Printing and Binding A Book From PDF. Suggestions.

[Formaleins]

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone here has ever had a PDF or similar digital file printed out and bound to make a "real" book? From some friends I gather that this might be possible from some of the bookstores and print suppliers on the road that runs up next to Chiang Mai University.

What I would be interested in is how is the quality? Can you get hard back or softback? What sort of price are they charging - my book has about 600 pages, but can be a smaller format than A4 - Basically it is an online manual that I want as a hardcopy.

 

The main thing I am concerned with obviously is the quality, I need good clear text and would like a hard back version in a good strong cover. (I had one printed years ago in the UK and the glue on the hard cover just ripped off) Next consideration would be the price - Online it works out at just under 20 GBP, including postage, but I have no idea what the quality is like.

 

So, if anyone here has had a book printed out in Chiang Mai and can let me know of a good supplier - and warn me of a bad supplier, I would be extremely grateful.

 

Cheers.

 

Edited April 17, 2019 by Formaleins

[KiChakayan]

Why on earth a harcopy? Get yourself some tablet...

[Formaleins]

2 minutes ago, KiChakayan said:

Why on earth a harcopy? Get yourself some tablet...

Thanks for the help! I already have a PDF, The reason I want a hardcopy is to be able to carry it with the piece of kit and be able to refer to it when needed. You cannot flip back and forth with an electronic file in the same way as you can with print. Like I said in the original post, it is for a manual, there are lots and lots of technical pages that I would probably need to put in about 10 bookmarks.... There really is no substitute for the printed copy in this situation.

[LomSak27]

I hope you get a response. I would like to find a pirnt shop that does that also. I have partial print outs made at a local shop, but they are not able to do that kind of job. I have a couple Nav and science texts I would like to get had copy made of.

[Formaleins]

1 minute ago, LomSak27 said:

I hope you get a response. I would like to find a pirnt shop that does that also. I have partial print outs made at a local shop, but they are not able to do that kind of job. I have a couple Nav and science texts I would like to get had copy made of.

I have been given a couple of names and addresses in Thai, I just want to see what sort of quality to expect. If I get fixed up and the results are half decent I will post back on here.

[Yabiaomer]

1 hour ago, Formaleins said:

Thanks for the help! I already have a PDF, The reason I want a hardcopy is to be able to carry it with the piece of kit and be able to refer to it when needed. You cannot flip back and forth with an electronic file in the same way as you can with print. Like I said in the original post, it is for a manual, there are lots and lots of technical pages that I would probably need to put in about 10 bookmarks.... There really is no substitute for the printed copy in this situation.

a good pdf reader will do that .. just get a tablet and a good pdf reader

[jij]

there are online companies that do this. ask Uncle Google.

[Bill97]

Across the street from Yupparat next to the PO.

Or

Across from Prince near 7-11.


Sent from my iPod touch using Thaivisa Connect

[sharktooth]

The biggest problem you will have is getting a decent bind. The strongest hard backs have the sections, folded, gathered and sewn before binding, meaning pages won’t fall out. What you are trying to do is bind single pages. The closest industrial method of this is unsewn hardback where the sections are ground before gluing, but the grinder leaves a rough spine which glues up better than a perfectly flush spine.

 

Also 600 pages is going some, so look at thinner paper. Once you start opening that up you’ll break the spine and inevitably pages will end up falling out.

 

good luck.

[Formaleins]

12 hours ago, jij said:

there are online companies that do this. ask Uncle Google.

Jesues, really? Google? If you read the OP you would have seen I already had one done online! it was crap! Hence the reason for asking if anyone had first hand experience. Not often I get pi$$ed with people but some fuXXERS just wind me uop!

[Formaleins]

8 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Across the street from Yupparat next to the PO.

Or

Across from Prince near 7-11.


Sent from my iPod touch using Thaivisa Connect

Thanks, I will take a look this weekend!

[Formaleins]

5 minutes ago, sharktooth said:

The biggest problem you will have is getting a decent bind. The strongest hard backs have the sections, folded, gathered and sewn before binding, meaning pages won’t fall out. What you are trying to do is bind single pages. The closest industrial method of this is unsewn hardback where the sections are ground before gluing, but the grinder leaves a rough spine which glues up better than a perfectly flush spine.

 

Also 600 pages is going some, so look at thinner paper. Once you start opening that up you’ll break the spine and inevitably pages will end up falling out.

 

good luck.

EXACTLY! This is the very problem I had when I had a PDF done online. The binding is nothing more than a row of slits punched through the individual leaves then a sort of flat spiral coil threaded in to it. It just undoes itself and all of the pages drop out. Over time I can see that all of the cuts in the pages will also tear up too.

I am after a real Mcoy job, one where they take small groups of pages and sew them into sets, then they eventually bind these into the spine. Hell, it must be possible, there are books kicking around from the 14th century, I only need one to last 20 years or so! This was the reason I posted here. I was hoping someone had had this done and could make some suggestions (other than fucXXING GOOGLE) I have also got some books that were bought from reputable bookshops that appear to be normal bound hardbacks, but in the space of less than a year they have broken in the very manner you mention at the spine. Impossible to tell at the outset.

[sharktooth]

3 hours ago, Formaleins said:

EXACTLY! This is the very problem I had when I had a PDF done online. The binding is nothing more than a row of slits punched through the individual leaves then a sort of flat spiral coil threaded in to it. It just undoes itself and all of the pages drop out. Over time I can see that all of the cuts in the pages will also tear up too.

I am after a real Mcoy job, one where they take small groups of pages and sew them into sets, then they eventually bind these into the spine. Hell, it must be possible, there are books kicking around from the 14th century, I only need one to last 20 years or so! This was the reason I posted here. I was hoping someone had had this done and could make some suggestions (other than fucXXING GOOGLE) I have also got some books that were bought from reputable bookshops that appear to be normal bound hardbacks, but in the space of less than a year they have broken in the very manner you mention at the spine. Impossible to tell at the outset.

The only way you are going to be able to sew them is if you print them A3 2up, fold into 4pp and insert into 8pp or 16pp sections, then hand sew them. It can be done, but will cost you. Also I would recommend breaking the job into two volumes. 600pp... you are asking for trouble.

You could also consider hard back wiro bound, but I would recommend strong endpapers to keep the book block attached to the hard case.

The books from the 14th century probably took a year to produce one copy by monks who had been doing it for 50 years ????

[JulieM]

You might want to check out Kindle Direct Publishing. They won't accept a PDF but it shouldn't be too hard if you have digital text. It's a free service but of course you have to pay for a copy of the book. People use this when they self-publish books. Paperback might be the only option they offer. 600 pages is a lot. Not sure what problems that might cause.

Edited April 19, 2019 by JulieM

[HaleySabai]

There is a full service print shop near the Three King Monument called Jarus Print - you'll see a Kaffe 151 on the corner,Jarus is left of them.

Been using them for many years to print vinyl banners, promotional materials even did a complete trailer wrap. I don't have experience with book binding formats but I would be surprised if this shop wouldn't do it. Advise to take a Thai with you to help bridge the details.                                                                      

There are also numerous small print operations in and around the CMU.                                                 I know of a roadside print shop across from the UN Pub(a few meters to the left) a friend had a soft cover book printed there and they actually printed it on one-side of the paper making for what was 200pgs now 400pgs and twice the price.

Again good to have a Thai friend who understands your details to help avoid running ground from the 'conceptual deficiet' that so often arises when working with Thais.

[Trujillo]

Payap University near BigC Extra...ask where the Thai intensive language classes are. Then ask where to make copies. Super cheap and good quality. Not hardcover, but firm, glossy paperbacks are available.