDF at the actual copy count.
Read the doctoral rules before ordering
For a dissertation, the faculty, doctoral office and library may each define requirements for physical copies. Check which version is required, how many copies to provide and whether binding, size or title page is specified. Do not borrow a number from another university.
Some processes distinguish the examined manuscript from a later publication version. Confirm that the version you plan to print is approved. A printer can produce a document but cannot grant doctoral authorization.
Assign copies and versions clearly
List recipient, required version and binding. A library copy, examiner copy and personal keepsake may have different purposes. The institution determines whether their physical specifications may differ.
For example, four identical official copies are required and you also want a personal hardcover. Price the four compliant books first. Treat the personal volume separately, especially if its cover text or colour differs.
Calculate the real print volume
A dissertation may include many pages, colour figures or substantial appendices. Each extra copy multiplies that volume. Compare paper, binding and colour using the final PDF, not an early manuscript.
For sensitive research data, decide which appendices belong in a distributed physical copy. Follow your approval and institutional rules rather than a per-page price incentive.
Keep production and formal submission distinct
Check the page count, title page, approval wording and required version immediately before upload. Then review basket, quantity and address. If books need to go to several destinations, plan their distribution explicitly.
A confirmed print order is not formal publication or library submission. Track institutional deadlines and acknowledgments separately, and ask the responsible office when requirements are unclear.
Final submission context
Formal details can feel like a separate writing task, but they matter just as much for a printed submission. Anything missing, misplaced or inconsistently formatted in the document will also appear in the bound copy.
Use this guide together with your cover page, table of contents, page numbers, source notes and appendices. Prepare the final PDF for printing and binding only after the complete file has been checked.
Practical check before PDF export
- Do headings, chapter structure and page numbers match?
- Are sources, figures and tables included completely?
- Are required elements such as declarations, appendices or the cover page included where required?
- Did you open and check the final PDF after exporting it?
Checklist
- Checked current doctoral regulations.
- Identified the approved version.
- Listed recipients and quantities.
- Priced the complete PDF.
- Planned printing and formal submission separately.
Common mistakes
- Using another university’s copy count.
- Confusing examination and publication versions.
- Treating a print confirmation as formal submission.
Check printing and binding for your thesis
Upload your checked PDF, compare the available formats, and review the price, preview and delivery options before ordering.
Check the configuratorRelated content
Explore related guidance on thesis structure, sources, formatting and final submission.
Frequently asked questions
How many dissertation copies are required?
Your doctoral rules and responsible office set the number. Check the current requirement for your own process.
Must every copy be identical?
Follow the rules for official copies. Plan personal copies separately if permitted.
May I print before approval?
Ask the doctoral office which version may be printed and submitted. An order does not replace authorization.