The Jimmy Krug Report
August 2003
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Welcome to the August Issue of The Jimmy Krug Report


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CONTENT

1. Glossy Covers
2. Back Issues of The Jimmy Krug Report


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1. GLOSSY COVERS

Back in the mid-nineties, my opinion of booklets wasn’t anything near what it is
today.  It may sound funny, but… for the longest time I looked at booklets as
mere “paperback wannabes.”  You see, for years I thought about self-publishing
paperback books.  That’s what I saw in the bookstore… and that’s what I wanted
to publish.

Like many people bitten by the writing/publishing bug… I wanted to publish
anything that would sell.  Yeah, I had my pet subjects and topics.  But the
dream was to sell a lot of copies of “something.”  And… I wanted to make sure
that “something” looked just as good as 75% of the other books on the
bookshelves of the local bookstores.

Raised lettering and embossed covers were out of the question.  Too costly.  And
besides, who knew where such equipment could be found?

Instead, I was more focused on the nice glossy covers with full color graphics.

Eventually, I actually purchased enough equipment to produce short runs of
paperback books.  You could say it was an experiment in terror for me.  Even
with the binding equipment and the printing equipment – the process was so
involved, I quickly realized the amount of labor involved was far beyond what I
was willing or able to give.

Call it an expensive lesson.  I’m sure you’ve had one of two of those (at least)
yourself at one time or another?

Booklet printing, however, is a much simpler process altogether.  

First of all, you have less pages to print per book(let).  Secondly, all the
pages can be printed right from your desktop if you have a decent laser printer
on hand.  Ink Jets are normally slower, but they’ll get the job done.  The only
draw back in the ink absorption.  If you use a non-glossy (coated) paper, the
ink on one side of the page can soak through to the other.

A bookletmaker is relatively inexpensive as far as professional publishing
equipment goes.  Mini-models can be purchased for under $700 while the heavier
duty, table-top models run around $2,100.  You can have a printer do the whole
thing for you, of course.  Either way, the booklet method is much cheaper
whether you do it yourself or have someone else do it.

But whether you’re creating a booklet cover or the cover of a paperback, you
want the cover to look as professional and up-to-date as possible.

Today, the covers of most publications have a glossy finish.  Yes there are
exceptions.  But non-glossy finishes are definitely in the minority.  There are
a variety of methods that can be used to achieve this end.

For the sake of this newsletter and space, we’re going to be focusing on booklet
covers in particular.  

LAMINATORS

Pros:  Laminators, like just about any other type of equipment, can be purchased
for a variety of prices.  Basic table-top models can be purchased for around
$100.  High-end laminators and wide format laminators can run literally
thousands of dollars.

Cons:  Although they produce a nice glossy finish, laminated paper tends to
curl.  The end result can oftentimes produce a booklet cover that appears to
have been rolled up and haphazardly stuck in someone’s back pocket.

LIQUID LAMINATORS

Pros:  A nice finished booklet cover with a highly professional look

Cons:  High price tag.   Ink Jet ink will bleed and run when coming in contact
with liquid laminate.  Space and time (24hrs) needed for laminate to dry and
properly set.

To be continued…