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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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23/01/2010
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16:58
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This forum is for anyone with an interest in publishing on Lulu.com. Post questions and messages here.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 08/02/2010 : 17:18
When you publish on Lulu if you take the automatic distribution package it will give you an ISBN number and you can put this in the title pages before you upload the file. Once you have published you can take a further free option on the distribution which extends what they do.
Covers. I still use the old system which is dead simple and is offered as an option when you go into design. This allows you to just paste a jpeg of the cover into the template. Dead easy and it works. One little quirk I have noted, it takes the front cover easily but has always said there is a problem with the back cover but if you just try again it loads. If you are having trouble with the graphics make a cover the old-fashioned way. Cut and paste what you want onto a 9x6 inch card, photograph it and make sure it is a jpeg, 300dpi and 9x6 inches. That will be reproduced exactly when you paste it in.
I used Pshop and paste a pic onto a 9x6 canvas and then insert the text. Have a look to see whether the imaging programme on your PC can do this. I think Peter knows of a free prog you can download that will do this???? Over to you Peter.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk  |
Tizer
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Posted - 08/02/2010 : 19:40
The free software is IrfanView which I used when I had a Windows PC. I used it mostly for `handling' images - resizing, cropping and so on - but it will do much more. As it's free and takes up very little space on your computer you might as well download it and give it a whirl. It's not fancy and can look a bit boring but really it's quite powerful. If you wanted to re-size 100 photos in bulk you can do that easily too.
http://www.irfanview.com
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 09/02/2010 : 04:55
Most of these graphics programmes use the same terminology. Look for image>canvas and set size 9x6 then find how you insert a pic in it in the right place. Once the pic is in look for a button or manu item called text, that should allow you to put whatever you want in the right position. Save the lot as a jpeg 9x6 and 300 dpi. That's a cover.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
colsack
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Posted - 09/02/2010 : 08:09
Finished writing at last. As it now, i have done the final checking and editing, pics are in, pages are numbered, ect. everything set out perfect. Still can't work out the end covers. I'm trying to do it on the same word document as the text, is that right? So far i've done the title, pics and writing, looks good but it's on a white background, thought a colour background will look better, but i can't get to colour it. Got Irfanview now but still pulling my hair out. Iv'e asked around, but cant find anyone who knows how to help. Any ideas?
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Tizer
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Posted - 09/02/2010 : 10:10
On graphics software, I've just remembered that there is a Windows version of The Gimp. This is well-known and can do just about everything Photoshop can do (some say it's better). It has been around a long time but is known best by Linux users. It's free too!
Here is an Introductory page.
A `Gimp for Windows' page with some pictures.
And the download page for Gimp on windows XP SP2 or later.
The Gimp Manual is here.
Col, if by end cover you mean the book cover then it will be a separate file. This file is a graphic not a text document, as Stanley is describing two posts back, and it has to be made up in a graphics programme not in Word. Then you paste this graphic into the Lulu cover designer.
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colsack
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Posted - 09/02/2010 : 14:10
Thanks Pete, think I'm slowly getting there. Made an account with Lulu, got a ISBN Nr. and barcode, got the right size paper ect. Downloaded Gimp, still can't get me brains around the book covers but trying. 
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 10/02/2010 : 07:36
Courage mon brave! It will be easier next time!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
colsack
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Posted - 10/02/2010 : 11:48
I have come to a stop now, problem is, i dont know anyone who can use a graphics program, so it will be some time before my book is available, maybe i should just post it on the SC thread instead? It is only 42 pages anyway.
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 10/02/2010 : 15:10
Don't give up! Some child near you knows all about this! Get looking!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Tizer
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Posted - 10/02/2010 : 21:06
Col, I assume you have a photo you want to put on the front cover and that it is a .jpg file (e.g. as from a digital camera). Let's call the file photo.jpg. Open Gimp and you get the `toolbox'. Click on the `File' menu and click New to get the Create new Image box. In this box change the measuring units to inches and put 6 in width and 9 in height. Click OK and you get a new empty window - you can move the window about on your computer by putting your cursor on the top bar and dragging it.
Now click the File again and click Open, find your photo.jpg file and click Open - you will now have another window with your photo in it. Using that window, click Edit, then Copy and this copies the image from the window. Now go to your origianl empty 6x9 window, click Edit and Paste. Your image will appear in this window. Now close your original photo.jpg file window. In the toolbox, among all those symbols in the top half, click the symbol that looks like a cross - if you hover your cursor over it you will see it is called the Move tool. Your cursor can now be used to move the image in the window - `grab' the image with your cursor and drag it to where you want it. Now save this as a file - File menu, Save as (or press Control S) - give it a suitable name then click on the Select file Type button and choose JPEG. It should give your file a .jpg ending (if it gives .jpeg, change it to .jpg). Now click Save. If extra boxes come up just click on whatever it offers (probably `Export'). This is now the start of your front cover.
