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| SFReader Forums > SFReader > Ask The Expert > Printer for "zine" publishing | Forum Quick Jump
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Gabe Dybing
Neophyte
      
Date Joined May 2006
Total Posts : 147
| Posted 5/18/2007 12:55 PM (GMT -4) |   | | Hi, everyone. It's been a long time for me. A personal crisis last summer caused me to pretty much check out until now, but now I'm back and have a question:
So I've been thinking about a new tack in promoting myself. I'm going to World Fantasy Con with Nick this fall, and I have to have something to hand out to people and tell them how cool I am. So I've been thinking about just printing out my Ash stories in cheapo booklet/chapbook/zine form. I want some illustrations to go with them, so if anyone is interested in illustrating my stories, please let me know. I would prefer a style like Gary Gianni's. I'll pay 20-50 bucks per illo.
So I want to make these books at home for as cheap as possible. All I need is a printer that will print a page on both sides at once (so I can choose the "Bookfold" option while printing with Microsoft Word - then I just need to fold and staple). I suppose a photocopier and scanner would be nice as well, but not essential.
I would prefer not to go shopping for a printer because I'm kind of secluded in rural Minnesota right now. But I wouldn't know what I'm buying while shopping online.
Furthermore, I'm concerned about software problems. Do printers still need drivers installed these days? If I can't find it online, there's no way I'd be able to install my printer to this decrepit, old, deranged system I have - all my disc drives are shot. Perhaps the advice I'll get is to just get a whole new system. If so, which system should I get? I basically want to publish at home. Does anyone know about those massive systems that persons like those with lulu use? How much? Where do you buy?
Finally, my plan is to publish zines, hand them out, send them to people who I think are cool - all of this free - so I'll also publish the stories online, at http://thebookofash.blogspot.com/All except for the one or two that will be appearing soon in _Ozment's House of Twilight_.
It's nice to be back 
The bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
"The Demon Sword" appears in Flashing Swords #8
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Christopher_Heath
Eternal Champion
Date Joined Oct 2005
Total Posts : 1156
| Posted 5/18/2007 1:16 PM (GMT -4) | | Welcome back, Gabe.
If you want to include illos, you may need a system that will handle them. Your machine would have to be pretty ancient not to be able to, but you'll need to get some good quality dpi for print, and that takes a lot more computing power than text. I'd suggest probably trying to do it on your system, and if it locks it up, then decide on something else. I've been told by a pretty knowledgable artist to avoid Lexmark and go with Cannon, or HP if you have to, for mid-range price printers. I've used Lexmark in the past (the cheapest) with mixed results. Most did the job, but one in particular worked for only the first cartridge. My latest HP worked great, but I kept finding it laying on the floor. I finally discovered my son was kicking it off the shelf so he could prop up his legs when he was playing video games. It quit working after a few times kicked onto the floor. Talk about hoppin' ass mad. I still haven't had the cash to replace it.
Christopher M. Heath
"Azieran: Adairos" in Tower of Light Fantasy Magazine
"Azieran: Savior in a Flask" in Mages and Mechanica by Ricasso Press
"Azieran: The Travelers Four" in Black Dragon, White Dragon by Ricasso Press
"Azieran: The Breaking of Hell's Bones" in Black Sails by 1018 Press
"Azieran: Distilling the Essence" in Sails and Sorcery by Fantasist Enterprises
"Azieran: The Conquerors" in Chimaera Serials
"Azieran: Pawn of the Serpentine Witch" in Chronicles of Fantasy by ComStar Media
"Azieran: Sentinel of an Ageless Reign" in Chronicles of Fantasy by ComStar Media
"Azieran: The Lakeshorn Mirrors" in Chronicles of Fantasy by ComStar Media
"Azieran: Crestfallen in Mal'kyrrik" serialized novella in Forgotten Worlds
+ others
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Bill Ward
Biblioholic
Date Joined Jul 2006
Total Posts : 1635
| Posted 5/19/2007 3:17 AM (GMT -4) | | I'd definitely recommend getting a laser printer if you are going to do a lot of printing of text, they are far cheaper to operate then bubblejets and the like; they don't do color though (at least mine doesn't) so I don't know how that would work for covers. All those thirty dollar ink cartridges add up! But if you end up getting a photocopier that isn't as big of a concern, obviously, so you probably want to figure that out before you buy your printer. THere are nice color printers out there too that handle cardstock you could use for covers -- but I don't know anything about that stuff.
newegg.com is a good place to deal with if you want to buy computer related stuff, I've dealt with them many times.
