Printing out huge datasheets

[KL27x]

So I just got done printing and binding a 500 page datasheet. Took me four friggin hours, sweating my ass off in the garage and making a huge mess.

Honestly, this is half the reason I put off upgrading to the latest and greatest in microcontrollers.

Halfway through, I actually stopped to google printing and binding services. If you meet minimum quantites, you can get a reasonable price, perhaps under $10.00 each.

I would pay $30.00 for a proper printed and bound 500 page datasheet. I think there's a market here.  I wonder what the copyright issues would be for trying to sell these, though?    Perhaps group buy would be the way to go.

Anyone else have a favored way of handling these things? I have the latest and greatest printer which will print doublesided and does book format and will even print in the [name eludes me... the little bundles which you fold in half and then staple/sew together before gluing them all to the spine]. But the grunt work is still pretty horrific.

I suppose most of yas just use 8.5 x 11 full sheets put in a 3 ring binders. My bench never has space for that. 

[DTJ]

Perhaps use a binding system:

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=binding+system&gws_rd=cr&ei=IQ5wWbjrHoOz8QXI75i4Cg

I think some of the bigger office supply places do this as a service (as well as printing)

I've got dozens of bound data sheets, standards, manuals etc as a former employer had a binding system in the office. To bind a small document takes maybe a minute. A 500 sheet one might take 10 minutes.

[MarkS]

I was wondering about the copyright issues myself. I have several datasheets I need printed, one of which is over 400. Paperless doesn't work for me.

[Richard Crowley]

So put the PDF file on a thumb drive and go to the nearest Office Depot or FedEx Office (formerly "Kinkos") and ask if they can print a publicly-available PDF document. I would bet that their only question would be how you want to pay for it.  OTOH, perhaps only the larger locations in bigger cities can handle the binding of larger docs.

There are online printing services like https://www.mimeo.com/ and https://www.lulu.com/  Dunno whether they will print a "3rd party" PDF document?  Wouldn't hurt to ask them.

[Nusa]

Legal answers about copyrights/patents/trademarks/etc are going to vary depending on your country of residence, the country the schematics come from, and the desires of the schematic creators.

In general, if it's for personal use only, it's either not illegal at all or is going to be overlooked.

If you're planning to resell them, then I'd research it further.

[KL27x]

That is what i was wondering. About selling or group buy.

I have ended up binding my larger datasheets like a proper book. I dunno if u have ever printed 500 page datasheet, but i dont think spiral bind cuts it. If u choose wrong paper weight it will end up 3 or inches thick. Using light paper is still quite the book. I wonder what that cost at the copy center if it will fit spiral binder.

So i wondered if this is potential business for someone.... someone like adafruit or sparkfun, perhaps. If u could add a book quality datasheet for atmega 328 to your cart for $30.00, this would be no brainer for me.

I have tried many times to use monitor just for datasheets. Even tur ing it portrait. I cant flip back and forth or use the index efficiently.

[KL27x]

Well modern micro controller is over 500 pages. A lot is same across family, but the page numbers are different in the index. I know you use way more advanced devices than I; I don't know how you read/reference a datasheet by moving a mouse and clicking buttons. I can't properly use a micro without printing out the datasheet, first. My short term memory is too far corrupted.

Heck why am i thinking adafruit and sparkfun? Why not digikey or mouse team up with a printing company. And select devices would have hardcopy datasheets available for sale?

Even for some shorter datasheets i would rather like to have perhaps a softcover book format for them. I imagine i would be tacking on classic lm 358 and such to my order, if cost is reasonable. Probably for every part in my cart. They could dropship from 3rd party and take 1 or 2 week, i think would s5ill be great.

[rstofer]

I'm another person that doesn't care for eManuals - they're just hard to use.

So, I print them 2-sided on a LaserJet, punch some holes and put them in a D-ring binder.  I would like to have them professionally bound but it is faster to print them here than to drive all over town.

[KL27x]

I was looking at cost to make 500 page hardcover book, 5.5 x 8.5", and it's very reasonable..... if you buy 125 of them. This is a perfect business opportunity.

There are some obvious easy picks here. Certain Arduino-favored AVR, perhaps some STM32, and maybe even some PIC micro... seems like anyone could open up a store and sell these datasheets?

