PDFs - how do you use them? And how to convert them into decent books?

[Mercurius]

Tape binding seems cool... cept I don't think it lays flat. I just don't think punched pages are a great idea for a game book.

You work at a school? University? With an art department? An art department that has some experience with book binding by hand? Maybe see if they'd do it for free or a small fee? Kinda like a dental school?

It is a small high school, a private "artsy" one. One of the art teachers might know how to book bind, but I don't think so.

I think mr. malraux and jdrakeh flesh out the idea for me: buy high quality paper, print it out (two-sided, of course) here at school, then either bring them to a print shop to spiral bind or look in Staples for some kind of binder or folder. Then the cost is only the PDF ($20) the paper (a few bucks) and the binding (a few bucks, if I figure something out myself), maybe for less than $30.

Anyone have any ideas for self-binding? I like the idea of spiralbound but I don't know how I'd do it. And I think darjr is right, that punched paper wouldn't be good, unless I kept it in a three-ring binder, which is kinda tacky.

 

[jdrakeh]

Spiral bound survives contact with the game?

Better than most hard cover books that I own, in fact. You don't have to worry about cracking the spine, for starters, nor is losing pages due to bad glue a concern. Also, the laying flat bit is great for quick reference during games. The one thing that they don't stand up to very well is a liquid spill — but, then, what book does?

At one time I hated spiral-bound RPG books, considering them cheap-looking and amateur-ish. And, honestly, I still think that they look cheap and amateur-ish. After giving them a try, however, I've found them to be far more durable and utilitarian than books bound in a more traditional manner (e.g., perfect-bound, cloth-bound, etc).

How's it for casual reading?

Great. I carry a trim 9" x 11 1/2" leatherette organizer to work with me every day (for taking notes), but I've replaced the pull out calendar with various spiral-bound RPG books over the past few weeks. It's the 'adult' alternative to hiding a comic book between the pages of an Algebra textbook

 

[jdrakeh]

Then the cost is only the PDF ($20) the paper (a few bucks) and the binding (a few bucks, if I figure something out myself), maybe for less than $30.

Incidentally, I routinely get 200+ page PDFs printed and bound (in the manner that I have previously described) for less than $20, without any kind of a special discount. There are fairly priced shops out there, you just have to look around for them.

Anyone have any ideas for self-binding? I like the idea of spiralbound but I don't know how I'd do it. And I think darjr is right, that punched paper wouldn't be good, unless I kept it in a three-ring binder, which is kinda tacky.

A spiral-binding maching costs about $400 on the low end (for somewhat spotty equipment). That's pretty pricey. Most fairly priced print shops will do a spiral binding as I mention above (with a clear front cover and black vinyl back cover) for something like $4.

 

[Mercurius]

I carry a trim 9" x 11 1/2" leatherette organizer to work with me every day (for taking notes), but I've replaced the pull out calendar with various spiral-bound RPG books over the past few weeks. It's the 'adult' alternative to hiding a comic book between the pages of an Algebra textbook

And didn't I just read you saying that you were thinking of getting out of gaming?

 

[Scribble]

But what if you want the book AND the PDF? I wonder, for some book pdf combo's, does it still turn out cheaper?

I bought a pdf of d20 future when it was on sale at drivethrough (like 25% off I think?) and had it printed/spiral bound in black and white with color thick cardstock covers, and it worked out to be just under the MSRP of the printed book.

 

[jdrakeh]

And didn't I just read you saying that you were thinking of getting out of gaming?

Well, I've taken some significant steps in that direction. . . I've sold pretty much all of my non-electronic gaming collection with the exception of printed PDF products (it's down to roughly one half of a bookshelf) and have stopped buying physical books.

 

[Mercurius]

Well, I've taken some significant steps in that direction. . . I've sold pretty much all of my non-electronic gaming collection with the exception of printed PDF products (it's down to roughly one half of a bookshelf) and have stopped buying physical books.

Over my many many moons of gaming I have gone through cycles of varying degrees of interest, but always come back around again. Who knows, maybe this will stop, but I've sold stuff before that I've only ended up buying again, so it is a tricky thing (e.g. I think I've owned Fading Suns three times now, and sold my third copy about a year ago...I would read about it, think it sounded cool, buy it but never get around to reading it, then sell it and the whole damn process would start again...).

What hasn't changed during the 25 or so years of these cycles is my interest in all things having to do with imagination, fantasy, creativity. I see RPGs as an outlet of that, among others. I'm one of those people that spends more time thinking about gaming, reading game books, creating campaign worlds, then actually playing. Why? Because I enjoy the creative aspect of gaming the most. I certainly enjoy playing, but not as much as creating.