What do you do?

23 February, 2010 - 22:25 by Mag1

We have tried several ways of printing our magazine – from an all night session with the photocopier, to using a local printer. How much of the budget should this take up?

‹ Use of Home Computers
Submitted by JenniW on 7 March, 2010 - 16:57.
I print our magazine off my computer and give it to some local printers who photocopy 100 copies of it for a cost of around £80 per month. We have a coloured piece of paper for the front and back cover and just white paper on the inside. The cost also includes colour print on just the very front and back pages, the rest of the magazine is black ink and black and white pictures. Our magazine is 3 A4 pages, printed on both sides and halved so it is read as 12 A5 size pages all together. This is the most reasonable pricing that we've found and because they're local I can drop the magazine in to be copied one day and collect it the next. I then have to collate all the pages and staple them together, but it doesn't take that long really. Hope that helps. JenniW
Submitted by Scribbler on 8 March, 2010 - 21:06.
Interesting JenniW. Upto last November I prepared it on my computer using Publisher and after proof-reading did a hard print and took it to the parish office where it was copied and an army of collaters put it all togther. On average we have a 36 page (9x4 A4 sheets) in B7W. Since November I now email the file to a local printer who does 170 copies for 45p each and have them delievred to work and then drop them off at the parish office ready to send out on Sunday. Having them printed means I can put more photos in and get a better reproduction and agood quality magazine. Scribbler
Submitted by No website or e... on 10 March, 2010 - 12:36.
For those using a contemporary Desktop Publishing (DTP) application, like Microsoft Publisher or Serif PagePlus (my personal favourite), the process can be very straightforward. After proof reading the copy from a simple desk top printer, I output our parish magazine as a PDF directly from PagePlus. This electronic file captures the whole magazine exactly as it appears on the PC desktop - text, graphics, photographs, everything. The single file is then simply emailed to a local copy-shop, which prints the magazine (including stapling, folding, etc) and then delivers the final print run back to us: "simples" as the meerkat says! I've even done this while away working in the Middle East - the electronic medium is so easy! Our magazine goes into 1500 homes free of charge, with funding based on a modest level of local business advertising (no more than about 10 per cent of the entire magazine).
Submitted by Trader on 12 March, 2010 - 10:20.
Unfortunately I had to retire from my work in 1979. Fortunately in 1980 someone to produce and put together a Parish Magazine was required by my local church. Having a typewriter and hand duplicator I volunteered my services. Again fortunately, for the magazine, the vicar changed and I was introduced to the Church News Service in 1981. I have progressed since then through various DTPs, duplicators, copiers and a number of computers. I now produce some 200 copies each month, six or seven sheets of A4 folded to make an A5 booklet, with five pages of local adverts, on Microsoft Publisher, computer, copier and colour printer, many of the copies are passed on. The cost is about 50p per copy. We do ask for a minimum of £7 per year from subscribers, again fortunately mostly £10 or even more is given. I obtain news and advertise events and happenings from four churches, three Methodist and one Anglican. The St Lawrence Parish News. I have had a further setback healthwise, but again fortunately I am still able to produce the 'Parish News' each month.
Submitted by Link_Man on 11 March, 2010 - 23:05.
I produce between 10 and 13 double sided sheets of A4 which fold over to make our A5 sized magazine of between of between 40 to 46 pages (excluding the cover). I have never managed to get to grips with DTP software — have tried Serif Page Plus, could not afford Publisher — must have another go with Scribus. On cost grounds I have standardised on OpenOffice.org — have worked quite happily with a word processor for the 12 years that I have had the mag.. Our print run is only about 100 copies which are generated on a photo-copier except for the colour pages which are done on a Laser Printer. To date, there has been no advertising. Costs are covered by donations (a minimum of 50 pence is suggested but thankfully some give more).
Submitted by Bedfont Editor on 14 March, 2010 - 13:19.
Cover + 7 A4 pages, folded & stapled to become A5, with "The Sign" in the middle. Print run 300. Apart from the outside cover (see other thread) all printed on our Duplo copy-printer by a retired member of our congregation, and collated by others. With some care, generally very good results.
Submitted by Sbvine on 15 March, 2010 - 15:21.
I edit the magazine at home using Publisher and then email it to the parish office where it is printed on a black and white photocopier. I find this gives a better result than printing a hard copy on my home printer and taking that to the photocopier. The magazine is usually 8 or 9 A4 pages folded into A5. We have spent some time recently looking at all of our various forms of communication and are about to move up a gear into colour photocopying. The Parish Pump Christmas cover inspired us to print the cover on a colour printer but it is not economical longterm. So, we are putting up the price of the magazine by 5p, and will offer our advertisers a colour spot on the back cover at increased cost. This should pay for a colour cover and one inside page. We have been gathering quotes and have asked firms to print the sample magazine I emailed them - we have been staggered by the quality of photograph reproduction on these new machines - both black and white and colour. We just don't attempt photos with our existing photocopier. The new photocopier will also fold and staple, a job normally done by our (paid) administrator - we decided the extra cost could be justified. Away from the magazine, we had a very unpleasant 'wake-up' at Christmas when we delivered around the parish our usual Christmas services leaflet complete with black and white clipart stable. Within days another local church sent out a full-colour, extremely attractive postcard with an invitation to their services. We felt very uncomfortable as we imagined both arriving in non-churchgoing homes - in comparison ours was really embarrassing!
