Sustainable self-publishing
Pitto, Sara (2020)
Pitto, Sara
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202005128625
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202005128625
Tiivistelmä
The objective of this study was to determine the most sustainable solution to self-publishing a children’s book, focusing on the main aspects of printing a book: paper, inks, and finishes. Although equally important, the publishing and distribution processes were not analyzed in this study.
A literature review was used to understand the paper-making and printing processes, and to highlight the most sustainable solutions and practices on an ideal level. Upon contacting printing and self-publishing companies, the most realistic options available were underlined.
After the necessary information was gathered, the “Harris profile” provided a better understanding of paper sources, enabling the author to compare the most promising ones, and revealing the real difficulty of the situation, that as there is no one single best solution; this method stressed the necessity for the ideal implementation of multiple sources to achieve a truly sustainable result. The “People Planet Profit” method analyzed three realistic solutions, highlighting digital printing with the Ashely House Printing Company as the most realistic and sustainable one.
The study led to an unsuccessful outcome, as the book was not printed. The selected company did not reply to the final enquiry, possibly because of the current lockdown situation slowing supply chains and closing many businesses. The situation affected the results, as well as the high standards that the author had, which were hard to meet.
A literature review was used to understand the paper-making and printing processes, and to highlight the most sustainable solutions and practices on an ideal level. Upon contacting printing and self-publishing companies, the most realistic options available were underlined.
After the necessary information was gathered, the “Harris profile” provided a better understanding of paper sources, enabling the author to compare the most promising ones, and revealing the real difficulty of the situation, that as there is no one single best solution; this method stressed the necessity for the ideal implementation of multiple sources to achieve a truly sustainable result. The “People Planet Profit” method analyzed three realistic solutions, highlighting digital printing with the Ashely House Printing Company as the most realistic and sustainable one.
The study led to an unsuccessful outcome, as the book was not printed. The selected company did not reply to the final enquiry, possibly because of the current lockdown situation slowing supply chains and closing many businesses. The situation affected the results, as well as the high standards that the author had, which were hard to meet.