But after the papers were slipped into their holders in the album - I got more ambitious. I have these books in me - and it is so expensive to produce a short offset run of good quality - it just seemed crazy that you couldn't produce a good quality inkjet-based book.
I don't mean where you ftp your photos and someone else does the printing - probably in 4-color, but a process where I can assemble my own hardcover inkjet book with say 40 photographs.
And these do exist - with different methods for the binding. In general, they seem too expensive to do in any sort of real quantity - but for gifts or maybe for a few special people - it can be done.
Light Impressions, for example - has a hard cover, post-bound system where you print on hinged paper (luster or matte) which can then be assembled with a nice cover, and if you want translucent interleaving tissue. To do an 8 x 8 inch book with 25 photographs is going to cost something like $50 for the sheets + $25 for the cover. So you're in the $75 range, not to mention the paper you'll botch for one reason or another.
Inexpensive hinged paper is the easiest way to approach this. But I've yet to find it. I'm tempted to hole punch and crimp my own.
Then I came across an adhesive based system where you use your own letter-sized paper, by DigifilmLabs and so I ordered one. I ordered one where I'd use my own paper and now the cost is down to $25 without counting the cost of paper.
Lyson even has something called Stone Hinge books - but I couldn't find much about them - such as pricing on their site.
So there you have it. I really am in publishing mode right now and one way or another I'm determined to get a high quality book done - even if I have to do the whole thing myself.
Oh - and this page (InkJetArt.com) is the best resource I've found so far on the various ways of going about this stuff.
* * *
Innova makes the Opus Presentation Album and I think this is just what I'm looking for.
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Yep. I've looked at both systems. However - and this is weird - the Chinle book covers are not available anywhere; and I can't even find reference to them on the Chinle site.
There seems to be two ways to go out at this:
1) you buy paper that is already 'hinged' which means that you have a limited selection of stock and the hinged paper is very expensive.
2) Buy the hinges from someone like Lineco, use your own paper choice:
"Make an album page quickly and easily using an image on any paper and the Flex Hinge Binding Strip. Simply peel and stick the strip to your image. Insert 8.5" and 12" binding strip into Lineco's postbound album or custom cut and punch strips to fit in the album of your choice." B&H Photo
710-0850 8.5" Binding strip, pre-punched; 90 cents a strip. Still damned expensive, but if you make a printing mistake you don't attach the hinge. So far, all of these systems are probably okay for doing a couple of books for promotional purposes or some sort of very limited edition (10 books) at a high price.
Don't laugh but I went as far as investigating binding machines.
Next, I'm off to China to pick up supplies :)
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