Submitted by Werburga on 18 March, 2010 - 01:24.
We have also tried local printers and teams of volunteers to collate & staple - much too time consuming. I now post a printed copy to a Christian printing company in Bolton who produce an excellent magazine, ready to distribute, in just a few days. If it arrives on their desk over the weekend, I usually get it back by courier on Wednesday or Thursday! We have a print run of 830 A4 sheets folded to make an A5 B&W booklet. It is mostly paid for by advertisers, but we also charge 30p per copy.
Submitted by GILL SHAW on 18 March, 2010 - 11:02.
I also use publisher & then covert the file to PDF, saving myself a small fortune in paper & ink! We pay the local secondary school to print off the 48 internal pages with the cover being a different colour each month. Once printed, collated & stapled the school inform our distribution co ordinator who then delivers them to our army of volunteer distributors Each month we deliver to just over 3,000 subscribers - homes, post offices GP & Dental surgeries. (from a parish of 8,000). We charge £5 per annum or 50p per month & £1 for UK postal deliveries. Of our 48 pages 20 are advertisments with the space being sold in whole, half, quarter or eights of a page. All of which is dealt with by our advertising supremo (the retired ex. editor) Sadly, the school can only print in black & white at the moment. We are all volunteers and take immense joy in transferring the profits to our Parish funds Parish of Aldingbourne, Barnham & Eastergate West Sussex
Submitted by OHils on 22 March, 2010 - 23:02.
Our magazine is produced entirely in Word. With dividing lines and borders here and there and some photos it looks almost DTP'd. It's fit for purpose until I can get myself on a course and learn how to use Publisher. Ours is only bi-monthly, 18-26 sides of B&W A4 plus cover printed onto coloured paper. I print off hard copy at home on my laser printer and reproduce it on our nice new church duplicator, which is faster and much cheaper per print than a photocopier. Photos are a drawback on the duplicator despite what the sales people said, so any pages containing photos I run off at home. With careful planning this is usually only one or two of the pages per issue. We only need 100 copies in total. Total printing time is probably around an hour and a half, (at home and on church machine) maybe less since my pleas for higher gsm paper have been answered and the new duplicator isn't as fond of stopping or misfeeding paper as the old one. I collate and staple everything myself at home. With my little rubber thingy that I wear on my finger to make picking up pages easier this also takes about an hour and half to do. Sadly we have no such luxuries as church printing facilities connected on line, paid staff (other than a minister) or willing volunteers to help with the printing. Isn't it hard enough getting anyone to write anything for it anyway?! Colour would be lovely, but since we do not include advertising and do not make a charge for the magazine, it stays B&W for the foreseeable future.
Submitted by zummerzet on 26 March, 2010 - 16:50.
I use Serif PagePlus to produce our A5 magazine. We have quite a small print run (max. 100) each month which is produced in B&W and I print it directly using my laser printer which has duplex printing thus it will print both sides of each A4 sheet. I also use PagePlus to convert the magazine to PDF format which I upload to the church web site.
Submitted by Mrs G Nowell on 5 April, 2010 - 14:54.
I produce our magazine in Word and print it out at home before taking it to the Vicar's office where we have an old printer which is a cross between a photocopier and a Xerox machine. We print 320 copies and an army of volunteers meet to collate the magazine and distribute it. The machine is on its last legs so it is good to read the methods other people use as we are looking at our options. For the quantity we produce I think we could buy a relatively cheap printer to continue to produce the magazine ourselves. However reading above where people are getting a professional print of 45p per copy and comparing this with the disposables cost of running a printer it may be better to look into using a printer. Has anyone got any tips which might prove useful
Submitted by Scribbler on 5 April, 2010 - 15:15.
The cost of disposables on printers is horrendous, often cheaper to get a new printer than a set of cartridges ! I can't advertise here (if you see our magazine online you can see who prints it) But it is worth ringing round print shops in your area and ask for a quote, telling them what your normal monthly print run is then take it back to your PCC. We did a six month trial and PCC agreed to contiinue having it printed because of the quality we got for the price. We didn't want to go back to doing it on the office copier.
Submitted by Edward Reeves on 11 April, 2010 - 09:24.
