Can anyone suggest a good printing press in China?

[Quixote1818]

If not in China, perhaps a reasonable press here in the US?

Also, why cant On-Demand printers do horizontal books? They often offer three sizes and don't offer a horizontal option????

[jmowreader]

1. It all depends on what you're trying to print, and the count

There is a HUGE difference between running an 8-1/2 x 11 16-page saddlestitched book and a 300-page Smyth-sewn coffee table book. There's also a monster difference between a 500 run and a 50,000 run, and between one-color and Hexachrome with PMS 872 and PMS 877 spot colors. Give me a yo as to what you're trying to run and where you are, and I'll see what I can think of.

Oh yeah...the horizontal book thing? Two problems with horizontal books. First is where the binding is. If the machine runs 8 x 10-1/2, 6 x 9, and 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 books, all bound on the long edge, the machine can do all three with the binding head in the same place--on the long edge. If you do a horizontal book (assuming it isn't the size of a Chick tract), you're binding on the short edge and the binding head has to be moved...and normally it can't be moved. The big problem's the cover--a wrap-around cover on an 8 x 10-1/2 book bound long edge can be cut out of an 11x17 sheet. The same cover on the same book bound short-edge must be 8-1/2" x 22"--have you ever seen such a sheet? You'd have to call xpedx and have it sheeted at enormous expense.