Dissertations at the University of Helsinki

Doctoral candidates at the University of Helsinki can order their dissertations directly from Unigrafia. Use this page for instructions and links. You can publish your dissertation in the UH Doctoral School series or another series according to the publisher's guidelines.

For quidance or check your dissertation's production schedule, consult our Aila bot on the page.

If you need expedited processing, arrange it with us in advance. An additional fee will be charged for expedited processing.

Act in good time!

Place the order no later than 24 days before the defence (Wed-Sat) or 26 days if the defence is on a Minday or Tuesday. Please note that the Easter public holidays will extend the delivery time!

Writing template for doctoral thesis

Download the dissertation template in your preferred language

The University of Helsinki Word template for doctoral researchers is available in three languages (A4). It includes ready-made layouts and styles for both print and electronic dissertations, as well as guidance on accessibility. We recommend using the template from the start of your writing process.

English

Finnish

Swedish

If you have used another template, review the instructions under “Layout and accessibility” at the bottom of the page. If you think you need layout support, see additional information at the bottom of this page.

The university’s dissertation publication guidelines are available in the Studies service. For further assistance, you can contact Unigrafia.

Studies service

Contact Unigrafia

Publishing and printing your dissertation

Start here:

1. Download and read the short guide for ordering

2. Apply for the ISBN numbers & publication number

3. Decide on the print run using the price calculator.

4. Place the printing order using UH Thesis order form

Read the short instructions carefully and follow them.

With your ISBN, you will receive a publication number. If you are publishing in another series, contact the series editor to obtain the numbers.

The order form has no back button, so we recommend using the price calculator before placing your order.

If your file cannot be uploaded, you can submit it later.

Once your order has been processed, you will receive an order summary and a production schedule. Within a few days, you will receive proofs of both the cover and the interior. You can make changes until you approve the proof and give final print approval.

Publication series for UH dissertations: Dissertationes Universitatis Helsingiensis

If you do not publish your dissertation in another series, such as a research institute series, the university recommends using the doctoral program’s publication series.

Order ISBN and ISSN numbers via the link above.
Add the information to your dissertation according to the instructions you received.
Create a print-ready PDF file of your dissertation with all fonts embedded.

You can use the Word template created by Unigrafia as a writing template and/or guide. Add the identifiers you received along with the ISBN numbers to the template, and finally create a PDF with the fonts embedded. See the instructions below under “Creating a PDF file.”

The series offers ready-made cover templates, both with and without images.

The image can be portrait or landscape and is always aligned to the right alongside the text, so that the gray top bar remains partially visible. The image area can be a maximum of 148 mm wide and 100 mm high. You can see sample covers on this page. Adding one image to the front cover is included in the prepress work. Adding multiple images, illustration work, or image editing is charged separately based on the time required. Please agree on any image modifications with us in advance!

The cover colors follow the faculty’s guidelines, unless you order a custom cover (more information below).

The publication number includes the year of publication and a sequence number. If you wish, we can add a description of your research (up to 1600 characters) on the back cover.

Cover templates

Cover with image: The back cover is on the left, and the spine text is centered.

Cover without image

Cover with a customized image

Individual Cover in a Series

A book may also have an individual cover. The size is B5, (176 × 250 mm).

Space of 35 mm must be reserved at the bottom for the series identifiers.
The identifier area is a completely white bar from the back cover to the front; the information is added in black at Unigrafia. If the cover is dark enough, the identifiers can be placed on top of the image in white. Even then, a roughly 35 mm-high area must be reserved, with as even a dark background as possible. You can download more detailed instructions here.

Series identifiers must not be added to the cover by yourself—they are always added at Unigrafia. The identifier includes the university logo, so it must not appear elsewhere on the cover.

A self-designed cover must be a print-ready PDF file. We will provide the spine width once the number of pages including inserts is known. If you want Unigrafia’s graphic designer to design or finalize your dissertation cover, please contact us!

Instructions for doctoral candidates
at the University of Helsinki

Schedule and publication

Order the books so that they are delivered no later than the display day (in Finnish "riiputus"), 5 working days before your defense day).

A total of 11 working days must be allocated for the book production process, so place your order about 26 days before the defense. Unigrafia and the printing facility operate on weekdays.

DAY 1: The material is checked on the next working day after the order.
DAY 4: The PDF proof is delivered on the fourth working day.
DAY 6: If the proof is approved in the morning, the schedule will be maintained.
DAY 10: The books will be produced at PunaMusta printing in Joensuu.
DAY 11: Delivery to the customer/institution/PunaMustan pickup point in Vantaa.

If no delivery to the address provided by the customer has been ordered, the books can be picked up from the Vantaa pickup point the next working day after transportation.

