Images Web book

[ODHA]

OK, I have my initial site up and running (the www doesn’t know it yet :rolleyes: ) I have a products page with one specific product. I plan on adding a web book that will be made up of images / drawings / plans for making an associated product.

The drawings are too large for my scanner and the scaling is critical to the drawings. I assume that I will have to take the drawings to a print shop to have them made into pdf format? However, if I make it individual images then the user will not be able to print (larger than 8.5x11) without taking the file to a print shop also. Is there any way around this?

Also, what is the best way to handle copy control? Once I send out a pdf, I can not stop people from just emailing the file around to there friends. I considered making it paper but I don’t want to deal with printing and shipping.

[Sven]

Just send the full thing by post. Leave out the problem of copying. It's the easiest solution to the customers problem.

You can have em scanned and turned in to a pdf but as you describe they then have to be printed again to the exact size. This WILL go wrong at some point (I know this from experience) and gives a lot of hassle to you and your customer.

I would like to see what this is all about, seems a simmilar way to doing things to what I do ;-)

[mascij]

just ask the print shop to scan the full the draft and segment into 8x10's, give you access to the raw files that you can use how you wish. any graphic artist can do this very simply, then just label each one in sequence, give the customer a master copy that fits on an 8x10 showing them the sequence, then they can print out the 20 or 40 sheets they need and arrange them by the legend.

[badhank]

maybe you can lay ur paper(s) flat or on a drafting table, set up the lighting proper, and take a picture with a decent quality digital camera, do any adjustments digitally....
Scanning is just one way to digitally capture information, and its very limited as per what its about to do effectively, theres other alternatives for oversize/3d items.

[Mike Rhodes]

I'm confused as to why the scaling is so critical... surely the scale is marked on the drawings?

couldn't you offer a pdf with normal letter sized scans
one reduced of the whole thing
& other pages highlighting important detail

then ***
offer a premium version of your product
you post the large format size to them in the post
professional copied
not reduced in any way
full size
delivered to your door

& charge a nice price for it...
the premium might also come with say
- unlimited email support
- a video showing how to create the thing in the drawing????
- a 20 minute 'get out of jail free' call to you when things go wrong

just remember they want/value
- the process to be easy
- access to the expert (you!)
- someone to remove the hassle (going to the copy shop)

good luck!!
mike