New printers come with driver disks, but a quick search for the model number should reveal if you can find the same thing online at the manufacturer's site (nearly always you can). There might be some other software that comes with it that you can't get online, however.
Nice to see you back Gabe, good luck with the new marketing strategy. | | Back to Top | | |
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kaolin fire
Magazine Frontman
Date Joined Apr 2007
Total Posts : 206
| Posted 5/20/2007 4:09 PM (GMT -4) | | | | |
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kaolin fire
Magazine Frontman
Date Joined Apr 2007
Total Posts : 206
| Posted 5/24/2007 3:45 PM (GMT -4) | | There's a world of options, but our print run of 200, perfect bound, 200 pages; CMYK cover, ... is more on the order of $5/book. I recommend asking them for samples, and a quote--they're very responsive.
Just for an idea:
Title: GUD issue 1
Trim size: 5” x 8”
Text pages: 216
Text printing: 1/1 black on 60# natural text stock
Cover printing: 4/0 on 10pt.,C1S stock with Matte lamination
Binding: Perfect bound
200 Copies - $936 + $50 Shipping (UPS Ground) Other shipping options are available.
400 Copies - $1,832 + $100 Shipping
With Gloss lamination, all other specs the same:
200 Copies - $922 + $50 Shipping
400 Copies - $1,804 + $100 Shipping
Unbound Proof – Additional $10 + $4.05 Shipping (USPS Priority Mail)
Greatest Uncommon Denominator Magazine - literary + genre fiction, poetry, art, and articles
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kaolin fire
Magazine Frontman
Date Joined Apr 2007
Total Posts : 206
| Posted 5/24/2007 3:46 PM (GMT -4) | | | | |
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MysticWino
anarchist fringe monkey boddhisatva
Date Joined May 2007
Total Posts : 1570
| Posted 5/24/2007 5:59 PM (GMT -4) | | | Gabe,
If I were starting over, I would go with an HP (2506 or 5550 depending on start-up cash: $500 vs. $3000). The 5550 we use at work is quite a beast. Very happy with it.
I would definitely also find a way to own a legal copy of Acrobat (full program). I've have a great deal more success with Word to pdf to printer than straight to the printer. It also enables more latitude in file conversion.
I would also do my best to obtain a worthy system with working drives. Online, I shop at tigerdirect.com and usually get a pretty good deal. They've always delivered the goods for me.
Hammermill paper is far superior to HP, Office Depot, and Staples paper as far as my experience goes. I print on 24#, especially for both sides. For cover, I like using high-end hobby paper from Dick Blick, Hobby Lobby, or Michael's (in the scrapbook sections).
Definitely want a sadle stapler. How many pages are you figuring? I have a special trimmer I picked up off ebay for a couple hundred bucks. Makes a big difference with edge trimming - ask Nathan Meyer about POTUS.
For shortrun printing, I use a Chicagoland printer: Publishers Graphics: www.pubgraphics.com Very happy with them.
Best of luck.
Exile of my own dull vice. . . | | Back to Top | | |
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kaolin fire
Magazine Frontman
Date Joined Apr 2007
Total Posts : 206
| Posted 5/30/2007 8:06 PM (GMT -4) | | | | |
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kaolin fire
Magazine Frontman
Date Joined Apr 2007
Total Posts : 206
| Posted 6/4/2007 1:24 AM (GMT -4) | | | | |
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