While there are many benefits of a PDF magazine (such as everybody on the planet gets it on the same day, instead of waiting for shipping), I have to admit that I do like having a printed magazine in my hands. So when I heard about MagCloud last year, I jumped at the chance to create a print-on-demand version of InDesign Magazine.
(Quick background, just for reference: InDesign Magazine is published by CreativePro.com, not InDesignSecrets. However, I co-founded the magazine and remain its Editorial Director. If you want to know more about MagCloud, check out this excellent article at the NY Times.)
Unfortunately, what with all the crazy things going on in our lives, it took us a while to actually get a full issue up that you could buy. But that day has finally arrived! If you want to see what InDesign Magazine looks like in print, check this out.
Important things to note:
- This is just an experiment! Specifically, we do not guarantee that any other issue will ever be printed like this. We want to get your feedback (either in comments below or email me directly at david at indesignmag.com).
- The PDF magazine is laid out in InDesign in landscape format. We did not reformat the whole magazine for print, so it’s still landscape… which means you have to hold the magazine “sideways” and flip the pages vertically. What do you think? Can you deal with that? (Please don’t answer the question unless you’ve actually tried it.)
- The magazine is $14 per issue plus shipping because MagCloud charges a lot per page. We cannot really make it any less expensive. Sorry!
- MagCloud can currently only print and ship to the US, Canada, and the UK. They say they’re working on expanding to other countries.
- Due to printing constraints, we had to leave out a few pages of the original issue (including the calendar and the directory of InDesign user groups). But all the articles are still there.
Once again, this is an experiment. We want to hear what you think of it. Do you want more articles or issues from the magazine available in print like this? Is this easier/better than just printing the PDF yourself?
This article was last modified on December 19, 2021
This article was first published on April 2, 2009
Commenting is easier and faster when you're logged in!
Leave a Reply
Unfortunately, the cost is simply too prohibitive. Much cheaper to print on a laser or color copier. Deleting full page ads, user group list, etc. saves a few pennies more to boot.
I always prefer a printed copy, but $14 is just too much.
Roland, thanks, I might give that a try. Still, I strongly suspect the output from the HP Indigo digital presses beats the quality of even the best Richo/Canon/Etc. copying machines.
I print out my copy of the magazine and it only costs me about £2 per copy.
I would really like it though if you could do an A4 version. I live in the UK and have to shrink the pages slightly to print them onto A4 and then trim them, but maybe you don’t have enough European subscribers to justify the extra trouble.
Still, on screen or printed out, I find the magazine a great resource.
Rather than going with foreign services, Klaus, try contacting local offices of copy machine manufacturors. Ricoh Holland has a print service that’s far cheaper than what I pay for my prints, with fast delivery (or I could pick the prints up as they’re located less than 30 minutes from here), similar paper stock as what I normally use, and they print on those large machines that can perform all sorts of finishings in one go.
I’ve now read up on all kinds of stuff on the MagCloud site — it’s very promising! I have projects I could channel that way NOW — once I have checked out a print sample. However, they currently only do US, Canada and UK production/shipping, so, being in Norway, I can’t really use them yet, or I’d have to use a local friend as a shipping layover. Since it’s HP which owns MagCloud, they will hopefully soon expand their business to also include us lowly Europeans — like HP did with Snapfish.
So thanks, David, for highlighting MagCloud — it’s great stuff to know about for us print-loving folks!
i’m a big fan of magcloud. i did a personal project there (family reunion magazine with photos and recipes) and was very happy with the quality and cost. i’ll definitely be using them again for some marketing materials.
i have to wonder with David about how much cheaper it actually is to print it yourself. our color copier has an inhouse cost of $0.25/page (and that’s actual cost with lease and consumables, markup of less than $0.01)). and the quality isn’t as good as what i’d get from magcloud. might save a dollar on the shipping, but getting higher quality and fold/saddlestitch and no production time should make up for that.
doubt i’ll switch from our electronic subscription, but it is a nice option to have.
While I have been an eager IDMag subscriber from the start, I’m totally happy with having a PDF-only collection. It takes no space, it weighs nothing, and I have them with me wherever I have my laptop. So, even aside from the steep price, it’s of zero interest to me.
However . . . I do love print and printing technologies, and have never yet seen output from HP’s Indigo digital printing machines, so I would be greatly interested in seeing some sample pages. Can you sell me just the cover for a buck? :-) Failing that, could you write a follow-up about some tech things, like screen quality, ink coverage, etc?
@Richard: Agreed that it does seem expensive, though the quality is very nice and it’s nicer to get the whole thing saddlestitched and delivered via post. But is it really that much more than printing on an inkjet? Aren’t inkjets around 20 cent per page? (I don’t even use an inkjet anymore; I prefer a low-cost color laser printer.)
I have my entire collection of ID Mag printed out and sitting on a shelf behind me for easy reference. I’m a bibliophile and I think the love of holding the printed version in my hands is encoded in my DNA.
This was a really great idea. I’m not at all sure that it is necessary. Sorry, David.
I was excited by the print option until I saw the price. It is cheaper for me to print the PDF on my color laser (or even my inkjet) printer, punch it with a 3-hole punch, and put it in notebook binder (even if I were to put each issue in its own binder).
I admit I hate reading books and magazines for pleasure on my computer, especially as I am an editor and spend all day reading manuscript on my computer. Consequently, given a choice (assuming a reasonable choice) I will opt for the print version every time. (I canceled my subscription to PC Magazine went it went digital only. I subscribed to ID Magazine even though it was digital only because there is no print competitor.)
But $14 (presumably a subscription is not required) an issue is too expensive when the same issue costs me less than $6 (including subscription costs) printing it myself. I’ll continue to print it myself.