Fabio from Rio was instrumental in making the 180 page booklet for Pink Floyd's "Maximum Wall," and he's very interested in making some printed copies. He has written an announcement to that effect. So here's his words on this topic:
I've been getting some quotes from printing stores here in Rio, Brazil, and as expected, printing just a single copy is quite expensive - practically unfeasible. But if you print a larger quantity, the cost per copy drops dramatically. That’s the beauty of economies of scale.
So what I would suggest to anyone here who is considering having the book printed, is to look around in your area (country or state) for other people who might also be interested, and then print a larger batch - 10, 20 or more copies. The more you print, the cheaper it gets.
Try reaching out to Pink Floyd fan groups on social media, perhaps even sharing the link to this page. Or you can even ask here at the comments section to this post. I'm sure there will be people interested. Then it's just a matter of figuring out the logistics of getting the copies to everyone.
I can't really offer to organize this myself because I'm in Brazil, and it wouldn't make much economic sense to print the books here and then ship them all over the world when you can do it locally. But I'm already in touch with other fans here in Brazil and with a few in Argentina. My goal is to get somewhere between 40 and 50 people interested, because at that point the individual printing cost drops considerably. But even if I only manage to get 10 or 20 people, I'll still print them and distribute them here - including the CDs!
So I'd suggest doing the same in your own area. Get a few fans together, print a larger batch, and share the cost. It should make the whole thing much more affordable for everyone.
Finally, if there are other Brazilian fans around that are interested, please let me know. I may also consider requests from neighbor countries (you will have to support a higher shipping and handling cost, and additional costs and taxes may apply).
Also, I will be doing all this for free, with zero profit, not including any margin over the printing, shipping and handling costs.
But again, these are just estimates - for the Brazilian printed version. Things may well be extra expensive in Brazil. You should get your own quotes from your local printing stores; you may get even better prices there!
Finally, if any of you have other ideas on how to do it with a lower cost, share your thoughts in the comments section here. Even better is if you could offer to be a local hub in your state or country and/or ask for other interested parties near your vicinity.
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ReplyDeleteThose from Brazil (and neighbor countries from Mercosur region) who want a printed copy may reply to this comment and I will reach to you later when we have enough local demand for the first printing batch, with final costs so you may confirm if you're in or out this crowdfunding effort.
ReplyDeleteI suggest people from other locations post their own comments here in the comments section, to check for fellow local fans and organize their own printing groups.
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Many thanks for this Fabio. I am in the UK and have explored printing costs. A single copy is out of the question and I am happy to hear from others in the UK who may want to join together to help reduce costs. I would probably have three for myself and others. The only alternative would be a home made job which would certainly not do justice to the superb booklet you have created.
DeleteYes, in the artwork liner notes in the book, when I discuss the different printing options, I actually mention the DIY option — including the possibility of reducing it to half the size of the original project. This would be far from ideal, but it is indeed an option for those who would prefer to print it themselves at home. (Although, to do it properly, you would probably go through so many ink cartridges and so much good-quality paper that the cost might end up being about the same as having it printed at a print shop.)
DeleteI am thinking, once you (Fabio) have come up with a template that others can follow, then we can begin to assemble a group of people who can invest the time and cash to crowdfund this in our selected areas. Considering the amazing quality that was put into it, I guess it would be possible to come up with an 'economy' version, but it truly earns the coffeetable version suggested, for the discerning Wall fan (And Roger Waters ;) ) LOL Also, considering the tragic lack of interest in the business to artwork since it pushes more into the digital realm and less on the physical, this masterwork of design that Hypgnosis and (whomever holds these rights) should take the knee and tip the hat to such packaging that even the Immersion sets sit in the spiritual shadow of this megalith, nay, WALL LOL
ReplyDeleteSure, as soon as I have chosen a printint store and it has provided me with the final printing template (they already told me that the jpgs images as they are won't work, they will have to be translated to other, more printing-friendly format), I'll share it with Paul and he will make it available here at the blog.
DeleteI'm actually not sure yet if the coffee-table version with hardcover will be possible - very few printing shops here offer that option, and the cost can double if going in that direction. I'm looking at some interesting alternatives that use hardened cardboard covers that are not so expensive as tradicional hardcovers but would hold the cds as well.
Anyway, after I have my own final tecchinal paramerers, I can share, along with cost, so you can consult and compare at your local stores. I'm sure the USA has many more and less expensive options they I do here in Brazil.
Here at this link, there' are some examples of what could be done (that shop seems to be US based, so it could be a good place for you americans to quote):
Deletehttps://www.megagroup-inc.com/product/cd-book-5x5/
https://www.megagroup-inc.com/about/
My gut feeling is that soon as you start selling something like this - even for zero profit - you could end up in hot water. However well meaning the idea is, I would not do it.
ReplyDeleteThere is no commerce here, the concept is that Fabio does plan to have two (or more based upon crowdsourcing/funding in Brazil) made (one for himself and the other to present to Roger Waters next time he plays in Brazil), and if someone (i.e. me) does want one of a similar kind, he would provide the templates for that person to take to a negotiated print shop of their choice to have it made, at their cost...Fabio has already made it clear that he is finding it to be a bit cost-prohibitive unless it was done in 'bulk,' so the idea is being tossed around that we might be able to crowdfund production on a group basis in our individual areas to lessen the overall financial pain of desiring one to accompany this Maximum Wall. I will admit the legality may be a bit grey, but [sweeps arm in a gesture across the entire world] no less murky than all this. >:(
DeleteKontroller, as Fredrick mentions, there is no selling involved here at all. It’s simply a suggestion to share the printing costs and do it at scale to make it affordable, which is basically what the whole idea of crowdfunding is about. But I agree that others may see it differently. It’s a bit like the Caesar’s wife principle: even the appearance of impropriety can be a concern.
DeleteThis is one reason why it would be better to do it locally, within your city and/or state, without transactions across state lines, let alone international ones. Ideally, I would physically go with a dozen friends to a printing shop, order the batch, and everyone would chip in on the spot. But that’s not really practical in 2026, so the next best option is to do it the way I’m suggesting. I would actually prefer that nobody send me any money and that everyone simply pay the printing shop directly (I’ll check whether that’s feasible), but again, that would work locally, not across borders.
Anyway, it’s just an idea. I only shared it here at Paul’s suggestion. If no one else is interested (or thinks it’s not worth the trouble or the risk), that’s perfectly fine. I’ll do it for myself and half a dozen personal friends down here, maybe print a few extra copies to send as Christmas or Hanukkah gifts, and that will be it!
As for the legality and “grey area” comment, well, we are discussing this on a blog that shares literally thousands of unauthorized recordings by hundreds (perhaps thousands?) of different artists, so the point seems somewhat moot to me...
You are so correct, Fabio LOL so yes it is a bit of an odd discussion to have...I do not care if it costs me >$100 USD to have it manufactured personally, though it would be nice if it is possible to crowdfund this with others in my major metropolitan area who also happen to be ATSE visitors who love The Wall to lessen the pain ;), but as I have said multiple times to this point, the book that accompanies this album is a masterpiece and masterwork, both as a detailed explanation of the project and as a history of the music of not just The Wall but also The Final Cut and its contributions to this. Also, and despite one specific commenter's feewings, the artwork is gallery-worthy *at worst*. In a better world, this would be negotiated to be the official 50th Anniversary Edition to be released in 3 years, but as I said above, [sweeps arm in a gesture across the entire world] [shrugs]. >:(
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