cheap print service recommendations for large print runs?

[ramsey everydaypants]

Hi. I'm gearing up to print the next issue of my zine, List #14! 

I had a great contact in a print shop that just had me pay for the paper but that shop is going under (maybe employees were giving away too many freebies to friends? oops?)

For my next issue, I'd like to get 500 copies of my zine made. I've made 400 the last couple issues and always run out within the year and need to get another 200 made usually. I'm wondering if it's time to start looking into bulk printing or if that doesn't start until you get up to 1000's. 

Does anyone do large print runs and have suggestions for where to get things printed? I know I could just do some research on the ol google, but you all might have tips about quality and service as well. 

Thanks!

-Ramsey

[kit feral]

(I have no tips, since I do nowhere near that large a run, but I just wanted to say YAY List 14!!! I can't wait :D)

[Derek Neuland]

i've heard good things about 1984 printing, but have never printed with them before: http://www.1984printing.com/

[ramsey everydaypants]

Thanks Derek, and star blanket river child =0)

Derek Neuland said:

i've heard good things about 1984 printing, but have never printed with them before: http://www.1984printing.com/

[Dan C]

I have been satisfied by my experience with Eberhardt Press, http://www.eberhardtpress.org/

[Tina Armstrong]

The F-Bomb usually prints 1,000 copies quarterly. Ater spending thousands on printing I found it most cost-effective to buy a refurbished commerical printer and just do it myself. The place I bought the printer from even let me make payments. My suggestion would be to hit up locally owned printer repair stores and see what they have for you. I went from paying $1100 for a thousand copies of a 52 page, color cover zine to $200. Worth it in the long run!

[Dan 10things]

I used to do print runs of 2,000-5,000 for my zine. Occasionally there were printers that specialized in zines (Punks with Presses in Berkeley and the Zine Publishers Co-Op in Florida) that offered rates that were cheap enough to beat local printers even with shipping costs, but usually the best bet was going with a local printer. What I'd do is write up a what I want done - offset printed, size, number of pages, any special colored ink or paper requirements (nice for the cover), if you want them assembled, folded and stapled, and how big of a a print run. Then I'd mail a copy of my zine with what I wanted to do to all the local printers I could find. I'd include a letter saying I'm trying to find a new cheaper printer than my current one do print 3 or 4 zines a year with and ask for a bid on the job. Printers are used to bidding on them, you'll find one or two printers will come in with bids way lower, usually it's a smaller family owned local place that needs the business, which is perfect.