Now to put your title in as text. First you need the Text tool. Go to the toolbox and click the big letter A, then click your cursor somewhere above the image. The Gimp Text editor, little box, comes up and you can type your title in this - so let's say you type COL'S STORY. In the toolbox you can enlarge the font where it says `Size', you'll need around 30 perhaps. Click on the Aa symbol and you can choose a font - try `Sans Bold' for the title. You should now have your title on the cover. Close the Text Editor - you can always open it again by clicking on the text in the cover. Click the Move tool again and use it to drag your cover photo partly to one side. You will see the whole white area move aside leaving a lower layer with your text only. Now click the text and move it to the right position in the window - you ,ight have to click a few times until the dotted line around the text changes colour. Now drag your white cover image back into its original position. Save the file again and you now have a front cover as a JPG image file.
Give it a try and see how you go on. Play around with the toolbox and find out how it all works. You won't wreck anything! let us know if you amage to work through it - we'll make a graphic designer of you yet! I'll be abck on OGFB in the morning - I need a rest after this!
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 11/02/2010 : 07:26
Good advice Colin. very similar process to Pshop but different terminology.
If all else fails, send me a JPEG of a drawing of what you want and the pic 5" wide and 300dpi and I'll make you a cover. Have a pic on the back cover as well and I'll do both. Keep it simple and have the cover B&W for the first book. But do try to do it yourself first!
I say 'first book' because once you have seen the result you'll almost certainly want to do more!
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Tizer
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Posted - 11/02/2010 : 09:32
Colin, before you follow my Gimp instructions make sure you have got your cover picture ready by doing what Stanley has just written. You need it the right size before you use Gimp to put it in the cover. To do a black & white cover you can use any black & white picture. If it's not already an electronic file such as a .jpg or .tif file you should use either your scanner or digital camera to make such a digital photo file. If you use the camera then the photo once it is on your computer just needs re-sizing. If you scan it then set the scan for 5 inches width and 300dpi before running the scan.
If you need to re-size the photo as in Stanley's instructions, make a copy of the file and work on that (so that you save the original untouched). Open the copy in Gimp then go to the Image menu and select Scale Image. In this box you want to set the Width (at the top) to 5 inches, so make sure the little menu alongside says `inches' rather than pixels etc. Don't touch the height - it will change in proportion by itself when you close the box. Now click Scale to close this box. You now have a 5-inch wide version of your photo.
It's worth learning how to use Gimp because it is very powerful and you can do lots of useful things to your photos. There is a very detailed online manual which I gave the link for above.
I couldn't find a way of inserting a graphic into a new canvas on IrfanView. It can do a lot but not this it seemed. For people who find Gimp looks too unfamiliar (it was designed by Linux people rather than Windows people), here is another free graphics software programme that will look more familar to the Windows world:
http://www.getpaint.net/
Edited by - Tizer on 11/02/2010 09:37:11
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colsack
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Posted - 11/02/2010 : 17:47
I really appreciate the help but still, nothing works as it should, including the Gimp2 click by click guide. For example i can only open the image box with the key board amongst other things. I have made the Two end covers in a Microsoft word document, thats the only place i can do it. Problem now is i cant move them to a picture file without them remaining in the MWD cover, so i still cant upload them. I have downloaded Paint.net, and another graphic program called paint, but still cant get a result. I have been on this for Three days solid now.
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 12/02/2010 : 07:12
Colin, one way out, not the best, but an escape route, is to print the Word docs you have done of the covers at the best resolution possible, take a photograph using a tripod or a solid base to stop camera shake and then edit the pic to 9x6 300 dpi. That will upload and be reproduced. With care you'll get good quality. Remember to leave enough room on the back cover for the bar code and ISBN they print at the bottom on top of your cover pic.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
colsack
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Posted - 12/02/2010 : 10:24
I thought of that as well Stanley. However i have made slight progress, i made the 9x6 inch image box on Gimp, inserted the photo, but it's stuck up in the top right corner of the box and i can't move it to the centre, tried all the tools but no luck. I also tried copying the finished design from MWD in to the image box, this worked but everything was all squashed up and distorted. It's strange that theres no "menu" on the Gimp program, i have to open every thing by right clicking or using the keyboard. What i need is someone who really knows what their doing, to sit next to me and do it for me, so for the time being, i will shelve this project until i find a graphic artist to help, hopefully soon.
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PUBLISHING ON LULU.COM