I have a horrible paperback, here. Paid $10.00 for it at the airport. All it did was waste my time and make me dumber. (NY Time Best Seller. First few pages seemed like your average realistic thriller. And it turns out to be about a female scientist/millionaire/activist/murderer/helicopter pilot? WTF. This is why I don't finish books anymore, lol.) It's smaller than the datasheet I just finished binding, lol.

Why write a trashy book to satisfy a book deal? Print datasheets. Sell them. Profit???

[KL27x]

This is how I been doin it.


Compared to a 494 page paperback book. And a more reasonable 64 page datasheet, which I will generally manage with just a staple.


Been doin it this way for over ten years, and it doesn't get any easier. The datasheets just get bigger and bigger, lol.

[sleemanj]

Horses for courses I suppose.  I can't imagine a situation in which I would want to have a complete printed copy of a microcontroller datasheet.

Tablet, ebook reader, laptop, desktop.... finding what you want is a CTRL-F away, open two, or three copies if you want to compare pages, always have the latest revision, be able to zoom in on charts and tables....

[T3sl4co1l]

Mentor Graphics' MUSBMHDRC USB OTG controller's datasheet

They made a bloody chip?  The end of the world has already begun 

Tim

[Zero999]

Do you really have to print the entire data sheet?

I only ever print small snippets of a data sheet. Printing the whole thing just seems like a waste of time and resources.

[tszaboo]

The 500 (*2) page datasheet will be the exact thickness of the 500 A4 sheet package that you buy...
I have half three of these copy shops in walking distance. I dont even have a printer at home, I can do everything at the office, or one of these places if I need some emergency printing (lol) in the weekend. I hate printers at home they just eat money, and when you would need them, the toner is always dead.
Anyways, any university town will be filled with these, and they charge few cents per page. If you really need that paper datasheet.

[NivagSwerdna]

Sorry trees but I do have quite a few PIC datasheets printed in their entirety. 

I go for double sided 2-up so you get 4 pages per A4 and then ring bound.

... but only the devices I use regularly.

(and I have a friendly print shop)

[KL27x]

I only ever print small snippets of a data sheet. Printing the whole thing just seems like a waste of time and resources.

Mostly I can't live without the entire microcontroller datasheet. I have tried printing out "just what I need" many times, particularly when moving to another PIC in the same family. They're 90% the same, right? I spend too much time printing and losing things and I waste more time and resources, and I use the index, which is pretty annoying if you don't print the whole thing, look something up, and it's not there.

I can't open 3-4 PDF's at the same time and be able to read it. I have a pretty large monitor and a secondary, but I tone the resolution down to 1600 x 900 specifically for doing pcb and firmware, for the sake of seeing all the icons/menus and for ease of reading. And keeping focus on the task. And even if I had gigantic monitors (and then where would I put my scope and PSU and other stuff?) and I could read 3-4 pdf's at a time, then I have to dance between the multiple windows to flip pages... when I have IDE open as well (if not logic analyzer, other programming software, pcb software) in addition to those 3-4 pdfs. This just doesn't work for me. But I did get hit in the head pretty hard when I was 10.

For some reason I can process a lot of more information in a 2:1 book with tiny print that is actually in my hands than I can a huge monitor with larger print. Perhaps being able to put my finger or pencil on the page.

[Mechatrommer]

500 pages? snort... i've been doing this like forever. top three in the pic are just recent, topmost is near 600 pages. the bottom most is the thickest i've made i think i can find around, 1000+ pages (i have to make 2 batches for drilling of the same book and recombine afterward)... ingredient = few clamps and hard papers as braces, and then bench drill, and then thread and needle knit, and then covering to your liking, mine is "book tape" and misc plastic laminate as seen. i'm with the OP's boat, except the copyright issue with selling, i do this for my personal keeping. anybody think he can carefully study hundreds of pages on however many monitors/tablets, my advice is he should get eye or brain insurance soon. lit reading surface doesnt work with me. flipping/bookmarking hardcopy took like an instant with little effort, not to mention its "wireless" so we dont worry about having power outlet around for charging. and its also shockproof suitable in a boring time during long journey.

