Has Anyone Been Able to Print the Latest Version of the Hornet Manual?

[melchionda]

Has anyone been able to print this manual for a reasonable cost?  If so where?  

 

I've been trying to print the latest version of the Hornet manual.  I usually print these manuals using LuLu.com... costs about $25 USD.  However their online print service has been choking on the file for a few reason...

1.) The page sizes are metric.

2.) Some of the fonts are not embedded.

3.) It's 400 pages and so it can't be bound at that size.  (Needs to be split into two documents)

 

I realize that I could send this to FedEx Office and pay them around $300 USD to print it but at that point its cost prohibitive.

 

I've been attempting to fix the file in Adobe Acrobat Pro but have been unsuccessful so far.  The file was originally created in MS Word and Saved as a PDF out of MS Word... which adds other issues because it's a different flavor of PDF than the Adobe version.

 

Sean

[melchionda]

I think I finally did it.  Took me a few days of messing around with this file.  

 

The solution that I came up with was:

 

1.) Convert the file it to PDF/X - (This force embedded all of the fonts.  This was necessary because just a regular embed didn't work.)

2.) Did a batch re-format of all of the pages to 8.5x11 format

3.) Split the file into two volumes so that it could be bound.  Unfortunately the PDF Organize "Split" feature couldn't do it; instead I had to duplicate the file and then delete half of the pages from each of the files to make a Volume 1 and Volume 2.  This was actually easier than using the "Split" feature as I was able to retain the cover and the table of contents for both volumes.  It also gave me more control of where the split occurred.

 

Anyway.. a major ass-whip, but I was able to save a couple hundred dollars.

 

Edited April 21, 2021 by melchionda

[Steel Jaw]

LOL about metric, but anyhow glad you got it sorted.  Wish I could afford to print it out.

[melchionda]

@Mower  Using Lulu.com it cost me $35 total including shipping to print the whole manual.  I think thats a pretty good deal!  Which is why I made the effort. Their pricing is really good, its just that they have very strict requirements on the file characteristics.

 

Edited April 21, 2021 by melchionda

[Steel Jaw]

6 minutes ago, melchionda said:

@Mower  Using Lulu.com it cost me $35 total including shipping to print the whole manual.  I think thats a pretty good deal!  Which is why I made the effort. Their pricing is really good, its just that they have very strict requirements on the file characteristics.

 

 

Is there any chance you could pass me the modded files for printing please, brother?

[markturner1960]

If you put the files up on lulu, anyone can access and pay to print them I think. I would probably go for it at that price as well, although I am mostly an ipad man now.....

Edited April 22, 2021 by markturner1960

[melchionda]

Does anyone know how to give others access to print them?  I'm more than happy to share these  I did the DCS Manual as well As Chucks Guide as well as the A10 docs.  I'm not sure how to share access and quite frankly after two days of messing around with these files I'm exhausted!  This became an obsession for me.  Also reached out to Eagle Dynamic Tech support about the format of their PDFs but they were no help. I sent them instructions on what they need to do to embed the fonts but not sure if they picked that up.

 

Note that the F/A18 docs especially the "Chucks Guide" isn't "Perfect".  I skimmed it and it looks pretty good but to get a perfect print out requires the skills of a real print professional processing the job... I don't have those skills.  I'll be much better able to judge how good these are after I get them.

 

The A10 Manuals and the F14 Manual are "Almost Perfect".

 

Note that V1 and V2 refer to "Volume 1" and "Volume 2". I had to split them to bind them.

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by melchionda

[Shimmergloom667]

That's why I have a tablet. To quote the great Dr. Peter Venkman: "Print is dead."

[melchionda]

11 hours ago, Shimmergloom667 said:

That's why I have a tablet. To quote the great Dr. Peter Venkman: "Print is dead."

I used to think that too except studies have shown that reading comprehension when reading from a real book is greater than when you read from a tablet.  My personal experience bears that out.  Also, tablet content is harder to skim when looking across a lot of pages... which in the case of these manuals is critical when cross referencing something that I am reading in that moment with something from another section.

Edited April 23, 2021 by melchionda