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Ahhhhh….Spring is here and with it a convention somewhere EVERY weekend!
I just got back from a wonderful trip to Anaheim and WonderCon. I met a lot of you there and not a chance to introduce us and our services to a lot of creator/publishers. I love attending conventions. Conventions are invigorating. They make you want to go home and create! They give you that drive to finally finish up that next issue you’ve been working on for a mighty long time. It’s heartening to see the passion to create comics in so many people.
Read the full story »Personal appearances by Ka-Blam creators
Frequently Asked Questions
Tips, tricks, tutorials, links, etc.
Comics Shops who support independent comics!
Swap Ads with other creators and independent publishers!
Easy. Just register and you can ask it in the Ka-Blam Message Center and someone from our staff will answer it for you ASAP!
Emilio Velez Jr spent his weekend attending 2 shows:
On Friday he showcased his Dodgeball Teen series at the Community Resource Fair in the Bronx. On Saturday, he went to the EternalCon in Long Island, NY!
One of the most common mistakes we see on orders is with regard to page count. There is a tendency to confuse sheets with pages. Don’t make that mistake. Sheets and pages are NOT synonymous
Jon Sampson did double duty at Lexington Comic Con!
Not only did this creator have our t-shirt modeled but he got to meet Carl Struycken who played Lurch in the 1993 Addams Family movie.
Jenni Says — “This book is right up my alley–steampunk and spookiness!”
Check out the latest entrant in Ka-Blam’s Create a T-Shirt Contest!
This template applies to all double page spreads for standard-sized comics, wraparound covers for standard sized comics, as well as the interior covers (endpapers) for standard-sized hardcovers.
We’ve mentioned this a few times in the past but just as a reminder, everyone, please do NOT use yousendit.com for sending files to us. The downloads are too slow, the download limits are too small, and the links expire too fast.
I was wondering if books are limited to the comics format. I have some line art that I would love to see in your new hardback.
Thanks for any info!
Ronnie
At present, Ronnie, we’re offering only two sizes on the hard covers … standard comic and magazine size. So if either of those sizes work for you, then you can order at your convenience.
I’d like VERY much to register, but it continually says something about a MYSQL syntax error. I’ve tried, and failed, to register 12 times now to no avail. I also have no way of getting any help because, well, I can’t register. Anything I can do about this?
Chris Haag
Refresh your browser and give it another try, Chris. There was a code error that had crept in on our end during the installation of the new site that we had missed until your message. I just tested it and was able to register easily.
If I publish a comic book with you, and I want to offer them through comic monkey and indyplanet, do I have to order a certain number from you? or is it print on demand as the orders come through? Also: do you supply or have links etc to Amazon as well? Thanks, gb
It’s print on demand, Greg. There is no minimum order for IndyPlanet or ComicsMonkey. If you want to sell through Amazon you’ll have to set that up yourself and then order to your needs.
I wanted to know if Ka-Blam is also a viable option for books that are mostly text? For everything from a book with art on one page, prose on the other, or a TV series episode guide book, or something along those lines.
Good question, Ethan. I’ve actually added this question (and its answer) to our FAQ.
If we submit a black/white comic, can our file be submitted in shades of gray that will convert to black halftone by your printing equipment, or is it recommended that we create the black halftone ourselves?
If you want half tones you’re going to have to create those on your end. If we get continuous tone grays on your page files then we can only assume you want continuous tone.
I was wondering… You publish a lot of comics/mangas, but do you also publish artbooks? (Books with only/mostly whole page illustrations in it)
Just to clarify, we don’t publish anything. We only print. But sure, we can print your artbook. We do lots of those.
Thank you! I have one more question: Artbooks often use a type of laminated/shinny smooth paper on the interior for the illustrations, is that the paper you use to print? (What kind of paper is: 50# high bright paper?)
Our interior stock is not glossy. At present glossy interior paper is not an option. Sorry.
Hello, I was wondering what are the ways that i can send you my art and files in order to get my book printed?
Please consult the FAQ.
When ordering, what does your page-count reflect? Does a 20-page order mean 10 sheets with 20 surfaces, or does it mean 20 sheets with 40 surfaces?
I FORGOT TO INCLUDE MY INTERIOR PAGE COUNT IN MY ORDER, I JUST ORDER A DAY AGO IS TOO LATE TO ADD IT?
We can adjust that on our end, but this is the kind of question that needs to be sent to the Message Center so it will attach to your order.
For the manga size prints, do you p[rint only left to right? also, how would the pages be placed? Would it be you over the cover and an interior cover greets your eyes, you turn to the next page and to the bak of you interior cover, you have page 1 of the story, without a white back to the interior cover?
Hi, I have kind of an odd question… my fiance and I wanted to make a comic about how we met as a wedding favor for our reception, and have heard good things about your printings. Obviously, we wouldn’t be selling anything we have you print. But would things like my college’s logo or our old company’s logo (it was a private company and doesn’t exist anymore) fall under the “stuff you won’t print b/c of copyright” rule? Thanks!
I think that would fall under the “fair use” exception to copyright … so it shouldn’t be a problem.