Correction rounds always delay the delivery time, as corrections cannot be made on the same day. After the correction, a new prepress job will be done, and a new proof will be sent for approval. Each round of corrections extends the book production time by about two working days.

If the dissertation page layout is done at Unigrafia, the delivery time is 4-5 weeks. The exact delivery time is determined by the length of the book and the number of figures, graphs, and tables. By requesting a quote, you will also receive a proposed schedule.

If the timeline is not sufficient, please arrange a rush schedule with us in advance. We charge €125.50 for speeding up the prepress phase. If the printing time is also expedited, the additional charge for urgent work is €188.25.

The price of the dissertation is calculated based on the number of pages, copies, colors used in the book, and selected additional services.
The university’s printing subsidy corresponds to the cost of printing 20 black-and-white copies. The subsidy is granted only for dissertations that are published electronically in Helda.

There is a link on the page to the price calculator for dissertations from the University of Helsinki. The form provides an estimate of the final printing price after the university's printing support. The final price is also affected by the number of corrections made during the proof stage.

If you would like a cost estimate for the layout or design of your dissertation, please submit a request for a quote via the link on the page. Request the quote at least 6 weeks before your defense date so that we can schedule and allocate time for the graphic designer's work.

We always require the dissertation material in print-ready PDF format, unless the design and/or layout of the book is ordered separately from Unigrafia. Electronic versions of dissertations should be accessible according to the law. You can find more detailed information about accessibility in the adjacent column under ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES AND WRITING TEMPLATE.

When the book is to be printed, it is important that all fonts you use are embedded in the file. Download the instructions for creating a working PDF from Word in Finnish here and in English here.

Dissertations from the University of Helsinki are ordered through an order form. All materials must always be delivered as print-ready PDF files. Only materials that need to be laid out (ordered separately from the graphic designer) can be sent in Word format.

If your dissertation includes separate publications (articles), name them in a way that indicates their order. For example, use names like 1_Matti_dissertation.pdf, 2_Matti_article1.pdf, 3_Matti_article2.pdf, and so on. Upload them in the same order they will appear in the book.

Before sending, ensure that the files are not locked or password-protected, including the articles. We cannot use protected files.

If you wish, we can add divider tabs before the articles. These tabs have black bars on the edge, displaying the article numbers in Roman numerals. The dividers create a visually elegant and structured impression while helping the reader navigate. The black bars are printed wider than the final page, so they require bleed margins. Therefore, we will add bleed margins to custom-made bars as well, unless they are already included in the file.

We will send you a proof in PDF format via email. Please read it carefully, especially all the cover texts, and check the page order, page numbers, and color pages. If you notice any errors after receiving the proof, reply to the proof email with a new PDF of the pages to be replaced, and also provide a separate list of all corrections. You will receive a new proof once the corrections have been made and the pages have been replaced.

All prepress steps will be redone for the pages to be replaced, and even a small correction will require a new proof and print file to be created. Therefore, correction rounds always take at least half an hour. We will charge for corrections based on the time spent on the work at a rate of €108.56 per hour. The minimum charge for an additional correction round is €54.28.

The dissertation folder, also known as the celebratory folder for the custodian and opponent, is a ring binder covered in black book cloth, with the university's formal seal embossed on the cover. The folder contains the dissertation with the spine cut open, and between each text page, there is a white divider for notes and annotations.

Typically, three folders are ordered: one for the opponent, one for the custodian, and one for the candidate. The price for one folder is €25.10.

Dissertation folders are produced in conjunction with the printing of the dissertation, which is why they cannot be ordered afterward.

Printed books are delivered approximately six days after the proof has been approved.

The books will be sent to the address you provided. The delivery fee is €62.75. You can also pick up the books without delivery costs at the PunaMustan pick-up point in Vantaa on weekdays between 10 AM and 2 PM. The address is Vapaalantie 8, 01650 Vantaa. The books are usually available for pick-up the following weekday after delivery. The printing house will send a message upon the completion of the work.

Unfortunately, the exact time of delivery cannot be scheduled in advance, and the driver will not call beforehand. Please ensure that someone is available to receive the delivery at the address all day. If there is a door code for the delivery address, please include it as well.

Dissertations are typically delivered as a Posti Express package to your door. If the recipient is not present, the package will be redirected to a Posti pick-up point.

Unigrafia will deliver the electronic copy and the copies for the National Library directly. You are responsible for distributing the remaining copies. The books sent to the National Library (six or seven copies depending on your faculty) are included in the print run.

Unigrafia delivers the electronic web version directly to the university library. In article-based dissertations, the web version's hanging copy includes all articles. The library will remove these from the public version.

The web version will be published only on the hanging day, five days before the defense event. Unigrafia will create the web version and deliver it to the university a few days before the hanging.

Layout and accessibility

The first page of the dissertation is the title page. The title page must include the name of the book and the candidate, as well as the date and location of the defense event.

