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Post by potet on Jan 14, 2023 9:45:53 GMT
The French printer for Lulu warned us several months ago they had problems being supplied with cream paper, so advised us to opt for white paper.
I did, and, so far, the result was even better for books with illustrations.
Unfortunately, a copy delivered this morning is printed on a new type of white paper that is so stiff that it is hard to keep the book open.
Do you have similar problems in your country?
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sirram
Senior Printer
No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money
Posts: 269
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Post by sirram on Jan 14, 2023 14:33:05 GMT
We (UK-based) have never had any trouble with the paper. When you say the white paper is stiff, is it thicker (i.e. a heavier weight) than normal or just more rigid?
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Post by And Kevin 2024 on Jan 14, 2023 22:01:29 GMT
The French printer for Lulu warned us several months ago they had problems being supplied with cream paper, so advised us to opt for white paper. I did, and, so far, the result was even better for books with illustrations. I would expect it would be, because the white would be white and not cream. Very important for black & white images.  Unfortunately, a copy delivered this morning is printed on a new type of white paper that is so stiff that it is hard to keep the book open. Do you have similar problems in your country? I have not bought any of my own books for years. I rely on ISBNs and Global Dist. So I cannot answer that. But don't forget that Lulu have the system that a printer as close to the buyer is used. So a book sold to someone in China, for example, may not be the same paper at all. Or even the same quality. And you would never know.
But I would have thought that it would be the cover (spine and 'hinge' etc.,) that dictates how hard or easy it is to open a book. Although I do get what you mean. |
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Post by potet on Jan 15, 2023 10:04:32 GMT
We (UK-based) have never had any trouble with the paper. When you say the white paper is stiff, is it thicker (i.e. a heavier weight) than normal or just more rigid? I have the impression the paper is thicker, but not really stiffer. I took 60g white, but quite possibly they ran out of it, and replaced it by 80g white without changing the cost. |
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Post by And Kevin 2024 on Jan 15, 2023 13:23:34 GMT
It used to be very easy to discover paper grades etc etc etc, on Lulu, before you started a project, but now it seems you are straight in to a Project before you can find out the options.
But if the pages are not the grade you selected you need to moan at Lulu about it. What is the point of selecting things if that's not what you get?
Having said that, there's a worldwide shortage of almost everything, due to production shutting down for almost two years. It will take a long time to catch up. Not to mention a percentage of staff died so need to be replaced, and as per the UK, went back to the countries they came from, and never returned. (The UK leaving the EU did not help!)
I suspect that what a lot of printing places are doing is using what they can get hold of rather than cancel an order.
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sirram
Senior Printer
No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money
Posts: 269
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Post by sirram on Jan 15, 2023 14:11:44 GMT
We (UK-based) have never had any trouble with the paper. When you say the white paper is stiff, is it thicker (i.e. a heavier weight) than normal or just more rigid? I have the impression the paper is thicker, but not really stiffer. I took 60g white, but quite possibly they ran out of it, and replaced it by 80g white without changing the cost. That does seem a likely explanation. As said above, perhaps the print shop had run out of the thinner stuff. |
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Post by potet on Jan 15, 2023 20:36:05 GMT
The French printer for Lulu clearly warned us paper supplies had become problematic. Lulu also informed us that paper, ink and glue have become more expensive. So I shouldn't complain that my books can still be printed.  |
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Post by And Kevin 2024 on Jan 16, 2023 0:56:47 GMT
We (UK-based) have never had any trouble with the paper. When you say the white paper is stiff, is it thicker (i.e. a heavier weight) than normal or just more rigid? I have the impression the paper is thicker, but not really stiffer. I took 60g white, but quite possibly they ran out of it, and replaced it by 80g white without changing the cost. |
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Post by And Kevin 2024 on Jan 16, 2023 0:59:10 GMT
The French printer for Lulu clearly warned us paper supplied had become problematic. Lulu also informed us that paper, ink and glue have become more expensive. So I shouldn't complain that my books can still be printed.  |
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