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                                                                    EXHIBIT 4.18

                          THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

     SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this "Supplemental Indenture"), dated as of July
15, 1998, among Von Hoffmann Press, Inc., a Missouri corporation (the
"Company"), Custom Printing Company, a Missouri corporation (the "New
Guarantor"), and Marine Midland Bank, as trustee under the indenture referred to
below (the "Trustee"). Capitalized terms used herein and not defined herein
shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Indenture (as defined below).

                               W I T N E S S E T H

     WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to the Trustee
an indenture (the "Indenture"), dated as of May 22, 1997, providing for the
issuance of an aggregate principal amount of $100,000,000 of 10 3/8% Senior
Subordinated Notes due 2007 (the "Notes");

     WHEREAS, Article 11 of the Indenture provides that under certain
circumstances the Company may or must cause certain of its subsidiaries to
execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to which
such subsidiaries shall unconditionally guarantee all of the Company's
Obligations under the Notes pursuant to a Notes Guarantee on the terms and
conditions set forth herein; and

     WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the Trustee is
authorized to execute and deliver this Supplemental Indenture.

     NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the
Company, the New Guarantor and the Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the
equal and ratable benefit of the Holders of the Notes as follows:

     1.   CAPITALIZED TERMS. Capitalized terms used herein without definition
shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

     2.   AGREEMENT TO NOTES GUARANTEE. The New Guarantor hereby agrees, jointly
and severally with all other

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Guarantors, to guarantee the Company's Obligations under the Notes and the
Indenture on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in Article 11 of
the Indenture and to be bound by all other applicable provisions of the
Indenture.

     3.   NO RECOURSE AGAINST OTHERS. No past, present or future director,
officer, employee, incorporator, shareholder or agent of any Guarantor, as such,
shall have any liability for any obligations of the Company or any Guarantor
under the Notes, any Notes Guarantees, the Indenture or this Supplemental
Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reasons of, such
obligations or their creation. Each Holder by accepting a Note waives and
releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the
consideration for issuance of the Notes.

     4.   NEW YORK LAW TO GOVERN. THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
SHALL GOVERN AND BE USED TO CONSTRUE THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE.

     5.   COUNTERPARTS. The parties may sign any number of copies of this
Supplemental Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them
together represent the same agreement.

     6.   EFFECT OF HEADINGS. The Section headings herein are for convenience
only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

     7.   THE TRUSTEE. The Trustee shall not be responsible in any manner
whatsoever for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental
Indenture or for or in respect of the correctness of the recitals of fact
contained herein, all of which recitals are made soley by the New Guarantor.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture
to be duly executed and attested, all as of the date first above written.


Dated: July 15, 1998                 VON HOFFMANN PRESS, INC.


                                     By: /s/ Peter C. Mitchell
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Name:  Peter C. Mitchell
                                        Title: Treasurer


Dated: July 15, 1998                 CUSTOM PRINTING COMPANY


                                     By: /s/ Peter C. Mitchell
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Name:  Peter C. Mitchell
                                        Title: Treasurer


Dated: July 15, 1998                 MARINE MIDLAND BANK,
                                        as Trustee

                                     By: /s/ Marcia Markowski
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Name:  Marcia Markowski
                                        Title: Assistant Vice President

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