Effective February 1, 2026, the cost of printing physical books through DriveThruRPG will increase, following a notification from their print partner, Lightning Source/Ingram. The digital retailer has warned publishers that these increased costs for paper, materials, and labour will likely impact margins unless selling prices are adjusted.
DriveThruRPG, which merged with Roll20 in 2022, sent an email notification to partners today outlining the changes. The platform cited “ongoing changes to global economies” and “upward pressure on the cost of goods” as the drivers behind the increase, rather than any internal policy shift.
The price adjustments vary by region. In the UK and Australia, print costs will rise by 3% across all formats. In the US, the increase is steeper and dependent on the type of book: standard colour books will rise by 4%, while premium colour and black & white books will increase by 5%. Bulk discount rates remain unaffected.
While DriveThruRPG stated they will not automatically increase the selling price of books generally, there is a specific exception. If the new print cost rises higher than a book’s current selling price, the platform will automatically bump the price to the next dollar increment above the cost.
Publishers have been urged to review their book pricing on or after the February 1 deadline to ensure their earnings are protected.
In the statement to publishers, the DriveThruRPG Staff explained:
This change is not driven by policy or positioning, but simply reflects the rising costs of paper and other materials, labor, and operations involved in producing physical books worldwide.
[…] We remain committed to keeping print costs as manageable as possible and to passing along only those increases that are unavoidable in the current economic environment.”
The increase in Print-on-Demand books follows the increase in the cost of DriveThruRPG’s PoD cards back in December 2025.
