Print on Demand Books from PDF files?

[mark_starr]

<p>Does anyone know if there are any print on demand companies that will take a pdf file for a book created by InDesign and print it in book form? In other words, I don't want to use the limited software that they may provide. Thanks for any help in this quest!<br>

Mark</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>I believe Blurb just started to allow for PDF files for this exact reason. I just upgraded to their new version (2.5) of Booksmart (their software) and was very impressed with its capability, and the ability to make your own templates.</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>You are absolutely 100% correct if you suspect the PDF from different programs will not always match. Some programs add margins or bleeds differently, and so on. You are absolutely correct for checking. </p>

<p>Congratulations. Identifying that pitfall is one of the hidden traps. Throw yourself a small celebration for avoiding that one. It almost caught me by surprise. That would have caused an ouchie. </p>

<p>I have been working on such a project. Many companies will accept a PDF. The number one problem is getting the parameters right. When you send a PDF with the book in it, that's it. You get maybe one proof, then you have to pay for additional proofs.</p>

<p>Check the parameters. Check the parameters against the charges. Look carefully. Look carefully again. Count stuff. Count color pages against black and white pages. Check everything. Wait three days, check it again.</p>

<p>You may want to try MagCloud for your test runs, if you have never put together a digital book before. I did, and am glad I did. The main idea was to use the print on demand magazine company to lay out a small magazine of a few pages, to help identify procedural problems. The MagCloud offers on-screen proofs; they have a very good computerized feedback interface; they will let you know if you have gone way wrong, for them.</p>

<p>If you can loop through MagCloud, you are getting the basics covered. You are at least checking well enough to line up the parameters to meet somebody's requirements. Once you can do that, you've got a little experience, and you'll be more prepared for tackling a larger print job.</p>

<p>Using this method, I know I have saved several thousand on two big, unintentional software file flubs. That would have been really embarrassing. And expensive. So, I recommend a trial run of a few pages of a print on demand magazine to check the computer procedures.</p>

<p>MagCloud has a "private" feature: so, only you or people you want to know will get to the file to order a copy. You won't have to worry about the whole world seeing the test runs.</p>

<p>That Adobe InDesign software is now being pushed hard. You will find a company. Check the parameters. That has nothing to do with InDesign, and everything to do with transmitting the PDF.</p>

[robert_k1]

<p>I have yet to print my first book, but have done some research. As John pointed out, there are differences between POD vendors, and authors may or may not care about these "hidden traps". Few have printed from more than one vendor, making their comments and reviews not very helpful. Comparative reviews of multiple vendors are hard to come by. I posted a few in this thread. Perhaps John can offer his experience with different vendors on layouts.<br>

http://www.photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00VoI4<br>

I happen to want precise control over how a book page is laid out and printed. Instead of using InDesign or PDF, I often wonder whether creating a few Photoshop templates would be easier. Each template would have the book page's exact size and resolution, with image and text layers. Then flatten the PS file and print it as full bleed. I think someone else also have the same idea:<br>

http://theartofengineering.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/want-to-make-a-blurb-book/</p>

[patricklavoie]

<p>Why do people fell limited with page layout in the propriatary software? you sure know that you can simply use a blank page layout and put youres in instead....</p>

<p>Thats why you can also export each page in jpeg from Indesign and auto load them in the *limited* software, like the one Blurb have.. i do this all the time for the zillion book i have print with them with succes. The good thing using those software is you are sure that your pages respect the trim and safe zone, and you can also see what they look before printing them (spine size auto adjust for the number of pages you have for example).</p>

<p>You are only limited by the knowledge you have of those software ; )</p>

[dried_squid]

<p>I don't know if this will help, but Adobe has both a Creative Suite with Indesign and a Technical Communications Suite with FrameMaker.<br>

http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/framemaker/comparison.html<br>

"Adobe FrameMaker 8 or Adobe InDesign CS3<br /> Get the publishing solution that is right for you"<br>

These are not current versions, but it may help.<br>

I've been a FrameMaker beginner for years. Since v.6.<br>

I've used it once for a little family PDF scrapbook of a dozen images, with a linked table of contents, and headers, footers, page numbering, etc. I never sent it to a professional printer, but I believe FrameMaker is normally a tool of professionals.<br>

Mainly I use FrameMaker for documents composed of multiple files. For me, thinking in FrameMaker is like web site organization, layered and reusable subsets.</p>

[mark_starr]

<p>I want to thank all of you for your very detailed and helpful comments- they have each given me things to think about and places to check out for more information. I really appreciate all of your time and effort - it is people like you that make this a great website!<br>

Thanks again-<br>

Mark</p>