- A 199-copy weekly bulletin run costs $31.03 base, about $0.16 each, and a full year of ordinary Sundays runs a bit over $1,600 in base print costs.
- The 199-to-249 key only costs about $1.33 more for 50 extra bulletins, cheap insurance against a growing or visiting congregation.
- The color coupon applies only to occasional color holiday bulletins, about $4 off a $40.25 run, never to the weekly black and white bulletin.
A congregation of about 180 to 200 members needs a fresh bulletin every single Sunday, which makes it one of the most predictable recurring print jobs a church office runs, and one of the easiest to overspend on by defaulting to color out of habit. Prices below are base print figures from 55printing.com, checked live in July 2026. Shipping is a separate line in the cart.
The weekly bulletin math
A congregation of 180 to 200 attendees fits the 199-copy black and white key at $31.03, about $0.16 per bulletin. Weekly over a 52-week year, that is a little over $1,600 in base print costs before shipping, a number worth knowing when a budget committee asks about the annual line item.
A congregation running about 180 to 200 attendees on a typical Sunday needs roughly that many bulletins printed each week, plus a handful of spares for visitors and greeters holding extras at the door. On 55printing.com’s live black and white lookup table, that lands right in the 199-copy key at $31.03, about $0.16 per bulletin. Weekly, over a 52-week year, that is a little over $1,600 in base print costs before shipping, which is worth knowing up front when a church budget committee asks what bulletins actually cost annually.
Black and white price anchors across common bulletin sizes
| Quantity | Black and white base | Approx. per copy |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | $15.01 | $0.31 |
| 99 | $23.16 | $0.23 |
| 199 | $31.03 | $0.16 |
| 249 | $32.36 | $0.13 |
| 499 | $57.06 | $0.11 |
A church running closer to 200 attendees sits right at the edge between the 199 and 249 keys, and the 249 key only costs about $1.33 more for 50 extra bulletins. If attendance regularly bumps against the smaller number, rounding up to 249 covers growth and visitor Sundays without meaningfully changing the weekly cost.
When color actually earns its place
On the same store’s live color-copies table, letter-size color runs about $40.25 at the 99-copy key and about $55.00 at the 499-copy key. There is no published anchor at exactly 199 copies for color, so a church printing a color bulletin at that specific count should check the live color-copies form directly rather than assume it sits exactly between those two numbers. What is clear either way: color costs meaningfully more than black and white at bulletin-size quantities, and it is worth reserving for the Sundays that call for it, Easter, Christmas Eve, a baptism or anniversary service, rather than running every ordinary Sunday in color by default.
Scenario: a mid-size congregation’s Sunday routine
A church office manager prints black and white bulletins every ordinary Sunday at the 199 or 249 key, keeping the weekly cost predictable and easy to plan into the office budget line by line. Three or four Sundays a year, Easter, Christmas Eve, and a homecoming or anniversary service, the office switches to a color cover with a nicer photo or a seasonal graphic, ordered through the color copies form instead. That handful of color Sundays costs more per bulletin, but it is a small, deliberate exception against 48 or so ordinary Sundays that stay on the cheaper black and white line.
The office manager also learned to batch the artwork template so only the date, scripture reading, and announcements change week to week, rather than rebuilding the layout from scratch. That keeps the actual weekly task down to a quick text swap and an upload, not a redesign, which matters when the same volunteer or staff member is also handling a dozen other Sunday-morning tasks.
Code hotprintsusa-10-off-for-copies takes 10% off eligible color copies products, capped at $100 off, one use per customer. It applies to the occasional color bulletin run for a holiday service, roughly $4 off a $40.25 order, but it does not apply to the weekly black and white bulletin, so do not budget the discount into the regular Sunday line item.
Approximate annual base print cost for a 199-copy black and white bulletin run every Sunday for 52 weeks, before shipping.
Batch the artwork template so only the date, scripture reading, and announcements change week to week, instead of rebuilding the layout from scratch. That keeps the weekly task down to a quick text swap and an upload, not a redesign.
Turnaround around a Sunday deadline
A bulletin that has to be ready every single Sunday cannot slip. Standard turnaround plus ground shipping needs to comfortably clear the office’s usual Thursday or Friday prep day, with a buffer for the rare week when a scripture reading or guest speaker changes late. Build the order-by date around that buffer, not around the fastest the shop could theoretically produce it, so a normal week never accidentally needs rush pricing.
Match your attendance to a quantity key, then see the live total with shipping before you check out.
FAQ
Is it cheaper to print a month of bulletins at once instead of weekly?
Only if the content stays generic enough to reuse, which a weekly bulletin with a specific date and scripture reading usually does not allow. Batching works better for a repeating template than for the finished bulletin itself.
Should the church switch to color permanently if attendance grows?
Growth changes the quantity tier, not necessarily the color decision. Re-check both the black and white and color tables at your new count before assuming color makes more sense just because the run got bigger.
Does the coupon apply if I order color and black and white bulletins in the same cart for a mixed month?
The discount only applies to the eligible color copies line item. A black and white line in the same order will not show a discount even if the color line does.
What paper works best for a folded bulletin?
Standard bond folds cleanly for a simple half-page or trifold bulletin. A heavier stock adds cost without adding much benefit for a piece most people set down after the service.
How far ahead should a holiday color bulletin be ordered?
Order color bulletins for Easter or Christmas at least two to three weeks ahead, since those are also the highest-volume weeks for the print shop across many churches ordering the same kind of job at once.
Can visitors’ extra bulletins be reused the following week?
No, since the date and content change weekly. Treat leftover bulletins as recycling, not inventory, and size the next week’s order to actual attendance plus a modest buffer instead of carrying stock forward.
