Got one staple bound and one spiral bound iami1 blogbook copy from local Puttaparthi shops
This post follows up on this previous post, Sample/trial print of iami1 blogbook shows issues related to stapled book, page margins, cover pic and font size, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/first-print-of-iami1-blogbook-shows.html, posted on 18th April 2018 and last updated on 21st April 2018.
Yesterday (28th April 2018), I got delivery of two different copies of the iami1 book that I had ordered/requested from two local Puttaparthi shops.
One copy - staple-bound book - delivered yesterday was from the local Puttaparthi printer (a regular DTP guy into printing books) where the operator/assistant printed the next version I had given him of the iami1 book. It had the following main changes from what I had given him earlier (the sample/trial version described in above mentioned post of 18th April 2018):
*) Cover page pics with coloured border; Filler colour in spine part of pic (no text in spine part of pic)
*) 12 point Font size for main text instead of 11 point
*) Additional around quarter inch margin on left and right to make it more easy to read text in the inner edge of the book
*) Version dated 18th April 2018 having 108 pages of inner content
The cost came to around Rs. 130 for this book copy.
For context I have given below a pic of the earlier sample/trial copy where the reader has difficulty reading text at the inner edges of the book.
[To open pic in higher resolution, right-click on pic followed by open in new tab/window. In new tab/window you may have to click on pic to zoom in.]
The pics given below are of the above mentioned 18th April 2018 version with larger left and right margins. Two of the pics below show how the larger left and right margins have resolved the problem faced in the earlier sample/trial copy whose pic is given above.
I was told that for the 123 pages of latest version (26th April 2018), the same type of book printing and staple-binding will cost me Rs. 140. I requested him to prepare one copy (at Rs. 140) of the latest version.
The other copy delivered was from a laser printer and spiral binding shop guy who also does other work (but is not a regular DTP guy). He printed the current version of the book which had following additional main changes to the one above (as far as I can recall now):
*) Sources mentioned for Wikipedia external quotes in book.
*) Summary of Dr. Francis Collins' Caltech 2009 lecture included.
*) Included acknowledgement of unnamed near-contemporary spiritual master's strong influence on my views in one post (Chandogya Upanishad related post).
*) Formatting of text content made more standardized across book.
*) Version dated 26th April 2018 having 123 pages of inner content.
After some running-around where I planned to use services of another Puttaparthi local person to do the cutting, trimming and Soft Cover binding, and perhaps yet somebody else to do colour cover printing, I found myself stuck and had to discuss the matter with the laser printer guy who printed the inner content (as two A5 pages on each side of A4 page; so four A5 pages on both sides of one A4 page) and charged me Rs. 62 for the 123 A5 pages (62 A4 pages where both sides of a paper are printed on, and each side is counted as a page) printing. The printing of the A5 pages on A4 size page was such that if one folded the entire printout in the middle OR cut it in the middle and then joined the two parts together as if one is folding the uncut part together, then we have the whole A5 document including the both-sides printing aspect of it, in right pagination order ! It seems that there is some setting in the printer properties/options dialog which does this trick.
The guy was willing to help produce a spiral bound copy with rough cutting of the A4 pages into A5 pages. He also organized a colour print on ordinary paper (not thick paper) but he added a lamination sheet on the front colour cover as well as the back colour cover to provide some protection to the book cover.
The total cost came to Rs. 107 (Rs. 20 for spiral binding & lamination sheets, and Rs. 25 for colour print of cover front and back pages, in addition to Rs. 62 inner content printing cost).
Its pics are given below.
Meanwhile, perhaps day-before-yesterday (27th April), I also got a neatly packed delivery from a Delhi online printing service having printed A5 pages of inner content of book (not bound) and full cover page colour printed on thick page (230 GSM Glossy paper, if I recall correctly). This delivery made me face one issue that I knew at the back of my mind but was not wiling to complicate things by discussing it with the Delhi online printer while giving my order. This was that the full cover page pic (Back page + spine filler + Front page) ideally needed a longer than A4 size printout so as to account for the book spine thickness. But what I got in the delivery was a decent colour print on thick glossy paper but on A4 size sheet. That when folded around the inner contents pages of the book fell short in width to cover the whole of the back side of the book!
When I discussed the issue with a Puttaparthi local shop person, he suggested trimming the whole inner contents of the book to fit the A4 size full cover! I felt that to be an odd solution. Later I confirmed from the Puttaparthi printer & DTP guy from whom I got the above mentioned staple-bound copy, that that's what he did for the staple-bound book. Comparing the width of the spiral bound book and staple-bound book shows that the staple-bound book has lesser width!
