Re: Blurb quality issues
At the end, after printing them 3 times, Blurb has been able to deliver me decent books. At last! Dario -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Blurb quality issues
Hi all, Someone is aware that I've published one book or three with Blurb. While the first proof was overall good, the additional copies I've ordered show two well-visible problems: - Broad halftone screen on pages, so that you can spot a screen on midtone parts of pictures and gray background as well. - White-spot thin parallel vertical lines on the pictures (look like sort of transport carriage touching not-yet-dried ink), so much visible on black portions of images, especially on the left (even) pages. See here: www.dariobonazza.com/public/QualityIssues.jpg The very bad news is that about 20 books, from four different orders (all of them printed in the Netherlands) show such problems to some extent and NO BOOK is free from such flaws (except the first one, intended by me as a proof). Blurb offered to reprint them, but I'm afraid to get more badly printed books. Has anyone experienced such problems? Is there another, reliable, book sourcing company you can suggest instead of Blurb? Cheers, Dario -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Blurb quality issues
I have to add I've just ordered three more books (one copy for each book I've published so far) to see how they will turn out. I'm going to keep you posted on how this will develop. Dario - Original Message - From: Dario Bonazza dario.bona...@virgilio.it To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 2:28 PM Subject: Blurb quality issues Hi all, Someone is aware that I've published one book or three with Blurb. While the first proof was overall good, the additional copies I've ordered show two well-visible problems: - Broad halftone screen on pages, so that you can spot a screen on midtone parts of pictures and gray background as well. - White-spot thin parallel vertical lines on the pictures (look like sort of transport carriage touching not-yet-dried ink), so much visible on black portions of images, especially on the left (even) pages. See here: www.dariobonazza.com/public/QualityIssues.jpg The very bad news is that about 20 books, from four different orders (all of them printed in the Netherlands) show such problems to some extent and NO BOOK is free from such flaws (except the first one, intended by me as a proof). Blurb offered to reprint them, but I'm afraid to get more badly printed books. Has anyone experienced such problems? Is there another, reliable, book sourcing company you can suggest instead of Blurb? Cheers, Dario -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Blurb quality issues
2010/2/9 Dario Bonazza dario.bona...@virgilio.it: See here: www.dariobonazza.com/public/QualityIssues.jpg Blurb offered to reprint them, but I'm afraid to get more badly printed books. Has anyone experienced such problems? Is there another, reliable, book sourcing company you can suggest instead of Blurb? Ouch. I think some US PDML members have tried www.lulu.com. One European service that gets repeatedly good press is http://www.cewe-photobook.com/. They've got that TIPA price several times. I haven't got around to producing anything yet, but have their design client downloaded and installed, and that at least looks good. They'll probably be the first I try... They have no national office in Italy, but may operate through a proxy, like in Norway. I recently received a small book produced by the Swedish tour operator on the Antarctica trip which also was quite decent. It was produced by a Swedish small-scale prublisher. Will look up the name and website when I get home tonight. Jostein -- http://www.alunfoto.no/galleri/ http://alunfoto.blogspot.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Blurb quality issues
Dario -- I use lulu but I haven't used their photo Wizard I will say that both times they printed something that was messed up they quickly reprinted ... one time it was just a hanging chad , as it were, paper corner. I'd say let them reprint and see what happens. But it is scary with all of these POD things where people can purchase directly from Blurb or LULU without going through the author/photographer. The reason I say let them do them over is they are certainly apt to take more care this time around. so at least you'd have 20 good copies... (hopefully!) Cafepress is especially good about do overs but they don't at this time do photo books. Good luck with it, you book looked really lovely on line. ann Dario Bonazza wrote: Hi all, Someone is aware that I've published one book or three with Blurb. While the first proof was overall good, the additional copies I've ordered show two well-visible problems: - Broad halftone screen on pages, so that you can spot a screen on midtone parts of pictures and gray background as well. - White-spot thin parallel vertical lines on the pictures (look like sort of transport carriage touching not-yet-dried ink), so much visible on black portions of images, especially on the left (even) pages. See here: www.dariobonazza.com/public/QualityIssues.jpg The very bad news is that about 20 books, from four different orders (all of them printed in the Netherlands) show such problems to some extent and NO BOOK is free from such flaws (except the first one, intended by me as a proof). Blurb offered to reprint them, but I'm afraid to get more badly printed books. Has anyone experienced such problems? Is there another, reliable, book sourcing company you can suggest instead of Blurb? Cheers, Dario -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Blurb quality issues
2010/2/9 AlunFoto alunf...@gmail.com: I recently received a small book produced by the Swedish tour operator on the Antarctica trip which also was quite decent. It was produced by a Swedish small-scale prublisher. Will look up the name and website when I get home tonight. The site is at www.photohome.se but unfortunately the webpage is in Swedish only. Looks like a local enterprise. The product I received was pretty good, though. Hope you find something that works for you, Dario. Jostein -- http://www.alunfoto.no/galleri/ http://alunfoto.blogspot.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Blurb quality issues
