kevinh
Junior Member
Posts: 61
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Post by kevinh on Apr 16, 2023 21:20:40 GMT
I've been talking a ton of people and printers and I'll try to post about it at some point. Posting this kind of annoying post where I say what I'm going to do but not actually doing it might make it more likely to happen
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Post by bakertoons on May 24, 2023 22:26:36 GMT
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Post by cartoonysam on Jun 1, 2023 17:04:55 GMT
That's cool knowing, but that won't be useful to me yet since POD for the standard comic book which I use isn't an option.
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printers
Jun 14, 2023 14:37:19 GMT
via mobile
Post by awfulquiet on Jun 14, 2023 14:37:19 GMT
Has anyone here used Fireball Printing based out of Philly?
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Post by whitecomics on Jul 14, 2023 12:08:25 GMT
I thought I'd mention here that I printed something with Mixam again, and it's an interesting opportunity for comparison since I'm using more or less the same format as the book I printed with them last year. It's slightly cheaper now! Approx $30 less for 100 copies of a 48 pages, full color book. I had to re-learn the lesson that it's important to use the CMYK profile they recommend, definitely makes the colors less muddy. That's actually a value of Mixam if you like me have been doing RGB digital printing forever, it's nice to get familiar with preparing a book in CYMK. I do love a saturated blue.
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Post by evanhickscartoonist on Aug 3, 2023 18:39:44 GMT
Another vote for Mixam from Denver! They got my first comic turned around to me just in time for a event I was tabling at. I was on a super short timeline. Quality is awesome, haven't seen an issue with a single book. I was unable to beat their price online or locally, even ignoring the timeline constraints. One thing I did which may or may not have been necessary is I used an Affinity CMYK color pack specifically tailored for Mixam. exeuntpress.itch.io/cmyk-colorTheoretically this gave my print better color fidelity. Haven't tested the alternative in practice.
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luke
New Member
Posts: 46
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Post by luke on Aug 3, 2023 18:46:16 GMT
I saw that Harry Nordlinger on instagram the other day was looking for a printer who offers printing on newsprint paper, which reminded I've been looking for the same thing. Mixam doesn't offer it. Any tips?
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Post by awfulquiet on Aug 3, 2023 22:40:24 GMT
I saw that Harry Nordlinger on instagram the other day was looking for a printer who offers printing on newsprint paper, which reminded I've been looking for the same thing. Mixam doesn't offer it. Any tips?
You usually gotta be ready to print huge quantities to make newsprint viable. Domino is the only small press outlet I know putting out newsprint comics and magazines. Always wonder if there's a local NYC hookup or if they're just printing a ton.
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luke
New Member
Posts: 46
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Post by luke on Aug 4, 2023 3:13:46 GMT
RA Printing does newsprint in small quantities but no one here has anything good to say about them. I love the EA Bethea the feel of the newsprint books Domino has done. Mixam print quality seems generally vivid and consistent but I kind of hate their thick paper and how none of their comics lays flat at all.
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dominocorp
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Posts: 211
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Post by dominocorp on Aug 4, 2023 7:05:38 GMT
I print with Stellar Print in Long Island City NY, they mostly do gigantic runs of newspapers for various ethnic communities within the city. But they'll do a 500-1000 copy job if you ask them. The catch is, there is no quality control. If your file is good, everything is hi res and the margins are right, they'll print it perfect. If there's any problem you didn't catch, they will not catch it and they don't give you a proof. One big problem I always have is that unless you leave really generous margins on every page, there's a chance they'll cut it wonky, because they seem to cut the papers in an almost artisanal manner. One book will have the margins indicated on the pdf, the next will be lop off an extra .25 inch. Also, with Jaywalk 1, they printed 250 copies with totally off register colors on the cover, but the other 250 perfect. We asked them to reprint and they did and it turned out great.
I love them, so if the above issues don't scare you:
k.ednie@stellarprinting.com
however: while they are insanely cheap (1000 print run comic with a color cover can be around a dollar a comic, depending on page count...full color is also very affordable, the Cristian Castelo Spider Man comic was 1000 copies, full color, about $1.50 per copy), if you're not near NYC to pick up the copies yourself, I have no idea what the shipping is. It's cost effective to me to use them because cost of shipping is finding a friend to drive me to do pick up and buying them lunch.
Also, you have to email them 6 million times to get a response to a quote, then again for them to download a file, then once more to figure out if your job has been printed. But it's because they're printing way bigger jobs than yours. Once you get in contact with them, they're really good people.
Last thing: Mixam, as far as I know, just requires a pdf made from jpegs. For Stellar, you want hi res TIFF files.
Also [true last thing]: I believe Stellar is a union shop, which might make it more appealing.
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Post by awfulquiet on Aug 4, 2023 12:29:55 GMT
RA Printing does newsprint in small quantities but no one here has anything good to say about them. I love the EA Bethea the feel of the newsprint books Domino has done. Mixam print quality seems generally vivid and consistent but I kind of hate their thick paper and how none of their comics lays flat at all.
RA doesn't even use actual newsprint. It's just a lightweight 50lb recycled uncoated paper that they sell as being close to newsprint.
And you can do 50lb uncoated paper with Mixam.
As for laying flat, that's gonna be an issue with anything but newsprint probably. Printer paper won't lay flat unless you bone fold it.
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Post by dwlynch on Sept 18, 2023 4:01:15 GMT
I know this thread is for printing companies, not actual printers, but the self-publishing thread seems to be dead. My large format inkjet printer seems to be on its way out and I've been considering replacing it with a laser printer by virtue of some people saying its good for printing black and white comics on a small-ish scale.
Anyone have experience with this? Good idea? Bad idea? Pointers? How does it handle greyscale?
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printers
Sept 18, 2023 10:10:06 GMT
via mobile
Post by manoopuesta on Sept 18, 2023 10:10:06 GMT
I know this thread is for printing companies, not actual printers, but the self-publishing thread seems to be dead. My large format inkjet printer seems to be on its way out and I've been considering replacing it with a laser printer by virtue of some people saying its good for printing black and white comics on a small-ish scale. Anyone have experience with this? Good idea? Bad idea? Pointers? How does it handle greyscale? I think it is worthy in the long run. They consume much less ink than the inkjet ones. if it is a black&white printer you can find one for 100 and something €s (guess must be around the same price ranges in the US) . The jump to a color one is way more steep though. My printer is a Brother's one. I usually have had better experience with this brand.
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Post by pentimento on Dec 17, 2023 23:47:12 GMT
I print with Stellar Print in Long Island City NY, they mostly do gigantic runs of newspapers Do they bind, or just do tabloid and foldover type stuff? Looking for someone to make an 8 x 10 full color hundred page smyth-sewn book, on newsprint (REAL newsprint) with thick chipboard covers (like Fanta's Cap Easy Sundays)
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dominocorp
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Post by dominocorp on Dec 17, 2023 23:54:03 GMT
they saddle stitch so you can make a comic book, the longest thing I've done with them is 64 pages and that seemed like testing the staples capacity--though it holds together sturdy, even one more 8 page signature feels risky. And I'm not sure if they do perfect bound. If you're looking for smyth-sewn they might not be the place for you, they're a place that the Charlton editors would find adequate.
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