I had originally planned to give the A5 unbound sheets and colour cover on thick paper received from the Delhi online printing service to the local Puttaparthi binder (and Net shop & colour printing shop owner) who had said he would do Soft Cover binding for me. But the person seemed to have second thoughts over the course of my discussions with him later on, and so it fell through. I did not push him and backed out once I saw him becoming disinterested. Perhaps my discussions with him on various options put him off a little. I also was taken a little aback by his Rs. 40 charge for an A4 colour printout on thick (photo) paper using an inkjet printer and so decided against that. [The Delhi printer guy charged me Rs. 17 for the A4 colour printout which perhaps used a digital printer (as against an inkjet printer which is what the Puttaparthi local guy had).] Later I came to know that there are others in Puttaparthi who even charge Rs. 60 to Rs. 80 for 1 colour print on A4 size thick glossy paper using an inkjet printer. Maybe I made an error in deciding against the Rs. 40 colour print that he was going to give me. I should have accepted it as I was experimenting with various options and could afford to pay Rs. 20 more for one trial book copy. [I met him the next day and smoothened out the relationship and even paid him some money (Rs. 100) for the time he spent on discussions with me. He was very polite about it and reluctant to accept the money as he said that he had not provided me with anything. But on my pressing him to accept the money for sharing his knowledge and advising me on these book printing and binding matters about which I did not know much and was learning it, he took the money.]
Now the Soft Cover binding using local Puttaparthi shop services possibility was gone! So I gave it to the same person who gave me the above mentioned spiral-bound copy and have asked him to do spiral-binding. I hope that as in spiral binding no spine is needed, the person will cut the A4 colour cover into two - and use it for front and back cover of A5 size. I hope to get delivery of this copy over the next day or two.
Overall, these trials/experiments that I have done with Puttaparthi local shops for producing single print copies of my iami1 blogbook show that with some effort and running around one can get spiral bound and staple-bound books done, one at a time (so print-on-demand kind of arrangement), in Puttaparthi itself! However the finish will not be all that great. The cutting and trimming of pages may show some rough edges, one will also see some patches here and there, little ink spread etc. But the cost for a copy is NOT exorbitant and compares somewhat favourably with online print services for a single copy, as the courier charges for online print services for a single copy makes it slightly more expensive.
However, for ease of placing the order, the online print services are superior. I think their output quality is also better but I have not done a careful comparison yet. There is an almost one week courier delivery time issue. And in one Delhi based online printing service provider case where I placed an order with them around ten days back, I still have not received the delivery as the courier company returned it to the service provider! They told me that they will send it by Speed Post (Indian govt. postal service) at higher expense borne by them. But I have still not received it.
Yesterday (28th April 2018), I got delivery of two different copies of the iami1 book that I had ordered/requested from two local Puttaparthi shops.
One copy - staple-bound book - delivered yesterday was from the local Puttaparthi printer (a regular DTP guy into printing books) where the operator/assistant printed the next version I had given him of the iami1 book. It had the following main changes from what I had given him earlier (the sample/trial version described in above mentioned post of 18th April 2018):
*) Cover page pics with coloured border; Filler colour in spine part of pic (no text in spine part of pic)
*) 12 point Font size for main text instead of 11 point
*) Additional around quarter inch margin on left and right to make it more easy to read text in the inner edge of the book
*) Version dated 18th April 2018 having 108 pages of inner content
The cost came to around Rs. 130 for this book copy.
For context I have given below a pic of the earlier sample/trial copy where the reader has difficulty reading text at the inner edges of the book.
I was told that for the 123 pages of latest version (26th April 2018), the same type of book printing and staple-binding will cost me Rs. 140. I requested him to prepare one copy (at Rs. 140) of the latest version.
The other copy delivered was from a laser printer and spiral binding shop guy who also does other work (but is not a regular DTP guy). He printed the current version of the book which had following additional main changes to the one above (as far as I can recall now):
*) Sources mentioned for Wikipedia external quotes in book.
*) Summary of Dr. Francis Collins' Caltech 2009 lecture included.
*) Included acknowledgement of unnamed near-contemporary spiritual master's strong influence on my views in one post (Chandogya Upanishad related post).
*) Formatting of text content made more standardized across book.
*) Version dated 26th April 2018 having 123 pages of inner content.
