Two Notebooks That Look Exactly the Same — Why Can the Price Be So Different?

The first thing you don’t really see: the paper

Most people think paper is just paper.
White is white. Thickness looks similar. Done.

But in printing, paper is never just paper.

Two sheets with the same GSM can come from completely different paper mills.
Different pulp ratios. Different coatings. Different batches.

Some paper feels smooth, but drops dust.
Some paper writes well at first, but absorbs ink too fast.
Some looks fine now, but turns yellow after a few months.

These problems usually don’t show up on samples.
They show up after real use.

When we evaluate paper in our factory, we don’t just ask:
“Does it look okay today?”

We ask:
“Will this still behave the same after printing, binding, shipping, and storage?”

That difference alone already changes the cost.

Binding: looks the same, behaves very differently

Many notebooks look identical once they are bound.
But how they are bound matters more than people think.

You might have seen this before:

• The notebook is new

• You open it for a few days

• Pages start to loosen or shift

This rarely happens by accident.

It depends on:

• What kind of thread is used

• Whether it’s true thread binding or simplified stitching

• What glue is applied

• How much pressure is applied during spine pressing

Skipping one step saves money.
But that cost will come back later — usually to the user.

In our production line, binding is not treated as a “quick step.”
It’s one of those processes where doing it properly takes time, and yes, cost.

Cover materials hide more differences than you expect

PU covers, paper covers, textured materials — they often look very similar at first glance.

But covers are tested by reality:

• Heat

• Pressure

• Transport

• Time

Some covers look great when they leave the factory.
Then they get compressed in cartons, sit in hot containers, or stay in storage.

And suddenly the surface changes.
Edges warp. Texture fades.

That’s why we don’t judge covers only by appearance.
We care about stability, consistency, and how they behave after production — not just during it.

Finishing processes: the quiet cost difference

Foil stamping, embossing, edge gilding, UV printing — they look simple on the surface.

But the real difference is not whether they are done.
It’s how they are done.

• Is alignment checked every batch?

• Is pressure adjusted manually or automatically?

• Is there inspection after finishing?

Some low-priced products are not cheaper because they do less.
They’re cheaper because mistakes are ignored.

When problems show up later, fixing them costs much more than doing it right the first time.

The biggest difference: things you never see

This part is hard to explain, because it’s invisible.

Some factories rely mainly on experience and “almost right.”
Processes change depending on who is working that day.

Others run with defined steps, records, and quality checks.

At Boyi Printing, we work as a source factory, not a trading layer.
That means the same production standards apply every day, not only when samples are made.

This doesn’t make a notebook look different on day one.
But it makes a huge difference over time — in consistency, delivery, and fewer surprises.

So, back to the original question

Two notebooks look exactly the same.
Why can the price be so different?

Because you are not paying only for the notebook you see.
You are paying for everything that happens before it reaches your hands.

Some costs are about appearance.
Some are about durability.
And some are about avoiding problems you don’t want to deal with later.

Those things don’t shout at you on the first look.
But they always show themselves in the long run.

And that’s usually where the real difference is.