Kickstarter Joins Forces With Mixam To Offer A New Service

A New Development In The Crowdfunding Space

A few days ago, the CEO of Kickstarter Everette Taylor just announced that the crowdfunder will be teaming up with the print services company Mixam to offer something new. Here’s a few details…

Turning your comic book idea into a reality is an exciting step for any creator. You’ve built your world, developed your characters, and poured your creativity into every panel. But when it comes to actually printing it, it’s easy to feel unsure about the next steps. That’s where Mixam’s latest partnership with Kickstarter can help.

Who is Mixam?

Mixam is more than just a printing company – we’re a tech business helping creators worldwide produce outstanding comic books, graphic novels, zines and other printed products. Thousands trust us to deliver high-quality, custom prints without the usual stress or guesswork. From selecting your paper type to uploading your files, we simplify every step of the process, giving you the tools to make your own comic book on your terms. By combining Kickstarter’s crowdfunding power with Mixam’s printing expertise, we’re making it easier than ever to create, share, and ship prints to your backers.

Why print your comic book with Mixam?

We know that printing can feel like a daunting part of the journey. But Mixam gives you everything you need to make printing online smooth and efficient.

• Instant free quotes: Our Instant Quote Calculator offers transparent pricing and provides a wide range of print options, enabling you to create custom comic books that you and your backers will love.
• Free downloadable templates and design tools: Once you’ve chosen your specifications, you can download a PDF template to use as an underlay in your preferred design program, or you can create print-ready files with our time-saving Design Online tool.
• Expert print support: From file setup to finishes, our team is on hand to offer support and guidance whenever you need it over chat, email and phone.
• Production methods: Bulk printing is an effective way to increase sales, boost brand awareness, and build lasting relationships with backers. This method offers wide-ranging customization options and has the advantage of wholesale pricing, meaning you get the most cost-effective price per copy. It also includes fast turnaround times thanks to quicker setup costs.

Additionally, Mixam’s print-on-demand service, PrintLink, is ideal for those ready to sell their work without the need for inventory management and upfront costs. In the US, we can ship bulk comic book orders to any address in the country, and international shipping is available for PrintLink, so wherever your readers are, we’ve got you covered.

But don’t just take our word for it – here’s what real customers had to say about our comic book printing service on Trustpilot:

“The print quality was amazing! My comic was full of dark colors and a lot of details, and it came out crisp, legible, and professional looking!” – Hayley

“Very fast and affordable. Since my comic was optimized for web viewing, they did a mirror bleed border that helped keep the integrity of the comic and make it work for printing. Their template for graphic novels was also very intuitive. Very happy with their service.” – C.s

“I highly recommend! These comic books come out to perfection!!” – Vanessa

How does Mixam print comic books?

1. File Preparation (Pre-flight): Before printing, we check your files to make sure everything is ready. This process includes converting colors, flattening transparencies, and embedding fonts. We also look out for low-resolution images or small text that might not print clearly. Once everything looks good, we add trim marks and arrange the pages into a print-ready layout.

2. Printing: We print the inner pages and covers on large sheets of paper. This method helps reduce waste and lowers energy use during the process.

3. Cover Lamination: If your cover includes a lamination, we apply a thin plastic layer using heated rollers. It adds a smooth, protective coating to your book.

4. Trimming: Next, we trim the printed sheets to the final size using high-precision cutting equipment, giving your comics clean, neat edges.

5. Binding: The inner pages are bound to the cover. Depending on the type of binding you choose, such as perfect binding, the book may require some time to set and dry.

6. Final Check and Packaging: We inspect the final prints for quality before carefully packing them for delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prepare my comic book files for printing?

Ensure you have checked the following before uploading your files to a pending order:

• Do all files include bleed?
• Are all files in CMYK color mode?
• Do all files have a 300dpi resolution?
• Are all files the correct size?
• Do all files have the correct orientation? (i.e. portrait vs landscape)
• Does your page quantity match the number of files you’ve created? (i.e., if your book contains 48 pages, do you have 48 files to fill the pages?)
• Have you embedded all fonts?
• Have you designed files according to the binding?
• Is important content positioned away from the trim edges and binding line?
• If your files include page numbers, do they appear in the same position and in the correct order?
• If applicable, have you created a spine file?

For more helpful tips and how to avoid common issues, check out Mixam’s Preparing for Print guide.

Read the whole article here

This is a very interesting new development.