creating a Booklet??

[wan2no]

I feel like a real invalid

I was asking around for quotes from companies asking them how much it would be to saddle stitch a booklet well a magazine whatever you call it.

I inquired on a order of 50-100 booklets, 11.5" x 17", using glossy paper with 16 pages including the cover.

they told me it is at least $1000 plus. Please note that I am not from the States (USA). Now i just finished up some research on it. The f@#$ging saddle stitch booklet is a mere staple in the booklet folded together. I then saw that it is not much to do it in the States.

I am very enthused in making my own. I know to start small I can get a laser printer which does duplex printing, guillotine, long reach stapler and the right paper stock. Along with that, I obviously need Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign or some graphics designing application. After I am done that, I publish it as a pdf due to the fact that Adobe Acrobat is great for rendering images onto booklets and other publications.

However, I saw something about folding. When i do the "saddle stitch" which me as an invalid would say "staple", I then am required to fold the booklet.

How is this done?

Is there a machine that can do this or do I have to rely on one of god's greatest gifts to man that is my hands

Sorry if i sound hysterical. I am just rather amazed.

Can you tell me if I have the whole process right?

[Abbadon]

A laser printer would be a very expensive method for creating a magazine, high volume production requires one of several methods such as offset printing.

Read the following to have an idea:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/offset-printing.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offset_printing

http://www.bobs.co.uk/print/Offset.html

Now, due to the volume of booklets you are planning to make, I think you will have to use your hands, you cannot buy a press just for 50 samples. Lol

[rallynavvie]

I think the above poster contradicted their own opening statement as you are only looking for small-run which is just fine for a laser printer :wink:

You will require a more expensive laser printer to print 11x17" sheets. I use a Xerox 7760 for office color and it works well. I wouldn't trust it to do text-weight gloss stock for photo spreads though. Keep in mind that no laser printer can print to bleed on those sheets so if you had bleeds you'd need to cut down from 12x18" or make the publication smaller than 8.5x11" (when folded). There are a few laser printers that will print 12x18" but they are even more expensive so it will depend on how bad you need the 11x17" spread size.

Finishing options are going to be expensive for good results. You can use a long-arm stapler to do the stapling/stitching but it won't be as uniform as it could be with a booklet maker or saddle stitcher. Plockmatic makes some decent booklet makers that will take you 11x17 sheets and fold and double-staple them on the fold. They also have some that square-fold. Saddle stitchers are essentially just adjustable staplers that use a spool of wire to cut a custom "stitch" to the thickness of the document. The stitch is pretty much a better version of a staple. The booklet maker would be a better bet for what you're doing but the saddle-stitcher allows a little more customization on the placement of the staple on irregular-sized projects but lacks the folding ability. Also keep in mind that booklets with many pages will need to be cut again after bookletizing.

If you're really looking to spend some cash you can get a larger color laser printer with a finishing unit that will bookletize the pages as they're printed. Those are going to run you at least $15k USD though and you will want to have a service contract in place for a machine of that caliber.

[wan2no]

thanks alot for all the information. It was quite helpful.

However, Is there like any tutorials to show you how to manually fold the booklets? I mean, I am very interest in the booklet maker and saddle stitcher but it is just something I wanted to see if I can run with, which is I do not want to invest now in something that I am not going to have any interest in

[Abbadon]

If you really want to learn this stuff, the best way to learn is to actually work on it. Have you considered the idea of working in a press?, or a PrintCity like business for a few months?, as an apprentice you would have access to equipment and people who will be very helpful.

If you follow this crazy advice, do not tell them you want to become the competition .

[wan2no]

that sounds cool but i would be hard to get a job like that if I do not have the requisites to the job

[rallynavvie]

You could work at a Kinko's. They seem to take anybody
Don't know if there's one out by you though.

[thecoalman]

Having been down this road... have you priced all the expenses like paper? Good paper isn't cheap.

I did my own calendars the one year, after everything was said an done I did save money but it wasn't much. With time and effort I went in the hole.

The last time I got them printed I think they were a $1.50 a piece maybe a $1.75 for 500 of them, that was about 4 years ago. I did a lot business with this particular company so I might of gotten a deal. That was a single very heavy backing with a picture printed on half of it. The other half had the 12 months stapled to it, the months were just regular paper.

I quit sending them out, it was costing me a fortune once you got done with the envelopes and stamps.

[Supreme2k]

Try this place

http://www.lulu.com/en/products/paperback/

I've used them, and they do excellent work (for very cheap, too).

[wan2no]

ok thanks