I am getting pretty close to ready to kick start an adventure I have been prepping for Dolmenwood, and I am thinking about printing options.
Does anyone have a suggestion for a printer that can do: full colour, A5, hardbacks with a print run of between 500 and 1000 copies?
That’s a significant run.
I’ve worked with Friesen’s in Canada. For a run the size you’re working on, they’re the best I’ve experienced with the least hiccups. Highest minimum order.
Then I’ve worked with Hemlock, also in Canada. I did a photo book with them recently. Much lower minimum. More limited communication and they dropped my print for a few weeks. Quality was excellent when it all arrived, but patience there.
Hudson Printing in Salt Lake City, UT I’ve done several short anthologies, paperback. I think they’re mostly digital printing, but their price is unmatched. I think we paid about $1000 for a print-run half your size. (Again, much different style of book).
And I think Kevin Crawford was talking about a printer he uses in Tennessee in a recent YouTube conversation he was in. Reading D&D Aloud? I think that’s the name.
I quick-googled ‘printer tennnessee’ to try to do some legwork for you but it didn’t pop.
Scuse my laziness. Sometimes best to just give the detective a clue.
Kevin Crawford uses Jostens in Tennessee. He’s mentioned them a couple of times in the Kickstarter.
I have his latest, Ashes Without Number, and it gorgeous.
Same, and concur. Cracked open and smelled like a fresh deck of MTG cards when I was 10.
Still haven’t read it, but its in the pile.
Thank you for you suggestions!
No need to apologies. The material you’ve given me here will be really helpful.
I fear I probably need to focus on U.S. printers cause of the tariffs. Otherwise I’d be looking at a European printer. Not going to lie, I am wondering if a print run is even really possible at the moment.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find a local printer near me, in Relatively Rural Colorado, who seemed at first just like a FedEx sidecar + a place to print business cards. Turns out the dude loves and wants to do more comprehensive stuff. I get to go in, feel paper, play to his capacities, get free proofs, and fall into the fun side of printing.
I’d look around. It might not always lead to a book identical to what you’d make with access to ‘the book making printers’ or major production groups, but in some ways, that has forced me to think a bit more creatively about book-making, and maybe turn back towards the aspect of the hobby that has a DIY ethos.
Paper samples! Feel em.
Test pages! Print em.
Price quantities! Chat em.
It’s all fun.
I have used Friesen’s, Print Ninja and POD (via Drivethrurpg) for hardcovers
You could compare quotes from Friesens and Print Ninja for your specs (but given all the trade situation Friesens who are in Canada or a US based printer might be less hassle since Print Ninja is in China)
Sometimes local printers offer cheaper options or deals (if you talk to them) than anything else so it’s worth checking whats around as well