Fantastic New Printing Option: Scoutbooks.com

[Jonathan Walton]

So I've been watching the awesome folks at Pinball Publishing for a long time.  They're an eco-friendly print shop based in Portland and do really amazing work with 100% recycled materials and plant-based inks.  A year ago, they launched a line called "scoutbooks," blank or lined mini-notebooks with custom covers, inspired -- as far as I can tell -- by Boy Scout merit badge pamphlets. 

Recently, they've upgraded the options and allow you to order bad-ass looking 32-page 3.5x5" saddle-stitched booklets with chipboard covers and custom interiors through their amazingly simple website. With 1-color covers, they end up being $2-3 a piece, and it's between $2-4 for two color covers, depending on how many you order.  In my mind, these are PERFECT way to print short indie games in a way that looks nice and professional.  I've been planning all along to use them to print Geiger Counter and Super Suit, and thought about hoarding this secret away so I could be the first to do this, but decided it was better to share.

If anybody does get games printed through them, please let me know because I'm dying to find out how they turn out.

[Eero Tuovinen]

That is rather inspiring, Jonathan. I could see doing something of that sort easily enough.

[Jason Pitre]

That is beautiful, thank you very much for sharing! 

[Airafice]

Wow thanx for the heads up.  So fare the best printing for the right price has been RPGNow's Print option that I've seen. 
I will check these guys out more.

[Vulpinoid]

I looked at them, and it isn't really clear whether each interior page is identical like a pocket notebook (with lines, grids, or some kooky pattern embellishing the corner), or whether you actually can do different interior pages.

If the internal pages were identical, I could see why the low prices are appropriate...if each internal page could be different, then yes, it's an awesome idea that needs to be exploited.

[Eero Tuovinen]

The vagueness is because the company sells both "notebooks" that have identical interiors and "books" that are, indeed, fully customizable. The expense of printing these up is actually exactly the same for the printing company for a product like this, as the entire 32-page booklet is printed as one sheet and then folded and cut into a booklet. It doesn't make any difference for the printer to print up a sheet that repeats the same pattern 32 times, or a sheet that has different contents in different parts - it's just one sheet with one ink either way.

[Vulpinoid]

Thanks for that explanation Eero, that means I'll take a closer look at them (and see what international delivery charges to Australia are like...or even if they do international deliveries).

[CSBone]

Fantastic!

That might work for a Nanolite6 product.

Very cool!

Neil Striker