Hi all,

I'm completely new to binding, as such, I decided to start with an exceptionally easy (it is not easy, this is complicated to the point where it's almost a bad idea) project: the entirety of the pre-reboot Archie Sonic the Hedgehog, which is approximately 383 issues worth of content. The series has a great deal of sentimental value to me, and being able to read something that will never, ever be collected in a physical form due to its complicated legal issues would be a relief for a number of reasons. Suffice it to say that something that would be a tribute to my dad hanging on my shelves forever would feel quite nice.

I'm looking over how to get started, but I'm fairly overwhelmed - binderies, specific styles, getting a graphic designer, etc. I've been looking for FAQs, such as Single Bound Studios posted earlier in this topic, but for whatever reason the articles on the site aren't showing up as clickable pieces at all. After about a day's worth of googling and youtube videos, and reading through a fair chunk of this topic, I'm posting my questions here as the very first post, n00b and all. I can promise that I did my best to search for answers before posting, so my inability to find an answer on my own that may seem obvious is absolutely a matter of ignorance, not apathy.

1: It seems as though Houchen Bindery is one of the best to work with in the event that someone would want custom, graphic covers. Is this accurate? Are there other options that people are happy with?

2: I have cleaned up images, as the comics started in 1993 and getting comics in pristine condition is very difficult. But they had to be cleaned digitally, and as a result, I would have to print them out to be bound. I'm concerned that this may create ethical concerns of some kind for a bindery, and was wondering if anyone had experience with this. I can use the originals, but obviously, the paper quality isn't great and it includes advertisements that I'm not particularly interested in.

3: In the event that someone has had experience successfully using self-printed pages, what paper stock would you recommend? I had hoped for a nice glossy paper, to keep from being able to see images printed on the opposite side of the page, but I don't want the book to become unwieldy.

4: There are certain sections of issues that I would like to print without using the entire book. Sometimes because there are posters, sometimes because the stories are 6 pages long while the rest is a reprint, etc. Does this create a problem for the bindery?

5: While I certainly feel comfortable attempting to design a thumbnail for a cover, my B+ in Introduction to Graphic Design using an outdated version of Photoshop just isn't going to cut it in terms of creating a visually appealing exterior on my own. I would like to commission custom designs for the project on the covers and spine, and things like a Table of Contents, credits page, and whatever else may be necessary. How can I go about doing this, and does anyone know the rates I am likely to encounter? I can't realistically do all 383 issues at once, but I absolutely need to understand the scope and budget of what I'm trying to do if that's information people can share.

6: Do people have a recommended page count for volumes to prevent gutter loss? I know that Houchen has a 25 issue max, but that doesn't necessarily account for oversized issues, or the ideal page count people have found for their books.

7: Are there other things that I should have asked/been aware of, or newbie tips that I can be pointed to?

I apologize for asking so many questions, but hopefully it is seen as the desire to do it right rather than someone being annoying.