Print Buying Direct

20th January 2009

When looking at the folders the first thing you need to consider is which of the three options- knife, buckle and combination will suit your needs?

The buckle folder is the most common choice. It uses a set of guides and plates with a backstop to buckle the paper and create the fold. The document enters through a set of rollers and into a plate where the paper strikes a backstop; it buckles and is forced downward and into a set of nip rollers. The nip rollers grab the sheets at the buckle and pull it through, pressing a fold into the sheet. If several folds are required, then the sheet is sent into another plate and the process is repeated. The fold or buckle location is adjustable allowing for different folds to be created. A knife folder uses a blunt steel blade to push the sheet at the right point to create the fold in the material. Its accuracy makes it ideal for booklet work.

Finally the combination folder- using both buckle and knife technology- is faster and provides close registration. It is suited to large quantities and more complex folding jobs. With the issue of toner cracking on digitally printed work still a key consideration the choice of folders can be more complicated. On the whole, a suction fed system rather than friction fed- usually used for litho printed stock- will offer greater protection to the surface. And creasers have been developed specifically for the digital print.

How much automation does your guillotine have? Is there a touchscreen console? An air table? A quick and easy-to change knife? If ‘none’ and ‘no’ are the main answers to these questions the chances are you are one of the majority of printers that only upgrade equipment when it is absolutely necessary.

At some point during the lifecycle of most pieces of print they will go through a guillotine or a trimmer, so getting a high- quality finish is vital. Although often overlooked for investment, this piece of kit, when upgraded, can transform the bindery. This is especially the case now as the demand for automation has increased and the cost of adding features to smaller machines has reduced. The result is more affordable highly-automated kit.

But what should a new guillotine feature? To get the best out of the printed sheet it should have programmatic capability to store jobs and reduce wastages resulting from errors in set-up, ease of use to enable fast changeovers between jobs and variable clamp pressure to hold a variety of stock and enable a clear cut; the latter being important when cutting digital stock.

For more information on printing, trimming, and print finishing in general please don’t hesitate to contact us at The Printing House (Print Buying Direct)

While many of the other stages in the bindery have been an essential element of post press, lamination is a relative newcomer. Previously restricted to trade finishers because of the prohibitive cost of the machines and the skills required to ensure top-quality results, the popularity of digital print has pushed this process into the spotlight.

With the increase in demand for short run, fast turnaround products printers are being required to work faster and smarter. As a result lamination is increasingly being used to protect the final product and give it a high-quality finish. But because sending this out could have ramifications on turnaround times and create unacceptable waiting times, printers started to look at the issues surrounding bringing this service in-house. At the same time, manufacturers were making technology advances that meant easy-to-use and cheaper machines.

A fully automatic laminator should cope with both lithographic and digital output for example and consideration should be given as to how easily a feeder could be added to a hand fed laminator at a later date should the printer’s volumes increase. It should be built for longevity of use and be backed by a comprehensive service organisation.

This is true for B1 and B2 printers and now includes B3 and digital printers, too. Despite increasingly tighter margins, printers are realising the added value a laminator can bring to their businesses. The time and cost associated with outsourcing means that printers are now keen to reap the benefits of providing all their offering under one roof, as a means of creating another profit centre. With modern technology making the lamination process so simple, the need for highly skilled operators has disappeared. Having a laminator in-house means that printers have greater control over the job at hand, there’s faster turnaround and as a result many printers are actually winning new business.

To ensure successful lamination the minimum diameter for a nip roller should be 10 inches so it provides a decent amount of nip pressure, together with a good water heating system.

For more information on printing, Gloss Lamination, Matt Lamination and print finishing in general please don’t hesitate to contact us at The Printing House (Print Buying Direct)