Take Me to the Printers! Options

[Lieutenant Lava]

Where do you get stuff printed?


I am trying to use Ka-Blam Digital Printing, but there is no email or phone number for them and I'm getting really nervous that they haven't said anything about my order since I submitted it. I called information (they're in Orlando) and there's no listing... I'm starting to smell a scam...


Does anybody have any recommendations?

[Andy]

Where do you get stuff printed?


I am trying to use Ka-Blam Digital Printing, but there is no email or phone number for them and I'm getting really nervous that they haven't said anything about my order since I submitted it. I called information (they're in Orlando) and there's no listing... I'm starting to smell a scam...


Does anybody have any recommendations?

Did you check the messages center on their site? If you log in to My Info, you should find it. If you have a new message from them, it will say 1 new message. Or you can send them a message. It sometimes takes a while to hear back, but they've been very good about communicating with me and providing quality printing.

[KW!!]

Nah, Ka-Blam is legit. I did some stuff with them a couple years ago, and despite some communication problems the books came out quite nice.

[MrColinP]

Ka-Blam is awesome, you have nothing to worry about. In order to keep prices in a place where POD is doable, they have VERY little staff and don't have time to respond to anything that's not an emergency. You likely wont hear from them until you get your proof and then you wont hear from them again until you get your books shipped. But you WILL get your books on the date you paid for, don't worry.

I really like the look of your stuff, will it be available online?

[Lieutenant Lava]

Thanks everybody! I feel like Rachel Maddow... "talk me down! Am I crazy?"

They did get back to me. I think I mostly want to pay for it as soon as I can. Then I can take out rent and overdraw my bank account so I have money until I get paid next.

After they make sure all your files are okay, then they send you an email with the invoice. I just wanted it to happen soon or after the fourth. There is no email or phone number, and when you're entrusting somebody with your art... it's kind of unnerving. I'm used to xeroxing minis and pasting together zines... not sending files to a printer...

So thanks for the reassurances!



As for making it available online... I'll keep you posted. I haven't quite figured that out yet!

[Andy]

After they ship your books, they'll ask if you want it sold on their site as well. You can upload a cover image and a few sample pages. Then you can decide on a price, depending on how much profit you want to make after they get their money.

I haven't sold very many from that site, but it is nice to be able to direct someone to a link where they can click and buy, plus see what's available from other KaBlammers.

[angrygnome]

KaBlam has been good to me over the past few years! I only know of one person who had a problem with them, and well it was actually his fault. He thought their "Shipped by" date was a "Delivered by" date... so he was ticked his order wasn't there when he thought it would be, but again... his fault, not theirs.

What's a link to your store on their site, Andy? I'm always up for checking out new things!

Mine is through the "Store link on our website (just click a banner below!)

Shawn

[Andy]

Shawn,

Thanks for asking! They are here and here!

[Lieutenant Lava]

Thanks Andy! I will check it out... I'm such a internetard about these things...

They also have that monkey thing going up soon...

[Andy]

Thanks Andy! I will check it out... I'm such a internetard about these things...

They also have that monkey thing going up soon...

I had to blunder my way through a few times. I'm not real quick about stuff like that either. I really appreciate how handy it is though.

[Lieutenant Lava]

So I've been writing them over and over and over. March 20th was the "guaranteed" date that I would receive my order... which is tomorrow. Still no invoice, still no proof, still no info. Each time I would write, they would say, "Oh, yeah, we need to check it out... we'll do it tomorrow or in a couple of days.

I've waited a month for this... should I move on? Is my order just not big enough for them to care about? What the balls??!?!

[MrColinP]

So I've been writing them over and over and over. March 20th was the "guaranteed" date that I would receive my order... which is tomorrow. Still no invoice, still no proof, still no info. Each time I would write, they would say, "Oh, yeah, we need to check it out... we'll do it tomorrow or in a couple of days.

I've waited a month for this... should I move on? Is my order just not big enough for them to care about? What the balls??!?!

Wow, really? You never got a proof? That is weird. Did you get a digital or print proof?

It has nothing to do with your order not being big enough. They've delivered orders of 1 on time for me.

[Lieutenant Lava]

See, this is why I xerox minicomics myself.

I asked for a digital print. I sent them an angry email and they FINALLY sent me a proof with a "sorry, dude, my bad" apology attached to it with an invoice. But why should I pay the original price when there was a discounted price "By March 30th?" I don't want to start over with another printer... I just wanted to see my art printed bigger than a half sheet of paper for christ's sake!


Anybody used Comixpress?

Or anything else?

