The primary difference between standard color heavyweight and premium color heavyweight books is the ink and process in which the books are printed. When it comes to producing books, speed is not our only strength. You often see discussions among printondemand publishers about which company offers better qualitylightning source with its alter ego, ingramspark or createspace. The final page of all submissions must be completely blank or removed and is reserved for a check barcode and information for lsi. Lightning source absolutely will not allow a new startup publisher into their program. Nov 16, 2018 in 1998, lightning source printed its first book in lavergne, tenn. I am not interested in paying a lot of money back to a publisher, in which i am doing all the work for. Hp inks single largest graphics customer deal to date with. Ingramspark is part of the ingram content group, the largest book distributor in the united states. Mar 07, 2007 the lightning source color book manufacturing facility uses proprietary systems and hp indigo press technology to manufacture brilliant oneoff offset quality color books.
Jul 25, 2012 so while it is great that lightning source make the book available to gardners, for me its not been the direct route to waterstones and book signings that ben has experienced. There are a lot of selfpublishing companies out there, they seem to sprout overnight in the fertile soil of the internet. Both createspace and lightning source provide print, distribution, and digital fulfillment services. Lightning source offset quality color books ondemand are a big benefit for publishers. Lightning source is a printer and distributor of printondemand books. Try our noobligation estimate form for your book on sociology. Im not going to give detailed instructions here, because those would depend on your software, your workflow, the needs of your book, and more. The cost to print a book, or many, depends on the page count of your book and the print specifications you choose. Standard color 70 color printed on 70lb white paper. Jul 07, 2014 lightning source was founded in 1997 and is the largest printer of books in the world, having printed over 100 million books for nearly 25,000 publishers including many on this website. Perfect bound pages and paperback cover glued together at spine saddle stitch pages and paperback cover stapled together along spine, one inside the other 48 pages max and premium color only.
After studying this, it appeared to me that a change was appropriate. Ingramspark print book options customize your selfpublished. Physical ink on physical paper means understanding ink pigments, densities, and typesetting. With color books, the general quality from both companies is about equalas long as you choose lightning s premium color over its standard. But if color in a book is merely a contributing feature, standard color is a perfect solution, and is only a little more cost than black and white. Other book printers use a uv coating or varnish for the book covers. Lightning press manufactures the finest quality hardcover books that are case bound, super strong, meet rigorous library specifications, and are suitable for coffee table display.
Lightning source print on demand books for publishers. Why selfpublishers should consider using lightning source. Quick specifications for print books onebookshelf publisher service. Ingramspark is their program that allows selfpublishing authors and very small publishers to take advantage of the printondemand and distribution services that ingram provides to larger publishers through lightning source. Using gimp to generate a cmyk tiff book cover for lightning. Included in the email will be instructions for using the template, creating an appropriate postscript file, and distilling a pdf to lightning source. Lightning source is a selfpublishing house that offers services like, on demand book printing, distribution, digital printing, and more. Have your book supplied to amazon, where the vast majority of your sales will occur, at a discount that saves at least 20% off what you would have to pay amazon otherwise. I asked illustrator jessica warrick to help me out testing print quality between lightning source and createspace for her new book, 50 happy things. How do i prepare my pdf to ingram lightning source standards. There are some big changes afoot at ingram, affecting authors who use ingrams pod wing, lightning source. Createspace and lightning source are both reputable companies that produce libraryquality books using a print on demand pod model i.
Lightning source waive setup fees for current promotion. Both companies use the same kind of color press and the same inks. With the capacity for color booksondemand production available on its new hp indigo presses, the company can increase the number and types of titles that remain in print, expanding the range of choices available to publishers, and ultimately consumers. When it comes to producing books, speed isnt our only strength. What is the difference between premium color and standard. Check out some of these helpful articles to help you on your way. Ingramspark print book options customize your self. Through accurate craftsmanship and reputable, reliable service, ingrams lighting source sets your books up for success. Jacketed case laminate pages glued to hardcover at ends with the option to design what prints on the cover beneath the jacket. As the digital age has marched on, we still have to consider these issues for the hardcopy version of our book, and also for some concerns in e book publishing also. The publisher should end text files of a book without padding pages, and lightning source will add the additional pages necessary to achieve page counts during the setup and the print process. Twenty years laterin addition to its lavergne locationlightning source has three other plants, and continues to grow overseas. But with blackandwhite printing, its a different story. In this kdp print unboxing, discover the actual kdp paperback quality and more.
Lightning source uses a high quality, acidfree, bookgrade of opaque paper stock. Lightning source is terrible at customer service and completing a project for their clients on time. Oct 28, 2011 lightning source has free book cover templates, spinewidth calculators, and bar codes, and visibly higherquality printing. However, when printed and viewed on paper, low quality text or.
