Printing PDFs

[pawsplay]

Anyone know a good place for printing and binding PDFs? I purchased some downloads recently, and Kinko's apparently doesn't want to print them unless I can furnish a Papal Bull establishing my right to do so. Does anyone know any reliable print shops that will let me do most of the worrying about copyright stuff?

 

[Steve Jung]

I know the Office Depot didn't care when I had them print out D&D mini cards.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I know someone posted a while back about someone who would print PDFS, bind them, and ship them to you. No idea bout a link, though, sorry.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Printfu used to do that, but I don't think they do, anymore. (Alas -- they did a great job for low prices.)

 

[Tetsubo]

Anyone know a good place for printing and binding PDFs? I purchased some downloads recently, and Kinko's apparently doesn't want to print them unless I can furnish a Papal Bull establishing my right to do so. Does anyone know any reliable print shops that will let me do most of the worrying about copyright stuff?

I've encounter that very same problem myself at big box office stores. It was even more frustrating because the PDF in question was a freeware gaming book.

I've had it suggested to me to try a local, small copy shop. One that isn't overly concerned with what Corporate thinks because they have no higher bosses.

 

[smootrk]

I would suggest writing the author/copyright holder for a 'letter' stating it is OK to print for personal use - on company letterhead with appropriate contact info... the few pdfs I have printed which have such a page or passage within them have been useful in making the little minds of such print-shops understand.

 

[bento]

Pawsplay,

I don't know which web site your purchasing through, but didn't you get a reciept? RPGNow (and I assume Drivethrurpg.com) issues a reciept for purchases. It it was ever a problem I'd just print the screen.

Kinko's - the times I've used them to print, it was at the rent-a-PC, where no one asked anything. I just went to the machine, stuck my credit card in, loaded my USB drive and printed what I needed. Have you considered doing this? I typically only use the counter folks to bind print jobs, and they've never given me a problem.

I think the copy center people have problems when you are asking THEM to do the printing, which could make them accessories to copyright violations. I think if you used the self-serve copying machines, where there are signs warning YOU against copyright violations, you should be fine.

Side question - Has this problem ever happened to anyone buying from Paizo? The copies I have always have my name and e-mail watermarked on the bottom, but I've never been asked.

 

[pawsplay]

One PDF is from e23.sjames.com and is not watermarked. I actually linked to their stated policy on their website and that was not good enough.

The other is from paizo.com. What is now even more frustrating is that Paizo does not signal whats rights you are even paying for; I have word from them that their products are free to print for your own use but I have no idea what applies to stuff like old D&D books.

Each of these is a fairly sizeable book and I want them bound. Any suggestions on how I could go about that on my own?

 

[dmccoy1693]

One PDF is from e23.sjames.com and is not watermarked.

I've always bought my PDFs from Drivethru/RPGNow and I've never had a problem printing them from Staples (yes they're all watermarked, no I've never tried to print a wizards book). 160 pages, black and white printing, spiral bound, ~$10.

The other is from paizo.com. What is now even more frustrating is that Paizo does not signal whats rights you are even paying for;

If you're using Adobe, the bottom left hand corner has a little yellow lock. Click on it. It'll bring up the protections on the file and tell you exactly what you can and cannot do.

 

[Kheti sa-Menik]

<snip>
Kinko's - the times I've used them to print, it was at the rent-a-PC, where no one asked anything. I just went to the machine, stuck my credit card in, loaded my USB drive and printed what I needed. Have you considered doing this? I typically only use the counter folks to bind print jobs, and they've never given me a problem.
<snip>

Yep. I never ask the counter monkies to do my printing. I walk in, grab my own PC, print out my doc, and tell them to bind it.
I think you could even bring your laptop in, (don't they have WIFI?) and print from there.