[lizbaillie]

Wow, makes me glad I'm such a control freak. That sucks you've been having so many issues! Hope everything gets resolved in time for your comics to make their glorious debut at MoCCA! (That's when you wanted them by, right?)

[Lieutenant Lava]

I should always trust my instinct. I smelled a rat from the beginning.... they sent me a last minute proof that is like 4 dpi. I'm sure this isn't what it will look like but on top of not getting back to me and missing the deadline and then wanting me to pay for the original date... it's just too much. Especially since the next project I'm doing is much closer to MOCCA.

Everyone I've asked has nothing but good things to say about them, which makes me feel even worse. But I'm not going to be made to feel like a dick. If I'm going to pay a shitload of money for something, I'd like it to be honest.

[MrColinP]

The digital proof is so you can check page order and, roughly, cropping (although their crop marks are a lot more approximate than they would have you believe), not so you can check the look of the print.

Yeah man, I'm pretty shocked. In my experience Ka-Blam has always been punctual with their orders and polite in their demeanor. And I'm a nobody too, so you really shouldn't beat yourself up thinking that they're going this is in any way a reflection of your stature or quality of your work. If it went down the way you said it did, they should have heavily discounted your order if they have any class at all.

You know what? I just remembered that I have gotten in a fight with Barry, the owner, and he was pretty grumpy. They shipped my books to my old address because I didn't update the shipping address on my profile (I assumed that they would use the address provided on my Paypal order and had completely forgotten that I put my address on my Ka-Blam profile as, at the time, nowhere on their site or order process did it tell you that was the one they would be using). I chalked his demeanor up to them being overworked, because they're incredibly understaffed in order to keep prices feasible. Not an excuse, but it's a reason.

To answer your earlier question, comiXpress is widely recognized to be a nightmare, although I haven't heard about anyone using them in the last year or two, so they might have improved under the radar.

You know, I would love to encourage you not to give up on Ka-Blam and say that the first time you try to make a minicomic yourself it's also a bumpy and frustrating process, but if it really did go down the way you say it did then I couldn't blame you at all for not going back to them. My condolences, Lt.

[Andy]

I have never had anything but a positive experience with them. I'm sorry that you have been. And I am also nobody famous by any means.

I have usually had my orders come much, much faster than the date predicted. I can get as many or as few of a comic I want with a nice color cover for around two bucks. I can't even copy them that cheap at Kinko's! And to me they look really sharp like a "real comic book".

Not that they don't make mistakes or get attitudes. Maybe they do, but I've never experienced it.

If I understand correctly, this is nobody's day job there either, so they aren't able to answer inquiries as quick as one would like.

If anything, based on what you're describing here, maybe they aren't the best one to rely on if you're in a hurry.

I'd hate to turn people off altogether from them based on one bad situation.

[Lieutenant Lava]

Well, I just cancelled the order.
I'll just move on... although I have a bad feeling about comixpress... but I really don't know where else to turn. It's just that now I have to wait another month. Judas Priest! Maybe Ka-Blam's just really backed up right now?


When I was at Stumptown, these kids had a comic that they got printed by a company that mostly does yearbooks for schools. They were really excited to print something that wasn't grids of kid's faces. It kind of looked like a yearbook, but was full of comics. It was really cool.


This whole process would be a lot easier if Fantagraphics just picked me up already. I mean, jeez, Gary Groth, what's the hold up?

[JP Hootiger]

Hey Lava,

I've been staying out of this one since I haven't self-published anything in too many years, but since you're having such a bugger of a time, here are a couple ideas:

First, there's Berryville Graphics, the little printer that could. They produce many of those book trade advance reviewer copies you see in used bookstores sometimes. They also served us really well when we were self-publishing books. Positive, professional experience all the way though, as with any printer, you have to closely check the proofs. They're so cheap because they use digital presses rather than big expensive metal plates, so you can print as little or as many as you want. Never asked them about comics but I don't see why they couldn't do it.

Second, have you considered regular print-on-demand services? The one that immediately comes to mind is Lulu as it seems the most popular. These are the services where you send them files and they print copies as needed, either through your own orders or orders by customers through their site. You get 80% of the proceeds (and I'm sure you get more if you are buying them for yourself). So in effect, you're paying at the back-end per-copy rather than a total investment at the front end.

Amazon has one called Book Surge and I'm sure there are gazillions more.

[fred chao]

Duuuuddee! Berryville Graphics Offset Paperback Manufacturers! Those were the days, Hoot.

Sabin, honestly, these are good guys. They do a great job, but as Hootiger says, make sure to get a physical proof, even if it takes a while longer. I would recommend them whole-heartedly. Especially if you're printing a good number of your comics.