Silicon Valley Print Vendors

[/G=Mike/S=Christie -at- MHS-SUNALL -dot- ATTMAIL -dot- COM]

To Silicon Valley Techwhirlers -

I've spent the last year working on a rather long, drawn-out project where the
delivery of the documentation kept getting delayed due to changes in the
software and the lack of availability of developers to review it. Then I got
that familiar "OK, the software's done, when can you deleiver the
documentation?" from management. To make a long story short, I delivered three
manuals to the printer on Wednesday, and have to turn around and deliver
revisions of those three, plus a fourth for shipment on Oct 31.

In the process I discovered not only was I sorely out of practice in terms of
print buying, but that I was lacking in the kind of contacts I had developed
over the previous five years at my last  job. I called the vendor I wanted to
work with a couple of weeks ahead of time, got quotes mades arrangements, etc.
Then I got a call on delivery day saying that both of their Docutech machines
(see below) were down, that they couldn't take in more jobs, etc. I begged and
pleaded and told the sales rep about how I'd been in the office since 6:00 that
morning to do the production work, how I didn't even  have another quote for
the job, etc. I think everything is going to be fine and they're going to come
through for me not more than a day late, but the episode pointed out to me the
need for second sources and backups in one's vendors. What I woud like to do is
to describe  my documentation needs, ask for recommendations of vendors who do
that kind of work, and with whom you've been satisfied.  Please *email* your
replies *directly to me* at mikec -at- syntel -dot- com, since this discussion will be of
no interest to the vast majority of the  list. If you'd like a summary, of
responses, please so indicate and I will email it directly to those who are
interested.

Basically my documentation:
1) Comes in multiple volumes (4 currently), each volume being 100 to 400 pages
in length
2) Is 8.5 x 11, all black and white, 2-sided
3) Is 3-hole drilled for 3-ring binders
4) Has very short runs of 20 to 50 sets a pop

I prefer to use Docutech (diskette to printed output) rather than providing
laser masters, but I do provide a laster-printed copy for the printer to verify
that what  they're getting is what they're supposed to get. I use Ventura and
output to an .EPS file.

Please send your vendor suggestions, again, directly to me.

And apologies to the rest of the list for this rather long regional post.

Mike Christie
Technical Writer
Syntelligence Systems, Inc
Reply to: mikec -at- syntel -dot- com
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