This brings you to a box with a blue button that says enable. Our color printing options come in various trim sizes that give your books vibrancy. Print quality was an important factor for me in selecting ingramspark, since my book facebook inspiration includes several colour photos. Also, how exactly does the return policy work for ingram spark and lightning source. Jun 03, 20 there are some big changes afoot at ingram, affecting authors who use ingrams pod wing, lightning source. Book printing price and cost example lightning press. Lightning source is a publisher services as opposed to an author services company, and newbies find them a little hard to work with. The big new decision with ingram, of course, was whether to move my four earlier books from their lightning source world over to the newer ingramspark realm.
Self publishing with amazon, kindle, createspace, and lightning source. Just the books you need, when you need them, printed and shipped around the world. Lightning source book printing services for publishers. Included in the email will be instructions for using the template, creating an appropriate postscript file, and distilling a pdf to lightning source specifications. Printondemand provider leverages system to launch one book atatime color solution. Lightning source adds oce colorstream 3500 inkjet whattheythink. In 1998, lightning source printed its first book in lavergne, tenn. If image quality is vital to the title, we would recommend premium color. Lightning source book printing services for publishers ingram. We work fast but we also pay close attention to craftsmanship, conducting 10 quality control checks on each book before it is shipped. Oct 17, 2006 lightning source buys 15 oce digital presses to boost on demand book quality. Publishing your book is changing on ingramspark the book. Im pleased to say im already working on my second marketing book and will certainly be using ingramspark again.
But they do a great job of printing, both black and white trade paperback and color books, and are costeffective. Maximize sales opportunities by ensuring your titles are always available. The print quality of lsi blows the doors off of create space but you pay a bit more. Paperback books, also known as softcover or softback books, are the most cost effective option available for printing your book. With color books, the general quality from both companies is about equalas long. Lulu seems to use a better paper to get superior images and better color when compared to createspace plus good readability. While this is very acceptable for the black text in most books, color printing, including covers, may suffer from slightly more color variation than is found in offset printing or digital printing through one of the top 5 book printers. Manufacturing and file setup tips lightning source. The only way to assess the color and quality of your books is to order a physical copy. Ingram book group is the largest distributor and wholesaler of books in the united states. Speed with precision means more agility for your business and better results for your customers. Content group, allowing lightning source to print color and hardcover books. However, in this sidebyside test, the createspace book for the fullcolor copies was the clear winner, both in paper quality and ink colors. In this method, lightning source prints the book and ships on behalf of amazon.
Lightning source faq for publishers ingram content group. How to fix your ingram spark pdf with free pdf fix download. If a bookseller returns your book or destroys it, is your account debited now and you owe moneywhat. How to make a full print pod book cover for ingram. It combines a high quality book printing service with a large distribution network to allow authors to get their books published and distributed to readers very fast. The lightning source color book manufacturing facility uses proprietary systems and hp indigo press technology to manufacture brilliant oneoff offset quality color books.
Lightning source will roll out the new technology immediately at its tennessee facility and at its pennsylvania plant by years end. Founded in 1964, the company also owns lightning source, a print and fulfilment company with facilities throughout the world. Books with perforated pages are not eligible for sale through ingram lightning source s distribution channels. Make over and under stocked problems a thing of the past. Saddle stitch stapled pages with color laminated cover, 448 page count. Lightning source offers a suite of services that makes doing business in todays hightech world both easy and profitable for publishers. The books printed through lightning source are printed using a variety of digital printing equipment. Its an affordable alternative to other color products.
Sep 09, 2011 ingram content groups lightning source division provides printondemand service to in one of two ways. Each book is manufactured in its entirety, every time an order is placed. Click the enable button, and a new window will appear confirming that you want to enable distribution. Lightning press uses a high quality layflat nylon film lamination that provides superior protection of your printed book covers. I compare the cost, speed, quality, and distribution advantage of both. Lightning source expects to receive printready manuscript and cover files, and will not perform work of an editorial nature such as proofreading, editing for content, typesetting, or making font alterations throughout a book. As an author of three books, i find it very cost effective for what i do. Lightning source buys 15 oce digital presses to boost on. Guide for acceptable variations in production lightning source. Lightning source printed book products ingram content. Still, for most authors, createspace, amazons diy selfpublishing platform, and lightning source, the resource used by major publishing companies, remain the most popular options. Hardcover books are sometimes called hardbound, or hardback, and are extremely durable. Sep 12, 2017 with their new fleet of hp pagewide web presses, lightning source will be able to produce high quality inkjet color and monochrome printing on coated stock, deliver faster printing at speeds of up to 500 feet a minute, and offer unprecedented digital productivity and volume growth to their publishing clients all over the world. Color books vivid colors, even interior pages, that dont bleed for an.