[KL27x]

Nicely done on the books bindings.

I would be skeptical about the PDFers, too. But heck, some of them probably had an iPad before a bicycle.

If we were the norm, there would be huge opportunity here for a business. Or even for manufacturers, themselves.

A rep came by and gave me a bunch of Cypress dev boards. And they collect dust. It is like homework. I gotta download the software. I gotta print out datasheets. All i really have is more junk, like i dont need. I would rather he give me a bound hardcopy of the datasheet. And i can read it. And i will buy dev kits if i like what i see!

[rstofer]

Do you really have to print the entire data sheet?

I only ever print small snippets of a data sheet. Printing the whole thing just seems like a waste of time and resources.

No, it isn't always necessary but so many times, there are links in one chapter that lead off to another chapter.  "See PR0 on page 398" while you are reading page 210.  But that is better than duplicating the information and having differences because it only got updated in one location instead of multiple.

It's been awhile since I have printed an entire datasheet but I certainly print snippets.  Even worse:  NXP documents separate the User Manual from the Datasheet.  Turns out the Datasheet isn't all that useful for programmers, they need the User Manual.  The hardware guys need the Datasheet.  If you're a one man show, you need them both!

[elecman14]

....
There are online printing services like https://www.mimeo.com/ and https://www.lulu.com/  Dunno whether they will print a "3rd party" PDF document?  Wouldn't hurt to ask them.

I usually use lulu. Just got a weird old Keithley datasheet that was in 6" X 9" (trade paperback) sized that was a pain to read on the computer printed and spiral bound. If memory serves me correct it was $8.50 shipped for a 250 page datasheet. I have done A4 in the past and it is slightly more expensive. The turn time is generally pretty reasonable.   

[BrianHG]

I wish I kept my printed out copy of Analog Devices 4 input deep color HDMI receiver with 12 input deep color graphics digitizer to photograph and post here.  It was 3 volumes thick with all the I2C maps & how to use the chip.

[JPortici]

i don't waste time anymore printing large amount of pages.
i either use an online service or go to any copy-shop. they'll print it for about what it would cost me to do it alone, plus the hassle. And they will also put the cover and the binding, i have a couple of local shops which are cheaper than online services.

[suicidaleggroll]

I don't understand why anybody would want to print them in the first place.  You can't ctrl+f a stack of paper, you can't follow links to other pages, tables, or other sources online...what's the point?  I can see printing a page or three for a quick reference while developing or testing in the lab, but all 500 pages?  Seriously?  Buy yourself a cheap laptop, tablet, or something similar.  In addition to not wasting paper, ink, and shelf space, it's also SO much faster to search through and find what you're looking for.  For those complaining about having 3 PDFs open at once and having to switch between them...alt+tab, it's faster than having to shuffle around hundreds of pages of paper/notebooks anyway.

[alm]

If you are referring a lot to a document, it may be worth spending a couple of minutes to add bookmarks yourself. And complain to the vendor to make proper PDFs . This is not as easy if they enabled PDF security, in that case you are left with yelling at the vendor.

[rstofer]

Have you ever had to read a PDF with no bookmarks?
Also, the reading experience on screen is almost as good, but not exactly as good as reading real paper.
That's why people spend $700 on eInk papers. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072DXXXN1

I have a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 that I can use for the same purpose, I use it with Kindle all the time (almost exclusively, as it turns out).  I use a Surface Book as my desktop computer with an external 27" monitor and there are other machines on the desktop which are fully capable of displaying a book (in landscape).  I like eInk but it isn't something I would pay money for.

A high end Surface Book with 2 external monitors (plus the normal screen) isn't entirely worthless.  What is a problem is the fact that none of my external monitors can match the resolution of the built-in display.  Sometimes the rendering is regrettable.  Lines get lost, text gets hard to read, etc.  The 3:2 display ratio isn't really compatible with external displays (that I have found).

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/forum/surfbook-surfdrivers/why-did-they-make-the-surface-book-with-a-32/0d30c196-5d5d-427b-b49e-3548b69fae09

But I still like paper.  I have done the multiple screen approach and it works well but somehow reading a screen just isn't the same.