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A Visit to Our
Print-On-Demand Printer |
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 In the spring of 2002 the Paraview
Press staff paid a visit to Lightning Source, our
print-on-demand (POD) printer in La Verne, Tennessee.
Seeing in person just how POD works is an enlightening
experience. We took a few photos so that we could share the
experience with you.
But before we begin, we need to set the stage. Let’s say an
author has submitted a manuscript to us, which we have edited
and sent to the designer. The designer then creates two files
for the book. The interior text is a single PDF file; the
front and back cover of the book is a single TIF file. These
two files are then uploaded to Lightning Source via the
Internet. |
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The book files are logged in, examined, and prepared for
printing by the Lightning team that handles the Paraview Press
account. Beverly Ness, our team leader, is front and center. |
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The files for the book are stored on computers in a small room
at Lightning. These computers currently hold 40,000 titles, as
well as serve ebooks directly to Lightning Source customers
via the Internet. The fan helps keep the room -- and Kenny
McDonald, the senior systems engineer -- cool. |
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Whenever an order for our book comes in, whether it’s for one
copy, ten, a hundred, or more, the interior and cover files
for the book are called up and loaded into the printers. It
takes less than a minute to print the interior of a 300-page
book. |
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Meanwhile, the color printer spits out the book’s cover. |
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The cover and book block are then bound together and trimmed. |
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The finished book is either carted over to Ingram, our
distributor, just down the street, or shipped out directly
from Lightning Source’s shipping department. |
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Bookstore orders placed through Ingram are out the door within
48 hours. Multiple copy orders of 25 or more are normally
delivered to the customer in about 10 business days.
With POD there’s no waste printing unsold books -- that’s good
for the author, the publisher, and the environment. That’s why
we think POD is the future of the book publishing industry. |
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more information on Print-On-Demand
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