After some running-around where I planned to use services of another Puttaparthi local person to do the cutting, trimming and Soft Cover binding, and perhaps yet somebody else to do colour cover printing, I found myself stuck and had to discuss the matter with the laser printer guy who printed the inner content (as two A5 pages on each side of A4 page; so four A5 pages on both sides of one A4 page) and charged me Rs. 62 for the 123 A5 pages (62 A4 pages where both sides of a paper are printed on, and each side is counted as a page) printing. The printing of the A5 pages on A4 size page was such that if one folded the entire printout in the middle OR cut it in the middle and then joined the two parts together as if one is folding the uncut part together, then we have the whole A5 document including the both-sides printing aspect of it, in right pagination order ! It seems that there is some setting in the printer properties/options dialog which does this trick.
The guy was willing to help produce a spiral bound copy with rough cutting of the A4 pages into A5 pages. He also organized a colour print on ordinary paper (not thick paper) but he added a lamination sheet on the front colour cover as well as the back colour cover to provide some protection to the book cover.
The total cost came to Rs. 107 (Rs. 20 for spiral binding & lamination sheets, and Rs. 25 for colour print of cover front and back pages, in addition to Rs. 62 inner content printing cost).
Its pics are given below.
Meanwhile, perhaps day-before-yesterday (27th April), I also got a neatly packed delivery from a Delhi online printing service having printed A5 pages of inner content of book (not bound) and full cover page colour printed on thick page (230 GSM Glossy paper, if I recall correctly). This delivery made me face one issue that I knew at the back of my mind but was not wiling to complicate things by discussing it with the Delhi online printer while giving my order. This was that the full cover page pic (Back page + spine filler + Front page) ideally needed a longer than A4 size printout so as to account for the book spine thickness. But what I got in the delivery was a decent colour print on thick glossy paper but on A4 size sheet. That when folded around the inner contents pages of the book fell short in width to cover the whole of the back side of the book!
When I discussed the issue with a Puttaparthi local shop person, he suggested trimming the whole inner contents of the book to fit the A4 size full cover! I felt that to be an odd solution. Later I confirmed from the Puttaparthi printer & DTP guy from whom I got the above mentioned staple-bound copy, that that's what he did for the staple-bound book. Comparing the width of the spiral bound book and staple-bound book shows that the staple-bound book has lesser width!
I had originally planned to give the A5 unbound sheets and colour cover on thick paper received from the Delhi online printing service to the local Puttaparthi binder (and Net shop & colour printing shop owner) who had said he would do Soft Cover binding for me. But the person seemed to have second thoughts over the course of my discussions with him later on, and so it fell through. I did not push him and backed out once I saw him becoming disinterested. Perhaps my discussions with him on various options put him off a little. I also was taken a little aback by his Rs. 40 charge for an A4 colour printout on thick (photo) paper using an inkjet printer and so decided against that. [The Delhi printer guy charged me Rs. 17 for the A4 colour printout which perhaps used a digital printer (as against an inkjet printer which is what the Puttaparthi local guy had).] Later I came to know that there are others in Puttaparthi who even charge Rs. 60 to Rs. 80 for 1 colour print on A4 size thick glossy paper using an inkjet printer. Maybe I made an error in deciding against the Rs. 40 colour print that he was going to give me. I should have accepted it as I was experimenting with various options and could afford to pay Rs. 20 more for one trial book copy. [I met him the next day and smoothened out the relationship and even paid him some money (Rs. 100) for the time he spent on discussions with me. He was very polite about it and reluctant to accept the money as he said that he had not provided me with anything. But on my pressing him to accept the money for sharing his knowledge and advising me on these book printing and binding matters about which I did not know much and was learning it, he took the money.]
Now the Soft Cover binding using local Puttaparthi shop services possibility was gone! So I gave it to the same person who gave me the above mentioned spiral-bound copy and have asked him to do spiral-binding. I hope that as in spiral binding no spine is needed, the person will cut the A4 colour cover into two - and use it for front and back cover of A5 size. I hope to get delivery of this copy over the next day or two.
Overall, these trials/experiments that I have done with Puttaparthi local shops for producing single print copies of my iami1 blogbook show that with some effort and running around one can get spiral bound and staple-bound books done, one at a time (so print-on-demand kind of arrangement), in Puttaparthi itself! However the finish will not be all that great. The cutting and trimming of pages may show some rough edges, one will also see some patches here and there, little ink spread etc. But the cost for a copy is NOT exorbitant and compares somewhat favourably with online print services for a single copy, as the courier charges for online print services for a single copy makes it slightly more expensive.
However, for ease of placing the order, the online print services are superior. I think their output quality is also better but I have not done a careful comparison yet. There is an almost one week courier delivery time issue. And in one Delhi based online printing service provider case where I placed an order with them around ten days back, I still have not received the delivery as the courier company returned it to the service provider! They told me that they will send it by Speed Post (Indian govt. postal service) at higher expense borne by them. But I have still not received it.
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