Dissertations University of Helsinki

Dissertations at the University of Helsinki

Doctoral candidates from the University of Helsinki can order their dissertations directly from Unigrafia.

This page provides instructions and links for doctoral candidates at the University of Helsinki. You can publish your dissertation in the UH Doctoral School series or another series according to the publisher's guidelines.

For instructions or advice, and to check your dissertation's production schedule, consult our Aila bot located on the side of the page.

If necessary, arrange an expedited schedule with us in advance. An additional fee will be charged for expedited processing.

Make sure to act in a timely manner!

Instructions and links for dissertations for UH

Begin your order by downloading the short guide from the link provided next to this text.

Before placing the print order, decide on the number of copies and any additional services you need using the price calculator provided. Save all files in a single working folder in PDF format and create a list of pages to be printed in color. The order form does not have a back button, so we recommend using the price calculator before proceeding with your order.

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

If needed, you can contact Unigrafia’s publishing services team.

Further formatting instructions can be found lower on this page.

The university’s publishing guidelines are available in the Studies Service

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 dissertation order using Dissertation order form (HY)

Check these links, too!

Word template for Doctoral thesis in English, Finnish and Swedish

Request for a quote for dissertation layout

Contact Unigrafia

Dissertationes Universitatis Helsingiensis

You can publish your dissertation from the University of Helsinki in the UHDS series "Dissertationes Universitatis Helsingiensis." If you are not publishing your dissertation in another series, such as a research institute series, the university recommends using the research school's publication series.

The series has two pre-made cover options: with an image and without an image. The image can be in portrait or landscape orientation, or it can be embedded in the cover background so that the gray top bar is partially visible. The image area can be a maximum of 148 mm wide and 100 mm high. You can see the templates for the covers on this page.

The cover color scheme corresponds to the faculty's specifications. You can also use a custom cover, to which the series identifiers will be added by Unigrafia. Please ask us separately for a quote regarding the cover design.

The publication number will indicate the publication year and sequence number. If desired, we can also add an introduction text about your research on the back cover (up to 1,600 characters).

When you publish in a series

Order the ISBN and ISSN numbers from Unigrafia using the link above.
Add the information to your dissertation according to the instructions you receive.
Create a print-ready PDF file that includes all the fonts you used.

You can use the Word template created by Unigrafia as a writing base and/or guide. Note that the template does not have the identifiers for this series pre-added; you will need to insert them yourself. You will receive separate instructions with the ISBN numbers.

Create a PDF that includes the fonts. See the instructions below for "Creating a PDF."

When ordering printing, select "Dissertationes Universitatis Helsingiensis series" for your dissertation cover. Remember to fill in the ISBN and ISSN numbers for the printed book on the order form.

Note! If you have already obtained identifiers from the ISBN center, you can no longer publish in this series. In that case, select the cover template for the University of Helsinki dissertation (not in the series) on the order form.

Individual Cover in a Series

A book may also have an individual cover. Space must be reserved at the bottom for the series identifiers. The identifier is a 35 mm high pure white bar extending from the back cover to the front cover; the information is added in black text. If the cover is dark enough, the identifiers may be placed over the image in white text. In that case, a 35 mm high area with as even and dark a background as possible must still be reserved. You can download more detailed instructions and an example image here.

Series identifiers must not be added to the cover by the designer; they are always added at Unigrafia. The identifier includes the university’s logo, so the logo must not appear elsewhere on the cover.

A self-designed cover must be a print-ready PDF file, meaning it must include the back cover, spine (with the correct width), and front cover. We will provide you with the spine width once the total page count, including divider pages, is known. The file must also include at least 3 mm bleed margins and crop marks. The cover will be printed on a four-color press (CMYK). Do not use spot colors or special inks. Colors can also be in RGB format, in which case they will be automatically converted to CMYK.

Instructions for doctoral candidates
at the University of Helsinki

Schedule and publication

Order the books so that they are delivered no later than the presentation day (the hanging day, 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.

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
Image originals can be submitted to the printing house either as digital images, photographs, slides, negatives, or drawings. There is always a separate charge for processing or integrating individual images into the file.

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. Lower resolution (72 dpi) is sufficient for online versions, but Unigrafia will reduce the resolution as necessary during the creation of the online version.

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 functional PDF in 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 (Invercote Creato 260 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.