[SlickYamaha]

So I had made another post a few months ago about doing a Church Directory, since then we have not done much with the idea. There has been so much going on that we have not had alot of time to talk about it.

But I have been looking more into it recently, and one of the biggest questions I have is, where is a good place to get the Directory printed? We have a small church, maybe 50-75 members, and would not be looking for anything extravagant. We really dont have alot of money as a Church to pay for printing, so I think I may offer additional photos for sale on my website, and if members would like to purchase them, I can donate it towards the printing costs.

Does anyone know of a good place to get Directories printed? Google is swarmed with them, but, just like everything else, its hard to know quality until its too late.

[George Lama]

The places we trust to do a great job with our wedding and senior books are prohibitively expensive for this kind of project (low volume plus consideration for what people/the church is willing to pay per book). Any online printers are hit or miss until you establish a relationship and know what their QA is like.

I strongly suggest you look for a local printer who is capable of printing booklets on glossy stock and has done this type of work before. Ask to see samples of the work and get a quote for 50-75, on glossy paper with perhaps a heavier cover with aqueous coating. As the directory will be small, you can get by nicely with saddle stapling.

Also, you will save a lot of money if the file will be ready for print and will require minimal work from the printer for setup.

[alohadave]

So I had made another post a few months ago about doing a Church Directory, since then we have not done much with the idea. There has been so much going on that we have not had alot of time to talk about it.

But I have been looking more into it recently, and one of the biggest questions I have is, where is a good place to get the Directory printed? We have a small church, maybe 50-75 members, and would not be looking for anything extravagant. We really dont have alot of money as a Church to pay for printing, so I think I may offer additional photos for sale on my website, and if members would like to purchase them, I can donate it towards the printing costs.

Does anyone know of a good place to get Directories printed? Google is swarmed with them, but, just like everything else, its hard to know quality until its too late.

Call up your local print shops, they'll be able to give you a price for what you want.

[hillerby]

So I had made another post a few months ago about doing a Church Directory, since then we have not done much with the idea. There has been so much going on that we have not had alot of time to talk about it.

But I have been looking more into it recently, and one of the biggest questions I have is, where is a good place to get the Directory printed? We have a small church, maybe 50-75 members, and would not be looking for anything extravagant. We really dont have alot of money as a Church to pay for printing, so I think I may offer additional photos for sale on my website, and if members would like to purchase them, I can donate it towards the printing costs.

Does anyone know of a good place to get Directories printed? Google is swarmed with them, but, just like everything else, its hard to know quality until its too late.

I'll second what the others have said, "Find a local print shop". We have a small printing business and do that sort of thing all the time. Any printer w/digital capability ought to be able to take care of your needs on this w/little trouble.

[Colbyt]

With a membership that small and assuming you would print no more than 300 copies, I would suggest that a better option might be to do it as a PDF file, perhaps password protected , and let everyone print their own.

Short runs are a printer's nightmare and they charge accordingly.

If you want to go the printed route, I will add a +X for the local option. Let your fingers do the walking.

[hillerby]

With a membership that small and assuming you would print no more than 300 copies, I would suggest that a better option might be to do it as a PDF file, perhaps password protected , and let everyone print their own.

Short runs are a printer's nightmare and they charge accordingly.

If you want to go the printed route, I will add a +X for the local option. Let your fingers do the walking.

I've been in the printing industry for over 40 years now, and can honestly say that if one has the proper (digital) equipment, "short runs have never been easier". We do a lot of runs of 50, 100, etc. and love em'.
We try to get as much short run work as possible as they are in/out of the shop quickly and we can schedule our larger runs to accomodate those last minute "quickie" jobs.
Of course we've got a machine that is NOT CHEAP, but is very reliable and the quality is about as good as it gets.

[alohadave]

Of course we've got a machine that is NOT CHEAP, but is very reliable and the quality is about as good as it gets.

There's a print shop across the street from my house and he told me how much his digital printer cost.

He's very slowly phasing out his offset presses (as people leave, no layoffs) and working on going almost 100% digital.

[Colbyt]

I've been in the printing industry for over 40 years now, and can honestly say that if one has the proper (digital) equipment, "short runs have never been easier". .

I suspect you are more on top of the current market than I am. Digital equipment should make short runs much easier. I was still back in the camera ready copy, offset presses and paper masters for short runs days.

Goodness, the changes I know you have seen. Ever do any lino-type printing?

[hillerby]

I suspect you are more on top of the current market than I am. Digital equipment should make short runs much easier. I was still back in the camera ready copy, offset presses and paper masters for short runs days.

Goodness, the changes I know you have seen. Ever do any lino-type printing?

Oh yes! I've had more than one "front squirt" from a linotype machine. Definately the "old days"

[hillerby]

There's a print shop across the street from my house and he told me how much his digital printer cost.

He's very slowly phasing out his offset presses (as people leave, no layoffs) and working on going almost 100% digital.

Yep, that's the trend, especially for small shops like ours! We've still got offset, but digital work accounts for over half of our total volume right now. Most of the work we currently do on offset could be converted, but we still use it as it's cheaper for the longer run jobs.

[jpfulton248]

There are some companies that will not only do the printing of the directories but also do the publishing. One such company is Cathedral Directories. It might be worth checking them out: Printed Membership Directories for your Church, Homeowners Assocation, School District and more - Cathedral Directories