On the second page (behind the title page), the book's ISBN number (International Standard Book Number) should be stated for both the printed and electronic publication. If your book is published in a series, the series' ISSN number (International Standard Serial Number) should also be included on this page. In this case, you should ask the editor of the publication series for all the numbers. The numbers for the *Dissertationes Universitatis Helsingiensis* series can be obtained using the form linked on this page.

If your book is not published in any series, order the ISBN numbers from the National Library.

Designate your university as the publisher of the book.
-> ISBN number order form from the National Library

At the University of Helsinki, dissertation covers are typically designed at Unigrafia. Remember to check all texts on the proof, including the spine and back cover! On the order form, you can select which covers you want for your book.

Not in a Series (University's Standard Cover)
If the book is not published in any series and you select "Helsinki University Cover," we will print the covers on a cover template specifically designed for dissertations. The colors of the cover will be determined according to your faculty. If you include a cover image in your files, we will choose a graphical cover template. The image size should be approximately 18 x 11 cm (landscape format). About 3 mm will be trimmed from the right and bottom edges during the clean-cut phase. Make sure the image is correctly positioned in the proof.

Helsinki University's Publication Series Covers
If your dissertation is published in a publication series, write the series' ISSN number on your order, and we will automatically print the covers on the correct template.

Custom Cover
A custom-designed cover is also possible. We recommend using a professional graphic designer for your cover to ensure that the cover file is both technically suitable for printing and visually appealing. We are happy to consult you in advance about the use of the university's logo and can calculate the spine width for you.

Images

The books are printed using a four-color printing press (CMYK format). If the images are in RGB format, they will appear brighter on the screen than in the final printed product. The contrast also usually decreases in the printing process, so make sure that the tones in the image are not at either extreme (very dark or very light), and that the mid-tone contrast is sufficiently strong.

You can convert the cover image into CMYK format in advance. In that case, it will often appear brighter in the printed book, but in the electronic version the image will no longer look as bright.

Typically, images and diagrams in a dissertation are placed in the final file. If you are doing the layout yourself but would like a graphic designer to edit your images or diagrams in advance, please order this work well in advance from Unigrafia's graphic team.

Digital images can be divided into two categories: tone images and line drawings. Tone images include color photographs and images containing various shades of gray. Tone images can be either photographs or illustrations.

Line images include logos and simple drawings that do not contain shades, as well as images that are primarily text-based.

The best image formats are TIF, EPS, and JPEG. The resolution for tone images should be 300 dpi, and for line images, it should be 600 dpi.

If you scan images for your dissertation, it is advisable to save them in TIF format. Keep any size conversion in mind when scanning images—especially if the printed image will be larger than the original (e.g., stamps). Images can always be reduced in size, but enlarging them without compromising quality is not possible.

If you are scanning text, such as an image of a document, it is best to save it as a 1-bit black-and-white image with a resolution of at least 600 dpi.

Adding Images in Word
You can safely add images to your Word document. Ensure that you use high-quality print settings when saving the PDF file that you will upload to the publication platform or Unigrafia's order form.

If you order graphic design and layout from us (the price will be calculated separately), you can send images and text files separately. Otherwise, images must be correctly positioned in the PDF file.

Note that if any image or other element extends to the edge of the page, you need to add 3 mm of bleed to each page, and elements extending to the edge (such as an image or background color) must extend “outside the page” by 3 mm.

The printing press does not count the number of text characters or images. However, you must provide us with a list of all colored pages, as we will handle them differently in the prepress department.

Content Submission
The content should be submitted to us as a PDF file, but it does not need to be the correct size. If it is created in A4 format, we will scale it to the final B5 size at Unigrafia. If the book includes separate articles, please send them separately. We will scale each one individually and combine them into the final document.

Margins
Typically, the page size during writing is A4. However, the final size of the dissertation will be B5, which is 84% of A4. The left and right margins of the dissertation must be at least 2.5 cm in A4 format, as the margins will narrow when the page is reduced. Binding the book will further reduce the inner margins. The top and bottom margins can be 2.5 cm or even wider. The same rule applies to dissertations with two columns.

You can test the layout's functionality yourself by reducing the printed copies of the manuscript using a regular photocopier.

Page Numbers
Page numbers are usually placed at the bottom of the page and centered for easy visibility. The commands (Insert – Page Numbers…) will take you to the page numbering menu. Select (Position: – Bottom of page (Footer)) and (Alignment: – Center). The first page should not have a page number, so uncheck the option (Show number on first page).

If you want the page number of the book to always be on the outer edge of each page, keep in mind that even-numbered pages (left side) will have even page numbers, and odd-numbered pages (right side) will have odd page numbers. For the left-side pages (which have even numbers), select left-aligned numbering. In Microsoft Word, choose the page numbering option that appears on the outer edge of the pages.