Dario FWIW, last fall I ordered a PDML annual for a friend in another city. Never got to see it and the friend had no issues with the quality. A few weeks later Blurb contacted me and advised as they had a recent run of books that were found to have some defects (undefined in the email) and that I would be given credit for the cost of the book, good for another book. They didn't want the questionable book returned. Pretty good way to handle an issue such as that IMO. Kenneth Waller http://www.tinyurl.com/272u2f - Original Message - From: Dario Bonazza dario.bona...@virgilio.it Subject: Blurb quality issues Hi all, Someone is aware that I've published one book or three with Blurb. While the first proof was overall good, the additional copies I've ordered show two well-visible problems: - Broad halftone screen on pages, so that you can spot a screen on midtone parts of pictures and gray background as well. - White-spot thin parallel vertical lines on the pictures (look like sort of transport carriage touching not-yet-dried ink), so much visible on black portions of images, especially on the left (even) pages. See here: www.dariobonazza.com/public/QualityIssues.jpg The very bad news is that about 20 books, from four different orders (all of them printed in the Netherlands) show such problems to some extent and NO BOOK is free from such flaws (except the first one, intended by me as a proof). Blurb offered to reprint them, but I'm afraid to get more badly printed books. Has anyone experienced such problems? Is there another, reliable, book sourcing company you can suggest instead of Blurb? Cheers, Dario -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Blurb quality issues
Thanks Jostein for the info. Today I've received the last two books I've ordered (there are small variations I keep private) and they are a bit better than the bad ones. Not fully OK, but not as bad as the previous ones. At the end, I've decided to give Blurb another big chance, by reprinting a combination of books for an amount even exceeding the bad ones. I've spent more because this time I ordered more hard-cover and less soft-cover books. I'm going to keep you posted on their quality. Dario - Original Message - From: AlunFoto alunf...@gmail.com To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 6:06 PM Subject: Re: Blurb quality issues 2010/2/9 AlunFoto alunf...@gmail.com: I recently received a small book produced by the Swedish tour operator on the Antarctica trip which also was quite decent. It was produced by a Swedish small-scale prublisher. Will look up the name and website when I get home tonight. The site is at www.photohome.se but unfortunately the webpage is in Swedish only. Looks like a local enterprise. The product I received was pretty good, though. Hope you find something that works for you, Dario. Jostein -- http://www.alunfoto.no/galleri/ http://alunfoto.blogspot.com -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Blurb quality issues
Hi Ken, Yes, I remember that story of yours and that's another reason (after I bought the PDML Annual) because I was confident going Blurb. Dario - Original Message - From: Ken Waller kwal...@peoplepc.com To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List pdml@pdml.net Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 9:49 PM Subject: Re: Blurb quality issues Dario FWIW, last fall I ordered a PDML annual for a friend in another city. Never got to see it and the friend had no issues with the quality. A few weeks later Blurb contacted me and advised as they had a recent run of books that were found to have some defects (undefined in the email) and that I would be given credit for the cost of the book, good for another book. They didn't want the questionable book returned. Pretty good way to handle an issue such as that IMO. Kenneth Waller http://www.tinyurl.com/272u2f - Original Message - From: Dario Bonazza dario.bona...@virgilio.it Subject: Blurb quality issues Hi all, Someone is aware that I've published one book or three with Blurb. While the first proof was overall good, the additional copies I've ordered show two well-visible problems: - Broad halftone screen on pages, so that you can spot a screen on midtone parts of pictures and gray background as well. - White-spot thin parallel vertical lines on the pictures (look like sort of transport carriage touching not-yet-dried ink), so much visible on black portions of images, especially on the left (even) pages. See here: www.dariobonazza.com/public/QualityIssues.jpg The very bad news is that about 20 books, from four different orders (all of them printed in the Netherlands) show such problems to some extent and NO BOOK is free from such flaws (except the first one, intended by me as a proof). Blurb offered to reprint them, but I'm afraid to get more badly printed books. Has anyone experienced such problems? Is there another, reliable, book sourcing company you can suggest instead of Blurb? Cheers, Dario -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Blurb quality issues
A friend of mine had a book to accompany an exhibition of his work published through Blurb. Like you the sample book was perfect, so he placed a large order. It too almost 12 months and multiple reprints for him to resolve the printing QC issues he had. IIRC an update of the RIP in the printing machine resolved the issue, but for the longest time they blamed it on the quality of his scans. DS On 9 February 2010 21:28, Dario Bonazza dario.bona...@virgilio.it wrote: Hi all, Someone is aware that I've published one book or three with Blurb. While the first proof was overall good, the additional copies I've ordered show two well-visible problems: - Broad halftone screen on pages, so that you can spot a screen on midtone parts of pictures and gray background as well. - White-spot thin parallel vertical lines on the pictures (look like sort of transport carriage touching not-yet-dried ink), so much visible on black portions of images, especially on the left (even) pages. See here: www.dariobonazza.com/public/QualityIssues.jpg The very bad news is that about 20 books, from four different orders (all of them printed in the Netherlands) show such problems to some extent and NO BOOK is free from such flaws (except the first one, intended by me as a proof). Blurb offered to reprint them, but I'm afraid to get more badly printed books. Has anyone experienced such problems? Is there another, reliable, book sourcing company you can suggest instead of Blurb? Cheers, Dario -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
Re: Blurb quality issues
David Savage wrote: A friend of mine had a book to accompany an exhibition of his work published through Blurb. Like you the sample book was perfect, so he placed a large order. It too almost 12 months and multiple reprints for him to resolve the printing QC issues he had. IIRC an update of the RIP in the printing machine resolved the issue, In the mean time, I'm making things easier for them by replacing the gray backgounds with black ones, so that they won't result halftone-screened and they won't show color fringes. but for the longest time they blamed it on the quality of his scans. I can send show them a flawless 50x75cm photo-lab print of the same picture from which I took the sample of their faults. Dario -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
