Printer - Big Decision

[gsgary]

I wouldn't be surprised if the 120 page will need stitched binding especially if you want it to last. Put 120 sheets of photo paper together to see the thickness. If you are using photo paper cheap binding will fall apart very quickly.It's not necessarily the size of the paper that will make the most difference, be it A4/A5 etc, but the weight of the paper. It's your life, but I wouldn;t want to be printing that many pages even on my Canon 9000 pro (although I have printed hundreds of individual shots.) For photos to look good it will need to be at least 170gsm.

Is the reason you wouldn't want to print the pages on your Canon 9000 the time involved?

If so, you've seen the dollar figure I was quoted. If I even cut it in half, I will spend from here to eternity hunched over a printer.

I could buy a new computer and 2 good camera lenses with those savings. And I still think $1700 is outrageous for getting these printed...

If you have other reasons, I'd be interested in hearing what else I'm overlooking...

I printed out pages on a relatively thick matte paper for another project that looked pretty good. About 100 pages was just over an inch if I recall... I paid a printer through the nose for that as well...

$1700 is only just over £1000 which is peanuts for what you are asking for, thats £200 each for something that can be past on down the family

 

[sovietdoc]

When I started talking to printers and pricing this out...I was getting estimates like $3,500 to print the books.

Well, I was going to forget the whole thing, but then decided that I should probably try just getting my own good printer and printing out all the pages myself, then just going to someone for binding.

If the print shop estimates your price to be $3500, if you do it yourself, usually you can just double or triple that price and that's what it will cost you in the end. This, of course, is if your prints will be of the same quality as the ones from the shop.

 

[cgipson1]

Old thread.. but I agree with Gary and Doc!

 

[hyperdash]

When I started talking to printers and pricing this out...I was getting estimates like $3,500 to print the books.

Well, I was going to forget the whole thing, but then decided that I should probably try just getting my own good printer and printing out all the pages myself, then just going to someone for binding.

i tried to do my own printing for a 200 pages book before.. i thought it was cheaper.. but when i went to a printing shop last week to canvass for a price, they have it cheaper plus the binding was free.. I think i have spent more for those OEM HP printer ink that i have used..
inkjetsuperstore black printer ink
If the print shop estimates your price to be $3500, if you do it yourself, usually you can just double or triple that price and that's what it will cost you in the end. This, of course, is if your prints will be of the same quality as the ones from the shop.

i tried to do my own printing for a 200 pages book before.. i thought it was cheaper.. but when i went to a printing shop last week to canvass for a price, they have it cheaper plus the binding was free.. I think i have spent more for those OEM HP printer ink that i have used..

 

[kevinbiestra]

When I started talking to printers and pricing this out...I was getting estimates like $3,500 to print the books.

Well, I was going to forget the whole thing, but then decided that I should probably try just getting my own good printer and printing out all the pages myself, then just going to someone for binding.

i tried to do my own printing for a 200 pages book before.. i thought it was cheaper.. but when i went to a printing shop last week to canvass for a price, they have it cheaper plus the binding was free.. I think i have spent more for those OEM HP printer ink that i have used..
inkjetsuperstore black printer ink
If the print shop estimates your price to be $3500, if you do it yourself, usually you can just double or triple that price and that's what it will cost you in the end. This, of course, is if your prints will be of the same quality as the ones from the shop.

i tried to do my own printing for a 200 pages book before.. i thought it was cheaper.. but when i went to a printing shop last week to canvass for a price, they have it cheaper plus the binding was free.. I think i have spent more for those OEM HP printer ink that i have used..

Thanks for the added replies. Still trying to find a relatively affordable, relatively high quality to do this. Focused enough on doing it right (archival ink and such) that I am not in a frantic hurry.

 

[kevinbiestra]

Hi, it's been an additional year and I still haven't solved the problem in a way that would get a handful of copies printed and bound for less than several thousand dollars...

Not expecting miracles, but I thought I would breathe a little oxygen into the thread in case any fresh perspectives may have arisen in the last year... Or if some minor advances in technology might be able to shave off some costs...

As it stands five copies of the 1400 page book, stitched binding (and possibly broken up into 4 volumes per copy in order to be able to actually bind it) remain prohibitively expensive...but I've got to find a way at some point. Hopefully without selling a kidney...

Thanks to everyone who has contributed and who may yet offer their thoughts.