Binding choices
- Wire or coil binding – common for drafts and review copies; opens flat.
- Perfect binding – a glued square spine with a soft cover.
- Hard-cover binding – for final copies when required by your institution; quoted.
Check your faculty's rules on paper, margins, binding type, cover colour and spine lettering before you order.
Preparing the file
Export your thesis to PDF and check every page – especially tables, figures and page numbers, which can shift when converting from Word. Use a wider margin on the binding side so text is not lost in the spine. If you need specific pages in colour (charts and photos), tell us the page numbers so the rest can be printed in black and white at R1.50 per A4 page; colour A4 pages are R4.00.
Timing
Submission deadlines are fixed, so do not leave printing to the last day. Binding takes time, especially hard covers. Standard gives a comfortable margin; Express is available on some options for an extra 20%. Allow time to proofread a printed copy before printing the final set.
Choose the lead time that suits your date: Economy (around 5 working days, 10% off), Standard (around 3 working days, listed price), Express (next working day, +20%) or Same-day (eligible items in by 09:00 Mon–Fri, +30%). The clock starts once payment and approved artwork are both in.
Same-day is priced high on purpose. If you can give us a few days, Economy or Standard saves you money.
Ordering
Upload your PDF via document printing or request a quote for hard-cover binding with your faculty's specifications. Collect at Shop L23, Rivonia Central, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
Placing your order for thesis printing and binding: everything is done online – choose the specification, pick Economy, Standard, Express or Same-day where offered, upload your file and pay. We accept card payments through Yoco and EFT; anything under R5,000 is paid upfront, and R5,000 or more needs a 65% deposit. We message you when the job is done so you can collect from Rivonia Central in Oriental City, or we arrange delivery to your door at a quoted price.
