Help- Binding Books at Staples?

[GoofySon'sMom]

Please keep in mind how completely computer illiterate I am!

For those of you that have taken passports or autograph books to Staples or someplace similar to be bound, did you print the pages at home or somehow bring the information to them? If you brought the info to them, how did you get it there ... copy on a disk, CDRom?

I know these questions probably sound really, really dumb but I really am not sure how to get the wonderful creations on this board bound. Is there an easy way to do it myself?

Thank you all once again for your words of wisdom!

 

[tinkerbell/pixie]

I printed out all of my pages. I thought it would be cheaper than paying for color copies. I rubber band each book together just to keep everything together. I let Staples cut and bind them. I used a clear front with my cardstock 110 for the cover and a leather back. The last I did was Natalie's new passport design. The sales person was nice enough to cut two passport from one sheet due to the size. So I really paid to bind one for the price of two. I hope that helps you.They look like this.

clear Cover

inside

leather back

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I hope that helps you.They look like this.

clear Cover

inside

leather back

Yes, this is perfect! So I should just print my documents on cardstock? They then cut them & bind them? THANK YOU

 

[tinkerbell/pixie]

I printed just my covers on cardstock. For the rest of the pages I used heavy paper. I think it was between 96- 98. If you use all cardstocks some of the books like the autograph books can get heavy to carry around.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

I printed just my covers on cardstock. For the rest of the pages I used heavy paper. I think it was between 96- 98. If you use all cardstocks some of the books like the autograph books can get heavy to carry around.

Good point. I will have to get some heavier paper. I only have plain computer paper & card stock. I can't tell from the book ... are they printed front & back? And if so, I assume you did that? I am not even sure how to begin to do that! See, I told you I am completely stupid when it comes to the computer!

 

[tinkerbell/pixie]

I did print front to back. It uses less paper. I printed one sheet and then put it back through for the other side. My printer has a setting to do both sides but I still print one at a time and then run the page back through.It takes a little time but I am OCD about everything lining up even.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Ok, hopefully my last stupid question of the evening! How do you know which pages to print on the backs of what other pages? (Did that make sense?). I guess just picture in your head how you want the book and go from there?

 

[tinkerbell/pixie]

No problem at all. Maybe if I would have asked more questions I would have wasted a lot less ink. I am not sure which book you are talking about. The autograph books are in ABC order. I think it is easier for my son to find. The passport I put in order by countries.
1 Mexico
2 Norway
3 China
4 Germany
5 Italy
6 United Satates
7 Japan
8 Morroco
9 France
10 United KIngdom
11 Canda

 

[tinkerbell/pixie]

Also the passport that I printed of Natalie's should be 4 pages for each country.
The page for the stamp I put first.
Across from it I put the Pavillion page.
On the back of that I printed Message from Cast Member page
Then the castmember page
My very last page of the passport is the Mickey and Minnie firework page.

 

[TwinsandQuads]

can i ask how much it coast to do this at staples thanks vanessa

 

[tinkerbell/pixie]

The covers were $1-1.50. each. The spiral was 1.50. The cut was 2.00 I think.I did not spend more than $6 per book

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Ok, really my last question ... did you print on 4x6 paper? I think you must have. I wanted to do Natalies other book that looks like it will print two pages on the same page (the 2nd one in her post). I think I am going to just print the pages, cut them myself and use those rings to 'clip' them together at the top. That may not work for an autograph book, but it should work for this and probably the activity book as well.

Thank you very much for all your help! I really appreciate it!!

 

[tinkerbell/pixie]

The passport is 4x6. The autograph books were 6x6.I used full size paper for both and let Staples cut them down.

 

[heartbeeps]

here's mine. I dropped the designs - 2 to a page into a Word document then saved the Word document onto a thumb or jump drive then took the jump drive to Staples. Staples printed the pages in color (I thought it would be cheaper than using my own ink) and then made the cover and bound it for me. Total cost was less than $8.

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[lisabelll]

here's mine. I dropped the designs - 2 to a page into a Word document then saved the Word document onto a thumb or jump drive then took the jump drive to Staples. Staples printed the pages in color (I thought it would be cheaper than using my own ink) and then made the cover and bound it for me. Total cost was less than $8

That looks GREAT and the cost is good too! How exactly did you do it?? Two designs per page like, one on top and then one on the bottom So is your book more of a 5x7 or is it 4x6? Also how thick are the pages? Sorry for so many questions but last time I made it myself and was disappointed in the finished product. I haven't understood how you get the staples people to do it for you. Oh, one more question How many pages, well 2 more, did you have them do 2 sided pages???

TIA!!!

 

[heartbeeps]

That looks GREAT and the cost is good too! How exactly did you do it??
Two designs per page like, one on top and then one on the bottom

Yes two on one 8 1/2x11 page in Word. Only I should have added an additional line or "return" between the two pages as the Staples worker had to eek the cutting. (That's why the cover looks a little off center vertically.)

So is your book more of a 5x7 or is it 4x6?
It's 4x6. Staples trimmed the edges from the 8-1/2" side as well as the 11" side of each page.

Also how thick are the pages?
I printed the pages on regular paper stock; however, I could've had them printed on "cover" stock which is not quite as thick as card stock. (Of course, that would cost more money and since the book was only for a 5 year old I didn't want to go overboard in price.)

Sorry for so many questions but last time I made it myself and was disappointed in the finished product. I haven't understood how you get the staples people to do it for you.
No problem, I'm happy to tell you what I did and, if you can improve on my steps, that would be even better! Staples has a computer and they can print from their computer so I just took the file (Word document) to them and told them the file name so they could print it out there. I figured the cost of HP ink - especially color - wasn't worth me bothering when they could just print it on a color printer for what I think is about the same price as me burning ink from my ink jet printer. Do you know what a thumb or jump drive is? If not, click on the link. You can get them for about $10 on sale at places like Circuit City and Staples.

Oh, one more question How many pages, well 2 more, did you have them do 2 sided pages?

I "think" there were about 36 pages. I focused mainly on Princesses because my niece is afraid of all but face characters. Unfortunately I deleted the Word doc with the files in it or I could've counted (and forwarded it on to you). I only did them 1 sided because I was afraid she might decide to use a Sharpie or other pen and it would bleed through the other side. And, I wanted her to have some blanks just in case she got brave enough to ask a customed character for their autograph!

and now, for the rest of the story........
as it turned out, the day we went to the Princess Breakfast in Norway, her mommy left the autograph book in the locker at the front of the park! Fortunately, the host handed out colored (and non-lined) index cards when we were seated!

good luck and hope this helps.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Thank you for the info. I need to get a thumb drive for my son's laptop anyway so this may be my answer. Do you know if they can bind the books at the top rather than the side?

 

[lisabelll]

Thanks for the info! I know DH will be ablet to figure out the jump drive part, but how did you save the pictures in word??? Ugh, now I know why I did it myself last time

 

[tinkerbell/pixie]

Yes Staples will bind the book however you like. They took alot of time when doing my books and wrote down all my instructions.

 

[heartbeeps]

Thanks for the info! I know DH will be ablet to figure out the jump drive part, but how did you save the pictures in word??? Ugh, now I know why I did it myself last time

I just opened Word then did a drag from their original location to Word.