Making books

This post is probably going to get bits and bobs added to it over the next few days.


I'm working on another set of books to be printed, thought I might put some of the process up.
I have a few book projects going on this year, but unfortunately in this section of the year, I've had to put back my major drawing project [M5] as I'm working with a few other illustration clients, and it's too hard to write and draw something in between drawing and tweaking other projects for people. So instead, I decided to see if I could collate as much of my sketchwork since 2008 to 2012 in a limited set of hardback books.

I've done some of the research for printers already when I was making my mind up about making the collected edition of Mephistos, and I wanted the Sketchbook as a flick through reference book. Working in digital means no paper everywhere, but at the same time, it makes it hard to refer back to something, or remember forgotten ideas. In terms of printing, it's always better to get more than 1 book made as the more books you make, the lower the per book price goes. I'm likely to go with a digital printer for the Sketchbooks, and probably not make more than 100 (I'm considering closer to 50 at the moment. Lets just say in the industry- 50 is considered a monumentally small print run.)

At the moment, I'm still running through quote and book size options in proportion to what i want the book to look like and what I'm prepared to pay per book. I've been doing this for about a month and a half so far.

The printer I'm likely to work with at the moment I'm still working out the book sizing vs price with at the mo, but the hardcover samples I was sent were a nice quality and I considered good enough for what I needed in this case.
I'd have to check their printing standard with my files as well to see their mono and colour quality.

Unfortunately I can't get a combined mono and colour book made because of their process, but this gives the option of an accompanying colour/mono 2 book set, which is quite exciting to consider.

Anyway, waiting on quotes. :3