Magazine Printing? Need 5 Copies

[josh.thomas]

I've created a 50page magazine for my A-Level Art project.

I need between 3 and 5 copies, printed off in A5 size, full colour, and binded. The paper I have been told to ask for is 100GSM for the inside, and 160GSM for the cover.

So far I have had quotes ranging from �130 to �500.

I only want to spend about �60, tops, as its my money, for my project.

Any ideas?

[LeMarchand]

Does it have to be "magazine bound"? If not, just print it out A4 fold it and staple it (or cut and ring bind it.

[josh.thomas]

Well, I can get it bound in the Art Dept.

But what sort of paper do I use to print it onto? I need the thinness of normal paper, with the glossyness of photo paper.. Like a Vogue-like magazine would use?

HELP! lol

[LeMarchand]

Just use 100gsm matt or similar for the inside and 160gsm gloss for the outside. If you go to any decent stationer/office supplier you should be able to check out the quality, though it may well be cheaper on the net. I'm assuming you can access decent printers at school! Might be worth just doing a test print on "normal" paper (generally 80gsm) to see if it will look OK.

[josh.thomas]

Will a 100GSM give the lightness/bend-a-bility (you know what I mean!) of magazine paper, whilst still giving me that magazine 'shine', like a light gloss but withot the stiffness of photo?

I have access so about 50 printers through home and school, or some photo developing shops and graphic artists I know (They don't do magazines, though)

[LeMarchand]

100gsm is what some flyers are printed on; there's generally 3 types of colour flyer: heavy-duty card, light card and the thin slightly thicker than normal paper type. The latter are normally on 100gsm paper.

Pop into your local ProntoPrint (or similar - though that is probably who quoted you �130+!) and ask to see a sample on 100gsm paper if you want to see finished product. I wouldn't be at all surprised if there wasn't already some 100gsm photo paper lurking around your school that you could liberate/slip someone a few quid for. You only need 25 sheets x the number of mags - surely one of the departments could spare that?

[josh.thomas]

If this paper, 100GSM, will give me a magazine finishin, then I can print it myself, and get it bound in town somewhere. Any ideas where I could go for this?

ProntPrint quoted me �99 for 5 A5 magazines, 100GSM interior, 160GSM for the cover, and binding. Something 'stitch'?

What paper do I look for, just go into a specialist stationary shop and ask for '100GSM paper' - no particular name (ie: photo paper)

Thanks so much for all the replies, too. :-)

[LeMarchand]

I would have thought that printing on 100gsm photo matt paper would look like a magazine, though I really would recommend doing a test print! Even doing a full-colour double-sided A4 laser print on standard (80gsm) paper will give you an idea of whether it will look the business.

I've thought of one slight problem with my cunning plan though - if the mags have to be A5 size exactly, you will either need to print A4 sized sheets onto both sides of an A3 sheet (to allow for bleed/ enable you to print "to the edge") then cut, fold and staple - A3 sheets may add a bit to your costs, though; or if you can get A5 sheets bound at your school you could print A5 onto A4 and cut to size, then bind. If exact size isn't critical, print double-sided on A4 and cut to (just below) A5.

I think that the problem with small print runs is that what costs a lot of money is setting everything up - paper and ink are relatively small components of the price.

[josh.thomas]

OK, so I will look for 100 and 160GSM matt photo paper. I will decide whether my magazine will be A4 or A5, then figure that one out.

Do you recommend using a Laser printer, if this is going to be done myself? Where could I go for the use of one of them, the National Library, maybe?

Also, where could I go to get this bound? I don't want it stappled, I want an as-professional-as-poss. finish.

Thanks for the help, youv'e been a star!

[LeMarchand]

You'll want 160gsm GLOSS for the cover!

I think that a laser printer would be sufficient for your project (given that you are on a budget) and would imagine that there are plenty you could use at school. If you can get use of a photo printer for the cover, it would probably look a lot better (not sure that you need that level of detail for the interior).

If stapling is no good, what about heat binding? (Not sure what the finished product looks like, but many libraries and most print shops offer this).