Elizabeth asked: When ordering, what does your page-count reflect? Does a 20-page order mean 10 sheets with 20 surfaces, or does it mean 20 sheets with 40 surfaces?
Like If i wanted to make an “80 page giant” i would pick 40 in the page count?
Don’t confuse “sheets” with “pages”. The order form doesn’t ask for a sheet count. It asks how many INTERIOR pages are in your book.
If you want an 80 page book then you’d order an 80 page book. If you want a 20 page, you order a 20 page book. It’s really simple. Don’t get all counter-intuitive on us. :)
If I choose to have a Ka-Blam ad on the back cover, should I still send a back-up back cover in case you decide not to run the Ka-Blam one?
No. In the rare and unlikely event that we decline to run our ad — seriously, I think I can count on one hand the time’s that’s happened in the past almost five years — then we’ll request that you send additional back cover file.
What is the difference between IndyPlanet and ComicsMonkey?
Retail vs. Wholesale.
Anyone can buy from IndyPlanet. ONLY verified brick and mortar comics shops can buy from ComicsMonkey.
hello i am a amature artist who wants to produce an artbook of my artworks. i don’t have a way format my pages for the book and wanted to know if ka-blam offers an services to format the pages of my book for me?
I’m sorry. We don’t offer any such service. Do a bit of googling though. It’s not too tough to figure out.
In addition to comics, I’m also a photographer. Do you publish any photo books? I’d like to do a semi-regular photo book series, but in magazine/comic book format.
We’ve printed a few, sure.
Do you have a sales site for non-comics related books? Something like IndyPlanet?
No, sorry. Comics are what we’re about.
I’ve searched the FAQs, but could not find clarification on why you only accept RGB files. Since it is impossible to print in RGB (Since that is LIGHT ccolor mixtures, and not pigment… wwhich is CMYK for practically all digital printing), there is obviously a conversion happening. If you are using a CMYK printer (or even a -color or other ink combination), why not let us know that and allow us to submit that, to avoid degraded color quality? Because you CAN’T print RGB files, I don’t care how sophisticated your conversions are, colors and blacks get screwed up and/or muddy.
The process is actually quite a bit more complex than you give it credit for. Yes, there is a conversion to CMYK — but it happens DURING the print process not BEFORE. The job is sent to the press in RGB mode. Then light-generated color is created by lasers inside the press and then separated and projected onto electrically charged drums in the conversion process. So the transition from additive color (light-based RGB) to subtractive color (pigment-based CMYK) happens inside the press.
My problem is that Ka-blam won’t let me register. I’ve tried different computers and net-connections, but always I get an SQL error message. I can’t send you an e-mail about this, because to e-mail you, one has to be registered. There’s no phone number listed, and the snail-mail I sent to your physical address has gone unanswered. I’m stumped. How do I contact you???
Do you offer printing of the right-to-left format?
Sorry if this question has been answered somewhere, I just could not find it anywhere on site…
If the messages in the message centre never get through (I had one stuck from 19 March 2011, and one stuck from 12 Apr 2011), is there an alternate way to contact the Ka-blam staff aside from email? (Since the order confirmation email says don’t reply to the email…). Any other way of contact would be appreciated. Thanks.
Just reverse your page order.
Hi Siti,
Yes, of course.
We can print your book Japanese style (right to left) but you you have to prepare the files and name them correctly. Here’s what we mean by naming them:
We assume every order that comes in is going to be read left to right–like 96% of the orders we get in.
So if the creator wants Japanese style you need to name your pages backwards. So page 1 if read left to right would actually be the last page of a right to left formatted book.
Best,
Jen
Leave out any apostrophes in your registration information. It’s the apostrophe that’s causing the problem.
I’d like to help but I’m afraid I don’t know who you are. You’re clearly using a different user name and email here than on your customer profile because I don’t have a Ka-Blam user with the email or username you’re using here.
I want to submit an order for a 24 page book, that includes a standard FC exterior and back cover and interior covers. Do I need to only have 20 pages of interior art and then supply the four pages to make a 24 page book? Or do I give you 24 pages of interior art and then just compensate for the 4 additional pages?
I looked through FAQ and I hope I did not over look it, but what do I put for publisher? I’m still new to this and not sure if I make up my own or if I should have someone on board already or what. Thanks for your time.
I am trying to register but the process keeps failing, stating the verification code is incorrect. I’ve tried 12 times, and no, I’m not dyslexic. Could someone contact me regarding getting an account set up as well as answer a couple questions I have that are not covered in the FAQ.
Thanks.
cK
Try clearing your browser’s cache. The verification code can cache itself some times and then if you get it wrong once, then you’ll keep getting it wrong until you clear it out.
Publisher is whatever you want to call yourself.
Like mine is DreamWalker Press. It’s your official company name. Could be something fancy, could be just your name.
Jen
A page is a page.
If you have a 24 page book you must give us 24 pages of art. Covers are not included so you would actually be providing us with 28 files.
Like this:
Cover
Interior front
pages 1-24
interior back cover
back cover
Let us know further questions!
Jen