homemade manga, printing a comic at home; binding, saddle stitch, cutting

I just got a small order for my exclusive in-house printed comic, & i thought i would make a demo vid since i couldnt find one back when i was trying to learn how to do it.

I was actually talking through alot of this video, but alot of it was complaining about the lack of quality in consumer level printing technology...& its pretty boring at normal speed.

youll notice the first few prints smear where there are solid blacks, like the hair on the cover.
This is because the ink i was using was pigment based instead of dye based, & i learned that the supplier had switched their formula since my previous order from dye to pigment.
this is really only an issue if you are using uncoated paper, apparently resin coated paper will work with both but is harder to source.

The best you can do if you must work with pigment ink on uncoated paper is to experiment with both your print software & hardware settings to find a configuration that prints the shiniest, then quickly wipe away the undried black ink with a clean cloth. This will leave you will a slightly lighter but useable print.

About the blue masking tape you see when i pull out the tray...: i did that so the printer would not pull x2 or more sheets at the same time (yes its actually happened). I can't say it's true for other printers, but the hp7740 has issues pulling cardstock tabloid stock in the first cold pull. another trick ive had to do (which cooincides with needing to load individual sheets), is placing the top sheet above the end of the tray so it hangs over about half an inch before reinserting the tray.
After a sheet or 3, the printer magically starts pulling the sheets without leaving it over the tray edge each time, but i still do not trust it not to pull multiple sheets, which is a huge waste of ink & paper because you cant tell its happened until most of the image is printed.

That sheet of scribbles i show for a second after printing the inside of the cover is notes, trying to troubleshoot the software setting combo for getting the darkest blacks with the incorrect ink that i had to use so it didnt go to waste. Your settings will most likely differ but be aware that your pc & printer both have independent setting that may possibly contradict eachother. its good invest some time/resources into testing (& documenting) what settings will work best for your chosen tech setup.

i wipe off the glossy cover print because i had to use the incorrect ink (black mainly). Since this in the video didnt adhere completely, i wanted to get rid of excess before binding, but i still got smudges. Inkjet printers need Dye ink to print on Glossy for darker "dark colors" (anything that uses black).

Youll notice that i pay more attention to the image page division as opposed to the super imposed crop lines. Again, the inaccurate hp7740 printers to blame. I pretty much forget they are there after i do the initial soft fold. Its crucial to trust the image in your eye before the printed crop lines.
To be clear, the issue is that when the printer pulls the page in to auto-duplex print, it does not mirror the back any more than approx 90%. I dont expect more from a consumer level machine, its just something to be aware of & compensate for. I compensate by leaving alot of sacrificial art or white space on my edges & spine. All you need to do is avoid cringy cropping ( border outlines visible too near the edge of the page, crooked outlines falling off the page when theyre not meant to, lost text, images spilling into a different page spread because they share a sheet).

The white tool i use to crease is called a Bone Folder.

When you cut, its important to use a test copy to figure out your final dimensions, but its more important to document your "cutting dimensions".
The only way to ensure your first cut will land square is to use the spine as a "measuring reference" for your placement. My first cut is always the top. You cannot use your final dimension as reference for the first cut because you have not cut off the bottom yet! When you make this first cut, measure the length of the booklet & where the edges of the booklet were (hopefully you have a cutter with a printed grid & rulers, otherwise you probably dont want to be this precise anyway). This is where youll always place the booklet for your first cut & youll alway get the same accurate cut.
Your 2nd cut will be to your final length dimension. Since you used the spine as a ruler for the first cut, you are now able to use the first cut as your 2nd ruler. If you didnt already have your final length dimension, you do now. Or you can adjust your print process accordingly.
The 3rd cut is the easiest but also sometimes unpredictable. This is where the accuracy of your printer & the forethought of sacrificial art on your page edges (pages with bleeds) really factors in.
If you didnt already have your final dimensions, you do now. Or you can adjust your print process accordingly.

Ask any questions in the comments!