What It Took To Make A Book

[3113]

For those still uncertain about the benefits of the digital age, a reminder of what a pain in the ass it used to be to create a book.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Dorothy Sayer had a wonderful sub plot about the process of writing a thesis, in "Gaudy Night," with the galleys, and hand-written revisions, and dropping the bundle of papers and crawling around the floor shifting things...

Me, I do like to bind a chap book once in a while;
http://probablepossible.com/2011/01/17/book-binding-for-fun-not-profit/

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Dorothy Sayer had a wonderful sub plot about the process of writing a thesis, in "Gaudy Night," with the galleys, and hand-written revisions, and dropping the bundle of papers and crawling around the floor shifting things...

Me, I do like to bind a chap book once in a while;
http://probablepossible.com/2011/01/17/book-binding-for-fun-not-profit/

I am a great admirer of 'small press' editions though at over a grand a pop they're completely out of my range. Back at university they had a rather decent collection of books that had been done up by hand after printing on platen presses in editions of less than one hundred. I even gave some thought to learning how to do it but decided against it. Making your own furniture seems more practical.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Well yeah. I've never set type-- my books were hand-written when I was a kid, and huzzah for desktop publishing software! This little hobby of mine is the reason I chose a printer with double-sided printing capability.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Well yeah. I've never set type-- my books were hand-written when I was a kid, and huzzah for desktop publishing software! This little hobby of mine is the reason I chose a printer with double-sided printing capability.

There are such things? Hmmm, and we need a new printer, too . . .

 

[Stella_Omega]

There are such things? Hmmm, and we need a new printer, too . . .

HP officejet

 

[mynameisben]

The narrator's voice sounds hauntingly familiar.

 

[Stella_Omega]

The narrator's voice sounds hauntingly familiar.

Brings back memories of school rooms and hallways, the smell of chalk dust and "Dick and Jane" books.

*nods*

 

[trysail]

That's a fantastic film. Notwithstanding all that automation, it's easy to see that the process was laborious. I admit to nostalgia for typesetters, linotype operators, binderies and ink-stained wretches.

 

[TE999]

The narrator's voice sounds hauntingly familiar.

I think it might be Alexander Scourby who narrated many of the National Geographic specials and hundreds of other presentations including the entire King James Bible.