Vollmeise
Well-known member
Hello Birders,
maybe someone out there did some comparison of genuine and reprinted editions of the "Helm Identification Guides" and can share the experience.
Tho weeks ago I ordered a "new" version of Clement's "finches and sparrows", reprinted in 2013. As I own several older and newer books of the Helm ID series, for example "Buntings and Sparrows" (Byers, Olsson, Curson 1995) or "Robins and Chats" (Clement, Rose 2015), I had no doubt to receive anoher excellent printed book with outstanding color plates and just a pleasure to use it.
But - what I received was an unbounded cheek. It seemed they just used an (uncalibrated) color laser printer to print the text pages (uncoated plain paper) and color plates (coated paper). The printed text lacks sharpness and the quality of the plates' colors is - sorry - just lousy. The plate of Sirins for example shows the birds in much too vivid colors, all of that plate's birds show the same yellow-greenish look and are evenmore they are not printed sharp at all. These plates are just useles for identification due to poorest print quality.
The bookbinding itself and the print quality of the outer dust cover is great nevertheless and seems to be offset printed. So the "look and feel" and first impression of he book is good, as long as you don't open it.
Now I ordered one of the "original" editions from 1993 and hope not to be disappointed again.
Do other Birders have the same experience with reprinted books of the Helm ID Guide series?
Thx and Cheers,
Vollmeise
maybe someone out there did some comparison of genuine and reprinted editions of the "Helm Identification Guides" and can share the experience.
Tho weeks ago I ordered a "new" version of Clement's "finches and sparrows", reprinted in 2013. As I own several older and newer books of the Helm ID series, for example "Buntings and Sparrows" (Byers, Olsson, Curson 1995) or "Robins and Chats" (Clement, Rose 2015), I had no doubt to receive anoher excellent printed book with outstanding color plates and just a pleasure to use it.
But - what I received was an unbounded cheek. It seemed they just used an (uncalibrated) color laser printer to print the text pages (uncoated plain paper) and color plates (coated paper). The printed text lacks sharpness and the quality of the plates' colors is - sorry - just lousy. The plate of Sirins for example shows the birds in much too vivid colors, all of that plate's birds show the same yellow-greenish look and are evenmore they are not printed sharp at all. These plates are just useles for identification due to poorest print quality.
The bookbinding itself and the print quality of the outer dust cover is great nevertheless and seems to be offset printed. So the "look and feel" and first impression of he book is good, as long as you don't open it.
Now I ordered one of the "original" editions from 1993 and hope not to be disappointed again.
Do other Birders have the same experience with reprinted books of the Helm ID Guide series?
Thx and Cheers,
Vollmeise