To achieve the best results possible when duplicating a manual (or promotional piece) I start with several originals from my inventory. In the above photo four samples for the SL-HF1000 are shown. As you can see age and handling have had varying degrees of impact upon their condition. From these four I would choose one or two to be my masters for the duplication process. Click on the picture. Here we see that the staples along the spine are being removed (upper left) so the booklets can be separated. Then each page is inspected for marks, dirt and tears. Repairs are made and correction fluid is used to cover any blemishes. Click the photo again. Now the individual pages are ready for photocopying. If the booklet cover is in color and is sharp enough to use for duplication then a high quality color copier shown on the left is used to duplicate it. If the only available example has paper yellowed from age then it can't duplicated directly, because the yellowing would also be copied. In these cases the cover would be scanned, saved to a computer file and then reworked using an image editor to remove the yellowing and brighten the color. Then it would be printed onto a bright white 11 x 17 sheet using a high quality printer. In many cases only the cover of a manual is duplicated in color. The reason for this is copying 11 x 17 inch sheets, double sided is not economical. Also, most of the original instruction manuals are printed in black on white on the inside or use very little color. For the black on white duplication the model copier seen on the right was selected because of the excellent job it does reproducing halftones (pictures) and rejecting minor surface flaws. Click on the photo and here you can see that the reproduced halftone at the bottom looks nearly as good as the original at the top. (Sometimes even better by using contrast manipulation and adjusting print depth.) The next photo shows that the pages are copied on both sides by using the bypass tray. Most manuals are slightly undersized (not exactly a full folded 11 x 17 sheet) so the leading edges must matched and then the sheets trimmed. Click on the photo and here you see the manual being assembled and bound together using a special stapler. A multi-sheet stack cutter is used to trim the booklets so that all the pages are neat and uniform. This completes the duplication process. I usually make five or more reproductions of a manual during a session because it is more practical. The final photo shows a couple of duplicated manuals shown with a original for comparison. Notice that the reproductions are brighter and sharper. Also, their new paper is less likely to rip or attract dirt. The one on the right is a good example of how extremely crisp these makeovers can be. ©Misterßetamax go to homepage