I use Serif Publisher for the monthly A5 booklet magazine (double issue for July/ August) and print out a master copy on my laser printer. It is then photocopied, stapled & folded at church, by a dedicated team, with a 350 copy print run. Obviously more or fewer can be procuded, as required. It now makes a profit after 30+ years being contracted out by which fuzzy copies were produced using a Banda-type machine. That was OK in the 1970s but is not acceptable, now. I once did a colour cover, which was marvellous, on the colour laser printer where I worked and the firm sponsored it in exchange for a free advert. At the price we charge, now 40p for 28-36 pages (variable), colour in never going to be economic. The diocese has a beautiful colour printed leaflet but, there again, it has a large print run and we pay them enough money via our parish "share", £50,000+ p.a. I use a lot of photographs, taken locally, which are now of much better printed quality and Serif allows a double page centrefold so that you can actually see who it is in a crowd scene. I produce a pdf version for archives which runs to around 25 Mb. As this is too large for putting on the web, I produce a magazine website (www.magazine@ukideas.com) containing some of the key features of the magazine.
Submitted by Tanzmeister on 16 April, 2010 - 20:34.
I produce our Parish Magazine using Serif Pageplus and it comprises 20 A5 pages and appears bi-monthly. I have used Parish Pump for about 8 years and it is invaluable. Currently we are in the midst of very extensive refurbishment work caused by dry rot so our reproduction system has to be cheap and cheerful. We use a Rico machine which is a sophisticated version of a duplicator which, although it tends not to be too good with photos, produces a clear result. All the work is done by volunteers. We have considered making a charge, but past experience indicates a very low take up, so it's better to give it out around the Parish. The print run extends to 180 - 200 copies. It would be lovely to move to colour professional printing, but our financial position does not allow us to even think about it. We can but hope! On the plus side, a PDF file of the magazine in its full colour version (including the colour cover) is uploaded on to our website.
Submitted by HomePrint on 19 April, 2010 - 19:37.
Just catching up on some of the chat. I'm jealous of the circulation figures mentioned. However, we manage to keep our costs at break even or thereabouts - the Vicar does tend to give away a lot of her allocation! But then again our PCC doesn't think we should necessarily make money on it, spreading the Word is the goal. On the question production costs - have a word with the major photocopier companies. Most of them have a means of 'giving something back' to the community. We are treated as a charitable organisation (which we are) by our copier company. and we have a B & W A3 duplex copier/printer on a 5 year lease which costs circa £56 + VAT a quarter and a halfpenny a click, and all maintenance and toner is included in the deal. We charge 30p a copy or £3 for a full year paid in advance. We have a small amount of advertising which brings in about £45 a qtr. Thus a 36 page A5 mag with a 145 copy run has a nett cost of about 14p!! What might be seen as profit is eaten by other printing needs - Sunday news letter, minutes, rotas etc
Submitted by Quest Editor on 2 May, 2010 - 16:57.
I use Publisher to create our Parish Magazine. It is an A5 size booklet containing on average 36 to 40 pages (9 to 10 A4 sheets) with a coloured card cover. I save it on a USB memory stick and it is printed off the USB by the local Technical College. When I took over as editor, 3 years ago, I contacted the college to get a quote. Their print room takes outside orders from local churches and organisations and run it as a business. It is all printed in black and white but is excellent quality. We pay about 3 pence a sheet. The magazine comes back to me collated, folded and stapled, usually the following day ready for distribution. We take advertisements and charge advertisers by the year for full, half or quarter page. We charge 70 p to purchase the magazine or £7.00 for a year's subscription. The Parish Pump graphics and cartoons are invaluable, as are the quizzes. The previous editors used to spend an average of 6 hours photocopying, folding and stapling the 300 copies. The extra costs of having it professionally printed now are negligable.
Submitted by Dustbindoc on 4 May, 2010 - 10:24.
We produce a Village/Parish Magazine of cover + 48 pages of A5 size. Published by the PCC. Circulation is 1300 households and there are 10 issues per year. It is free of charge. All aspects of the magazine are produced by volunteers but there are concerns about 1) Recruiting volunteers 2) Maintaining the B&W print equipment 3) Quality of print (especially for advertisers) We are investigating professional printing, collating and stapling. We would like to continue a free magazine. I am interested in the different ways Parishes obtain a print (eg using a local technical college & taking advantage of charitable status)
Submitted by Eric Collins on 16 May, 2010 - 14:34.
I prepare the magazine in Publisher then send it to our printer in Bolton, who prints 300 copies (24 pages) fully stapled etc., with the cover in full colour; it is couried back to my distributor within one week - we've used this printer for over 10 years & we get an excellent service. We carry 44 adverts & the advertising & sales income makes us a modest profit which is fed back into church projects.
Submitted by Parish Sekky on 16 May, 2010 - 18:49.
Our magazine 'master' is edited, desktop-published and printed out at the homes of members of the editorial group - each person using their own choice of software (mainly PagePlus or MS Publisher). It is produced monthly, except for Dec/Jan when there is a combined edition, and copied, collated and stapled on the church photocopier into an A5 booklet containing a mix of text and grayscale graphics. We have coloured covers and each edition has 2 pages of adverts for which we charge £60 per annum for a quarter page. Each month we print about 300, most of which are sold at 50p a copy, although some are given free to local hotels, retirement homes and the library. We have a team of distributers who deliver a total of roughly 230 to subscribers homes, and the remainder are sold in church with a honesty box for the money.