9   Printing, Binding, and Distributing Manuals

Printing Specifications and Quotations

Get a minimum of three written quotations from printers. Printing large numbers of manuals can be expensive, and the amounts charged by printers can differ significantly.

Before you can get printing quotes, you’ll need to prepare your printing specifications—a detailed list of requirements that tells the printers exactly how you want the manual printed. When establishing printing specifications, consider the following:

Number of copies – If you’re having the manuals offset printed, make sure you print more copies than you’ll actually need. It’s a lot cheaper to print a few extra now, than have to go back later for a couple more.

Paper size– 8.5-by-11-inch paper is the standard size and the best choice for revisable manuals. If you choose a smaller page size, you won’t be able to photocopy it in-house easily, so it will probably take longer to get revisions to the manual holders.

Paper colour – Black print on white paper is considered the most legible. Avoid using coloured paper.

Paper weight– Use a heavier, stronger paper than regular photocopier paper. Manual pages get a lot of wear and tear, so the paper needs to be durable. Good quality paper is also more opaque than photocopier paper, so you’ll get less show-through from the other side of the sheet. Ask your printer to recommend a good grade of paper.

The title page should be printed on 10 point or 12 point cardstock so it won’t tear out of the manual. The first page in a manual (title page) should be offset printed—if it’s photocopied or laser printed, the toner will transfer onto the inside cover of a vinyl binder. Alternatively, you can encase the title page in a plastic sheet protector.

Paper finish – Avoid textured paper. While it may look nice, the print quality will suffer. You’ll get the best results on paper with a smooth, flat finish.

3-hole punch – Don’t forget to specify 3-hole-punched paper. Rather than printing onto stock that has been pre-punched, most printers will drill the holes after the manuals are printed.

Shell pages – If you’re using pre-printed shell pages, you can have them printed at the same time by the same printer. Make sure the printer knows that the manuals are being printed onto shell pages and is aware of the registration tolerance required.

Going to Print

Make sure the printer knows to start each module on a right-hand page—if you’re having the manual photocopied, insert blank pages at the ends of sections that have an odd number of pages to ensure that the pages are printed correctly. While all professional printers know that odd page numbers are always printed on right-hand pages, some photocopier operators are not aware of this.

Make sure the printer knows what the finished manuals should look like. If there’s any doubt, mock up a copy to show the placement of pages.