Lightning source is part of the ingram content group, the largest book. The other problem with distribution to gardners, say, is the discount i set through lightning source. Oct 10, 2019 so, how did placing this new book into ingram printondemand work out. Lightning source, from my point of view as an authoruser, is one of the finest providers in the industry at the moment. Use this tool to determine how much you will pay to print and ship orders directly to yourself or to your customers. Are the books that kdp paperback publishing does in full color print any good. The company is a business unit of ingram content group. The combination of lightning source pod technology and one stop, direct distribution make it possible for us to keep titles in print that we couldnt normally justify warehousing. Premium color gives you the highest quality photographs and has a more vivid color.
Lightning source offset quality color booksondemand are a big benefit for publishers. So if i go with ingramspark, even with its new 40% allowable discount, is charges more than twice as much to publish the same book as lightning source, which probably explains why they are now shutting out new accounts. Premium color prints superior color books with premium paper using existing, highquality color print technology. Premium color prints superior color books with premium paper using existing, high quality color print technology. Because its owned by ingram, your book will automatically be visible to bookstores, too. File, print, and manufacturing variations in printed books. Ingramspark is an online selfpublishing company that allows you to print, globally distribute, and manage your print and ebooks. The primary difference between standard color heavyweight and premium color heavyweigh t books is the ink and process in which the books are printed. An on demand printing division, which allows a book to be printed to order in a range of formats within 2 business days, whether the order is for one book or one hundred. Lightning source breaks new ground with photo book. With the capacity for color books ondemand production available on its new hp indigo presses, the company can increase the number and types of titles that remain in print, expanding the range of choices available to publishers, and ultimately consumers. A huge selection of book types, bindings, and trim sizes, from the most popular to the most specialized, immediately available and constructed with care.
Our gloss finish shines like glass and really makes the colors pop. Still, you can get great color from print on demand, if youre familiar with color management and ready to go beyond official documentation. Previously, ive always heard that ls has slightly better print quality, but i havent recommended it because its a pain to work with and the assumed benefits arent really worth it. New shelves books why you need both ingramspark and kdp. Before your books are ever packed they go through 10 quality. General print quality is different lightning source has always chosen to go with glossy toner which produces superior results for images. Standard color printing standard color quality, printed on 50 lb 74 gsm or 70 lb 104 gsm white paper. Lightning press has the latest digital printing technology to reproduce images and graphics in full color, two color or one color, while maintaining the highest clarity possible. Lightning source printed its one millionth book in 2000, and, as publishers and authors started coming aboard at a more rapid clip, it printed its 10 millionth book just three years later. Lightning source printed book products ingram content group. Once you complete and submit the form below, lightning source will email you a template with support files to help build your book cover.
Orders outsourced to other printers we have partnered with will also meet lightning source ingramspark print requirements and acceptable variations. Book pages are milled, notched, and roughened for maximum adhesive penetration. There is an additional perpage cost for perforation. Set your discount to the shortest discount possible, 20%. Using gimp to generate a cmyk tiff book cover for lightning source pod the following gnufreeware procedure results in a tiff file with cmyk color separation that has successfully worked for lightning source, inc. Lowalcohol cocktails to keep you level, is full of great photography and, while the color printondemand pod quality from both createspace and lsi was very much better than i expected, its not yet coffeetable book quality and my partner and i have decided to use offset press printing. Lightning source builds color booksondemand effort with. If a lightning book is selling at all reasonably, amazon tries to keep it in stock by. The eproof should be used to verify the placement of cover and interior elements and should not be used to evaluate color or quality. Ingramspark pricing what does it cost to selfpublish a book. Better color from print on demand pod, lightning source. Lightning source is very competitive in price, and their distribution system is the most efficient available. Paperback perfect bound glued spine with color laminated cover. When you go into your lightning source account, click on the title of your book, and scroll about halfway down your title details page.
Lightning source breaks new ground with photo book manufacturing. The first method is our 24hour service level approach which shows in stock at amazon. Createspace uses matte toner which provides superior readability. Lightning press prints bookstore quality softcover books that are perfect bound, hingescored with strong square spines. They have printing facilities in various parts of the world, but are headquartered in tennessee usa.
They produce books of brilliant quality, have great distribution connections and are very affordable. Lsi is the principle provider of printondemand distr how to make pdfs for lightning source printondemanda free report the book designer to help selfpublishers get through the process of creating reproduction quality pdf files for lightning source, inc. I chose a matte finish for my cover and premium colour, and was delighted with the result. Feb 06, 2015 createspace, lulu or ingramspark lightning source. How to get the perfect lighting for video blog techsmith.
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