Different Lulu binding option possible?

[WTMCassandra]

Hi, we are in Aesop this year and will start Homer in the fall. The coil binding on my children's workbooks has simply not stood up to normal use (and I strictly enforce nice/gentle use of books).

Since Lulu is "print as you go," would it be possible to choose a different binding option? I personally would prefer unbound (since I own an electric GBC binder). However, options for GBC, perfect, and 3-hole punched but unbound would be great too. Is this at all possible, especially for the workbooks?

I will be making a large expenditure soon, buying the complete set of Homer and Harvey stuff for two students, and I would hate to have to just turn around and have an office supply store cut off several bindings on brand-new books! But the coil is just not working for me.

I am a total fan of this program, but I have learned through Aesop to detest the coil binding pretty strongly.

Thanks for your help,
WTMCassandra

[Lene Mahler Jaqua]

Cassandra,

Your point is well taken.

With my own kids I find that coil bound is not as durable as the other. (The rougher the kid, the worse the page tears against the coil). We are discussing perfect binding for student workbooks. It may do better, but then again, I fear that the spines will break.

With Lulu print on demand we have the option of hardcover, perfect bound, or coil. There is no option of three hole punch, I am sorry. I cut off perfect binding and make my own three-hole punch books out of the books offered by Memoria Press (Latin and Logic) precisely because their comb bindings (the plastic parts) would simply break under my boys' not so gentle treatments of them. That is why we went to spiral bindings for CW, but as you have noticed, the card stock front and back pages sometimes suffer under this arrangement.

I know it's costly to have the binding cut off and reset in three hole format. We have done that with all our Henle Latin books (including hard lamination of front and back pages) it was $10-20 extra per book.

Do you think, perfect binding would work better than coil (since 3 hole punch is not an option?)

Lene

[WTMCassandra]

Perfect binding would work better for me, but some other people might not like that they will not lie flat.

It's a serious bummer that they won't offer unbound or 3-hole punch. From a printing standpoint, these options are both easier AND cheaper for them! All they would have to do is wrap some clear wrap around the stack of paper and covers, put them in a box, and ship them!

Thanks for considering this,
WTMCassandra

[Lene Mahler Jaqua]

May I suggest you contact lulu and ask that they add these options?

www.lulu.com/en/help/

I plan to do likewise.

For those authors who would not mind their books sold in different formats, it would be nice at check out if you had the option of 3 hole, spiral, or perfect bound as a last check box before you buy.

Lene

[WTMCassandra]

Yes! That would be ideal!

I tried the online chat feature and got nowhere. He recommended I post on their forum, so I did under the "Requests and Feedback" forum:

www.lulu.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=262

Do you have other contacts within Lulu that you can try?

[WTMCassandra]

Well, it's been four days, including two normal business days, and I've had zero responses from Lulu on the suggestion I posted on their requests/suggestions board.

Any other ideas about how we can actually reach a human being with this suggestion?

[Carolyn]

It can be difficult to reach a human at Lulu. Live Help is (hopefully) human, but the most you could do there is run the suggestion past them.

Every once in a while we have the opportunity to give them feedback. I will start including the 'varied bindings at checkout' option there.

Carolyn

[WTMCassandra]

Thank you. Honestly, I don't think we are asking too much.

I need to order this week, so I guess I will take the workbooks to OfficeMax, have them cut off the spines (sigh), laminate the covers, and then I will GBC the workbooks at home so they will lie flat (I have the equipment). I think that will be the most usable solution for right now.

I just can't believe I'm going to have to mutilate a new book and spend more money to fix it when it would be SO EASY for Lulu to send something unbound. Grrr.

Thanks,
WTMCassandra

[Jennie]

For what it is worth, our front and back covers did not hold up to normal use either. I hope you find a solution.

Jennie~home educating 4 (ds14, dd12, dd8 and dd8) WNY

[Lene Mahler Jaqua]

Was this for the perfect bound or for the coil bound?

I am asking because our experience is that it is coil binding that is less resistant to wear.

Lene