'Nuther Entry in the DIY Book Market
…but this time, the design’s included. More from today’s NYTimes:
When Steve Mandel, a management trainer from Santa Cruz, Calif., wants to show his friends why he stays up late to peer through a telescope, he pulls out a copy of his latest book, “Light in the Sky,” filled with pictures he has taken of distant nebulae, star clusters and galaxies.
Mr. Mandel, 56, put his book together himself with free software from Blurb.com. The 119-page edition is printed on coated paper, bound with a linen fabric hard cover, and then wrapped with a dust jacket. Anyone who wants one can buy it for $37.95, and Blurb will make a copy just for that buyer.
The print-on-demand business is gradually moving toward the center of the marketplace. What began as a way for publishers to reduce their inventory and stop wasting paper is becoming a tool for anyone who needs a bound document. Short-run presses can turn out books economically in small quantities or singly, and new software simplifies the process of designing a book.
As the technology becomes simpler, the market is expanding beyond the earliest adopters, the aspiring authors. The first companies like AuthorHouse, Xlibris, iUniverse and others pushed themselves as new models of publishing, with an eye on shaking up the dusty book business. They aimed at authors looking for someone to edit a manuscript, lay out the book and bring it to market.
The newer ventures also produce bound books, but they do not offer the same hand-holding or the same drive for the best-seller list. Blurb’s product will appeal to people searching for a publisher, but its business is aimed at anyone who needs a professional-looking book, from architects with plans to present to clients, to travelers looking to immortalize a trip.
Interesting. An amalgamation of iPhoto’s book design templates with Lulu’s printing capabilities — available to anyone, Mac or PC.
On the one hand, it’s nice to see a decentralization of the publishing world. Print-on-demand allows all sorts of projects, including academic and documentary pieces, to be published that wouldn’t have been otherwise. So this is another in a long string of Good Things™.
On the other, more people without taste — or a clue — will be able to publish their stuff, cheaply and easily. Perhaps less of a Good Thing.
Posted by Giles, Thursday, July 20, 2006, at 11:30 AM.
Posted to Book design | Book printers | Printing | Publishing | Technology
FotoExpresso
…has a new issue out, which offers some good tips for color correction, if anyone’s after a refresher. Note that English isn’t the author’s native language, but the info’s still clear and easily understood.
They review and point to a new product I wasn’t familiar with (and might pick up): Pantone’s Huey. Nice. (And cheap!)
Posted by Giles, Friday, June 23, 2006, at 11:54 AM.
Posted to Book cover photography | Book design | Computers | Photography | Printing | Technology
The long-awaited POD Update
…isn’t. The project’s pretty much fizzled out.
[Shrugs.]
That’s the risk of being involved on the ground level instead of being hired once plans are in place. In the end, I have to say I don’t think the project going away is such a bad thing.
If nothing else, it’s given me a great introduction of some local business folks I didn’t know before, and, perhaps more importantly, it’s given me some specific ideas and contacts for things that might work — perhaps I’ll spill more of those plans later.
Posted by Giles, Monday, June 12, 2006, at 9:53 AM.
Posted to Book printers | Printing | Site news | Whatever
My Bad: Wonderful
Few Tuesday updates for folks:
- Joseph, this is right on several levels. Thank you for posting about this. And, yes, I do think “Horsemen of the Esophagus” is a great title. We’ll leave whether something’s wrong with me for later, perhaps…;)
- Stephen Fraser of Lulu, apologies for not getting to posting Lulu’s take on POD. I owe BookMobile an email, too, and just haven’t had the time to do either. Uh, “My Bad.”
- An update on the POD question is coming soon — as soon as I can put together a few minutes. This project, which started as a cool idea, has suddenly snowballed into something quite huge. Plus, it’s local — my first non-internet client in a long while — which means meetings instead of quick emails, making for some very long days indeed.
Although, one of the joys (and curses, for those with schedules as insane as mine) of Macon is that a meeting just isn’t a couple of rushed minutes in some office, it’s an event, often involving a meal or at least some sort of tasty treat. (I had my first Mint Julep the other day — oh, a delightful drink — served at a sweet-tea refill rate. With lunch. Sheesh.)
It could even be said that the move South — from Florida, LOL! — continues to bring surprise. Absolutely not complaining.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, May 16, 2006, at 11:29 AM.
Posted to Book design | Book printers | Books | Printing | Site news
An Approach to RGB-CMYK Conversion
A very interesting article on one approach to CMYK conversion has been posted over at The Luminous Landscape:
I have for many years worked in the CMYK colour space for press and printer image production. In doing to I discovered the most important area for me to consider when using Photoshop for RGB to CMYK conversion for printer or press printing, was the colour space conversion set-up to ensure the correct gamut on printers and printing presses is realised. As photographers are now encompassing Photoshop as their photo manipulation software of choice to process images, there is and will continue to be a service for printer and printing press ready CMYK files to be supplied. An understanding of the printing process and its relationship with Photoshop, will greatly assist in any a users abiltiy to ensure the maintenance of image quality and gamut control throughout the printing process.
It’s aimed at pro photographers getting stuff right for print, but it’s a great tutorial for those who need a refresher and contains some excellent tidbits for all so inclined on how the “color settings” palette in Photoshop can be a very big deal indeed.
Something to chew on if it’s a slow Monday for you…;)
Posted by Giles, Monday, May 8, 2006, at 1:41 PM.
Posted to Advertising | Book design | Book printers | Computers | Design | Photography | Printing | Publishing | Technology
Bookmarkable: BibioOdyssey
Via BoingBoing comes this fascinating look at books, illustrations, science and history — including lots and lots of historic photos and illustrations, great reading, and tidbits like this:
A History of Color Systems. The above illustration is by Philipp Otto Runge, from 1810, for instance; the text includes ten other historical illustrations and several other reference sources. Very cool.
Check it out.
Posted by Giles, Friday, March 31, 2006, at 2:04 PM.
Posted to Art | Book and design blogs | Books | Books, design, art | Design | Printing | Publishing | Type and typography | Whatever
Press Check Gripe
Ok, so it hasn’t been really announced here but I’ve left book design in favor of working in development in the third sector. Of course I miss design but am very excited about being a full-time do-gooder.
So, at my new place of employment I’ve been asked just to do a little design—a simple invitation to a fundraising event.
On my way home today I dropped the disc off at the printer and gave them the final instructions, everything was going well and everyone was happy until I said that I wanted to do a press check. “A price check? We’ve already given you an estimate.” “No,” I said, “I want to do a press check. I can be here in ten minutes and will be out of here in five minutes.”
Now I understand the reluctance. They are busy and don’t want to be waiting around for me to come and look over their shoulder. I tried to be reassuring, “Look, I don’t want to take up your time but this is important to me.” After heming and hawing, they finally said, “No. We can’t do this.”
I was absolutely stunned. I turned and left. I didn’t take the job back. I just left. I was humiliated.
What do I do? Beg my boss to pull the job so that we can give it to another printer?
I am so angry. Does anyone have similar stories about being refused a press check?? I’m stunned.
(More about press checks here, here, and here.)
Posted by , Thursday, September 29, 2005, at 4:16 PM.
Posted to Printing