Stinehour Press Announces End of Operations

[David Spivak-Focus Magazine]

OMG this is terrible news. I worked with them on a Berenice Abbott book and they were everything you'd want an art publisher to be. They were picky about image quality, talented (and sometimes grumpy) master technicians and eventually, if they liked you, huge fun. I'm so sorry to hear that there isn't a place in the world for a TOTALLY GREAT PRODUCT like this. It makes me sad. rb

There IS a place in the world for a "totally great product" like Stinehour was.

Dual Graphics, Brilliant Graphics and Meridian Printing. Those are the only three in the country anyone should trust their photography to.

[Michael Alpert]

Dual Graphics, Brilliant Graphics and Meridian Printing. Those are the only three in the country anyone should trust their photography to.

David,

On reflection, you might consider being a bit more inclusive. As good as the printers you mentioned are, they are surely not "the only" trustworthy firms. In recent years, I have had good results with at least two other New England printers, and I am sure that there are other printers who are as fine as the ones you've cited in other parts of the country and in Canada (Thaddeus Holownia's new book was superbly printed on the Canadian West Coast). This matter of fine printing is always in process, with talented new printers coming into the field and established printers losing their edge due to personnel changes or just fatigue.

[David Spivak-Focus Magazine]

David,

On reflection, you might consider being a bit more inclusive. As good as the printers you mentioned are, they are surely not "the only" trustworthy firms. In recent years, I have had good results with at least two other New England printers, and I am sure that there are other printers who are as fine as the ones you've cited in other parts of the country and in Canada (Thaddeus Holownia's new book was superbly printed on the Canadian West Coast). This matter of fine printing is always in process, with talented new printers coming into the field and established printers losing their edge due to personnel changes or just fatigue.

I've never seen work by any of these other printers. In Canada I only know of Hemlock that prints LensWork.

If you're going to spend $10's of thousands of dollars to print a book - you might as well do it with the people who have the best reputation for printing it.

[jnantz]

They have a great reputation, and offer great printing, but for the life of me who the hell pays $50,000 for 1,000 copies of a 9 x 9, 96 page book?

david

it seems that plenty of people do and have no problem with either their prices or quality
otherwise they wouldn't still be in business.

[David Spivak-Focus Magazine]

david

it seems that plenty of people do and have no problem with either their prices or quality
otherwise they wouldn't still be in business.

I have no problems with their quality. Sure you could get better quality somewhere else, but you could always get better quality elsewhere - keep going up and up and up until you reach Salto in Belgium.

Meridian's prices though... very tough to work with.

[jnantz]

david,

maybe it is more of a business with deep pockets thing.
often times if a company has lots of resources
they don't necessarily look for less expensive, just high quality,
or maybe these deep pocketed businesses have been going to them
for a long long time. they have been down the road from me since i was a kid.

i know i don't have deep pockets, so i go for less expensive, and
often time i will make a book of images myself. it isn't hard to
make a signature bound book, and it is even less work to make
a japanese bound one.

[simpsonk]

I would never choose Meridian for any project. Although they have very good quality and excellent customer service - their line screen doesn't come close to what the printer I work with offers (Meridian offers 250 vs. Brilliant @ 400) and their prices are nearly double what I can get. In the end, I can get the exact same paper as they can, the exact same binding materials and better printing quality for thousands less.

One of their most recent quotes they sent me was over $7500 what I could get a book printed, bound and shipped for.

"Can you direct me to Brilliant's web site. The only Brilliant printing company I found on the web was a company based in Hong Kong which dealt mostly with packaging."

[Kirk Gittings]

Email David at the Focus Magazine site. He is no longer posting here.