From: Geoffrey R Mason <[j r m] at [grove.ufl.EDU]>
Subject: Printing
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 1996 10:38:31 -0400 (EDT)

>       When you start a business, you add up what you think you'll need
> (money-wise) then top it up with another 50% to cover "incidentals." The
> question is, should incidentals be considered the norm in comic printing?
> They certainly are in other commercial printing. Nothing ever costs as low
> as the bottom quote.

Ok generally you will get a price quote for your comic book based on the
number of pages, number of copies, the type of interior paper stock, the
type of cover stock, the size of the comic, whether or not the
interiors/exteriors are color or b&w, and in what format you are
actually sending them your comic book from them to print.

Some printers also charge EXTRA for other stuff that may be included in
the actual quote from other printers, and it is a VERY good idea to
ask if these costs are in the price quote:
        - Separations for any color pages/cover pages.
        - Outputting your pages from computer file.
        - Making film from paste-up boards.
        - Doing screens for your greyscale artwork.
        - Stripping in film into specific sections of your book.
        - Spending extra time working with your computer files.
        - Sending you cover/interior proofs.
        - Handling charges to get your comics from their printer to the
          shipper.
        - Putting your comics in boxes and adding lables/bill of
          lading.
        - Doing anything special in shipping, like strapping your comics
          into bundles of 25 for newsstand distribution.
        - Shipping your book to your distributor.
        - Holding your comics in their warehouse that have not been
          delivered elsewhere as per your instructions.
        - Accidentally overprinting your comic by a few dozen copies.

I am sure there are a few extras, but those are the major ones that may
add $$$ to your bill.  They key is to ask --IN ADVANCE-- about what they
include in the quote and what they do not, and then to ask about each of
these extras and how much they run.

Jeff


Geoffrey R. Mason                 |     [j r m] at [grove.ufl.edu]
Editor - indy Magazine            |     611 NW 34th Drive
College of Law - Univ of Florida  |     Gainesville, Florida 32607-2429
--
URL = http://grove.ufl.edu/~jrm