Printing Manuals

I usually print out bits and pieces, including approach plates, etc, as I need them. I have never had to print out an entire airplane package. Well, those days are over: I got the DF B727 last weekend.So, after realizing that I was going to have to give the printer a workout, I did some analysis. Not exact, by any means, but practical, to me. I weighed the cost of the ink, the paper, the extra ink and paper associated with the effects of Murphey's Law, and the fun associated with poking holes in the paper and pirating a binder from my closet (and finding a place for the former contents), against the costs and benefits associated with a finished product: Three booklets, comb bound, with solid blue back cover and clear front cover. The booklets (one for each pdf file) cost $23.50 at Staples. They are very nice, and I am glad I did it that way. Now, when the PMDG MD-11 comes out...The $23.50 figure is deceptive. It represents the cost of that option, not the additional costs over other options. So, if it would cost me $15.00 in ink, paper, printer abuse, and frustration to do it myself, the $23.50 represents an additional cost of only $8.50.I have no idea what the real numbers for home abuse of my equipment and my mood would be for this printing job. I do know that the final cost of the Staples option isn't that much more, and I know that the final product is excellent. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.I post this because I want others to be aware of other options for getting those large manuals into a useful form.