Hello Backers!

Checking in for our regular status update. The book has been submitted in its entirety to the printer. We’ve just wrapped up "soft proof" approvals, in which the printer provides the PDF layouts of the book, covers, and slipcases for a final review of contents. This is also the stage where we work with the printer to define precise methods and colors used for things like our cover enhancements, endpapers, etc. This part of the process is always enjoyable, as you really begin to get a feel for the final product! 

After this will be “hard proofs”, where the printer will produce physical copies of book materials for approval before proceeding with the full order. This will be the point at which we’ll be able to provide some photos of the process per our request to the printer. Always a neat little peek into the book production process!

Wishing everyone well as the weather turns, whether you’re warming up or cooling off.

All the best,
ABLAZE

Hi, Backers,

Digital fulfillment tiers have been fulfilled.

We expect the print files to go to the South Korean printer by next week.  It will take 8-10 weeks to print, ship and fulfill orders.

Some Backers have not completed the Backerkit Survey.  If you have not done so yet please take the time to do so.  This helps make the fulfillment process run more smoothly.

Thank you for your support.

Best,

ABLAZE

With everything tightened up and approved, we’re happy to announce that the Digital Edition of Off the Beaten Path is ready to roll out! All backers whose tiers included the Digital Edition of the book can now enjoy it!

 

Files are being submitted to our printer ASAP, and printing/shipping will take place over the coming weeks. We expect this process to be wrapped within the 2nd quarter of 2025, and we’ve requested that the printer keep us updated with progress photos so we can, in turn, keep backers updated as to status while providing a look behind the curtain.

 

Thank you again for your support.

Hello Backers!

 

Welcome back to our bi-weekly check-in! While we have no significant and easily summarized milestones to report, we’d still like to assure everyone that the work’s chugging along. Adjustments to balloons took longer than expected, mostly due to the weird ways in which Adobe’s Photoshop and Illustrator do and (relevant here) do not cooperate.

 

But items are now back in the designer’s hands to be updated, tweaked, and prepped.

 

As always, thanks for being here! And have a nice weekend! If you’re supposed to get ice and bad weather (as we are in our general neck of the woods), stay safe and warm!

 

Cheers,

ABLAZE

Hello Backers,

 

In our efforts towards more regular communication, we are here with another update! Though it’s a brief update, it does reflect good news and good progress.

 

Firstly, we have secured a printing partner! We’re in the process of receiving pre-press materials from them: cover and slipcase templates, options for our cover enhancements, etc. Once we have these, fitting the existing designs to precise specs is a pretty simple task of finalization.

 

Speaking of, we are still in the process of finalizing interiors. While we have successfully updated the lettering throughout the book, it was found that some of the dialogue is quite tight in the balloons and some of the balloons are quite big for the present dialogue. With permission from Marie, we’re now going back through the book to standardize these for a more uniform appearance. This and some other fine details should be the final bit of polish needed before we distribute the digital edition and send the book to print.

 

Thank you,

ABLAZE