Over the years I’ve done a few home prints of the original edition of Dungeons & Dragons and its started to get actually good. I just wanted to share pictures and provide advice that I have found to work for me.
So while not terribly historically accurate, I have opted to use the WotC reprints, but I have utilized the original covers. I have them saved from a specific website where you can find pdfs of games for archival purposes, but I think these are now unavailable. I am sure if you asked the right person for the original covers they’d send you a link.
To print them in booklet form I used Adobe Acrobat, although I’m sure many pdf programs can print in booklet style. I printed the covers separate from the internal contents so that I could print them on different kinds of paper.
I printed the internal contents on 20 lbs. recycled paper – I have found actually printing on cheaper printer feels better for me for a use-copy. When the paper is too high quality the booklets become difficult to flip through, in addition to increasing the size of each booklet. I then printed the covers onto premium 80 lbs. white cardstock in color.
Afterwards I very gently fold over the pages and the cover, kind of rolling it in the middle without actually creasing it. I used to use a Scor-Pal but I found the actual crease on larger pamphlets creates kind of tiers of pages that affects use-in-hand. Your mileage may vary.
Once I have an obvious center I staple it twice using a long-arm stapler. I don’t really measure the position along the spine, or pre-hole the cover or anything. I just measure from the short edge of the cover to the center, and approximate two places nearish to the ends to staple.
Now that the actual booklet is constructed I start creasing the spine. I’ll very carefully apply pressure until the book mostly lays shut, and afterwards I’ll use a rubber roller to really flatten it out.
With the book sufficiently flattened, I flip open the cover and stick the internal pages into a paper slicer, aligning to whatever pages seem to be sticking out the least, and chop them down to a consistent size when closed. Again nothing terribly precise. Just stick the pages into the slicer, line up so excess page spill is past the blade, then chop.
For the actual white box I could have tried to look for something closer to the actual white box, or even apply paper to a smallish board game, but I opted instead for white corrugated box like this. Its sturdy, and since you have to buy it in a big pack its super useful for keeping all those zines you’ll be getting from Zine Quest in.
With the supplements, reference sheets, Chainmail and Swords & Spells its a pretty tight fit. Obviously if it was just the 3LBBs I could also stash some dice and other stuff, but its packed to the brim with additionals. I don’t heavily use the supplements, but every once and a while I’ll grab something from them, so I like to have them nearby.
Anyway, none of the above is rocket science, I just thought I’d share my process. I’d love to hear from you if you’ve done something similar, for your favorite game, adventure, supplement, daemonic spellbook, etc.