Yes, that sounds a perfect candidate for Lulu, Chuck. The page
order/arrangement of pictures in the text is of no consequence, you can put
them wherever you like.
Lulu offers a range of sizes and bindings in softcover and hardback, with a
choice of full colour or mono printing (but it's one or the other - one
colour page in a 200 page book means the whole book is priced as a colour
book). You are expected to produce your ready-to-print book as a pdf file
to upload (but Lulu can convert on-the-fly from common packages). Choose
predesigned covers or upload you own as jpg files, choose your order
quantity and shipping method (same price to print 1 or 100, but shipping
cost per copy usually drops the more you order), sit back and wait for the
delivery. What could be easier? You can have your book available for all
to order, a bit like having an integrated book printer/bookseller, or you
can restrict sales to yourself, if you want to act as your own seller. You
have control over the selling price of your book, adding whatever margin you
want for direct orders (but in the case of the second link below, the
selling price is the Lulu cost price). You can also make your book
available for direct download, again at whatever price you choose (and in
the case of the second link below, it's free).
Lulu is even useful for properly printed and bound copies of manuals which
are suppliedon CD. For example, I did myself an E-1 manual, a quick example
of what would be a pain on a desktop printer:
http://www.lulu.com/browse/book_view.php?fCID=154656
I should have resized the pdf to match the Lulu paper size, so one side of
the thumb index does not reach the page edge - tough!
A few things to watch out for at the design stage:
Always order one proof before going to bulk order. You can't be sure how
colours will reproduce until you see the first copy. Thereafter, in my
experience, colour consistency is pretty good - but see the note below re
the order stage).
I strongly recommend against the use of MS Publisher if you have lots of
images. Publisher defaults to using LZW compression on images, which as far
as I can tell cannot be switched off. LZW compression can cause a 1-pixel
wide line on images, and it took MONTHS to diagnose the problem. I cannot
fault Lulu support who spent inordinate time and effort on the problem to
get a workaround, and replaced a USD1000 order free of charge. Full marks!
And one to watch out for at the order stage:
Available formats/sizes vary depending on where the book is printed. Those
ordering Lulu books from outside USA will likely get their books printed
outside USA (even if the book was designed/published in US) if the
format/size is available from non-US printers. BUT US and non-US books have
different colour and paper characteristics (even though the spec is
identical). The US and non-US books look different, and if you want
consistency of output, make sure you know where you are getting your books
printed. One way to do this is to include in your order an item which is
only available from US sources - some sizes of book, or a CD, for example.
These need not be your own publications.
Hard to know what else you might want to know - so ask away, or just try it!
--
Piers
-----Original Message-----
From: olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Chuck Norcutt
Sent: 14 October 2006 14:33
To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [OM] Re: Pixology's noise enhancing printing!
I'm definitely interested. I've been working on my father's autobiography
which is 86 pages of text and perhaps a dozen pages of (mostly small)
photographs. The photos are in a separate section and not interspersed with
the text. Is this a reasonable candidate for Lulu?
Thanks,
Chuck Nrcutt
Piers Hemy wrote:
> An alternative to consider is Lulu. Gene Wilburn, who may still be a
> list-member, put together this fine tome:
>
> http://www.lulu.com/browse/book_view.php?fCID=110604
>
> Which stimulated the production of this centenary volume for our
> camera
> club:
>
> http://www.lulu.com/browse/book_view.php?fCID=382299
>
> The cost (USD15 per copy + shipping) for a 64-page 8.5x11" full colour
> paperback is pretty impressive, and the quality of printing is
> entirely acceptable. There are one or two traps to look out for, I'll
> be glad to expound if there is any interest.
>
> --
> Piers
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