Font Usage
The book should limit the use of different fonts to a maximum of two. For example, you can use a sans-serif font (like Arial) for headings, references, and figure captions, while using a serif font (like Times New Roman or Georgia) for body text. The distinction between headings and body text should be clear for accessibility and readability. Remember to structure the publication by using styles in your word processing software (Word). Set the correct fonts for each style in advance: heading levels, body text, captions, etc. You can also use a ready-made style template; download it from this page above.

Font Recommendations
When the dissertation is typically formatted in A4 size, you might choose the following fonts:

Main Heading Font (Level 1): Arial Bold, 20-point size.
Body Text: Georgia, 12-point size, line spacing 15 (or for example, 1.2).
Subheading (Level 2): Arial Bold, 16-point size.
Sub-subheading (Level 3): Arial Bold, 14-point size.
References and Figure Captions: Arial, 10-point size, line spacing 10.

Note that if the layout is done directly in B5 size (176 x 250 mm), the font size should be approximately 2 points smaller!

Embedding Fonts in Files
When the book is printed, it is crucial that all fonts used are embedded in the file. Download the instructions for creating a working PDF from Word in Finnish here and in English here.

The university recommends standard materials for dissertations. The cover board is a fully coated multi-layer cardboard (Ensocoat 2S 270 g), and the inner paper is a non-coated, entirely white base paper (Multioffset 100 g). These are also the standard materials listed in the pricing schedule.

For a small additional fee, you can choose higher quality papers.

In the **Bright** package, the inner paper is lightly coated G-print 115 g, and the cover is made of fully coated Galerie art silk 300 g/m² cardboard. These papers are slightly softer in tone and clearly of higher quality than the basic paper option.

In the **Natural** package, the Olin Design Regular Soft White quality is used. This paper has a slightly cream tone, is uncoated, and is non-woodfree. Cover paper is 300g/m² and inner paper 120g/m².

Remember to mention in your order if you wish to use higher quality paper! The price calculator will calculate the price based on standard materials, while higher quality materials may increase the price by approximately 5-10%. The printing subsidy is always calculated based on the book made with standard materials, even if the book is printed on different materials.

If you wish, you can order the design or layout of your dissertation from Unigrafia's graphic designer. We usually create the layout in a pre-designed template specifically for dissertations, but if you prefer, we can design a unique look for your book. The cover can be based on the publication series or the University of Helsinki's "standard cover," or we can also create a custom design using either no image or your own photograph or illustration. Our graphic designer can also create illustrations themselves or find a suitable image for you from a stock photo library.

If you only need assistance with the cover design or formatting individual tables or figures, feel free to ask us for a quote or advice. Send your request by filling out the form or by submitting a contact request through the contact form on the left side of the page.

Unigrafia has written guidelines for creating an accessible file using Word with a template that you can use as a writing base for your dissertation. The layout defined in the template is suitable for most dissertations, and by using it, you can create a print-ready PDF file of your dissertation directly.

Download the writing template in your preferred language from this site above.

Note that if you import text from another file into the template, do not copy the styles you used; instead, import the text while preserving only the plain text (do not keep the source formatting). If you retain the source formatting, it may interfere with the template.

For more information on accessibility, you can visit the Celi Accessibility Library's guide site.

You can also view the University of Helsinki's guidelines on accessibility here.

Here you can find some specific instructions for the Word:

Adding Heading Level
Changing page numbers
Removing space between paragraphs

How do I know if I need layout assistance?

Layout refers to the arrangement of text and elements such as graphs and images on the pages of a book in a visually clear and readable format. The final result of the layout process is a print-ready PDF file.

You do not need our layout services if you are doing the layout yourself. In that case, you should provide the manuscript and any articles to us as ready PDF files that include all the fonts used in the text. Instructions for creating the file can be found here.

If you are unsure whether you need our layout services, you can send us your text file for evaluation via email at asiakaspalvelu@unigrafia.fi.

Yes, I want a graphic designer to layout my dissertation!

If you want to make things a little easier and assign the layout to a professional graphic designer, send us a request for a quote.

Please note that the request for a quote should be sent to us at least 6 weeks, preferably 2 months, before your planned defense date so that we can schedule the work in the graphic designer's calendar as well.

University printing support cannot be used for dissertation design or layout services; these costs must be covered personally.

Ask for quote

Additional services for the doctoral candidate.

In addition to printing your dissertation, you can order other services related to your defense from us.

We offer, for example, graphic design and layout for dissertations.
Request a quote.

Feel free to ask us about image processing and data visualization; formatting graphs and tables is our specialty. You can find more about our graphic services here.

You can also order the recording of your defense event from us. See more about our streaming services here.