Big Day, As Planned

Today I took Arkansas River Guide to the printer.

I'm always very keyed up at this point, but there's also a huge sense of potential relief. I say "potential" because the relief is only final when I see the printed books, and then only after I thumb through the first one out of the box to make sure it has all its pages and photos! Of course it does--that's what the proof copy will have shown me.

The proofing process has changed. During the dark ages, I've always received a rough copy of the book--not nicely bound or anything, but a copy. I'd look through it to see if all the pages and photographs were in place (particularly back when I would supply separate prints). The photos are all part of the file now.

Last time, for example, everything was in the right place but each page was spaced too far from the "gutter" of the book, toward the outsides of the pages. That is because the printing company routinely adjusts for "grind." That's the distance a page's contents need to be moved outward to compensate for the presence of a gutter between the two pages of the "spread." But Adobe InDesign already builds in such space. The printer included it again, and I saw it on the proofs! The problem was solved and the book was printed. Today, I made a point of discussing the grind with the rep.

The big difference: This time, I'll be able to see and approve the proofs online! That'll happen in 1-2 days, and will save 2-4 days of shipping time. Who said the Internet was gonna make books obsolete? Instead, it's helping.

My printer is in Loveland, Colorado, about a 3.5 hour drive from home.